LETTERS FROM HENRY
(from The Henry Rollins Show, June 3, 2006)

Dear FCC,

Your actions of late are a bit confusing to me, so I'm writing to you to hopefully get a reply to clear up some questions I have.

Remember a few years ago when you fined Howard Stern for that broadcast where he talked about a personal hygiene product called Sphincterine? How did you come to the amount of $495,000 for the fine? Was it by the letter? Was it by the syllable? Did you just make up a figure?

Do you think that a person has the ability to turn the channel when they find the material broadcast to be objectionable? Or does the programming actually have the ability to paralyze the person and render them powerless to exercise any personal choice or responsibility?

When you removed Bubba The Love Sponge from terrestrial radio, did you do that to protect me from Bubba? Remember when Bubba used to have Redneck Monday, where he used to bait rednecks and get them all mad that they were racist idiots? Or Lesbian Tuesday, when women would call in and rub the phone on their crotches? I don't know about you, but these broadcasts never made me want to build a meth lab or blow up a building or even bring a gun to school.

Sexual content seems to upset you, but violent content seems to be all right. That's kind of like the Bible. Not a lot of sex, whole lot of violence.

I wonder what you think about the satellite networks for television and radio. It's where Howard and Bubba are now, and I know from listening and being on their shows they say whatever the fuck they want. Is it just less work for you, or are you mad that so many of us have left home and are thinking for ourselves now?

From what I can tell, it's the truth you find indecent. All the news outlets are owned by only a few massive corporations. That's a good idea? Or is it just good capitalism? That was on your watch. News has gone from a content-based to a ratings-based racket with good time information for a country that has no money and a President on the warpath. That was also on your watch. And I know you may find the following sentiment indecent, but that's fucked up.

If you can pull yourself away from "American Idol" for a moment to get back to me on this, I would really appreciate it.

--Henry