Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television

In 1972, Carlin performed a routine listing seven words that couldn't be broadcast on television: shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits.

The bit itself was an exploration of why these particular words carried such power. Why could you say "prick" but not the other words? Who decided? What made these sounds so dangerous that they required legal prohibition?

When a radio station broadcast the routine, it led to an FCC complaint and eventually a Supreme Court case (FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, 1978). The court ruled that the FCC could regulate "indecent" broadcast content, establishing precedent that stood for decades.

Carlin's point wasn't just to be provocative—it was to question the arbitrary nature of language policing. Why these words? Who benefits from their prohibition? The routine used obscenity to make a serious point about power, censorship, and the gap between words and harm.

The seven words became a cultural touchstone, referenced constantly, updated occasionally. But the underlying question Carlin asked—why do we give certain sounds such power?—remains as relevant as ever.