December 12, 1937: The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) scolded NBC because of Mae West' s inappropriate joke during a satirical routine, a performance based on the biblical tale of Adam and Eve. NBC was so angry with Miss West that they proceeded to fire her. They did not have any communication with her for the next 15 years.
At that point, Mae West's career was starting to fade. She went on the show to promote her latest film, entitled Every Day's a Holiday.
The infamous sketch, written by Arch Oboler, starred Mae West (alongside Don Ameche as Adam) in the Garden of Eden. West's line that got NBC lambasted by Women's clubs and Catholic groups was, "get me a big one… I feel like doin' a big apple!", which was deemed to be obscene and immoral. That incident was one of the first instances where a radio show was deemed indecent by the FCC. Mae West was blamed by NBC, and they banned her from their stations. Even a mere mentioning of her name was not allowed. After that incident, no one would let her perform on the radio until 1950.
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