Anti-War Speech Censored at Emmy Awards

Tom O'Neil
LA Times
Monday September 17, 2007

Producers of Sunday's Emmy telecast bleeped best drama actress winner Sally Field in the midst of a controversial acceptance speech attacking U.S. involvement in Iraq.

"If mothers ruled the world, there wouldn't be any god -" she said when the sound went dead and the camera suddenly turned away from the stage so viewers would be distracted. Chopped off were the words "god-damned wars in the first place." (The phrase was not censored in the Canadian telecast.)

"This belongs to all the mothers of the world - may they be seen and valued," she added when she won best actress in a drama series for her work as matriarch Nora Walker on "Brothers & Sisters." While the two-time Oscar winner already has two Emmys, this was her first nomination for series work, and she bested a field that included favorite Edie Falco of "The Sopranos."

(Article continues below)

Backstage, in the press room later, Field told reporters, "I would have liked to have said more four-letter words up there!

"Oh, well. I've been there before!" Field added when asked what she thought of the gagging. "Good. I don't care. I have no comment other than, 'Oh, well.' I said what I wanted to say. I wanted to pay homage to the mothers of the world. And I very, very seriously think that if mothers ruled the world we wouldn't be sending our children off to be slaughtered."

When she was pressed for further comment, she added, "Too bad. That's a shame. And I think I probably shouldn't have said the 'god' in front of the 'damn.'

"If they bleep it, oh, well. I'll just say it somewhere else."

Technically, Field's censored words are not profane. A 2004 FCC ruling specifically stated no objection to the use of "god damn" on TV when making a judgment on the uproar over Bono swearing at the Golden Globes in 2003 where he used more colorful language. See the ruling — CLICK HERE

Field has a history of making controversial acceptance speeches.

Upon winning the Academy Award as best actress of 1984 for "Places in the Heart" five years after winning for " Norma Rae, " she delivered one of the most memorable thank-yous in Oscar history: "This means so much more to me this time, I don't know why. I think the first time I hardly felt it because it was all too new. But I want to say 'thank you' to you. I haven't had an orthodox career. And I've wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it. But this time I feel it. And I can't deny the fact that you like me . . . right now . . . you like me. Thank you."

At Sunday's Emmycast, Fox also bleeped "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl when its camera zoomed in on the surprised winner who gasped "Sh*t!" upon hearing her name called.