Censorship - Miss Miller

Censorship may be defined as the suppression of either all or parts of a movie, letter, music video or publication considered either offensive or a threat to security.  Censorship may be used in a variety of different ways throughout the media so to protect both the audience and the artist etc. For instance one way in which censorship is able to help protect the minds of the audience is through the use of the 'watershed'. Which refers to the banning of certain material before the time of nine o'clock in the evening, this refers to content such as bad language and sexual connotations etc. It is often used within the music industry to block out lyrics which are viewed to be unacceptable for younger viewers as well as these restrictions also being put in place throughout the duration of music videos for instance if artists are wearing clothing which is redeemed revealing or dance moves which are seen to be inappropriate. Music channels are likely to not want to show these elements to the artists music videos as showcasing this kind of content may reflect badly on the channel itself branding the channel with a bad image which can lead to people not watching either of their own accord or because parents tell them not to hence the channel won't be able to strive to achieve success.

MTV are a music channel which take both their censorship and the watershed very seriously hence it has been known for the channel not to air certain music videos until after 9pm including Rihanna's music video 'We found love' which critics viewed to be promoting/glamorising stealing, drugs, gambling, revealing outfits, smoking, domestic abuse and promoting unstable relationships as well as a variety of different other negative elements which critics may view as able to harm the minds of young, vulnerable and impressionable viewers. MTV have took a similar action with other music videos including Cher's 'If I could turn back time'. The video created controversy mainly due to the artists revealing costume wore within the music video as well as the action of her straddling a cannon during a section of the video. As well as MTV banning the video until after 9pm different shots were taken so to make the video appear more appropriate. Due to this being in 1989 it was redeemed a lot more shocking then it would have been in a more modern time as attitudes have changed therefore resulting in censorship becoming less strict. Robin Thicke's music video 'Blurred Lines' was censored due to scenes of a topless woman which is redeemed as explicit content for children.

Michael Jackson's music video 'They Don't Care About Us' was a video which faced controversy before it had even began shooting. Brazilian officials were unhappy with the video taking place as it was being shot in poverty-stricken areas of Rio. In fact they were so unhappy with it that they tried to stop director Spike Lee from shooting in said areas. However their attempts failed resulting in them trying to edit privileges over the final footage another plan which failed. Although despite all of this the video still faced censorship after having made it's world premiere. Due to controversial lyrics. Including the line "Jew me, sue me, everybody do me" which was changed to "do me, sue me, everybody do me". Although to begin with Jackson was against the idea of changing his lyrics in his video he did eventually appoligse for their redeemed offensive content.

OffCom is the regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. The company regulates radio, TV fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services and the airwaves which wireless devices are connected to for usage. Viewers of television and listeners of the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material/content as a result of the company's work. However some critics fear that the type of work taken out by the likes of Offcom may be effecting the audiences experience in a negative manor rather than protecting them as by constantly being blocked by negative content and not learning to deal with and understand it from a decent age it can become more harmful to viewers at a later date. As well as people being overly protected so much so that they don't receive a good enough education on the real world to be able to deal with it's harsh realities as well as missing out of the teaching of these artists who feel they are only producing the truth.

People have various different views on censorship as both why it may be redeemed a good thing and why it could actually be having a negative effect.

From an artist such as Eminem's point of view (an artist who is against censorship) censorship can be seen negatively for a variety of different reasons for instance Eminem has been know to say what he wants to say when he wants to say it yet with censorship he is being stopped from doing this which is not only cutting off his creative energy but also ruining the experience of his music for his fans who are expecting this style of music and type of attitude presented throughout it. The artist has also stated that his music should be motivating, when he writes he states that he writes what he thinks, saying that he doesn't purposely write to be aggressive it's just how he feels. He wishes to be able to share his experiences to his fans and claims that without being able to do that and in the way that he wishes to then his music would be boring. Eminem's lyrics enables his fans to connect to him rather than to just listen to the music itself which surely is a good thinking as it is encouraging the audience to think for themselves and come to their own conclusions rather than being controlled and brain washed into thinking in a certain way due to those in power. The artist has also said on numerous occasions even in his songs that just because he talks about doing negative things doesn't mean that he actually does them and has informed his audience not to take what he says seriously. Not everything he writes about should be taken literally. As well as mentioning that he doesn't believe that it is his responsibility to to state whether or not he is being literal. His also stated that his music is a release for him and that he feels as an artist he should be free to say how he feels. In regarding how he feels censorship should be handled the artist has said that he believes parents should take control. Which is a popular view which is often paired with the point that each individual is different and what might be fine for one child may be harmful for another. For instance if a child is particularly violent and they are watching something or playing a video game which may be seen as promoting or glamouring violence  or simply providing such a child with new moves for their violent strike then it is down to their parents to take action not anyone else.

Record labels often have mixed views on censorship, some think that it is a good thing as it is able to protect the audience and provides both the artists and the record labels with guidelines to follow so to make sure they aren't creating content which is too sensitive for their audience. However other record labels such as the record label Eminem launched with his manager Paul Rosenberg (Shady records) in 1999 after the success of Eminem's second studio album 'The Slim Shady LP'. Since it's formation Shady records has signed ten acts and is currently home to five. The record company was less restrictive towards the content it produced taking censorship into account a lot less due to it's founders believing in artists being allowed to say what they want how they want and didn't feel like the restrictions which came with censorship always allowed artists to truly express themselves and keep them true to their fans. 'Lose yourself' Eminem's song which he produced with his record label won the first ever Academy award for best original song given to a song in the hip hop genre. However censorship doesn't always allow for this originality. With certain restrictions in place there is only so much new material which can be produced. As is displayed by the success of both Eminem's work before and after he created his own music label it is evident that people want originality. If music continues to be censored so easily and lightly depending on the content then eventually music won't be able to grow any further which would result in a problem for the industry and the audiences as music helps people to grow and comforts them. For some people this is found in reading for others it's listening to music only nobody censors books. Yet surely if music has the potential to be so damaging then books can be to after all its all coming from someone else's mindset and has the potential to encourage it's readers to think about certain things and in certain ways plus the relationship between a book and it's reader lasts a lot longer hence it is likely that the relationship would be deeper as well as the fact that a book has more material. 50 Cent signed to the label in 2002 and his multi-platinum debut album 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' was the third release for the record company. Said album became the fastest selling debut album in US history. If censorship is that important, is so protective and people are so in need of it then shady records wouldn't have received such success. Even becoming one of the most dominant labels of the 2000s.  If the content in which Eminem and his acts permitted was so harmful then surely demand wouldn't be so high as parents would be stricter with allowing their child access and the average person wouldn't want to be associated with it. In the time that Shady records was at it's peak it was a lot harder for children to gain access to music without parents finding out possibly even struggling to play it without their parents hearing as during this time it was more common to buy CDs and play them through your stereo. When asked how much time he spends in the office (at shady records) Eminem responds by saying; "umm, how often is all the time?" this shows how much he cares for his music and his pure dedication as well as the messages he is sending out with it. Many people, especially those who are really into music would agree that artists such as Eminem is better than artists that has been solely produced by a record label and doesn't really think about the message their sending out themselves to their fans who are fooled into thinking that said artist cares about both them and their music. But in reality this type of artist would only really be interested in the fame and money generated within the industry. If an artist is going to the efforts of Eminem to get their messages across then shouldn't they be considered before just being censored straight away as they contain a few swear words and ideas that are generally viewed as being to explicit for children. Surely their must be some truth in their message which people have a right to decide whether they want to hear for themselves. It's been known for people to just assume that Eminem hasn't educated himself due to the way in which he speaks and the style used to present himself and his music only it's been reveled that the artist loves reading the dictionary which highlights his intelligence. Indicating that he represents himself and his music in the way in which he does so to reach and therefore help uneducated, poorer children who are in a similar situation to the one he was growing up.  

Parents who are for censorship may feel that they don't want their children to be watching or listening to inappropriate content, instead they want them to watch or listen to what they want without them having to worrying or supervise them what can feel as though a breaking of the trust between parent and child as well as being seen as a waste of time for the parent and not being an enjoyable experience for anyone involved. A popular opinion among parents with this view is that music containing such content should only be produced on platforms for older audience members. Otherwise children are able to receive such content from a very young age which can result in the change of their behavior for the worst. Resulting in them using bad language and becoming more aggressive etc. Many parents feel that they don't want their child engaging with this form of content as it provides negative connotations about how we should view or even go about our lives a good example of this would be Eminem's song 'Kim' where he raps about beating and killing the mother of his daughter as well as various of his other songs containing such content as well as the artists song 'Stan' in which the rapper explores a narrative where an obsessed fan kills himself as a result of not facing what he believed to be enough interaction with his idol the artist. Parents don't want their child reduced to this kind of music as they don't wish for this kind of harmful content to be passed onto them and spoken about in such as causal way that they view it as causal and a part of everyday life. Children are still at their developing stage if they are introduced to works of artists such as Eminem too young they may not be at that stage yet where they can differ between what is simply a song and what is acceptable in real life. Not only do some people believe that Eminem's music is harmful in terms of encouraging the younger generation to behave in certain ways but it also provides a negative out look on life which could result in ruining their own out look and therefore lead to them not being able to enjoy their lives as much as they're viewing it through this certain manner. Many people who are for censorship believe that works from artists such as Eminem can have a negative effect on the mentality of it's listeners as it is so empowering almost brain washing them into the artists way of thinking. Often it is argued that there is simply no point in risking in. After all artists such as Eminem don't aim their music towards children and when they are old enough they can listen to whatever they wish as much as they want so why allow or promote it for young children?

Parents who are against censorship often believe that children pick things up easily, a lot more easily than they are sometimes given credit for, which means that over protecting them can sometimes do more harm than it does good as music can be rather informative. Meaning that through this children are able to become educated on matters such as drugs and alcohol. Children who are kept at a distance from the world are more likely to discover these elements of life on their own. Which may be more harmful as they aren't as knowledgeable on the negative effects. These parents also often feel that there isn't enough evidence to support that content not be censored leads to negative behavior in children. They believe that if a child suffers from mental illness this is not due to music videos or any other form of the media which is censored for protection of the audience and that forms of media cannot be blamed for the way people behave they just simply may at times inspire them or motivate their actions.

Fans of artists such as Eminem are likely to be against censorship as they believe that music is a way for artists such as Eminem to express themselves and that censorship blocks this and makes him unable to create the music he wants to for his fans. Just because Eminem says things doesn't mean that he actually does them his song/music video 'Kim' would be a good example of this. The artist usually talks about his life and uses his music as a sort of open letter to fans which allows them to keep tabs on him. or his mindset if they are worried. With 'Stan' swear words were censored out which meant that the rhythm went ruining the effect and atmosphere of the song. The artist isn't promoting criminal , violent activity for fans his just pushing creative boundaries for himself and his fans. Inspires us all to be creative like he is in his songs. A lot of fans believe his more recent music is much more tame which shows that censorship has taken it's toll something which they aren't happy with.

Music Channel MTV don't really get to have much of an opinion on censorship themselves as they have to produce content which is acceptable by censorship standards otherwise they will have consequences including complainants and a loss of viewers. MTV have to be strict due to children possibly watching after 9pm (the watershed) the channel doesn't use as much censorship however there are still certain elements of the music industry which they don't feel they should air. Eminem's song 'Rap Game' had to be censored due to the song threatening the white house which is actually illegal in the US. In 1999 there was a shooting at a high school which meant one of the artists songs couldn't be used as it was to raw and sensitive at the time. He later on tried to reuse it however the company found it to be completely inappropriate as it was highly homophobic, considering homosexual relations are now more acceptable the channel wouldn't want to air an artist who is so behind. Even things which the artist says in interviews etc are follow these kinds of views highlighting that what he thinks can't be shown without him being censored first as it is inappropriate and offensive.

Music channel AKA stand for allowing artist creative freedom and airing opinions. The channel faced a find in 2005 from offcom for eighteen thousand pounds for inappropriate content. Surely the channel would have faced another fine since if anything else was out of context and it was thought to be needed. The nature of the genres which the channel airs are explicit anyway. The controversy brings fans together and allows artists to get bigger. MTV criticized for how much censorship they use.

BBC Radio 1 is a radio station with a family audience hence it is for censorship as it views artists such as Eminem to contain content which is redeemed inappropriate for younger listeners and doesn't create a particularly family centered environment. Hence with Eminem referring to things which shouldn't be glorified such as his song 'kill me' which is about rape. Protecting children from harmful material. With radio stations you don't know whose listening. It's the artists job hence they gain money from the promotion which comes from them being played on the radio so it benefits them to make sure that their songs fit to radio stations requirements.

Capital Xtra is a radio situation which is known for playing  dance/urban music. The station works in a set up which is for censorship as it removes swearing etc in songs which are played before 9pm however afterwards the radio station leaves the swearing in working within the same manner as the water shed does on tv. Censorship in this way helps the radio station as it means that it can still play what it wants without the fear of upsetting, offending or providing unsuitable content for anyone who doesn't wish to hear it. However after 9 pm a time known for being the standard of which these kinds of rules and regulations drop they are still able to play whatever the station wishes without having to tamper with or make any changes to songs. This is beneficial to the radio station as it keeps certain audience members happy as they feel as though they are gaining a more realistic understanding of the song and what the artist was trying to promote within their song. Waiting to do so until after 9pm means that the station has a good argument if anyone tries to blame them or accuse them of obtaining unsuitable content as they may state this is a time when young child ideally should be asleep and not listening to radio stations as well as the fact that this technique is widely accepted when looking at the success of television.

Personally I believe that censorship is a good thing in moderation. I feel think there are somethings that we shouldn't be exposed to too young. However I do feel like if we live in a world were we censor every little thing which may be redeemed as slightly negative then how to we expect the people who have been brought up in this environment to cope with this kind of material when they come across it or even in real life situations. I also agree that censorship can ruin the creative flow of artists as well as the fact that sometimes they really can't fully express themselves with breaking these boundaries. Within my music video I will try to fit to censorship standards as it means that my music video can be brought to the attention of a wider audience. However I may add elements which are slightly controversial so that they are able to get people talking and create a bigger hype around my music video promoting it and encouraging people to watch it which shall generate a further rate of success for both my music video and the song playing with it.  However these won't be major offensives against censorship so that I won't seriously offend anyone and create a negative reputation.