
Welcome to Howard Stern's last week on terrestrial radio. According to Howard, his show has been sub-par since his first FCC fine in '87. (a guest played piano without his hands...wink), and the time to move to satellite radio is now. If you ask Howard, he's making the move to regain his creative edge. If you ask his critics, he's being pushed. Funny thing is, it's basically one group doing the pushing...but that's nothing new.
It's a centuries-old battle. Entertainers have pushed the boundaries of what's considered acceptable, and critics have labeled their offenses the end of civilized culture. The offenses may have gotten more outrageous, and the critics may have gotten...well...more annoying, but the battle remains the same.
When you take a look back, it's funny to see what used to be considered outrageous. Take November 22, 1968, for instance, when television's first interracial kiss caused quite the ruckus. Kirk and Uhura's locked lips led to massive protests in the Southern states (go figure) but fortunately, the bulk of the feedback received by the network was positive...and Heidi Klum and Seal have been going at it ever since.
But that's just the tip of the indecent iceberg. Let's take a look at some outrageous firsts in U.S. network televison history. And no snickering, please...we're all adults here.