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Stephen Colbert's crude joke about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to be investigated by FCC

Stephen Colbert stood by his monologue criticising Donald Trump - Invision
Stephen Colbert stood by his monologue criticising Donald Trump - Invision

Stephen Colbert's profanity-tinged tirade against President Donald Trump, aired in the US on CBS, will be reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission because of viewer complaints.

The comedian delivered a monologue that included a crude sexual reference on the relationship between Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and has since prompted calls to fire him and boycott "Late Show" advertisers.

"We are going to take the facts that we find and we are going to apply the law as it's been set out by the Supreme Court and other courts and we'll take the appropriate action," Ajit Pai, the agency's chairman, said in an interview on talk-radio station WPHT-AM in Philadelphia. CBS, the broadcaster of Colbert's The Late Show, could face a fine, he said.

Colbert has said he stands by his monologue criticising Mr Trump for cutting short an interview with a CBS journalist, though the late-night host said he should have been less crude. 

"He, I believe, can take care of himself," Colbert said at a Wednesday taping of his CBS late-night show. "I have jokes; he has the launch codes. So, it's a fair fight."

In his Monday monologue, Colbert said: "Mr. Trump, your presidency, I love your presidency. I call it "Disgrace the Nation."

He also made a sexual reference to the male anatomy, saying of Mr Trump: "The only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin's c- holster."

That raised the hackles of conservatives and Trump supporters, who accused Colbert of obscenity and making a homophobic remark that would have got right-wing pundits canned.

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The FCC regulates programming broadcast on television. Programmes like The Late Show that air after 10 pm have looser rules, but they still are prohibited from including obscene content - overtly sexual, offensive and lacking serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value. It is rare for the FCC to take action against a broadcaster under the rules, and Mr Pai, who was selected by Mr Trump to lead the agency, would face criticism himself if the FCC punished CBS.

"We have these rules on the books that we are duty-bound to enforce - and I'm committed to enforce them, Mr Pai said in the radio interview. "Broadly speaking with respect to issues like free speech on campus or keeping government out of newsrooms, I've consistently said First Amendment protections are important and we need to protect them."

Colbert joked about the backlash in the opening moments of the Wednesday show. According to a CBS transcript mentioned in the Washington Post, the comedian told the audience: "Welcome to 'The Late Show.' I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. Still? I am still the host? I'm still the host!!"

The marquee for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" is seen on the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan - Credit: Reuters
The marquee for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" is seen on the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan Credit: Reuters

Colbert said he was upset at Mr Trump for insulting a friend, "Face the Nation" host John Dickerson. Mr Trump referred to that show as "Deface the Nation" and later walked out on Dickerson during a weekend interview.

Colbert said he didn't regret making "a few choice insults" but acknowledged he may have gone a bit too far and also indirectly addressed the homophobic accusation.

"So while I would do it again, I would change a few words that were cruder than they needed to be," he concluded. "I'm not going to repeat the phrase, but I just want to say for the record, life is short, and anyone who expresses their love for another person, in their own way, is to me, an American hero.

"I think we can all agree on that. I hope even the president and I can agree on that. Nothing else. But, that." 

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