Keith Olbermann Refuses To Censor Sen. Levin’s “Sh*tty Deal” Comments

video

by Frances Martel | 8:55 pm, April 27th, 2010

» 24 comments

In a move that, as far as we know, is a cable news first, Keith Olbermann refused to bleep out Senator Carl Levin’s and Claire McCaskill’s references to what a Goldman Sachs executive called a “sh*tty deal” during today’s Senate hearings investigating whether the Wall Street giant was knowingly betting against their clients to make money.

It appears that Olbermann and his team felt that editing the hearing such that the offensive words were removed would weaken the compelling point that Goldman employees were betting against the market in a way that would profit the company while the rest of the American economy sank.

Olbermann did not make a big deal out of the fact that he refused to censor the senators, although it is, at the very least, extremely rare for a program running at 8pm– the peak of primetime and what is widely considered “family hour”– to willingly air crude language. Olbermann did warn his audience, twice, that “there is a commonplace but offensive word. It is being quoted from a Goldman Sachs internal email. It is repeated several times within this portion of the hearing. We are not bleeping it out.”

Watch the clip below, but be warned: it does included some crude language, and we didn’t bleep it out, either:

And, for contrast, here is CNN’s coverage of the hearings (via John King, USA), where the offensive words were modestly bleeped away:

Update: And here’s Hannity’s family-friendly take on the hearings:

Update 2: Even Daily Show’s Jon Stewart decided to bleep:

Carl Levin, Claire McCaskill, Goldman hearings, Goldman Sachs, keith olbermann, msnbc, Shitty Deal

MichelleF

And yet no mention from keith about the close connection between GS, BO and the dems. Not surprising. Then again, he knows no one in the “media” will call him on it.
felixw

If they took out all of the ugly stuff on Countdown — swear words, insults, rants, ridicule, taunts, score-settling, bullying and the like — there wouldn’t be much left. So to bleep out a few S-words at this stage in the decline and fall of Keith Olbermann wouldn hardly help restore the credibility of a show that is beyond saving.
Olby Sucks

No mention that goldman sachs did nothing illegal, either. No mention that congress is just as much at fault as anybody. No mention that obama has a million dollars from g/s in his bank account. No mention of the violence from illegals in Arizona…
Olby Sucks

“We are not bleeping it out because I will do anything for ratings as mine are totally in the tank and I hate getting pummeled by Nancy Grace and maddow.”
ImNotBlue

Remember folks… saying “sh*tty” on the air is okay. Saying “Muhammad” is simply unacceptable.
timzank

Watching a buffoon set up a clip of a thief grilling a con man. Now that’s entertainment.,
Olby Sucks

timz, would that officially be considered a 3 ring circus? I think so!
http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

The fact that Olberman exists is offensive.
HanzoSword

Why should he bleep it? It’s cable and they don’t have to bleep anything, really. The US media is so odd and victorian in some ways.
Olby Sucks

I wonder if msnbc can get fined for this. Other channels have been fined for less. Msnbc is a subsidiary of nbc. $325,000 per offense? ;)
ImNotBlue

Olby Sucks says:
April 28, 2010 at 12:16 am

I don’t believe the FCC has any regulation over cable channels.
Big_F-ing_Deal

“Olbermann did not make a big deal out of the fact that he refused to censor the senators,”

I disagree. If you want to air the unedited footage, fine. But don’t salaciously promote it during the show, like at the 17 minute mark: “We’ll let him use the REAL word…”

Keith is a childish moron imo.
Averreauxii

There’s a lot more offensive talk and video that does not involve any swearing during prime time than the word SHIT spoken by lawmakers. Like Joe Biden said, Big Fucking Deal.
valkyrie101

Seems like in a free society you can show a Congressional hearing without censorship. I am more offended by right wing media folk calling the duly elected United States President a “communist”, but I love the fact that we permit that sort of thing.
BR

Keith is that “that” child who just never seemed to get enough attention.
Zakk

I’m pretty sure ‘news’ gets a break from the FCC. Something about if it pretains to the story then they can air language and nudity. Obviously they can’t do a story on porn and show two people railing eachother, but they can show breasts if the story is about breast cancer.
Olby Sucks

He had to “redeem” himself after being embarrassed to death on monday night by using a discredited palin hate site for “news.” TDF!!!
silkworm

Olbermann and Levin, just a couple of real studs.
MichelleF

valkyrie101,
I am offended that Pelosi called ordinary citizens nazi’s and brown shirts. How about you?
valkyrie101

Michell,
I am not impressed that Pelosi’s sarcasm should be outlawed, despite your humorless outrage.
valkyrie101

oops, “Michelle” :-) If we are all going to accept the Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck approach, which is appropriate, I believe, everyone must get a much thicker skin. In reality, to call someone a “nazi”, in todays venacular, is not to imply they killed or are capable of killing. There is nothing wrong with the expression. The old school libs believe that using the “nazi” tag is demeaning to the victims of the nazi atrocities. Whether that was ever the case, calling someone a nazi, or a communist, is not to be confused with actually believing that they are real life nazis or communists.
Rogue-Comic

“. . . calling someone a nazi, or a communist, is not to be confused with actually believing that they are real life nazis or communists. . .”

That’s a cheap cop that gives both sides a free pass to get away with slanderous hate speech.
valkyrie101

I did not say they should not be called out on it, if that is what you want. Free speech renders extreme positions, and is wrought with allegory, parody, belittling, and bar room banter. That is the dynamic in a free society. Thick skin.
genius

Too many of these posters should just get a room and leave the real comments to someone who gives a s**t..