WV Radio Corp Pulls Offensive Music

[Dave Allen]

Many people say its about Satan worship. I prefer the more local version, Hotel Aracoma.

[Zak Tyler]

Many people say its about Satan worship. I prefer the more local version, Hotel Aracoma.

OH GAWD!!!! i stayed there for a couple weeks once.... it was then i knew i wasn't quite "at" rock bottom, but i sure could "smell" i was close!

that is the big one in the middle of logan right?


[/really wanting to make a dick joke there]

[Dave Allen]

The big one in the middle of Logan? No, that was Nunley in for a weekend visit.

Yes the Aracoma Hotel is the big one in Logan. The have actually remodeled it. The apartments there are pretty nice.

[Zak Tyler]

The big one in the middle of Logan? No, that was Nunley in for a weekend visit.

Yes the Aracoma Hotel is the big one in Logan. The have actually remodeled it. The apartments there are pretty nice.

the room i had need about 5 gallons of gas and a priest with a pack of matches.

[jag]

OK, so we all can come up with examples of songs that have in the past been called into question. Lou Christie's "Rhapsody in The Rain" was not aired by a lot of stations back in the day. Lloyd Price's "Stagger Lee" was considered taboo because the fellow in the song was quite brutally shot. Gary Puckett's "Young Girl." Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side." Rod Stewart's "Tonight's The Night." The Bee Gees' "How Deep is Your Love" for cryin' out loud! The list is seemingly endless.

Language changes. Ask any lexicographer. Consider the Anglo-Saxonesque words that can be said on network television now. Remember, back in the days of "I Love Lucy" you couldn't even say the word pregnant on the air!

Now, let's also remember that media outlets are not in the business of protecting our rights...they're in the business of making money. This poses a bit of a quandry. Given that these stations had no qualms, whatsoever, about adding "offensive" music to their playlists to begin with, and they had no problem accepting the revenue generated from them as a result of the listenership those songs created and maintained, is the removal of such songs an admission of abject insensitivity to the sensibilities of the listeners for the sake of the almighty deceased federal leaders?

OR, is this simply a case of letting the market decide what it really wants?

[SPIKE NESMITH!]

the line, "we haven't sold that spirit here since 1969."


....69! Eh? Eh? Know what I mean, squire? Eh? Eh? Nudge nudge grin grin wink wink SAY NO MORE!!

[SPIKE NESMITH!]

Also, Lou Reed's song "Perfect Day" that became a big radio-friendly hit around 96 or 97. Reed waited until the song was at its peak until he dropped the bomb... that the song is about heroin addiction.

[Big Media]

Props to WV Radio Corp for not publishing a list. All that would have done is create controversy.... which would have lead to a doubling of album sales in this area for those banned.

I would never have even remotely considered ever buying a copy of a 2 Live Crew album... Until I learned that their's was so filthy, it was banned. Sold.

[CoolBreeze]

OK, so we all can come up with examples of songs that have in the past been called into question. Lou Christie's "Rhapsody in The Rain" was not aired by a lot of stations back in the day. Lloyd Price's "Stagger Lee" was considered taboo because the fellow in the song was quite brutally shot. Gary Puckett's "Young Girl." Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side." Rod Stewart's "Tonight's The Night." The Bee Gees' "How Deep is Your Love" for cryin' out loud! The list is seemingly endless.

True, but isn't there a HUGE difference in inferring to "the act"... and actually "doing it" through audio? In other words... isn't there a big difference in saying that "I'm gonna mess you up" vs "I'm gonna fuck you up"? They may both mean the same thing, but which would you use on your 15 year old boy for instance? (bad example but you get the picture).

Sit through about 45 seconds of this song and then tell me how it relates to any song whatsoever mentioned on this topic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXTob00R ... ed&search=

[AmpedNow]

This is becoming an incredibly complex issue...

I would expect more radio groups to follow suit. I can't blame them either, since stations can be now be fined into oblivion for airing even mild profanities if someone complains. But in addition to that, the Imus incident set a new precedent that stations and air talent can find themselves in a PR nightmare for making fun of any group of people for anything--esp if they are minorities.

In a way I'm glad, because hopefully rap will become more listenable, since the crass lyrical content has long been my #1 peeve about the music--not the music itself... But at the same time, the pro-free speech side of me cringes, as I'm afraid that we are heading down a dangerous road where the speech and thought police are becoming ever-more emboldened and pervasive. I'm afraid we're rapidly swinging back to the bland, sterile, vanilla, "Leave It to Beaver" days when conformity was enforced and anyone or anything that was considered too "different" was shunned and ridiculed. Only this time, it will be under a "multicultural" banner.

The media watchdogs who have long complained about the public airwaves becoming too dirty have finally won the battle. They will get their wish, and them some... Hot talk as a radio format is now dead in the water. There is no way that this kind of radio can be even partly functional in today's hypersensitive world.

Ditto with prime time TV. Since the FCC has announced that excessive violence is their next target, my guess is that Jack Bauer won't be torturing any terrorists next season...

And since the 2008 election cycle is already underway, I would imagine that the pro-censorship rhetoric by the empty suit politicians will get even louder. Remember that the root of all of this can be traced back to the Super Bowl of 2004--which was also an election year.

The consequence of this, as many of us has warned about for years, is that other groups who have issues with certain types of political and religious speech are using this pro-censorship environment to advance their cause, as is evidenced by renewed interest in the Fairness Doctrine.

As Rush would say, but may not be able to say for much longer: See? I told you so...

The only likely winners in this will be subscription TV and radio. This is where all of the violent and racy stuff will end up, as the public airwaves will no longer be an option, since there always will be a demand for this type of content. But it may also be where political and religious content where have to go as well. Jerry Falwell, Ann Coulter, and Howard Stern make strange bedfellows, but Sirius may be the only mass media platform left for them to go to after this is all over with.

The losers are anyone who has something to say of a political, religious, or irreverent nature that may be upsetting to anyone else for any reason.

[Hoosier Daddy]

You had me until you mentioned Rush.

[Big Dawg]

Also, Lou Reed's song "Perfect Day" that became a big radio-friendly hit around 96 or 97. Reed waited until the song was at its peak until he dropped the bomb... that the song is about heroin addiction.

What about the Lou Reed song "Heroin"? Did anyone figure out what that was about? I think too, that Neil Young's "Needle And The Damage Done" may reference drug use as well But, it is actually an anti-drug song:

"Needle And The Damage Done"

"I caught you knockin'
at my cellar door
I love you, baby,
can I have some more
Ooh, ooh, the damage done.

I hit the city and
I lost my band
I watched the needle
take another man
Gone, gone, the damage done.

I sing the song
because I love the man
I know that some
of you don't understand
Milk-blood
to keep from running out.

I've seen the needle
and the damage done
A little part of it in everyone
But every junkie's
like a settin' sun."

Other popular songs that could be deemed "offensive:
Donna Summer's "Love To Love You Baby":

"Do it to me again and again
you put me in such an awful spin
in a spin.." but, I think it was the sound of actual lovemaking (moaning, etc.) that was controversial.

What about Sheena Easton's "Sugar Walls"?
" Blood races to your private spots, that lets me know there's a fire
You can't fight passion when passion is hot
Temperatures rise inside my sugar walls

Chorus:
Lemme take you somewhere you've never been
I could show you things you've never seen
I could make you never wanna fall in love again
Come spend the night inside my sugar walls

Take advantage, it's alright

I feel so alive when I'm with you
Come and feel my presence, it's reigning tonight
Heaven on earth inside my sugar walls

chorus

I can tell you want me, it's impossible to hide
Your body's on fire, admit it! Come inside
Come inside my sugar walls
Come spend the night inside my sugar walls"

[Bob Campbell]

Yeah! And what about Neil's "Southern Man"? Isn't it about something bad in the south?

[SPIKE NESMITH!]

Hey, sometimes the truth is offensive.

[The People's DJ]

I find all of the WV Radio Corp stations offensive to me. Can I have them all shut down?

[Jay Nunley]

I give up.

Provide me with a list of words, phrases, songs, subjects, tones of voice, sfx, ambient noise, and anything else that you guys don't like and I will take them off the air.

Who do I talk to about joining your club? I'm interested in getting some things I don't like off the air.

Hopefully, we can work together to get EVERYTHING taken off the air. Just think of it! We'll have nothing but hash noise on radio and snow on television. It will be beautiful. No one will ever hear or see anything they don't like and kids will be exposed to nothing at all. This is going to kick ass.

[Big Media]

ambient noise

[The People's DJ]

Just think of it! We'll have nothing but hash noise on radio and snow on television. It will be beautiful.

Buy Jay, someone would be offended by that too. So we can't have that. Everyone...Turn in your radios and TVs.

[SPIKE NESMITH!]

I give up.

Provide me with a list of words, phrases, songs, subjects, tones of voice, sfx, ambient noise, and anything else that you guys don't like and I will take them off the air.

Ooorrrrrr maybe you're reading too much into what evolved into a conversation about other things that could be considered offensive under the same rules..?

Calm down... relax...



aaww, look! A puppy!

[Arp2]

Doesn't it bother anyone else that a bunch of Old White Men are further censoring radio edits of songs for a young Black audience?

The framing is all wrong, if I may say....

First, only governments can "censor."

Second, nothing is being "censored" -- the mentioned radio edits still exist and are still distributed freely to their audience (radio stations).

Third, not playing a song or a portion of a song is not "censoring."

Fourth, who says that rap is only for a young, black audience?

Fifth, who is it that wants those messages delivered to a young, black audience, and why do they want that?

Sixth, what's the difference between "old white men" directing television, newspaper, magazine, and internet content for non-"old white men" and similar radio or music content?

And, finally, how is it ever a bad thing for an ethical business or organization to act in the best interest of all its constituents?