The “7 words you can’t say on TV” are based on comedian George Carlin’s 1972 monologue “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television”. He created the routine to highlight the absurdity of censorship on public airwaves.
In the monologue, the seven words Carlin listed were:
-Shit
-Piss
-Fuck
-Cunt
-Cocksucker
-Motherfucker
-Tits
The significance of these words goes beyond just a comedy bit. A radio broadcast of Carlin’s routine led to a 1978 Supreme Court decision, FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, which affirmed the government’s power to regulate indecent material on public radio and television. While broadcast standards have evolved over time, these words are still generally avoided on American broadcast television networks.
