Wednesday 20 May 2009

Nickelback - Silly Censorship

Most of you probably know (or suspect) that I think a lot of censorship is silly, anyway, but this morning I realised, while listening to the 'air play edit' of "Rockstar" by Nickelback (on the radio)..

The song has been somewhat detox-ed, but the manner in which this has been done reflects poorly on the moral values of our society.

I'm not referring to the lyrics themselves - they're fine. They're not offensive at all, and I think it's a pretty well written song, which makes a reasonably clever point. Ironically it has been censored in such a a way as to reinforce part of that point.

What I mean is - the word "drugs" has been blanked out (leaving us with such classic phrases as "everybody has a *hmmp*dealer on speed-dial"), however the phrase "We'll all stay skinny 'cos we just won't eat" has been left in.

How long until the censors decide that juvenile anorexia is such an issue that this must be edited, too?

I agree that we shouldn't broadcast expletives pre-watershed, however, I don't see how blanking out "drugs" in a song, when a reference is made to the illegal variety, protects youngsters?

Or am I just unduly grumpy today?

2 comments:

Jackdaw Jayne Studios said...

and yet I wonder if they would play the song with the lyrics "the drugs don't work"? (Don't know the name of the song or the band, sorry).

This country is going completely insane... first political correctness has gone into the realms of stupidity and now radio censorship.

First class ticket to the next habitable planet please I want to get off this world!

Matt said...

Too right! It was The Verve, by the way - some years ago!

It really is mad.. but then again, if you look at our "leaders", perhaps it's not so hard to understand..??