Research into music censorship

Censorship is defined as the practise of officially examining material and suppressing unacceptable parts. This is carried out be a regulatory body such as OfCom which stands for the Office of Communications. It has control over a range of broadcasting and telecommunication industries such as television, radio, telecoms and postal sectors. Ofcom has a statutory purpose to ensure that viewers are protected, especially those under 18 years of age. This is one of the most fundamental aspects of the Code which ensures content does not involve potentially offensive or dangerous elements. In terms of music videos, Ofcom acknowledges how freedom of expression is an important aspect to artists. Although music videos must have room for innovation and creativity, challenging content that poses a threat to viewers must be reviewed. Content recognised as inappropriate is typically censored or streamed after 9pm which is known as the concept of watershed. This is highly valued by parents who believe it protects their children against explicit content, offensive language, violence, nakedness etc.

Detailed examples from music videos:

Hilary Duff’s 'Reach Out' - The artist once known as ‘Lizzie McQuire’ in a children’s television show maintained an innocent image at the start of her singing career. However the release of the music video to her song ‘Reach out’ changed the viewer’s perception. The headline-grabbing video released in 2008 features explicit sexual content such as finger sucking, whipping, simulated sex and blindfolding. The video was therefore heavily censored which cut out most of the inappropriate content. This is due to parents who become concerned when a 'role model' to younger viewers acts in a way that is deemed as unacceptable.

Eminem’s ‘Guilty conscience’ – the lyrics involve phrases such as "leave her on the front porch" and "slip this in her drink" that were censored out on MTV due to a negative connotation. The murder at the end was also censored due to murder being an inhumane act that is classed as violence. The act could also harm younger viewers and potentially have a traumatising effect. The lyrics were censored due to the possibility of imitation by the younger viewers as well as the video having a negative impact of their perception of what is right and wrong.

Rita Ora’s ‘How we do’ – the song was censored, having the words "Drunk sex", "shot of Jack", "smoking" and "bullshit" silenced from the audio due to the precautions to protect children. Those that view Rita Ora as a 'role model' may be negatively affected if they were to imitate the actions referred to in the lyrics. Due to her having an influence, they could try to aspire to be like her and therefore carry out activities they believe she carries out herself. This would displease parents who are likely to deem those activities as unacceptable. There is also a possibility of lyric imitation which is not suitable for younger viewers.

 Specific artists from the music industry 

 Lady Gaga – the artist is known to be outrageous with no limit. This is made clear by many songs with ‘Love Game’ being one of most controversial. The lyrics "I wanna take a ride on your disco stick" have sexual connotations. The lyrics accompanied by the artist’s provocative postures in her dance moves and a near-naked outfit caused the video to be censored. Lady Gaga’s song song "Judas" was also deemed to be "offensive to Christianity”. She is therefore deemed to be one of the most outrageous artists which poses a threat to younger viewers. Many of her videos are therefore censored - both lyric wise as well as visually.

Rihanna debate – for and against

• Artist (against censorship) – Rihanna puts effort into creating music that her audience wants to listen to. Her content should therefore be promoted as opposed to restricted in terms of viewing on music channels or potentially edited. The lyrics of her songs have an underlying meaning that may reflect her own views or experiences and so should be presented as written.

• Fan (against censorship) – viewing should not be restricted. The artist’s material should be seen in the same format as it was created. Censorship limits how much Rihanna can express therefore having a negative impact on the song as the song may then lack its original meaning.

• Parent (against censorship) – children that have been brought up well will understand that content should not be imitated; if anything it will educate and inform children of somewhat difficult topics. Rihanna’s ‘We found love’ involves many controversial topics such as drug use and sexual contact. This may then lead to the children addressing the issues seen with their parents which is beneficial as it develops their knowledge.

• Parent (for censorship) – young viewers should not be exposed to content that may be imitated due to the artist being idolised and therefore having a large influence on the child’s behaviour and perception of what is right and wrong. Good parenting cannot prevent children from watching all videos deemed as inappropriate.

• AKA – (against censorship) aims to present the artist to the audience and censorship would prevent a true reflection as the artist would almost be ‘edited’. This would defeat the purpose of the channel which is to present “raw and unsigned talent we have in the UK, and give them a platform from which they could perform”. AKA warns the audience of "crude productions” and so they rarely censor videos.

• MTV (for censorship) – the music channel has a wide audience meaning content must be suitable for a range of viewers. MTV is known for heavily editing numerous music videos to remove references to sensitive topics. Rihanna’s music videos can harm the young viewers who idolise her and may therefore imitate her behaviour. Therefore the video to her song “S&M” was banned from being aired on the channel.

• Record label (against censorship) – The record label’s main focus is to generate profits therefore they are supportive of the artist. Rihanna as an artist has sold more than 100 million records worldwide which highlights her success. The record label therefore see Rihanna as an entertainer meaning her content should not be treated as a threat but an enjoyment. They believe the artists’ role is to release music and a music video in order to promote its release. The record label itself should not be held responsible.

• Radio 1 station (for censorship) – the audience is very broad and is therefore likely to consist of children which should not be exposed to swearing which they could then learn and use. Their regulations are strict and so explicit songs are edited in order to avoid parents’ concern and complaints.

Conclusion 

Due to music videos having an entertainment purpose, they should not cause harm or offence to viewers. Censorship prevents this from happening and so it is beneficial to societies. However extreme censorship may distort the meaning of the material produced by certain artists which limits how much they are able to express. The uncensored versions of songs are mostly available online on networks such as ‘Youtube’ where the viewer must confirm to be over the age of 18. This allows fans of the artist to view the unedited and raw version of the song, the way in which the artist wants the creation to be seen.