"If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."-- John Stuart Mill
What scares me about this is not how sensitive people are (it's their stupidity and they can have it), but how compliant people are about censorship. Censorship isn't even an issue. That's taken for granted. The issue is, what do we censor and how do we justify it? The thing is, you cannot morally justify censorship any more than you can morally justify lying.
I have a couple of American CDs and they have this "Parental Advisory Explicit Content" sticker. It makes me feel uncomfortable. It gets even more troublesome, and devious, with software, like Internet Explorer and Firefox, which can be set to censor wholesale without you even knowing.
People were up in arms about Google in China, and with right, but say nothing when the same things happen at home. At least Chinese music artist don't have to bother about anyone censoring their music.
The Genius of the Crowd
There is enough treachery
hatred, violence and absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day
And the best at murder are those who preach against it
And the best at hate are those who preach love
And the best at war finally are those who preach peace
Those who preach god, need god
Those who preach peace do not have peace
Those who preach love do not have love
Beware the preachers
Beware the knowers
Beware those who are always reading books
Beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
Beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
Beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
Beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
Beware the average man the average woman
Beware their love, their love is average
Seeks average
But there is genius in their hatred
There is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
To kill anybody
Not wanting solitude
Not understanding solitude
They will attempt to destroy anything
that differs from their own
Not being able to create art
they will not understand art
They will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
Not being able to love fully
They will believe your love incomplete
And then they will hate you
And their hatred will be perfect
Like a shining diamond
Like a knife
Like a mountain
Like a tiger
Like hemlock
Their finest art
Charles Bukowski
Sorry for the rant and hijack, though somewhat related.
What scares me about this is not how sensitive people are (it's their stupidity and they can have it), but how compliant people are about censorship. Censorship isn't even an issue. That's taken for granted. The issue is, what do we censor and how do we justify it? The thing is, you cannot morally justify censorship any more than you can morally justify lying.
I have a couple of American CDs and they have this "Parental Advisory Explicit Content" sticker. It makes me feel uncomfortable. It gets even more troublesome, and devious, with software, like Internet Explorer and Firefox, which can be set to censor wholesale without you even knowing.
People were up in arms about Google in China, and with right, but say nothing when the same things happen at home. At least Chinese music artist don't have to bother about anyone censoring their music.
The Genius of the Crowd
There is enough treachery
hatred, violence and absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day
And the best at murder are those who preach against it
And the best at hate are those who preach love
And the best at war finally are those who preach peace
Those who preach god, need god
Those who preach peace do not have peace
Those who preach love do not have love
Beware the preachers
Beware the knowers
Beware those who are always reading books
Beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
Beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
Beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
Beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
Beware the average man the average woman
Beware their love, their love is average
Seeks average
But there is genius in their hatred
There is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
To kill anybody
Not wanting solitude
Not understanding solitude
They will attempt to destroy anything
that differs from their own
Not being able to create art
they will not understand art
They will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
Not being able to love fully
They will believe your love incomplete
And then they will hate you
And their hatred will be perfect
Like a shining diamond
Like a knife
Like a mountain
Like a tiger
Like hemlock
Their finest art
Charles Bukowski
Sorry for the rant and hijack, though somewhat related.
There's a BIG difference between slapping on a warning sticker (I'm dubious about the value of that, but...) and banning and criminalizing music or books. BIG difference.
If I remember correctly the Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen was banned from airing on the BBC. Something to do with it being the Queen's jubilee year at the time.
Well my friend who was DJing for our university radio station was extatic to have a copy to play there.
Of course it sold like crazy and the rest is history.
Well my friend who was DJing for our university radio station was extatic to have a copy to play there.
Of course it sold like crazy and the rest is history.
SY said:
That's at least a boarder line logical fallacy. Those aren't either or propositions. You don't have to choose between the two. Debating degrees of hell isn't very fruitful.
There's very little difference between the Parents Music Resource Center and any other pro-censorship organisation that has ever existed. This group of politicians, or their wives, acted on the conviction that somebody had to put an end to what was going on in the music industry and they were the ones that could do it. The difference is that the PMRC's tool was a "friendly" sticker instead of a gun to your head. Change "Explicit Lyrics" (use your imagination) in "Parental Advisory Explicit Content" and it could get nasty really fast. How many who accept the label would accept it if it said "Government Advisory"? You fill in the rest.
The PMRC knew that their silly stickers would be useless if they weren't being enforced. So they had to bully others into enforcing their wills. Ah, the freedom of self-censorship. And what better than appeal to emotion? "It's for the protection of our children? Do you want to hurt our children?"
That's all they had. They had no moral ground to stand on. And they certainly had no facts to back up their claims that rock music was "infecting the youth of the world with messages they cannot handle." That's at best a belief, at worst a lie. Of course, if you subscribe to the widespread monkey-see, monkey-do school of thought, no proof is needed. You already know all there is to know.
They were being a lot more dishonest than that. They called some of the music "porn rock." Do you want your kids to watch porn rock on TV? I think not.
Quote from Wikipedia:
Luckily, not everything went as they planned. The PMRC sent their bullyboys to go after Dead Kennedys, a small band on a small independent label. The PMRC though Dead Kennedys wouldn't have the financial resources to defend themselves in court. (The No More Censorship Defense Fund helped them out.) After the PMRC had crushed Dead Kennedys, the rest of the music industry would bend over to their wills without putting up a fight. Dead Kennedys fought back.
The people behind the PMRC are truly nasty people. These people are every bit as dangerous as Mussolini's squadristi ever were. These people have real power, political and economical, and are willing to misuse it. The end is their justification.
Ten yrs ago it was easy for us here to brush off those stickers saying, those crazy Yanks (referring to that vocal minority known as the moral majority). Not today. I can see those stickers here. The scary part is, what will I see coming a decade from now that I don't see today?
So, yes, those tiny stickers do give me uneasy feelings. They also remind me of how the future might look like, which isn't unlike the fairly recent past. And I don't even believe history repeats itself. I don't believe history knows how to do that.
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Donna Summer
Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on December 31, 1948)
is an American Grammy Award-winning singer
I am no big fan of such disco music - I never was.
Some of her recordings were banned over there
and could at times only be freely purchased over here in Europe.
Who among us, havent heard her song:
...... I Feel Love ......
To quote another hit: I can't get it out of my head
Some songs just stick to and attach to your mind and brain.
I Feel Love is just that kind of song ...
lineup
music loverhttp://lineup.awardspace.com/
Not only was it banned, it was number one in the singles chart during jubilee week. Although that week, the charts only went as high as number 2: the number one spot was left blank...
Love Sex Pistols' snub of their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, misspelled words the way it ought to be.
http://www.johnlydon.com/jlbooks.html#congrad
Lydon is a national treasure.
http://www.johnlydon.com/jlbooks.html#congrad
Lydon is a national treasure.
phn said:
Hehe 😀
that is a good one
message
to the Recording Industry, RIAA, Sony or whattevver
thanks, phn 😉
😉
The Cardigans
My Favourite Game ( 1998 )
1998's Gran Turismo was darker and more moody, and was followed by a long hiatus during which the band members pursued solo side projects.
The same year they also released a compilation of rare B-sides called The Other Side of the Moon as a Japan-only release
which makes this album somewhat rare outside Japan.
The video of the song "My Favourite Game"
was censored by MTV for showing reckless driving
Television has got no problems showing Michael Schumacher and Alonso
driving on the edge of disaster.
Likewise, havent heard any TV Channel over in USA
that wouldnt send Indy500 or other big racecar competions
refering to reckless driving.'
Yet, in lineup simple mind,
those racings are precise this:
Reckless Driving beyond all common sense
Regards
lineup
http://lineup.awardspace.com/
The Cardigans
My Favourite Game ( 1998 )
1998's Gran Turismo was darker and more moody, and was followed by a long hiatus during which the band members pursued solo side projects.
The same year they also released a compilation of rare B-sides called The Other Side of the Moon as a Japan-only release
which makes this album somewhat rare outside Japan.
The video of the song "My Favourite Game"
was censored by MTV for showing reckless driving
Television has got no problems showing Michael Schumacher and Alonso
driving on the edge of disaster.
Likewise, havent heard any TV Channel over in USA
that wouldnt send Indy500 or other big racecar competions
refering to reckless driving.'
Yet, in lineup simple mind,
those racings are precise this:
Reckless Driving beyond all common sense
Regards
lineup
http://lineup.awardspace.com/
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