The comic actor’s prolific use of the word “ass” (as in, he’d like to “whup” Sexgate special prosecutor Kenneth Starr’s, you know, “ass”) during a liveQ&A with morning news co-anchor Matt Lauer prompted producers to edit outthe segment for the West Coast rebroadcast, the New York Post reports.

“We are big fans of Chris and admire his work,” NBC said, in a statement.”He has been a guest before on the show, but his language today wasinappropriate for morning television, especially for the many children whoare off from school and watching at that hour.”

By the Post’s count, Rock’s “inappropriate” language also included a spare”crap” and “scumbag.”

If only he’d stuck to “semen-stained dress” or “oral sex” or any othernumber of now-common TV topics in the Sexgate era…

This was not a point lost on the biting HBO talk host and Lethal Weapon IV costar.

“I find it odd that the people at the Today Show felt that talk of staineddresses and violent crimes was more suitable for morning television than mejoking about whupping Ken Starr,” Rock told the Post.

The four-minute Rock interview aired raw and uncut in the Eastern andCentral time zones, according to the newspaper. The network reportedreceiving 96 complaint calls as a result.

Viewers in the Mountain and Western time zones–who watch Today on tapedelay–weren’t so troubled.

In place of the ex-Saturday Night Live funnyman, they got a canned reportabout a cowboy rodeo college.