How Scary Is It?
This station can't play the Pink Floyd song "Money," from the "Darkside Of The Moon" album their listeners voted number one, because it has the word "bullshit" in it. Playing it would hang them out for a $275,000 fine. How long before that word is banned on blogs, too? And don't tell me that's a silly question.
(via Metafilter)
It's a silly question. I have post about this over at Welch's today, too.
About that particular tune... Back in the 70's when the FM dial was thought to be innovative, there was a full-length version of the recording for radio wherein 'bullshit' was neatly excised from the vocal, while the supporting accompaniment continued in hi-fi stereo splendor.
Despite this disfigurement the album remained on the Billboard Top 200 for something like 18 years. The Republic did not fall. Teenage druggies (I attest) continued their ramble of overstimulation without surcease. And many sweet little old people, who happened to be scanning their car radios, trying to get a handle on this bold youth culture, WERE NOT OFFENDED. You got a problem with that?
Information is cheaper and more broadly distributed than at any time in human history. Considering how ideas are truly suppressed in academia, politics and finance, why are we so concerned about the frat boys on the radio? Do you feel any concern at all for the gentle spirits who don't like that stuff, and don't think they should have to hear it on THEIR airwaves?
Nobody cares enough about blogs to censor them. They're point-to-multipoint, but they're not BROADCAST.
Crid at March 13, 2004 12:02 PM
As far as individual blogs go, Crid, you're right. But don't tell me some of our elected officials aren't gonna try to legally purge the entire Internet of "indecency."
Very unlikely that they'd succeed, but I think it will be an issue again. It was at least once before.
LYT at March 13, 2004 1:25 PM
Luke you're right we need to keep our eyes open. It's weird, I work showbiz and live in WLA and don't know anyone who wanted the FCC (and now the House of Representatives) to pursue this. But it's safe to presume that someone is offended by what they're hearing. It would be great if all the hair-trigger freakouts over "censorship" could at least acknowledge that many people out there are troubled, perhaps righteously, about what's being done with the airwaves which they own, too.
Crid at March 13, 2004 5:28 PM
Why don't you just exercise your freedom not to listen?
Amy Alkon at March 13, 2004 5:31 PM
Because (speaking as would an aggrieved listener) they're MY airwaves too! I don't want you making money on my ether in ways that are offensive to me. "Public interest, convenience and necessity" and so forth.
Reynolds covered some good territory the other day:
http://www.instapundit.com/archives/014492.php#014492
Y'know, there's nothing as pathetic as an American (of any description) sitting at home staring at the TV set, waiting for some precious trigger to click. Then they jump to their feet and point. "There! Didja see it? THAT shot, or THAT joke, THAT word or THAT titty! Right there! *That's* going too far!"
But people across the socioeconomic spectra do this. TV & radio are famously inexpensive ways for lonely souls to sedate and modulate their emotional lives. Viewers pretend they're clued into the human process, peering alertly at the Man Behind the Curtain.
Ninnies want a small corner of the public realm to call their own. (It happens to be the corner they actually own a piece of.) Why shouldn't they have it? Let 'em have their Matlock and Katie Couric.
Crid at March 13, 2004 6:41 PM
"TV & radio are famously inexpensive ways for lonely souls to sedate and modulate their emotional lives."
I really like the points that all of you have made, and I've been way too busy sedating and modulating my emotional life this weekend to add anything of value, except:
One day in the early 1990s in Oakland, I was at the gym changing into my exercise clothes and suddenly found myself feeling completely pissed off. At first I thought it was just a fluctuation in my gay male monthly cycle. Then I noticed the gangsta rap on PA system. I'd never heard anything like it, and I was so disgusted that I went to the front desk and demanded that they turn off "that garbage." It's a funny memory, because I'd never do that now. I even own a few of the offending CDs.
Lena at March 14, 2004 9:21 PM
a radio station where i live played a song with the word "fuck" and "GD" in it and didn't bleep it, so why in the world would they not be able to say "bullshit"?!?! and whenever a song says "asshole" they bleep "hole". i agree with having certain words bleeped out, but come on...why not play the less bad ones and bleep out the really bads ones!
Lauren at March 15, 2004 9:33 AM