Dick in a Box
| posted by Fast Company staffCan you say that on T.V.? How about on the Internet?
It's the chorus to Andy Samberg's most recent mock music video, which aired last week on Saturday Night Live, and has been all over the Internet ever since.
Samberg, the comic mind behind the SNL skit "Lazy Sunday" (better known as "The Chronic-What?-cles of Narnia"), infused the late night show with a burst of energy when he joined the cast in September of 2005 and started making mock music videos.
His latest is a holiday jingle called "A Special Christmas Box", in which he and pop star, Justin Timberlake, sing a song about giving their girlfriends a "dick in a box" for Christmas.
When the three-minute video was originally broadcast, NBC omitted the four-letter word every time the chorus came around. But in the version put on their website (see it here), the network decided to leave the video unedited.
The FCC, of course, has no jurisdiction over what NBC puts on the Internet. Still, the decision marks the first time a major network has done something like this.
Do you see this as a creative way for NBC to maximize viewers and show their content in its purest form, or was this an ill-advised stunt to show off their ability to skirt censorship? After all, they still have a brand image to uphold, and offering instructions (which JT does) on how to make a "Dick in a Box" isn't exactly family-friendly.
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Recent Comments | 16 Total
December 22, 2006 at 9:03pm
dwltI think it's a creative stunt which is getting them a lot of attention, and it's in line with what you might expect from the SNL brand.
December 22, 2006 at 11:33pm
MattThis is video is really intersting marketing and crossover from old media to new media.
And, um, it's really (really) funny too. And, there are plenty of "hey, this is adult" warnings.
December 23, 2006 at 11:21am
SteveNBC seems to be the only "old-media" corp. that is "getting the internet". Good for them.
December 23, 2006 at 12:20pm
Anthony CitranoNBC knows what many don't - the days of IPTV and such are not far away, and the FCC will inevitably become irrelevant (unless we get new legislation.)
Since when has SNL been a family show?
be well, all
December 23, 2006 at 1:18pm
mickeyI frankly don't even see why the word "dick" had to be edited out of the snl show yet alone not be on the internet or nbc website. The show plays late at night. Considering alot of other things playing on television considered acceptable it seems quite tame. Alot of movies also that play on television can be risque. Anyone ever see Porkys or Fast Times At Ridemont High. There are some risque scenes in them that no one seems to find to be too much. Plus the skit was so funny.
December 23, 2006 at 3:39pm
IsaacThe moment I saw it, I knew it would make the viral rounds on the Internet, one way or another. It was creative, self-mocking, and campy in the way SNL is at its best. It is/would have been all over the Internet either way. Hosting it is just a way for NBC to be a part of the enthusiasm that ultimately is driven and controlled by users.
As for the un/censored versions, that's a little puzzling. Words like "penis" and "vagina" are used on prime-time TV all the time. My guess is the network was playing it safe with Mr. Timberlake, given the Nipplegate flap a couple of years ago. NOT censoring the audio portion might have given him a reputation as a "shock jock" wild card persona whenever he appears on national TV. And that's not something Timberlake can afford as he continues to build his superstar image.
December 23, 2006 at 4:34pm
BrianThey did a video almost like this with a UPS shipping video a while ago (probably quite a few years ago) that was absolutely hilarious. This is also VERY funny.
Censorship is overall quite a joke, and the FCC has no jurisdiction online. The video shouldn't have been censored anyway when it was broadcast on TV as that's what these TV ratings are for - to inform viewers of the content that they are going to watch.
Thoughts?
December 24, 2006 at 12:30pm
ChrisGlad to see that media companies are actually thinking outside the box. Good work NBC. FCC censorship is stupid
December 24, 2006 at 4:56pm
MarkSNL went above and beyond the call of decency in editing this music video. They are after all a late night adult program and they should not have had to edit it at all. The FCC allows commercials in prime time pushing products for better erections and female sexual enjoyment. If you ask me thay should be sensored not SNL.
December 26, 2006 at 10:40am
MikeIf they don't censor that pig Rosie O'Donnell just for being repulsive, why should the word DICK be censored?
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