C-Span Airs Offensive, Out of Context Book Titles

Some figured the site, which has now apologized, had been hacked

C-Span is a little red-faced today after it aired out-of-context, offensive book titles in what Politico is calling a "scheduling snafu."

The network accidentally displayed the title of the book "Just Plain Dick" by Kevin Mattson recently while it aired the Senate debate, which pre-empted a C-Span discussion of the book profiling former president Richard Nixon. This, er, sowed confusion on the part of some folks at home. Then on Tuesday, viewers assumed the network had been hacked by disgruntled somebodies when it displayed the title of comic D.L. Hughley's book "I Want You to Shut the F#ck Up" during the House Debate. In fact, it was merely alerting the audience to a discussion of Hughley's newest on sister channel C-Span 2.

The network has now apologized for the mess.

"Our policy of using current nonfiction book titles verbatim in our schedule led to the unfortunate posting of content some might find offensive," said a spokesperson for the network in a blog post. "We apologize for that and are taking steps to prevent it from happening again."

Via Politico.

Does the blame here lie with C-Span, dirty book titles, or just thin-skinned viewers?

[Dan_Tien]

All of the above.

[stepped_in_it]

Didn;t see that one....let me look again..

[Dan_Tien]

@stepped_in_it It was a write-in vote.

[MongoAPillager]

uncouth foul language is ever the bane of a evolved society,....AW frig it,who cares,...that's certainly the least important snafu they've covered in quite sometime

[Denizen_Kate]

We have become a very thin skinned society. Words, be it in book titles or headlines or anywhere else, are just words. If you find the title of a book offensive, don't buy the book. If you don't like the content of a television show, don't watch it. If you disagree with everything said on a talk radio show, don't listen. But please don't, under any circumstances, censor it for the rest of us. The government is not your mother.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Wow! Oh my God, for a second time today I agree with you. I like the Kate of the New Year. I hope you left your twin sister behind in 2012.

[Denizen_Kate]

@Neo_NtheMatrix - LMAO! Keep dreaming, Neo. It's cute.

[classychazy]

I agree!

[ConserveUSA]

I agree here too. True Story from a small town that I was from: Some pastor went to the Video Store, which had a backroom and rented 10 XXX Movies, yeah that's right 10 skin flick movies and started a protest, petitions, and among other things. It was in the local paper about the pastor rent and the reason that this pastor gave, "I had to watch all 10 to view how disgusting they were." LOL, I am like damn had to rent 10, maybe the quality was not good....

[NormalFlora]

@ConserveUSA Yeah, and the pastor undoubtedly charged the rental fee to his church as "research" LOL

[DARSB]

Was it "thin-skinned viewers" or just the GOP?

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Seems like the book times were displayed at appropriate times.

[mtkopf]

I don't care who's to blame its flipping hilarious.

[KyleMFb]

Well the network fudged up but get over it people words can't hurt you if you are hurt by words then you are a wast of space

[Real4WheelDrv]

Then why is there such an uproar over who can and can't use the N word?

[KyleMFb]

@Real4WheelDrv bc it's a matter of politeness and respect

[jessejaymes]

Hahaha, Corporate America at it's finest. Incompetent and getting paid to be so. These companies make money in spite of themselves rather than because of themselves. C-Span is no different than any corporation in America with a budget of 55 million. Incompetent to the core. It's the American way. That and bragging about how we're the best country in the world when we in fact are not even in the top 10 anymore.

[MongoAPillager]

can you list the top ten countries that you prefer to america,,and of those how many owe their existance to America?

[jessejaymes]

@MongoAPillager Can you google? Start with Switzerland. Even Canada is rated ahead of us today man. Jeez Louise, no offense but the 21st century is now a full 12 years old. Let's catch up.

[MongoAPillager]

@jessejaymes how are they ahead,economically?No.militari ly?no,education?nope,they still want to come here for their education...well they might have us on smugness

[jessejaymes]

@MongoAPillager You know Mongo I was going to let this pass because there is no debating a flag waver but for you to bring up Militarily is irresponsible. I'd like this country to declare ourselves neutral and stay the hell out of other countries business. Have you ever been to Switzerland? I have. Ever been to Germany? I have. Been to France? I have. Been anywhere in Canada? I have. All those places many times. There standard of living is excellent. We spy on our own people, turn our parents in for Pot for god's sake, listen in on phone calls, read our emails, can take us to prison for life without a trial, a charge, a lawyer or even letting our families know where we are. Buddy we are the USSR today. And those people thought they were the cats meow just like you. NOW, this is the part where you tell me Love it or leave it.

[MongoAPillager]

@jessejaymes our military for better or worse are just doing what the people we elect tell them to do,,most of the afore mentioned countries would be toast if we did not either defend or bankroll them,and yes you are quite correct about our loss of freedoms and privacy,have not been to Europe,but have been to Asia a several times as well as canada.and for the most part they are quite envious of our lifestyle.UUUmmmm i don,t get the whole cat thing???Love it or leave it,?No stay and fix it,

[twinertia]

Thin-skinned viewers.

[Realthinker]

Here we go again. The discussion has become about "thinned skined viewers" but I'll be darned if I can find where the article says anyone was really offended, just that C-span apologized in case someone was. Why are we arguing over nothing?

[Thegrif]

I don't know, but it sure is funny.
Lmao...

[John_Matrix]

Just give it a few days then the thin skinned busy bodies will get bored and find something else irrelevant to whine and bitch about.

[Speedieg]

Sorry I'm not that sensitive, language foul or otherwise doesn't bother me.

[Romney_Rube]

C-Span's timing was perfect!

[stepped_in_it]

Timing in comedy is the hardest thing to get. Looks like C-Span has been working real hard.....bahaha

[dances-weebles]

like with janet jackson's left tit, it's nothing more than thin skinned, narrow minded viewers.

[scotta]

Thin skin P.C.types. These clowns sit and watch and listen for thingsto be offend ovlover

[kathyparsell]

Sorry I missed that one! We need all the humor we can get now.

[Politicskid]

C-Span is federally subsidized. They could have done more to blur out the offensive titles. Whoever is responsible for failing to do that should be punished.

[Republican5001]

We're any written by tony soprano?