Research: Censorship

Censorship

Introduction: What is music censorship? discuss the impact on the audience and safety 

Music censorship is the restriction of free access to music which may be considered as harmful or inappropriate for the audience. This decision is determined by the music industry, and may be a result of controversy or negative criticism from critics and viewers. Music censorship may be motivated by various reasons, which include, moral, political, military or religious reasons that can be perceived as negatively influencing or impacting the audience. Furthermore, the release of an inappropriate music video that could be portrayed as harming the audience due to it's unsuitable content and/or lyrics is likely to be censored, preventing the any audiences that may be under the age of of the target audience of that specific music video, from any further harm. Censorship is usually associated with certain genres, namely Rap and Hip Hop as Rap tends to be associated with repetitive bad language and Hip Hop with nudity and language. Moreover, certain artists tend to portray explicit content more than others, including Trey Songz, The Weeknd and Chris Brown etc. These particular artists are popular for their controversial, explicit content which consists of nudity and bad language in most of their music videos. Music censorship tends to have a negative impact on the audience as they may be disappointed and angry due to their lack of freedom after being prevented from watching what they feel they should be entitled to watch, they may feel as if they are being controlled by those with authority over the music industry. However, although music censorship may have a negative impact on a large audience, it is a source of protection and keeps the audience safe from explicit or inappropriate content and lyrics that they could be offended or affected by. 

What is the difference between explicit content and explicit lyrics? 

Explicit content is anything that a music video contains that is inappropriate and not suitable for viewers under the age of 18. Explicit content is likely to be evident within the narrative of a music video, through the representation of situations and characters. Factors include, nudity, sexual content, grahic representation and realism etc, which are all factors that lead to a music video getting censored. Many music videos have been censored over the years due to their explicit content which has been viewed as unsuitable for the audience. For example, Robbie William's music video 'Rock DJ' was banned for its explicit content as it involved the artist removing his clothing and then his skin, revealing his flesh. This obscene material is inappropriate for vulnerable audiences including young children and squeamish people who are likely to be horrified with the content, and was therefore censored. Maroon 5's 'This Love' music video was also censored due to it's explicit content which involved a couple naked and having sexual intercourse, therefore, due to the nudity and sexual content it was perceived as unsuitable and restricted from being viewed by all audiences. The parental advisory logo is used on CD covers to warn the audience that the songs on the CD contain the content. By advising the audience, it protects them and allows them to make their own decisions, also protecting young audiences under 18 by preventing them from having freedom to purchase CD's that contain explicit content. 

Explicit lyrics are the words in a song that may be deemed as inappropriate due to them being bad language or sexual which is unsuitable for individuals under the age of 18. As a result of explicit lyrics, they tend to be censored by being cut out of songs using different methods. However, if the entire song contains explicit lyrics then it is likely that the song will be banned altogether rather than cut. Many artists use explicit lyrics within their songs, particularly rap artists. For example, Eminem's song 'Guilty Conscience' contains repetitive language that is unsuitable for a young audience and  is therefore blanked out of the song to make the song suitable to play for the audience. The parental advisory logo is used on the back of CD covers to warn the audience about the explicit lyrics songs contain giving the audience the responsibility of deciding whether they want to buy the CD or not. This logo also protects young audiences under the age of 18, preventing them from buying content that contain explicit lyrics. 

What things get censored? 

The things that get censored are very particular, there are 14 things that are likely to get censored, these include: 

• Nudity
• Language
• Sexual content 
• Violence
• Religion 
• Graphic representation and realism
• Class
• Culture
• Race
• Sexual violence
• Shock 
• True events
• Corrupt the young 
• Controversy and the press (politics) 
  

Particular songs have been censored as a result of them including one or more of the above things within them. Songs that have been censored include: 

• “Greased Lightning,” John Travolta (1978)-  Censored due to containing features of crude content.

• “Paper Planes,” M.I.A. (August, 2007)- Censored for including Gun shot sounds which were heard in the background.

• “Rolling in the Deep,” Adele (November 29, 2010)- Censored for language. 

• “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke (March 26, 2013)- Censored for nudity throughout.

• “Like a Prayer,” Madonna (March 3, 1989)- Censored for mocking religion and including blasphemous imagery.

Lyrics and radio censorship 

Songs that are played on the radio must be suitable for all audiences, therefore, any inappropriate lyrics must be censored in order for the song to be played on the radio. There are various ways in which lyrics are censored on the radio, these include: 

Chris Brown - Loyal ft. Lil-Wayne, Tyga

• Blanking- The entire word is not heard but the music is still heard. For example, in Drakes song '0 to 100', inappropriate language has been banned and therefore it is blanked out. 

• Repeating- This is having the last word said twice instead of the censored word.

• Disc Scratching- Using a scratching sound of a DJ to cover the word. This is evident in Chris Brown's music video 'Loyal' as the bad language is replaced by a scratching sound to make the song suitable to play on the radio. 
  
  
• Bleeping- Putting a bleep sound over the word.

Advantages: 

• It prevents the public display of any disrespect to any particular individual or community. 
• Protects vulnerable audiences such as young, innocent children
• Promotes political correctness.
• It shields the morals of society.
• Restrains vulgarity and obscenity.
• The abundance of violence in music videos is restricted by it.

Disadvantages: 

• Freedom of speech is compromised 
• Censorship in music and music videos may compromise their entertainment value
• It is used as a way of controlling people
• It has no place in a democratic nation 
• Individuals have  different tastes
• People have a right to hear
• Governements should not control people. It should be the other way round
• It stifles the opposition, broadcasting only a particular point of view
• It may be used to block legitimate criticism
• Creativity is restricted
• Prevents ideas from flowing freely

In my opinion although both sides of the argument are strong, and though I believe that censorship is  a method used to control people, preventing creativity and allowing people to experience the full value of entertainment, I do believe that music censorship is safe as it protects vulnerable audiences such as small children and squeamish people. By censoring inappropriate music/ music video that contain explicit/ dangerous content, promotes political correctness and protects the public from disrespect and harm. Therefore, censorship can be perceived as source of protection for the public. 

Conclusion: 

Censorship is extremely important as it protects the audience from inappropriate and explicit content and lyrics which is essential  to take into consideration when creating a song and/or a music video. If censorship is not taken into consideration, it could lead to a music video being banned or cut as a result in order to make the music video suitable for all viewers. I intend on making the genre of my music video R&B, therefore, I need to take language and content into consideration as R&B tends to include this. Therefore I will ensure that I do not include bad language, except mild language and explicit content such as sexual content, nudity and violence. When planning my music video, I need to think about my audiences safety as I am aware that I should not put my audience into danger or make them fearful. Therefore, I will think about my audiences safety, as this is the most significant factor that determines the success of a music video. If my music video does include mild language or mild explicit content I will ensure I warn my audience by including the explicit advisory logo.