THE FACTS
CHXX-FM (Vibe 100.9, Quebec City) is a French radio station that broadcasts pop music hits. It targets a mainly francophone audience, but airs songs in English and French.
On December 7, 2021, an anglophone listener sent the CBSC a letter asking about the broadcast of swear words in English songs in Quebec and explaining that her young children were hearing violent, vulgar and sexual language while listening to the radio in the car. The CBSC asked the complainant to provide specific examples in order to pursue her complaint, which she did on January 7 and 17, 2022.
On January 6, 2022 between 4:00 and 5:00 pm, during the program Les hits sur demande, the station aired the unedited versions of the English songs “That’s What I Want” by Lil Nas X, “Just Look Up” by Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi, and “abcdefu” by Gayle. The song “That’s What I Want” contains two instances of the refrain “That’s what I fucking want”; the song “Just Look Up” contains the lyrics “Get your head out of your ass/Listen to the goddamn qualified scientists/We really fucked it up, fucked it up this time”; and the song “abcdefu” includes numerous coarse words:
Fuck you and your mom and your sister and your job
And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
I swear I meant to mean the best when it ended
Even tried to bite my tongue when you start shit
Now you're textin' all my friends asking questions
They never even liked you in the first place
Dated a girl that I hate for the attention
She only made it two days, what a connection
It's like you'd do anything for my affection
You're goin' all about it in the worst ways
I was into you, but I'm over it now
And I was tryin' to be nice
But nothing's getting through, so let me spell it out
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
And your mom and your sister and your job
And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
You said you just needed space and so I gave it
When I had nothin' to say you couldn't take it
Told everyone I'm a bitch, so I became it
Always had to put yourself above me
I was into you, but I'm over it now
And I was tryin' to be nice
But nothing's getting through, so let me spell it out
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
And your mom and your sister and your job
And your craigslist couch and the way your voice sounds
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
And your mom and your sister and your job
And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
On January 17, during the program La Vibe du matin at 8:00 am, CHXX-FM rebroadcast the song “abcdefu” by Gayle. It also broadcast the French song “Gayé” by FouKi which includes five instances of “fuck” and one of “ʼostie”.
The hosts also broadcast an excerpt of a new song by Alicia Moffet which contains the word “fuck” and they discussed this song, repeating the word. (The full transcription of all the songs and the relevant dialogue can be found in Appendix A.)
The broadcaster responded to the complainant on February 10. It emphasized that the station is [translation] “a French station targeting a primarily francophone audience and the word ‘fuck’ does not have the same connotation in French as it does in English.” The station quoted the online encyclopedia Wikipedia and a previous CBSC decision to support its argument. Furthermore, the broadcaster argued that the use of the word “fuck” was occasional in “That’s What I Want” and that it did not insult a particular person. With respect to the song “abcdefu”, the station asserted that it reflected the singer’s emotions and that it wanted to [translation] “maintain the integrity of the work”. The station also noted that the song was on a number of hit lists.
The complainant submitted her Ruling Request on February 22. She did not agree with the station. She acknowledged that the word “fuck” does not have the same connotation in French, but considered that the content in this context was English. She suggested that the broadcaster air the versions created for radio, namely those with the coarse words omitted. (The text of all correspondence can be found in Appendix B.)
THE DECISION
The French-Language Panel examined the complaint under Clause 9 (Radio Broadcasting) of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Code of Ethics:
Recognizing that radio is a local medium and, consequently, reflective of local community standards, programming broadcast on a local radio station shall take into consideration the generally recognized access to programming content available in the market, the demographic composition of the station’s audience, and the station’s format. Within this context, particular care shall be taken by radio broadcasters to ensure that programming on their stations does not contain:
[...]
c) Unduly coarse and offensive language.
The Panel Adjudicators read all of the correspondence and listened to the broadcasts in question. The Panel concludes that the broadcast of the unedited song “abcdefu” by Gayle in the morning and afternoon breached Clause 9(c) of the CAB Code of Ethics, but the broadcast of the other songs and the short discussion between the hosts did not breach the code.
The questions put to the Panel were as follows:
1) Should the CBSC treat English-language songs broadcast on French stations as English programs? If yes, did the broadcast of the word “fuck” and its variations constitute a violation of Clause 9 of the CAB Code of Ethics? If no, after an evaluation of each song and segment under the criteria previously established by the CBSC, did the broadcast of the word “fuck” and its variations in the present circumstances constitute a violation of Clause 9 of the CAB Code of Ethics?
It is important first to explain the meaning that the CBSC has attributed to the adverb “unduly” as it is used in Clause 9 (Radio Broadcasting) of the CAB Code of Ethics. Indeed, the CBSC has established in the past that coarse language should not be broadcast on radio during the day or early evening, even though the radio clause of the code does not specify an exact hour in the way that the television clause sets out the Watershed hour as 9:00 pm to 6:00 am.
In addition, the CBSC has established that neither the popularity nor the critical reception of a song or artist influences its decisions regarding the scheduling of inappropriate language1. Also, the CBSC has explained that “age alone will not ‘save’ a challenged song but the Panel does acknowledge that it is one of the factors to consider” and that awards earned by a song are not sufficient to render a song acceptable:
Moreover, the Panel does believe that the fact that an offending word may have been acceptable in 1985 or 1995 does not mean that it would remain so in 2010, 2025 or 2050. Nor, the Panel wishes to add, do awards earned by a song assist in determining its playability on the airwaves.2
Moreover, over the years, the broadcast of the word “fuck” in French-language programs aired during the day or early evening has been found in violation of the code3.
In 2016, in MusiquePlus re CTRL (CBSC Decision 15/16-0367, October 19, 2016), the CBSC dealt with the use of the word “fuck” in the context of a French-language television program. In that decision, the Adjudicating Panel examined a program broadcast at noon in which three young adult hosts presented videoclips from YouTube or other media-sharing websites and then made humorous commentaries about them. The episode in question contained two instances of the word “fuck” as well as images and comments of a sexual nature. The complainant considered that the content of this episode was unsuitable for this time of day. The CBSC modified its previous position on the use of the word “fuck” in French-language programming and concluded that it was not content intended exclusively for adult audiences requiring a post-9:00 pm broadcast:
Although the CBSC has found in some previous decisions that the English word “fuck” constitutes language “for adults” even in a French-language program, the Panel Adjudicators note that the English word “fuck” does not have the same vulgar connotation when used in French. The Panel emphasizes, in this regard, that language is evolutionary and reflects current society. The Panel prefers to impress upon broadcasters the need for appropriate viewer advisories and correct classification of programs rather than to target the occasional usage of vernacular language.
The Panel Adjudicators therefore conclude that the use of the English word “fuck” in some circumstances will not breach Clause 10 of the CAB Code of Ethics. First, the primary language of the program must be French, since the word “fuck” in French does not have the vulgar connotation it can have in English; second, the use of the word must be infrequent; and third, the word cannot be used to insult or attack and individual or group. If a broadcast meets these three criteria, it is probable that the CBSC will not find a violation of Clause 10.
The CBSC applied the principles established in MusiquePlus (2016) in CJMF-FM & CKOB-FM re Doc Mailloux et Josey (CBSC Decision 16/17-0491 & -1305, January 30, 2018). In that decision, the Adjudicating Panel examined three episodes of an open-line talk show hosted by psychiatrist “Doc” Mailloux, broadcast weekdays from 9:30 to 11:00 am. In the first broadcast, the Panel found that the repeated use of the word “fuck” (23 times during a morning show lasting one-and-a-half hours) breached Clause 9 (Radio Broadcasting) of the CAB Code of Ethics. Indeed, the hosts repeatedly aired an excerpt of a singer’s acceptance speech from the ADISQ gala in which she used the word “fuck”. In another episode, the phrase “Je suis fucké” was used twice. In this context, the Panel concluded that this occasional usage met the criteria established in the MusiquePlus decision (2016) about the word “fuck” in a French-language program and that there was no code violation.
The CBSC elaborated on its MusiquePlus decision (2016) in CKOI-FM re comments made on Les poids lourds du retour and Radio P-Y (CBSC Decision 16/17-1283, November 7, 2017). In that decision, the Adjudicating Panel dealt with two French-language radio programs in which the hosts broadcast remarks made by English-language artists which included the word “fuck”. The first was a speech by Madonna at the Women’s March on Washington the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration as president of the USA. She said, “And to our detractors that insist that this march will never add up to anything ... fuck you.” The hosts then commented on the political significance of her speech. In the second broadcast, a listener requested a Green Day song and the host played a clip from a Green Day concert in which lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong said, “What the fuck?! I’m not fucking Justin Bieber, you motherfuckers!” The Panel applied the principles established in the MusiquePlus decision (2016) and found no violation:
First, the Panel Adjudicators point out that, in both cases, the word “fuck” occurred during the broadcast of quotations by third parties and the hosts discussed the remarks.
In the case of Madonna, she made a political speech at the Women’s March on Washington in the days following the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States. This Women’s March took place that same day at more than 600 protest events around the world. The Panel Adjudicators thus consider that it was an event of obvious public interest and broadcasting excerpts from Madonna’s speech was also in the public interest.
[...]
The Panel Adjudicators reiterate that the use of the word “fuck” in French does not have the same vulgar connotation as it does in English. They conclude that the broadcast of excerpts from Madonna’s speech meets the criteria listed above, namely, that the primary language of the program was French; that the use of the word “fuck” was occasional; and that the word was not used to insult any particular individual. There is, therefore, no violation of Clause 9(c) of the CAB Code of Ethics.
In the second case, regarding the program of March 25, 2017 hosted by Pierre-Yves Lord, following a listener’s special request and before playing the song “Holiday”, the host played a short excerpt from a Green Day concert in which the band’s lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong used the word “fuck”.
Again, the Panel Adjudicators note the criteria established in the MusiquePlus decision and cited above, and conclude that the broadcaster did not violate the provisions of Clause 9(c) of the CAB Code of Ethics.
In the matter at hand, the Panel considers that radio broadcasters should encourage the use of civil language, whether it is French or English, during peak listening hours. This is clearly the objective of the code clause in question. Nevertheless, the CBSC has clearly recognized in its MusiquePlus decision (2016) “that the English word ‘fuck’ does not have the same vulgar connotation when used in French. The Panel emphasizes, in this regard, that language is evolutionary and reflects current society.”
The first question put to the Panel was whether the broadcast of an English song by a French radio station should be considered an English program incorporated into the French station’s programming. The Panel is of the opinion that the principal language of the station is French since CHXX-FM is authorized by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as a French-language commercial radio station. The fact that the station broadcasts a number of English songs does not change the fact that its principal language is French. It would be very difficult to manage the CBSC’s policy on coarse or offensive language heard on French-language radio stations if each English song had to be treated as a separate program. The CRTC allows French radio stations to broadcast English songs without this having any impact of their nature of service. The Panel is of the opinion that it must treat the station in the same manner.
The Panel, having concluded that English songs broadcast on French stations do not constitute English programs, then dealt with the conformity of each song to the criteria established in the MusiquePlus decision, namely:
Under the aforementioned criteria, the Panel concludes that the broadcast of the English songs containing the word “fuck”, namely “That’s What I Want” by Lil Nas X and “Just Look Up” by Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi, did not breach Clause 9 (Radio Broadcasting) of the CAB Code of Ethics because these songs respected the three criteria established in the MusiquePlus decision. Furthermore, the Panel notes that the station broadcast, on January 6, the edited version of the song “Edamame” by Canadian rapper bbno$, with numerous coarse words, including “fuck”, omitted. As well, on January 17, 2022, the station aired the version of the song “Savage Love” by Jawsh 685 in which the word “fuck” was muted three times. In other words, the station did not systematically choose to broadcast English songs containing coarse or offensive language.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Panel endorses the premise that society evolves and that CBSC decisions must reflect this evolution, as indicated above, the Panel considers it important to encourage civil language on the radio. When the use of certain coarse or offensive words in English and French is inevitable, broadcasters should acknowledge them by either apologizing or at least advising audience members in order to allow them to choose whether or not to listen to the content.
In this case, it is unclear to the Panel why the station chose to broadcast English songs with the word “fuck” in some instances and without it in others. There seems to be some inconsistency in this regard or, at a minimum, there is some artistic irregularity. Nevertheless, the Panel believes that the MusiquePlus decision established useful factors to guide French broadcasters when dealing with the word “fuck”. Even if a station’s music targets a younger audience, there is always a choice to be made and the Panel is of the opinion that this choice should always encourage the use of civil language and be sensitive to audience expectations, especially during peak listening hours, which is clearly the objective of the code at issue.
With respect to the song “abcdefu” by Gayle, the Panel Adjudicators conclude that its broadcast on January 6 and 17, 2022 during peak listening hours breached Clause 9 of the CAB Code of Ethics. The Panel is of the view that this song does not meet two of the criteria established in the MusiquePlus decision, namely that the word must not be frequent and that the word must not be used to insult or attack a person or group, even if that person or group is hypothetical or unidentified. The word “fuck” recurs nine times in “abcdefu” and it is aimed in a very aggressive way at a series of unidentified people. Other coarse or offensive words are also used:
Fuck you and your mom and your sister and your job
And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art
Fuck you and your friends that I’ll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off.
Finally, the Adjudicating Panel notes that there exists a version of the song “abcdefu” with the word “fuck” edited out and that this version could be broadcast during peak listening hours.
Did the song “Gayé” by FouKi, which contains five instances of the word “fuck” and one instance of the word “’ostie”, breach Clause 9 (Radio Broadcasting) of the CAB Code of Ethics?
For a number of years, the CBSC found that the broadcast on radio of coarse French words such as “ʼostie”, “tabarnac’” and others during daytime or early evening broadcasts constituted violations of the code. In 2018, it modified its interpretation of the code for this type of content in CHIK-FM re Dupont le matin (CBSC Decision 16/17-1898, March 28, 2018). In that particular case, it did not conclude that the broadcast of the phrase “on s’en calice” constituted a violation as it was only employed once and the context provided the basis for concluding that it did not exceed the acceptable tolerance level for coarse or offensive language:
[...] the use of the expletive did not have any religious dimension and the expression “on s’en calice” did not constitute a string of swear words. Rather, the Panel believes that this expression has become part of popular language and has even taken the form of a verb, often used to replace the expression “don’t give a darn”. In this context, it considers that, if one applies the “broad social norms” test, the use of this expression to describe the authorities’ thoughtlessness with respect to the damages caused to homes by their decision to cut the electricity does not exceed the level of acceptability for coarse language.
The Adjudicating Panel appreciates the fact that certain expletives should not be used indiscriminately. And certainly this decision in no way encourages the use of coarse or offensive language at times when children can be listening. The Panel considers, however, that the evolution of common language can influence the interpretation of the code and that, in this particular context, the host did not exceed the level of acceptability for offensive language. In this case, multiple factors were taken into consideration, including: the frequency of the expletive’s usage; if there was gratuitous use of the expletive; the use of the expletive or expression in popular language, especially if one applies the “broad social norms” test; whether a group or individual was targeted. [...] The Panel considers that, in general, hosts should avoid the use of expletives and that it would be desirable if, when a host does use coarse language, he/she acknowledges it immediately or shortly after and apologizes to the audience on air.
The Panel concludes that the broadcast of the song “Gayé” by FouKi respected the criteria established in the MusiquePlus and CHIK-FM decisions cited above and that it therefore did not breach Clause 9 (Radio Broadcasting) of the CAB Code of Ethics.
Broadcaster Responsiveness
In all CBSC decisions, the Panels assess the broadcaster’s response to the complainant. The broadcaster need not agree with the complainant’s position, but it must respond in a courteous, thoughtful and thorough manner. In this case, CHXX-FM responded to the complainant’s concerns and provided its point of view with respect to the choice of songs broadcast by the station. The broadcaster fulfilled its obligations of responsiveness and, subject to the announcement of this decision, nothing further is required on this occasion.
DECISION ANNOUNCEMENT
CHXX-FM is required to: 1) announce the decision, in the following terms: once during peak listening hours within three days following the release of this decision and once more within seven days following the release of this decision during the time period in which Les hits sur demande was broadcast and once more during La Vibe du matin, but not on the same day as the first mandated announcement; 2) within the fourteen days following the broadcasts of the announcements, to provide written confirmation of the airing of the statement to the complainant who filed the Ruling Request; and 3) at that time, to provide the CBSC with a copy of that written confirmation and with air check copies of the broadcasts of the two announcements which must be made by CHXX-FM:
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has found that CHXX-FM breached the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Code of Ethics for the broadcast of a song containing numerous instances of a coarse word. La Vibe broadcast the song on January 6 and 17, 2022.
This decision is a public document upon its release by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.
1 CJKR-FM re the song “Highway Girl (Live)” by The Tragically Hip (CBSC Decision 00/01-0832, January 14, 2002)
2 Review of the Atlantic Regional Panel decision in CHOZ-FM re the song “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits (CBSC Review of Decision 09/10-0818, May 17, 2011)
3 CJMF-FM re comments made on an episode of Le trio de l’enfer (CBSC Decision 04/05-0761, October 24, 2005); CKAC-AM re an episode of Doc Mailloux (CBSC Decision 05/06-0642, February 3, 2006); CKAC-AM re an episode of Doc Mailloux (Adolescent Sexuality) (CBSC Decision 05/06-1104, June 30, 2006); CKAC-AM re an episode of Doc Mailloux (Financial Difficulties) (CBSC Decision 05/06-1405, December 11, 2006); CKAC-AM re an episode of Doc Mailloux (Childless by Choice) (CBSC Decision 05/06-1671, December 11, 2006); CKAC-AM re Doc Mailloux (six episodes) (CBSC Decision 06/07-0168 & -0266, August 23, 2007); CHMP-FM re a segment on Le Journal du midi (CBSC Decision 07/08-0553, April 7, 2008); TQS re an episode of Scrap Metal (CBSC Decision 08/09-1711, August 11, 2009); CHOI-FM re Dupont le midi (suicide) (CBSC Decision 08/09-2041 & 09/10-1462, September 23, 2010); CHOI-FM re Dupont le midi (community organizations) (CBSC Decision 08/09-1506, September 23, 2010); CHOI-FM re Dupont le midi (Haiti) (CBSC Decision 09/10-0854, September 23, 2010); CHOI-FM re Dupont le midi (figure skating) (CBSC Decision 09/10-1257 & -1260, September 23, 2010); TVA re La Série Montréal-Québec (CBSC Decision 10/11-0781, July 14, 2011); MusiquePlus re Cliptoman (CBSC Decision 12/13-0387, June 3, 2013); CHOI-FM re Dupont le midi (police) (CBSC Decision 13/14-1582, May 14, 2014); and CHOI-FM re Le show du matin (cyclists) (CBSC Decision 14/15-0563+, July 15, 2015)
APPENDIX A
Les hits sur demande
6 janvier 2022 à 16 h
L’animatrice invite les auditeurs à faire des demandes de chansons. Entre 16 h et 17 h, Vibe diffuse 16 chansons, dont 13 en anglais et 3 en français. Trois des chansons anglaises contiennent les mots grossiers.
« That’s What I Want » par Lil Nas X
One, two, three, four
Need a boy who can cuddle with me all night
Keep me warm, love me long, be my sunlight
Tell me lies, we can argue, we can fight
Yeah, we did it before, but we'll do it tonight
An afro, Black boy with the gold teeth
With dark skin, looking at me like he know me
I wonder if he got the G or the B
Let me find out and see, he coming over to me, yeah
These days, I'm way too lonely
I'm missing out, I know
These days, I'm way too alone
And I'm known for giving love away, but
I want
Someone to love me
I need
Someone who needs me
'Cause it don't feel right when it's late at night
And it's just me in my dreams
So I want
Someone to love, that's what I fucking want
Look, you know it's harder to find in these times
But I got nothing but love on my mind
I need a baby while I’m in my prime
Need an adversary to my down and weary
Like, tell me, "That's life" when I'm stressing at night
Be like, "You'll be okay" and, "Everything's all right," uh
Love me or nothing, 'cause I'm not wanting anything
But your loving, your body, and a little bit of your brain
These days, I'm way too lonely
I'm missing out, I know
These days, I'm way too alone
And I'm known for giving love away, but
I want
Someone to love me
I need
Someone who needs me
'Cause it don't feel right when it's late at night
And it's just me in my dreams
So I want
Someone to love, that's what I fucking want
Cette chanson est immédiatement suivie par « Edamame » par le rappeur canadien bbno$, mais dans ce casci, Vibe diffuse la version modifiée où les mots grossiers ont été supprimés.
« abcdefu » par Gayle
Fuck you and your mom and your sister and your job
And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
I swear I meant to mean the best when it ended
Even tried to bite my tongue when you start shit
Now you're textin' all my friends asking questions
They never even liked you in the first place
Dated a girl that I hate for the attention
She only made it two days, what a connection
It's like you'd do anything for my affection
You're goin' all about it in the worst ways
I was into you, but I'm over it now
And I was tryin' to be nice
But nothing's getting through, so let me spell it out
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
And your mom and your sister and your job
And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
You said you just needed space and so I gave it
When I had nothin' to say you couldn't take it
Told everyone I'm a bitch, so I became it
Always had to put yourself above me
I was into you, but I'm over it now
And I was tryin' to be nice
But nothing's getting through, so let me spell it out
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
And your mom and your sister and your job
And your craigslist couch and the way your voice sounds
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
And your mom and your sister and your job
And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
« Just Look Up » par Ariana Grande et Kid Cudi
We knew no bounds
Fell at the speed of sound
Ridin' against all odds, but soon against ourselves
You haunted every memory
With no goodbyes, all bad for me
Your pride put out the fire in our flames
Then just one look is all it takes
I feel your eyes, they're locked on every part of me
And then my dumb heart says
Just look up
There is no place to hide
True love doesn't die
It holds on tight and never lets you go
Just look up
You cannot deny the signs
What you've waited for
Don't wait no more
It's right up above you
Just look up
Know I let you down, a ni’ can't deny it (uh-huh)
And there's so much I could lose it and, yes, that matters (yeah)
I've been dealin' with madness (yo)
Wasn't the man you needed (hmm)
You dealin' with sadness, truthfully, it's all on me (hmm)
And I'm sorry, my love (uh, uh)
I'ma heal your heart, I'll hold it in my hand (ooh, yeah)
Time is oh so precious, we don't really have much left now (ooh)
Take my hand, baby (yeah), never leave you, Riley
Look up, what he's really trying to say
Is get your head out of your ass
Listen to the goddamn qualified scientists
We really fucked it up, fucked it up this time
It's so close, I can feel the heat big time
And you can act like everything is alright
But this is probably happening in real time
Celebrate or cry or pray, whatever it takes
To get you through the mess we made
'Cause tomorrow may never come
Just look up
Turn off that shit-box News
'Cause you're about to die soon everybody
Ooh, I, oh, I
Look up
Here it comes
I'm so glad I'm here with you forever
In your arms
La Vibe du matin
17 janvier 2022 à 8 h
L’émission du matin est animée par Camille Felton et Patrice Nadeau. Entre 8 h et 9 h, on diffuse une chanson anglaise qui contient le mot « fuck » et une chanson française qui contient les mots « fuck » et « ʼostie ». Il y a aussi un segment pendant lequel les animateurs discutent d’une chanson anglaise qui contient le mot « fuck »; on en joue un extrait où le mot est répété.
« abcdefu » par Gayle
Fuck you and your mom and your sister and your job
And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
I swear I meant to mean the best when it ended
Even tried to bite my tongue when you start shit
Now you're textin' all my friends asking questions
They never even liked you in the first place
Dated a girl that I hate for the attention
She only made it two days, what a connection
It's like you'd do anything for my affection
You're goin' all about it in the worst ways
I was into you, but I'm over it now
And I was tryin' to be nice
But nothing's getting through, so let me spell it out
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
And your mom and your sister and your job
And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
You said you just needed space and so I gave it
When I had nothin' to say you couldn't take it
Told everyone I'm a bitch, so I became it
Always had to put yourself above me
I was into you, but I'm over it now
And I was tryin' to be nice
But nothing's getting through, so let me spell it out
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
And your mom and your sister and your job
And your craigslist couch and the way your voice sounds
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
A-B-C-D-E, F-U
And your mom and your sister and your job
And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art
Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again
Everybody but your dog, you can all fuck off
0:10:38 même version de « Edamame » par bbno$ notée ci-dessus
« Gayé » par FouKi
On est gayés
On est prayés
On est batés
On a fumé toute la journée
On est buzzés
On est poqués
On est gayés gayés, gayés gayés
On est gayayayayés
On est gayayayayés
On est gayayayayés
On est gayayayayés
Yeah
On l'a fait à jeun, mais aussi ben trop high
On l'a fait dans chambre, dans l'fond, dans toute la caille
Ca-café clope, splif matinal
Bla-bla a lot qu'on en perd le time
Une p'tite chandelle à l'odeur d'abricot
Un bon massage avec d'la crème Aveeno
Cinq minutes plus tard pis j'insère l'coquelicot
Même si ça finit, moi, j'veux qu'on reste amigo
On a buy un sept, j'en ai puffé cinq
On a parlé sexe, j'lui ai pris les deux seins
Des fois, j't'un timbré, yeah
J'te send des becs, fuck t'envoyer des timbres, nah
Fais pas la baboune (ah)
Deux, trois pis tu r'prends la forme
Taffer d'vant la fenêtre, ti bedo
Konyin d'vant l'Seigneur des anneaux, mais
Oh, mama mia
Pourquoi j'ai pas les cojones pour te dire "te quiero"
Te quiero, te quiero
Te quiero, te quiero
Mamacita
S'te plaît, girl, enlève ton chandail
Aweille, hop dans robe de chambre
Même si c'pas ta teille, on pop le champagne
Même si c'est pas ton dank, on puffe le chanvre
Yeah
Always on my mind quand j'perds le boute
Always on my mind même si j'perds des boutes
Always on my mind quand j'me vide les couilles
Chacun sur son grind, mais on s'serre les coudes
Tant qu'la vie est belle
Même sans billets verts
J'ai pas l'goût d'me plaindre, mais
J'ai pas l'goût d'me taire
On est gayés
On est prayés
On est batés
On a fumé toute la journée
On est buzzés
On est poqués
On est gayés gayés (yeah), gayés gayés (yeah)
On est gayayayayés
On est gayayayayés
On est gayayayayés
On est gayayayayés
Yeah
J'pourrais rester sobre, mais vag, faut qu'j'consomme
On n'est pas pressés, mais on cale en mongole
On sait bien s'tenir, on s'fout de comment on s'comporte
On est tous wild, on est des "vagabongars"
Chug tout' en deux s'condes, yeah
Puff tout' en un cône
On n'a pas b'soin d'décompte, non
Il n'a zéro stress quand qu'on fait les cons
Bin trop high su'l bord d'la plage
Checke mes shorts, y ont des motifs de vaches, I mean
Trop soin, man, beaucoup trop swag
Ostie qu'on est bin quand on baigne dans l'lac
Pop une molly pendant qu'j'pop le champagne
Fuck les gougounes, chu nu-pieds quand j'me gambade
Fuck la bebine, moi, j'veux qu'on boive du bon vin
Si j'prends une photo, j'veux être avec un dauphin
Soleil, soleil, j'veux du soleil
Fuck le sommeil, j'veux griller en bedaine
Fuck le pollen
J'prends des p'tites pilules pour les allergies, fait qu'y n'a pas d'problème
Tant qu'la vie est belle
Même sans billets verts
J'ai pas l'goût d'me plaindre, mais
J'ai pas l'goût d'me taire
On est gayés
On est prayés
On est batés
On a fumé toute la journée
On est buzzés
On est poqués
On est gayés gayés, gayés gayés
On est gayayayayés (oh gayé-és)
On est gayayayayés (oh gayé-és)
On est gayayayayés (oh gayé-és)
On est gayayayayés
Yeah
Felton : Maintenant, côté, euh, actualité culturelle. On parle d’Alicia Moffet –
Nadeau : Oui!
Felton : – qui vient de sortir un tout nouvel, euh, tout nouvel extrait d’une nouvelle chanson, même « Lullaby ».
Nadeau : Eille, ça marche pas à part de ça là.
Felton : Eille, my god. Chanson qui envoie promener ses détracteurs. Euh, d’ailleurs je vous invite d’aller l’écouter surtout la demander ici même à Vibe au 418-670-1009.
Nadeau : Elle veut jouer, sortir le, le, voyons –
Felton : La bon extrait [sic].
Nadeau : Maudit ordi à matin! [Felton rit]
extrait de la chanson :
Fuck you and you and you
You think you’re so cool
Like you’ve done something new
You spend your whole ....
Nadeau: Ça, ça va être un hit ailleurs qu’au Québec, hein?
Felton : Oh c’est clair. Mais on sait pas c’est qui qu’elle envoie promener, hein, quand elle dit « fuck you and you and you ». Mais en même temps, on puisse en douter avec la saga qu’elle a eue avec les influenceurs au cours des dernières semaines. D’après moi, c’est concentré sur l’écriture de cette chanson-là. Qui va assurément devenir un hit.
On diffuse la chanson « Savage Love » par Jawsh 685 où trois occurrences du mot « fuck » sont supprimées.
APPENDIX B
The Complaint
The CBSC received the following complaint via its webform on December 7, 2021:
Hello, I have a question regarding the censuring [sic] of vulgar English lyrics in Québec. Are there any laws or codes that govern this in Quebec? It seems radio stations have no obligation to censor violent, sexual, or vulgar language (example, fuck, pussy, ...) and so my 4 year and 2 year old get to hear this stuff on the way to daycare. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
The complainant also submitted a complaint to the CRTC on the same day:
Hello,
I am an anglophone living in Lévis, Québec. I have two children, a 4 year old and a 2 year old. In the morning I often turn on the radio (for example 100.9) and I've noticed that obscene language is not censored in English. It is extremely upsetting with children in the car in the morning to hear lyrics like "pussy clean delicious" - The Business by Tiesto or "I’m gonna fuck it up" - Stay, Justin Bieber ... isn't it against the law to broadcast vulgar language like this? Is it not a law in Québec? Thank you, you can call or email, whatever is easiest.
The CBSC responded on December 21:
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) has received your message about songs with coarse language. One was submitted via the CBSC contact form and the other was forwarded to us from the CRTC.
In answer to your question, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB) Code of Ethics contains a provision that states that radio broadcasters shall ensure that their programming does not contain "unduly coarse and offensive language". In interpreting this code, the CBSC has established that the English f-word shall not be broadcast in English-language programming during times of the day when children could be listening (the precise hours have never been defined for radio as they have for television). Other swear words have been deemed acceptable at any time of day, though it does depend on frequency and context.
For French-language programming, there is more latitude in the use of English swear words, since they do not have the same connotation when used by Francophones when speaking French.
If you have heard content that concerns you, please submit a complaint using the complaint form on the CBSC website.
Note that broadcasters are only required to keep copies of their programming for 28 days after the broadcast, so please submit the required additional details within that timeframe.
I have put your complaint on hold while we wait for further information from you.
The complainant wrote back on December 21:
Hello and thank you for the information. I very much appreciate your explanations. The issue I have is that so many songs heard on the radio, example 100.9 in Quebec City, contain the F word and other such terms. I tried a different station, 98.9 I believe it is, and right away I heard the word “osti” which is a French swear word. I’m 34. I’m really a very liberal parent, I rarely complain about anything, but I have to admit I feel a terrible culture shock listening to the profanity in the pop songs on the radio here. I have small children and it is so bizarre that I can’t even turn on the radio. I can guarantee that listening to 15 mins of music being played on 100.9, which is like a pop radio station, you will hear multiple f-words.
I just want to be certain I understand correctly. In Quebec, this is allowed?
Thank you and happy holidays!
The CBSC replied on December 29:
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has received your message.
French Broadcasters in Quebec are to adhere to the same codes as English Broadcasters across Canada therefore the same rules will apply.
An official complaint must provide the date, the time and the station that broadcast the program or segment a viewer found offensive.
Please submit a complaint through the complaint form on our website once you have found a segment containing the offensive language: https://www.cbsc.ca/make-a-complaint/ and we will process your complaint right away.
Note that broadcasters are only required to keep copies of their programming for 28 days after the broadcast, so please submit the required additional details within that timeframe.
The complainant wrote back on January 7, 2022 with a specific complaint:
Station Name: Vibe 100.9
Program Name: Song requests
Broadcast Date: 06/01/2022
Broadcast Time: 4:00PM
Specific Concern:
Hello, coming home [from] daycare with my English speaking 2 year old and 4 year olds the songs we hear on the radio always contain profanity. I need to stop hearing the F word on the radio. At about 4:02 the song yells “that’s what I fucking want”. Is there any way to ban this word from the songs on the station? I wish it were just this station, it’s not. But this was what we were listening to today. Thanks for your help.
She submitted another complaint on January 17:
Station Name: Vibe 100.9
Program Name: 8am music
Broadcast Date: 17/01/2022
Broadcast Time: 8:00AM
Specific Concern:
Loading my kids into the running car and the radio was on. The words “fuck you” can be heard multiple times in a matter of minutes. I had to turn it off. This is not what Canadian airwaves should be. Thank you.
Broadcaster’s Response
CHXX-FM responded to the complainant on February 10:
Nous avons pris connaissance de vos plaintes visant la diffusion de chansons diffusées sur les ondes de CHXX-FM (100.9 La Vibe, Québec) dans lesquelles l’artiste utilise le mot « fuck ». Les chansons en question sont « That’s what I want » de l’artiste Lil Nas X (diffusion du 6 janvier) et « abcdfu » de l’artiste Gayle.
Pour commencer, il est important de préciser que la station 100.9 La Vibe est une radio francophone visant principalement un auditoire francophone et que l’utilisation du mot « fuck » n’a pas la même connotation en français qu’en anglais. Le mot a une connotation beaucoup plus neutre dans un contexte francophone alors qu’il apparaît plus vulgaire dans un contexte anglophone.
Cette distinction importante entre l’interprétation francophone et anglophone apparait d’ailleurs sur la page dédiée au mot « fuck » dans l’encyclopédie libre en ligne, Wikipédia :
Le terme « fuck » est utilisé de façon anecdotique mais néanmoins croissante dans la langue française contemporaine pratiquée en France. Au Québec, son utilisation est particulièrement répandue, le terme étant même déformé et francisé (« fucké » par exemple, traduction approximative de « fucked up », signifiant « foiré », « foutu en l'air »). Il est à noter que toute la portée blasphématoire et offensante du terme est évacuée dans son usage au Québec, source notable de malentendus avec certains anglophones choqués par l'usage répété de termes considérés comme très grossiers en anglais. (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuck)
D’ailleurs, cette question a souvent été soulevée devant le CCNR qui a émis une décision importante en 2017 à cet effet :
Le comité décideur francophone a étudié les plaintes à la lumière de l’article 9(c) du Code de déontologie de l’ACR qui interdit l’emploi « du langage qui est indûment grossier et injurieux ». Bien qu’antérieurement, le CCNR se soit opposé à la diffusion du mot fuck à la radio aux heures d’écoute de la journée ou du début de soirée, il a établi dans une décision subséquente portant sur l’emploi de ce mot dans une émission de télévision francophone que le mot fuck en français n’avait pas une connotation aussi vulgaire qu’en anglais. Pourvu que le mot soit utilisé avec parcimonie et ne serve pas à insulter une personne en particulier, il a été déterminé qu’il serait considéré comme acceptable dans les émissions de langue française. (extrait du communiqué de presse du CCNR résumant la décision CCNR 16171283, 7 novembre 2017).
L’utilisation du mot « fuck » dans le cadre de la chanson « That’s what I want » diffusée sur les ondes d’une station francophone est le résultat d’une utilisation occasionnelle qui ne vise clairement pas à insulter un individu en particulier. Par conséquent, nous ne pouvons pas conclure que la diffusion de cette chanson dans sa version originale a enfreint nos obligations en tant que radiodiffuseur.
La chanson « abcdfu » a un contexte quelque peu différent, mais nous croyons que l’utilisation de l’expression « fuck you » dans la version originale de la chanson, particulièrement dans le contexte d’une radio francophone, ne constitue tout de même pas du « langage indûment grossier ou injurieux ». Selon l’artiste, la chanson lui a permis d’exprimer ses émotions de peine, de colère et de frustration envers tout ce qui concerne son ex-conjoint, soit une façon d’exprimer ce qu’elle n’a pas su exprimer autrement lors de sa rupture. Dans une entrevue du 6 janvier 2022 avec la publication Billboard, le journaliste Gil Kaufman cite la jeune artiste à propos de « abcdfu » : « [I’m] trying to give people a safe space to be angry and process their own emotions – I want to create a more accepting culture and more allowance for your feelings ». Malgré que ce type de langage ne plaise pas à tout le monde, l’expression fait aujourd’hui partie du jargon populaire de la génération Z dont Gayle fait partie et son utilisation dans « abcdfu » vise à mettre de l’emphase sur le trop plein d’émotions de l’artiste plutôt que d’insulter qui que ce soit. Il est donc difficile de conclure à un langage « indûment grossier ou injurieux » dans ce contexte. La montée fulgurante de la chanson sur le palmarès Billboard dès son lancement et le fait qu’elle soit aujourd’hui la deuxième chanson du Top 200 de la plateforme Spotify qui la diffuse dans sa version originale, démontrent aussi à quel point la chanson résonne auprès des auditeurs. Considérant la connotation plus neutre de l’expression « fuck you » auprès d’un auditoire francophone et vu le contexte particulier de « abcdfu », nous croyons que la diffusion de la version originale de la chanson sur nos ondes permet de préserver l’intégrité de l’oeuvre et de son artiste sans toutefois enfreindre nos obligations en tant que radiodiffuseur.
Ceci dit, nous regrettons que vous ayez été offensé par des éléments de notre programmation, car ce n'était pas notre intention et tenons à vous assurer que nous prenons sérieusement nos responsabilités comme radiodiffuseur. À CHXXFM, 100.9 La Vibe, Québec, nous travaillons continuellement à assurer que l’ensemble de notre programmation respecte la législation, la règlementation et les codes auxquels nous avons souscrit.
Nous vous remercions d’avoir pris le temps de partager vos préoccupations avec nous.
Espérant le tout à votre satisfaction, veuillez agréer l’expression de nos sentiments les meilleurs.
Additional Correspondence
The complainant wrote to the CBSC on February 13:
Thanks for all your help with this. I haven’t heard a word from them. Their airwaves are still filled with songs from Eminem, the song F** you, no sensory [sic, censoring] at all. This is during the weekend, mornings and after school.
The CBSC informed the complainant that the station had sent its response by mail and she should be receiving it soon. On February 16, the complainant wrote back after receiving the response:
I received their letter today. Their response was that the song “abcdfu” by Gayle is an expression of emotion and is number 2 in the top 200 billboard. They argue that since they consider their public to be francophone, they don’t have to factor in the English connotation.
I agree that in a French radio presentation, if the F word is used in a sentence it is not the same thing as when an anglophone uses it. I feel, however, that when the content is in English, like the song “abcdefu” for example, the vulgar content is unreasonable when there are children in the car.
What are your thoughts on this?
The CBSC explained to her that she had to submit a Ruling Request via the webform, which she did on February 22:
Hello, the broadcaster argues that since they consider their audience to be francophone the English F Word in English content is acceptable. I disagree. The broadcaster argues that cens[o]ring the F word in songs such as Gayle’s “abcdefu” ruins the artistic integrity of the song. My request is that the radio plays the versions of songs that are made for radio, and not the versions containing the f-word. Thanks so much for your help with this. I find it so bizarre to not be able to listen to the radio with my children without being offended by the vulgar content. Thank you!