System Of A Down Slip F-Word Past SNL Censors, Abdul Spoofs Self

ChartAttack.com
Monday May 09, 2005

By: Angela Kozak, ChartAttack.com Staff

A slip-up by censors on Saturday Night Live stole the spotlight from
guest Paula Abdul and helped garner metal band System Of A Down
unplanned publicity.

The American four-piece performed their new single “B.Y.O.B” on the
show, complete with the bleeped-out refrain of “Where the fuck are
you?” Though that expletive was censored, both singer Serj Tankian and
guitarist Daron Malakian were shot, close up, mouthing it. However,
the show’s censors didn’t catch the “Fuck yeah!” screamed by Malakian
near the end of the song. One of the show’s cameras focused on
Malakian as he said it.

Several times, the word “fuck” has made it on to SNL uncensored. Band
leader Paul Shaeffer was the first, when he said fuck instead of
“fluck” on the program’s 100th Anniversary Show. Cast member Charles
Rocket said it on a 1981 show and was promptly fired. Norm MacDonald
uttered an F-bomb during a Weekend Update segment in 1997, but managed
to hold on to his job. The first band to get “fuck” past the censors
were R.E.M., when Michael Stipe sang it at the end of “What’s The
Frequency Kenneth” in 1995.

American Idol judge Paula Abdul, who appeared earlier in the program,
joined the ranks of other SNL guests who have used appearances to
laugh off scandals. Abdul spoofed allegations made against her by
former Idol contestant Corey Clark, who claimed she had an affair with
him and helped him get ahead in the contest.

As she introduced the show, Abdul said, “What you’re about to see is a
re-enactment of some events of this week’s biggest news story. Now,
all the facts have been changed to get laughs at my expense. I hope
you enjoy it.”

In the spoof, SNL cast member Amy Poehler portrayed Abdul and a string
of other cast members played previous Idol contestants. After a
performance by the fake Clark, Poehler said, “Corey, that was
beautiful. You really blew me away. It’s like [when] I rolled over
and said to you this morning, `You have real star quality. I’ll see
you at home.'”

Abdul still had some advice for Poehler at the end of the sketch. “You
need to perfect the clap a little more and be a lot more sexier so
contestants will be willing to sleep with you,” she said.