Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television

monologue by Carlin

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July 17, 2026

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George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" is a famous stand-up comedy monologue that satirically analyzes the use of seven English obscenities. This routine led to a significant legal case, Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation. In 1978, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the FCC has the authority to censor indecent content on radio and television broadcasts, a decision that remains foundational to broadcast regulation. Carlin was arrested in 1972 for performing the monologue, and the subsequent FCC action stemmed from a 1973 radio broadcast of the routine.123

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George Carlin
…an American comedian whose “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” routine led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the right to determine when to censor radio and TV broadcasts.
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…an American comedian whose “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” routine led to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the right to determine when to censor radio and TV broadcasts.
Read More

stand-up comedy
Countercultural comedy
…with devilish flair, the “seven words you can never say on television”; the taboo words that had gotten Bruce thrown in jail a few years earlier helped make Carlin a star.
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…with devilish flair, the “seven words you can never say on television”; the taboo words that had gotten Bruce thrown in jail a few years earlier helped make Carlin a star.
Read More