Research into music censorship

Do you think music videos should be censored?

There are many arguments regarding music videos and lyrics and whether they should be censored and banned. Various artists including Eminem and M.I.A videos and lyrics are deemed to be inappropriate. 

Videos have to meet certain standards to be appropriate for television viewing much like lyrics have to be censored or altered to be played on radio stations. 

OFCOM are a government body that have a duty to protect the public, specifically people under the age of eighteen from explicit content. OFCOM ensure that the video and/or lyrics do not influence or encourage the public to adopt behaviour, which could be deemed inappropriate. Another aim of OFCOM is to insure that weapons or drugs are not glamorised in the public eye, iconography which is regularly featured within Eminem's music videos. 

Marshal Mathers (stage name, Eminem) is arguably the most controversial artist in the music industry because almost every song he has written has been censored; mainly regarding, frequent use of strong taboo. 

However, his daughter Haile, a huge part of his life has influenced his music. According to sources, he would make clean versions of certain songs for his daughter, as she was eager to hear what her father had produced.

A large percentage of his lyrics depict violence towards gay communities and women, whilst addressing serious issues such as, suicide and murder (evident in Stan) 

Eminem believes his aim as an artist is to inform people of life experiences and expresses his opinions through his music, which allows him to be faithful to who he is, what he believes in and what he stands for. Marshall himself states he "represents white trash" so is "simply raising awareness on issues that are ride within these communities" in an interview. Following his statement concerning 'white trash' representation, he wrote, produced and created a song entitled White Trash Party. This could communicate a racial issue and therefore be deemed inappropriate amongst many. Despite this, the song was included within the soundtrack of the film Project X which relates to the party element depicted within his lyrics. This therefore acts as a promotional tool for the artist as he has been recognised and used within another art form: a film.



Although Eminem is controversial, he has one of the largest fan bases in the world despite the fact there are many artists of the rap genre present in the industry; but Eminem stands out from the masses of similar artists. 

A counter-argument can be raised as to whether he is a role model or not. He could be a role model to many who can relate to him because he started with nothing, living in a trailer with his Mom. He was able to escape the chaos of his life through his natural raw talent of song writing and his innate ability to communicate with a large audience, which started as a very small audience initially.

Fundamentally, he could be viewed as a positive example of perseverance through dark times and he also expresses controversial views and situations, which occur often in poverty stricken areas and American ghettos. 

Conversely, it could be argued he is not a positive individual to idolize for numerous reasons. Overall, Eminem writes and performs explicit content, which could be seen to promote gang involvement, drugs, sexism and homophobia. 

Ironically, he has written a song named Bad Influence in which he suggests the world is already a cruel place and that he in fact is not a negative influence but just "addin' to it" He has also written a song named Role Model with the opening lyrics being: "I'm going to attempt to drown myself. You can try this at home. You can be just like me!" which encourages suicide amongst his listeners and addresses it as a trend to follow, not a psychological illness.


Parents viewpoints are also vital to consider as they have the option whether they would like to protect their children from listening to such content which may influence them in the long-term. Parents may believe that Eminem encourages strong language and bad morals and that it is acceptable to be disrespectful, dangerous and discriminatory which may influence their children if they are vulnerable. Despite this, a minority of parents may support his main purpose of self-expression although their children are exposed to explicit content. Many may also believe censorship should not stop the artists from expressing themselves therefore promoting self-expression and honesty to their children. 



Radio stations also play a fundamental role in artists careers as their job is to promote them and make their music easily accessible for all. However, in aim for songs to be appropriate for the mass market, it is imperative that radio versions of songs are released; a special version where any content of an explicit nature is censored to appeal to younger or more vulnerable audiences, therefore increasing listeners for the station itself. KISS FM, one of the most popular radio stations in the UK state that it is difficult to censor lyrics, especially from Eminem songs. Contrastingly, MTV is most popular in the US and has a large audience which varies massively in age therefore it is appropriate for the company to censor certain lyrics. AKA, another music channel in the UK believe Eminem is a crude artist, despite the fact the channel supports and promotes music of the rap and grime genre. Censorship can effect radio stations because regular listeners may boycott them therefore making the station less appealing to the mass market consisting of a variety of people from parents taking their children to school in the morning and choosing a station which plays appropriate content to teenagers. Therefore, censorship is used effectively to ensure radio stations do not lose listeners who may be offended by the explicit lyrical content/subjects the hosts are discussing. 



Source (relevant to argument below): http://vimeo.com/12082980

The video to Born Free by M.I.A follows a controversial narrative and concept for many reasons, We as the viewer witness and attempt at mass genocide of redheaded people, graphic and gruesome images of people caught in explosions, scenes of a sexual nature and an elderly man smoking an illegal drug... All things OFCOM would disapprove of! Despite this, it was released as it received confirmation and permission of by the artists record label, XL Recordings and director Romain Gavras. The 9 minute short film was fuelled by the publics initial curiosity and aftermath of controversy, therefore easily accessible although it was banned on YouTube the exact day of its release. Despite the criticism the video received, the song reached Number 13 on the UK Indie Official Chart and received a light-hearted mention in an unofficial song named Nando Skank in which Example jokes that Ed Sheeran was "made famous by M.I.A Born Free video" (as he is a redheaded artist) It could be argued that the video hints a daring political message. Many may find the video distressing or offensive whereas many may find the videos concept meaningless yet challenging society. In 2007, the artists hit single Paper Planes (featured on Danny Boyles film Slumdog Millionaire) was censored by MTV due to the sound of gunshots in the rhythm track. Ironically, the lyrics are a direct response to the artists Visa denial and could be seen as a lyrical attack on the US government.

Taking alternative viewpoints into consideration, I personally believe that music is a tool of expression for artists, therefore lyrics should not be censored and music videos should not be banned. 

I believe that music videos have an initial right to be abstract. If music itself is considered an art form then why should it's video be any different?
 

There are many ways for parents to control their child's consumption of explicit content whether that be a child lock on certain music channels or websites which may allow them to view content which may distress, disturb or potentially influence them. I believe in modern Britain there is no escape from the Media: social networking sites, television, radio, magazines, newspapers and music videos bombarding us, the public with information holding explicit information/images. The Sun, a tabloid newspaper consumed by millions of people across the UK dedicates page 3 to explicit images exploiting females which is no different to a music video which does the same and both are easily accessible by anyone of any age who lives under a roof with a television license. 

The problem isn't the content of the music video; the problem is the way/where it is shown at particular times in which vulnerable audience members can watch it. 

By conducting a combination of primary and secondary research it will assist me with the planning of my own music video production. This is because I am now knowledgeable about OFCOM and their policies and can now consider a variety of viewpoints from different people and institutions too. It is crucial to understand how people are effected by explicit content and the reactions which can arise when material is controversial and is eventually either censored or in extreme cases: banned. As a group we understand the importance of censorship and how effective it can be. Therefore, if we use a song with explicit lyrical content or mild/strong taboo we will have no choice but to censor it/decide on a different song to ensure our target audience can enjoy our video content in addition to the song we choose too. After all, the target audience are the people consuming our product therefore they must be able to relate to it.