Music Censorship

Kevin Ung Professor Vazquez English 101 October 9, 2007 Music Censorship I enjoy and love music very much. I feel that music artists should have the right to freely express their work and I feel that I should argue about the censorship attacks on these artists. I’m tired of listening to a good song on the radio with some of the words censored. It ruins the song and I can’t stand it. Some people think that rap is a bad influence and causes the young to behave badly.But I think all this censoring has something to do with racism because it is mostly black people singing the songs. The first website list the good side and bad side of rap censorship. I think half of this site is pretty good to use for my paper. The second website has a lot of information for my readers but the author has no definite side on the issue and can’t be used to persuade my readers. The last two websites are essays about censorship and wouldn’t be good sources of information for my rea ders because some of the sources might not be trustable.We must stop the censoring of art and let the artists freely express their music because everyone deserves to express him or herself the way they want. â€Å"Gangsta Rap, Censorship of: Debatabase – Debate Topics and Debate Motions† http://www. idebate. org/debatabase/topic_details. php? topicID=263 This website is sponsored by IDEA (International Debate Education Association). It is an independent membership organization. I think this website is appropriate for college level argument research essay because it provides information on both sides of an issue.This site contains many debates on almost any issue. It lists the pros and cons on how rap music doesn’t actually encourage some listeners to behave in a certain way. Since this website shows both sides of the issue, it can help me or hurt me in convincing my readers. â€Å"Rap, Rock, and Censorship†, http://www. cas. sc. edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zz cens97. htm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This page’s sponsor is by a man named Mathieu Deflem. The sponsor is appropriate because he is an associate professor of sociology at University of South Carolina.He has done a lot of research on the issue with many sources and seems reliable. Some of the information on this page is helpful for my readers to understand the issue. He writes about the history and arguments of censorship of popular music. He writes about the legal principles, the law, and mainly the protection of the First Amendment. This site will just be a good information page on understanding the history of the fight on music censorship. Some of the facts are useful for my research but the author doesn’t pick one side of the issue. Censorship of rap music essays†, http://www. megaessays. com/viewpaper/61066. html This website is an essay database that requires you to buy membership to fully view essays that other students turned in. I coul dn’t find any information on sponsors. I don’t think this site is appropriate for college level argument research essay because you can’t trust the information on these essays. This site is mainly for people to buy the essays and then plagiarize the work. Much of the information I can find on this page is an introduction to censorship of rap.It starts off talking about how rap music is made by rap artists that grew up with a tough childhood. They work on music and become successful. They are perfect role models showing everyone that anyone in that kind of situation can be successful. The essay ends there and you have to pay to see the rest. This paper is of no use to my readers and I because I want to use trustable facts from educated people and not just some unknown author. â€Å"Rap and Censorship†, http://www. planetpapers. com/Assets/2502. php This website seems to be another essay paper database.I don’t think this site is appropriate for reaso ns mention above. But this site is a little better because I can actually view the whole essay plus the sources the person used. This makes the paper more reliable. This paper mostly shows the beginnings of how rap got started and the troubles of censoring it went through. The writer does seem to be against censorship but this paper is mainly just facts for the reader and not that much persuasive. I would recommend my readers to read this for the freedom issues the write discusses about.ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) would be appropriate for my readers to contact. ACLU is a political organization that is nonprofit and nonpartisan. They have many civil liberties members and supporters. They protect individual rights, your First Amendment rights, your right to equal protection under the law, etc. Censorship goes against your freedom of speech and so they try and protect that from music artists who are having their work censored. The strongest piece of information I have discove red from this aspect of my research came from reading the paper on the second website.I read about how PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) claimed that popular music was responsible for influencing the young like increase of rape, crime, suicide, etc. This organization goes against everything I’m fighting for and is the main problem in this issue. I would absolutely not use any of their information for my argument research paper.Works Cited â€Å"Censorship of Rap Music. † MegaEssays. Mega Essays LLC. 8 Oct. 2007 http://www. megaessays. com/viewpaper/61066. htmlDeflem, Mathieu. Rap, Rock And Censorship: Popular Culture and the Techologies of Justice. † RAP, ROCK AND CENSORSHIP. University of South Carolina 8 Oct. 2007 < http://www. cas. sc. edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zzcens97. htm> Kingdingo5500. â€Å"Rap and Censorship. † PlanetPapers. 8 Oct. 2007 < http://www. planetpapers. com/Assets/2502. php> Ruane, Christopher. â€Å"Gangsta Rap, Censorsh ip of. † Debatabase. Nov. 30, 1999. International Debate Education Association. 8 Oct. 2007 < http://www. idebate. org/debatabase/topic_details. php? topicID=263> Music Censorship Unit 3 Individual Project By Harold Ray Robinson III Cause and Effect Essay: Music Censorship Abstract: This cause and effect essay analyzes the lyrical content of popular music recordings, cited as censored. Out of 60 articles from the music trade magazines, â€Å"Billboard† and â€Å"Rolling Stone,† 77 instances of censorship were recorded and analyzed. The categories for evaluation were the year of citation, music style, and reason for censorship. Nineteen ninety was the year with the highest number of journal articles (21) covering music censorship.Rap (48%) and rock (44. 2%) music accounted for a large portion of the total censored recordings and the majority of recordings were censored because of lyrics seen as explicit, profane, obscene or vulgar. In addition, five rock recordings were censored because of objectionable artwork on or inside the covers. Recordings were also censored because of opposition to a view the artist expressed. Two tables depict the years o f citation and the reasons for censorship, each according to music styles. (Anthony K. S 1995)Music has historically been, and continues to be, censored in an attempt to enforce morality. It’s not a coincidence that music censorship in America began to accelerate during the 1950s, when traditional and conservative values began to unravel. At the time, order, strict obedience to authority, and conservative values were part of the accepted mindset. (Lambordi, Victor 1991) With the advent of rock ‘n’ roll, however, young America began to loosen attitudes on issues relating to morality. Technology also played an important part in shaping the moral power struggle in the 1950s. Lambordi, Victor 1991) For example, the 1920s era saw similar complaints against flappers and jazz musicians; however, radio wasn’t as dominant at that time. In the 1950s, radio provided access to new types of music that challenged traditional morality and created the dynamics for music c ensorship. (Lambordi, Victor 1991) In 1956, Elvis may have been known as â€Å"the king or rock and roll,† but he was very controversial in his performances and mannerisms in the 1950’s. Ray Charles would also have a very controversial history when it comes to releasing music. Being one of the first artists to urn gospel music to R&B made him his music censored and many of the southern states back in December of 1954. A lot of the artists of the 1950s paved the way in the starting of music censorship. Moral authorities aim to determine what behavior is â€Å"acceptable† for individuals and for society. Drugs, violence, and especially sex are topics moral authorities attempt to regulate. The end of the 1950s witnessed many members of society, particularly young adults and teens begin expressing new attitudes about these topics: Sex and drugs were no longer hidden and secretive acts, but something to be exposed and celebrated.This shift in outlook began breaking d own the traditional moral order in many aspects of society especially music. Race may seem a strange factor in music censorship, but it has played a significant role. In particular, the 1950s and early 1960s saw a new genre of music — rhythm and blues — emerge onto the national music landscape. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) R&B music included freely expressed sexual desires, clear drug references, and other features that were not as prevalent in other forms of popular music. R&B was – and still is—dominated by black musicians and traditionally was enjoyed mainly by black audiences. Nuzum, Eric 1989) When its audience expanded to include mainstream white youths and young adults, this was a problem for many older whites who considered R&B music as a threat that corrupted young people and promoted immoral behavior. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) This phenomenon prompted moral authorities to take action. In 1955, for example, Houston’s Juvenile Delinquency and Crime Commissi on banned more than 30 songs – many by black artists. A Chicago radio station promised to censor â€Å"any controversial music, especially R&B,† after receiving letters from angry listeners. Sparrow, Kelly 2009) Racially motivated music censorship is not a practice limited to the past. More recent cases involve MTV refusing to air videos from many black artists in the infancy of the network. In 1983, during a live interview, David Bowie suddenly asked, â€Å"Why are there practically no black artists on the network? † (â€Å"Why it Took MTV So Long†2006) Michael Jackson’s â€Å"Billie Jean† from the album Thriller, released in 1983, is credited with being the first black video aired on MTV in heavy rotation. â€Å"Why it Took MTV So Long† 2006) The year with the highest number of cited recordings was 1990, and the majority of these recordings were rock music. In the following years, almost all of the censored recordings were rap music . (Anthony K. S. 1995) â€Å"The largest number of recordings, mostly rap music, were censored either because they were labeled â€Å"explicit† or because they were profane, obscene, or vulgar in language. (Anthony K. S. 1995) The argument can be made that racial motivations also played a large role in the FBI’s 1989 letter to the rap group N. W. A. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) The F. B. I. s intent was to notify the rap group that their song â€Å"F*** Tha Police† wasn’t appreciated by the government. N. W. A. supporters argue the group was only expressing the frustrations of inner-city blacks and holding a mirror to their everyday reality. While no legal action took place, the example helps give context to the pressures behind government and music censorship. It is my personal believe that music censorship to some may go against their freedom of speech but to me I believe it is necessary for those individual artist who do feel that they have limits and have to b e politically correct.A lot of kids look up to those rappers and rock stars as role models and music censorship helps the artist become that good role model. In conclusion, I believe music censorship is a very important part in our community and should always remain. Music censorship may stem from race, fear, and morality just to name a few sources of censorship. I believe even though music censorship didn’t always start off by just means in the past doesn’t mean it isn’t just in the present. References: retrieved from AIU virtual library * Anthony, K. S. (1995, July 1).Censorship of Popular Music: An Analysis of Lyrical Content. * Inglis, Ian. (2006). The Ed Sullivan Show and the (Censored) Sounds of the Sixties. Vol. 39 Issue 4 * Edward J. Volz, â€Å"You Can't Play That: A Selective Chronology of Banned Music:1850-1991,† School Library Journal 37(July 1990) * Lombardi, Victor. â€Å"Music and Censorship. † Noise Between Stations. 1 Dec. 1991. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://www. noisebetweenstations. com/personal/essays/music_censorship. html†º. * -Nuzum, Eric. â€Å"A Brief History of Banned Music in the United States by Eric Nuzum. Parental Advisory Music Censorship in America. 22 Sep. 1986 †¹www. ericnuzum. com/banned/†º. * -Sparrow, Kelly. â€Å"Music censorship (part 1) : A brief history. † Examiner: Inside Source For Everything Local. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://www. examiner. com/x-16046-Lexington-Live-Music-Examiner~y2009m8d26-Music-censorship-part-1–A-brief-history†º. * -â€Å"Why It Took MTV So Long To Play Black Music Videos . † Find Articles at BNET. 9 Oct. 2006. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_14_110/ai_n16807343/†º. Music Censorship Unit 3 Individual Project By Harold Ray Robinson III Cause and Effect Essay: Music Censorship Abstract: This cause and effect essay analyzes the lyrical content of popular music recordings, cited as censored. Out of 60 articles from the music trade magazines, â€Å"Billboard† and â€Å"Rolling Stone,† 77 instances of censorship were recorded and analyzed. The categories for evaluation were the year of citation, music style, and reason for censorship. Nineteen ninety was the year with the highest number of journal articles (21) covering music censorship.Rap (48%) and rock (44. 2%) music accounted for a large portion of the total censored recordings and the majority of recordings were censored because of lyrics seen as explicit, profane, obscene or vulgar. In addition, five rock recordings were censored because of objectionable artwork on or inside the covers. Recordings were also censored because of opposition to a view the artist expressed. Two tables depict the years o f citation and the reasons for censorship, each according to music styles. (Anthony K. S 1995)Music has historically been, and continues to be, censored in an attempt to enforce morality. It’s not a coincidence that music censorship in America began to accelerate during the 1950s, when traditional and conservative values began to unravel. At the time, order, strict obedience to authority, and conservative values were part of the accepted mindset. (Lambordi, Victor 1991) With the advent of rock ‘n’ roll, however, young America began to loosen attitudes on issues relating to morality. Technology also played an important part in shaping the moral power struggle in the 1950s. Lambordi, Victor 1991) For example, the 1920s era saw similar complaints against flappers and jazz musicians; however, radio wasn’t as dominant at that time. In the 1950s, radio provided access to new types of music that challenged traditional morality and created the dynamics for music c ensorship. (Lambordi, Victor 1991) In 1956, Elvis may have been known as â€Å"the king or rock and roll,† but he was very controversial in his performances and mannerisms in the 1950’s. Ray Charles would also have a very controversial history when it comes to releasing music. Being one of the first artists to urn gospel music to R&B made him his music censored and many of the southern states back in December of 1954. A lot of the artists of the 1950s paved the way in the starting of music censorship. Moral authorities aim to determine what behavior is â€Å"acceptable† for individuals and for society. Drugs, violence, and especially sex are topics moral authorities attempt to regulate. The end of the 1950s witnessed many members of society, particularly young adults and teens begin expressing new attitudes about these topics: Sex and drugs were no longer hidden and secretive acts, but something to be exposed and celebrated.This shift in outlook began breaking d own the traditional moral order in many aspects of society especially music. Race may seem a strange factor in music censorship, but it has played a significant role. In particular, the 1950s and early 1960s saw a new genre of music — rhythm and blues — emerge onto the national music landscape. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) R&B music included freely expressed sexual desires, clear drug references, and other features that were not as prevalent in other forms of popular music. R&B was – and still is—dominated by black musicians and traditionally was enjoyed mainly by black audiences. Nuzum, Eric 1989) When its audience expanded to include mainstream white youths and young adults, this was a problem for many older whites who considered R&B music as a threat that corrupted young people and promoted immoral behavior. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) This phenomenon prompted moral authorities to take action. In 1955, for example, Houston’s Juvenile Delinquency and Crime Commissi on banned more than 30 songs – many by black artists. A Chicago radio station promised to censor â€Å"any controversial music, especially R&B,† after receiving letters from angry listeners. Sparrow, Kelly 2009) Racially motivated music censorship is not a practice limited to the past. More recent cases involve MTV refusing to air videos from many black artists in the infancy of the network. In 1983, during a live interview, David Bowie suddenly asked, â€Å"Why are there practically no black artists on the network? † (â€Å"Why it Took MTV So Long†2006) Michael Jackson’s â€Å"Billie Jean† from the album Thriller, released in 1983, is credited with being the first black video aired on MTV in heavy rotation. â€Å"Why it Took MTV So Long† 2006) The year with the highest number of cited recordings was 1990, and the majority of these recordings were rock music. In the following years, almost all of the censored recordings were rap music . (Anthony K. S. 1995) â€Å"The largest number of recordings, mostly rap music, were censored either because they were labeled â€Å"explicit† or because they were profane, obscene, or vulgar in language. (Anthony K. S. 1995) The argument can be made that racial motivations also played a large role in the FBI’s 1989 letter to the rap group N. W. A. (Nuzum, Eric 1989) The F. B. I. s intent was to notify the rap group that their song â€Å"F*** Tha Police† wasn’t appreciated by the government. N. W. A. supporters argue the group was only expressing the frustrations of inner-city blacks and holding a mirror to their everyday reality. While no legal action took place, the example helps give context to the pressures behind government and music censorship. It is my personal believe that music censorship to some may go against their freedom of speech but to me I believe it is necessary for those individual artist who do feel that they have limits and have to b e politically correct.A lot of kids look up to those rappers and rock stars as role models and music censorship helps the artist become that good role model. In conclusion, I believe music censorship is a very important part in our community and should always remain. Music censorship may stem from race, fear, and morality just to name a few sources of censorship. I believe even though music censorship didn’t always start off by just means in the past doesn’t mean it isn’t just in the present. References: retrieved from AIU virtual library * Anthony, K. S. (1995, July 1).Censorship of Popular Music: An Analysis of Lyrical Content. * Inglis, Ian. (2006). The Ed Sullivan Show and the (Censored) Sounds of the Sixties. Vol. 39 Issue 4 * Edward J. Volz, â€Å"You Can't Play That: A Selective Chronology of Banned Music:1850-1991,† School Library Journal 37(July 1990) * Lombardi, Victor. â€Å"Music and Censorship. † Noise Between Stations. 1 Dec. 1991. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://www. noisebetweenstations. com/personal/essays/music_censorship. html†º. * -Nuzum, Eric. â€Å"A Brief History of Banned Music in the United States by Eric Nuzum. Parental Advisory Music Censorship in America. 22 Sep. 1986 †¹www. ericnuzum. com/banned/†º. * -Sparrow, Kelly. â€Å"Music censorship (part 1) : A brief history. † Examiner: Inside Source For Everything Local. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://www. examiner. com/x-16046-Lexington-Live-Music-Examiner~y2009m8d26-Music-censorship-part-1–A-brief-history†º. * -â€Å"Why It Took MTV So Long To Play Black Music Videos . † Find Articles at BNET. 9 Oct. 2006. 22 Sep. 2009 †¹http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_14_110/ai_n16807343/†º.