Last week XM radio personalities Opie and Anthony were suspended from the pay-for satellite service for 30 days in a move that makes about as much sense as Hugh Hefner firing Jesse James for flashing her cans at Mardi Gras, or canning Chris Hanson for punching a pedophile.
The Don Imus firing has created a predictable slippery slope of anti-first amendment fears and sentiment. In fact, since the "nappy headed ho’s" debacle, O&A have been predicting their own demise daily. (By the way, just for the record, Harold & Kumar did MUCH more for New Jersey than the Rutgers' women's basketball team ever will, at least in terms of providing Neil Patrick Harris a career boost.)
I just don't think O&A thought it would be benign sex banter from a drunken’ bum that would give them the boot from satellite radio – the alleged short-skirted provocateur to terrestrial radio's wet blanket chaperone. Sure, there was a short segment devoted to what said bum would do to supposed "hand-off" dignitaries including Condi Rice, The Queen and the First Lady. But “According to Jim” segments have been more offensive.
The O&A debacle is much different than the Imus fracas. Customers pay to hear O&A on a channel clearly labeled “outrageous talk radio.” It’s a channel that’s free of FCC oversight and shouldn’t submit to the self-important rants and raves of Al Sharpton and couscous-munching soccer moms. XM customers pay for and expect irreverence and graphic gags.
Come to think of it, the O&A suspension isn’t even an issue of free speech. It’s even worse – it’s an issue of paid-for speech.
(On a personal note, O&A got many of us through the day with their entertaining views and skews. Now we’re forced to listen to whacky FM DJs who consider copying your buttocks on the office printer or pranking pizza joints to be outrageous. O&A are still airing every morning on CBS radio affiliates for three hours, but it’s not the same. Bummer.)
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