26 réponses à ce sujet

[Massadonious1]

I normally don't listen to top 40 radio, or much radio at all actually, but I like to occasionally listen to my local station's morning show, and often times, I'm too lazy to mess with my own music when I'm doing mundane tasks like driving to work or the store. However, I heard something the other night left me a little perplexed.

They played a song by The Script, called Breakeven. I've heard this song before, and I noticed they removed both  times the guy sang "Just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in" and replaced it with a line he sings later in the song, "But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding"

It's quite obvious that I'm a little bothered by the fact that they would replace a line in the song that would have anything to do with not believing in God, but that I also heard this song the day before....in it's unaltered version, which I assumed they had been playing since whenever the song got released. Something happened, someone complained, or a whole mess of people complained in the 24-32 hours since I last heard the song, or maybe even since the song has been released, to remove or alter that particular line in the song.

I can freely admit that I'm an Atheist, and that I've never been a big fan of religion, but really, alterting a harmless Adult-Contemporary pop song about a dude who is heartbroken over some chick because two lines in the song allude to not beleving in a higher power? C'mon, man.

This is the same kind of station that draws in teens/pre-teens that like to listen to bubblegum pop like Justin Bieber. Apparently, it's okay if they hear about "rappers" and R&B artists that like to get wasted in clubs/bars and pick up loose women, and pop artists like Britney Spears that like to sing about implied threesomes and foursomes. But yet, if a song even remotley suggests that someone might be an Atheist, well, it's time to get outraged, pick up our pitchforks, and demand that the radio station alter it, or demand that the artist lets the radio station alter it.

Does this make ANY sense to anyone?

[AshedMan]

As you deduced; It only became a problem after someone complained. We can only guess as to the reason for the complaint. Maybe it was a fellow atheist who just heard the guy say he was praying to god and he called to complain. It's impossible to know for sure.

Censorship of songs on the radio is definitely not a new trend.  

Modifié par AshedMan, 01 avril 2010 - 04:19 .

[Crixt]

Censorship of anything, especially non-language or nudity related, is a horrible trend.

[Fexelea]

I find it more disturbing when companies forbid their employees from saying "Merry Christmas". I'm not religious but I find it ridiculous to forbid people from expressing a heartfelt greeting of any form.

[taynar09]

Censorship of songs on the radio is definitely not a new trend.  
[/quote]

Not a new trend but certainly a growing one. Easy for people not to care until it hits something they care about.

[chiliztri]

Most forms of censorship are evil, IMO.

[Varenus Luckmann]

Pfah. I find both atheists and theists equally ignorant. On average, though, I trust the theists far more.

That said, it's sad to hear. But I also consider it equally sad that in other places and on other stations, they "censor" theists aswell. So you shouldn't really worry about it. Either we're heading for a neo-religious propaganda war where both sides does everything to dominate the ether, or they will reach an equilibrium.

Both are pretty sad, to tell the truth. I enjoy religious music or music with religious, theist or inspirational themes, which is sadly missing from much of modern music.

[Varenus Luckmann]

Hey, you know what? Let's all sing "This Land".

All the verses. Who's with me? What do you mean "What do you mean "All the verses""? All the verses. You know, those extra verses no-one learned in school and that is never played on the radio or sung at public events.

[Massadonious1]

Well, I only say it's a "new" trend because this is one of the few times I heard a song altered, and probably the first time I heard a song altered because it alluded to Atheism.

I've never been fond of any sort of censorship as well, in any form. If most religious music was mainstream enough to play on top 40 radio, and this same kind of thing was going on, it would probably still draw my ire.

This particular instance just hit close to home.

[Twitchmonkey]

They've got a right to do what they want on a privately-owned station.

[Massadonious1]

I never said they couldn't do it, I'm just asking why they do it.



They claim to be the biggest radio station in my particular city. I find it hard to believe they recieved enough pressure to change this song that would somehow affect their bottom line if they didn't.

[Marforce]

Did they change the lyrics for all the verses as the song has:

"I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing Just prayed to a god that I don't believe in"

Twice

and

"They say bad things happen for a reason But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding"

Once.



I think its sad if they changed the two verses, it's not even remotely offensive..

[Massadonious1]

Yes, they used the "But no wise words going to stop the bleeding" line to replace both lines of "Just praying to a God that I don't believe in."

[Varenus Luckmann]

Twitchmonkey wrote...
They've got a right to do what they want on a privately-owned station.

Just because someone has a right to do something, doesn't mean that it's right to do it.

[orpheus333]

Personally i thinks its an a front to the band or artists to switch parts of songs around, or mute lyrics. On a public service you have the responsibility to all of your listeners when it comes to poor language and you want to cover your own back. This is just ridiculous.

If it is really necessary to remove even a slightly religious lyric in a song i think those that are offended by it need to take a good hard look at their own beliefs(athiest or theist before lobbying to remove an artists freedom of expression.

Ridiculous and incredibly annoying.

edit: even if it is the script

Modifié par andyr1986, 01 avril 2010 - 06:17 .

[Maera Imrov]

As a 'theist', I'm still bothered by any form of censorship, because I like to write as well, and the thought that someone would censor my art offends me. Not that I'll ever be awesomesauce enough to get published, but the thought is still there.



And on top of all that, I found that line in the song poignant and rather expressive of the pain of the man in the 'story' to the song felt. For someone to pray to a diety they do not believe in, just in hopes of finding some sort of relief, is a powerful expression. Why that would be altered is beyond me. It detracts from the song on the whole to do so.

[AngryFrozenWater]

To the OP: I do think it is disturbing too. I am lucky, though. In my country that would not be allowed and a lawsuit against such radio station would be successful. Changes are that it would be considered censorship. We have freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but that does not mean that religion wins over atheism (or the other way around). You are allowed to express both. Of course a religious station or organization has the right what to broadcast and if they feel that song violates their belief system then they could simply not add it to their play list.

Modifié par AngryFrozenWater, 01 avril 2010 - 08:20 .

[YourFunnyUncle]

I'm an atheist (well to be strictly accurate I'm a very sceptical agnostic because it's impossible to prove that god doesn't exist) and I find it perfectly easy to enjoy religiously inspired music. I can enjoy hymns, gospel music, the Hallelujah chorus etc. and the idea that any of it should be censored is an anathema (oh look a religiously derived word!) to me.



I can see no acceptable reason to edit the song mentioned in this manner. It reeks of fundamentalist idiocy.

[GreedIsNoException]

I find this insulting to /rant something that doesn't make much sense



Anyways I'm an atheist and I don't see religion bad, I just don't fall for it. (Oh boy, I'm gonna get haters lined up the door) I see religious people bad when they come and try and FORCE their religion on me. (This is mostly true with christians) They'll invite me to these places they know I'd probably consider suiciding in. (And I have a very high self esteem but man, those places are depressing)



Anyways editing a song for this is stupid. I hate censorship in most part. Just a song, he has doubt or praying to something he don't believe in (doesn't have to be a specific religion). So why are you gonna censor this? What harm is this creating?



What the dog?

[hangmans tree]

Unfortunetely world is heading into the hands of Big Brother Whos Always Watching. the difference may be who is the Big Brother.

Censorship is always an assault on inalienable rights of man...and a path to dictatorsh!t. Be it communist, capitalistic, liberal or any other.

Orwell was right!

[Loerwyn]

Communism is a perfect form of government.

But we're human, ergo it's impossible to do.

[Upset Goldfish]

Crixt wrote...

Censorship of anything, especially non-language or nudity related, is a horrible trend.

Hell, in this situation I cite the First Amendment, and I'm not even American.

Freedom of speech is crucial to the advancement of any society. The problem is people don't understand the bounds between freedom of speech and voicing your opinions in an extremist and dangerously overt way.

Take those, for instance, that stand outside schools etc with signs that say "GOD HATES ****S". This is the kind of dangerously overt freedom that people are given, a supposed "necessary evil" that is going to occur if we wish to maintain free speech.

People need to understand that freedom of speech is indeed free, but there are always going to be those that suffer at the hand of your personal opinions.

The issue at hand is said "necessary evil." People, by commenting as said complaints to the radio station, end up advocating this "evil", but don't seem to realise that it isn't "necessary" at all. Once people enter that mentality that it isn't "necessary" will we begin to see freedom of speech properly move forward.


PS: The quote marks included in my rant are not "Turian Council Air-Quotes"