Censorship on MTV

Censorship on MTV has been the subject of debate for years. MTV, the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., has come under criticism for being too politically correct and sensitive, censoring too much of their programming. MTV altered or removed shows from the channel's schedule and music videos were censored, moved to late-night rotation, or banned entirely from the channel.

Political correctness

MTV came under criticism for being too politically correct and sensitive when it came to censorship. This was most prevalent in the eventual decline of the hit show "Jackass". The creators of "Jackass" often felt that MTV's producers did not let the show run its free course due to the excessive restraints placed on the Jackass team.

MTV's influence also affected its famous animated program, "Beavis and Butt-Head". In the wake of controversy that followed a child burning down his house after allegedly watching the show, "producers moved the show from its original 7 p.m. time slot to a late-night, 11 p.m. slot. Also, Beavis' tendency to flick a lighter and scream the word "fire" was removed from new episodes, and controversial scenes were removed from existing episodes before rebroadcast. [ [http://www.tvacres.com/censorship_beavis.htm Censorship & Scandals: Beavis & Butt-head] ] Some of the edits were so extensive that when series creator Mike Judge compiled his he found out that "some of those episodes may not even exist actually in their original form". [cite video| people = Mike Judge| year = 2005| title = Taint to Greatness the Journey of Beavis and Butt-head (Part 1)| format = DVD| accessdate = 2007-03-01]

The Parents Television Council has argued that much of the censored material on MTV can be easily discernible because of the context within where the material in question has been presented. [cite press release
title = I Want My Foul TV
publisher = Parents Television Council
date = 2005-08-11
url = http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/release/2005/0811.asp
accessdate = 2006-04-16 ] [cite web| last = Kuhn | first = Katherine | title = So You Think You Can Rate a TV Show? - "The Hills" | publisher = Parents Television Council |date=2007-09-07 | url = http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/ratings/0907.asp | accessdate = 2007-09-14]

Religion and race

In the 1980s, parent-media watchdog groups such as the PMRC criticized MTV over certain music videos that were claimed to have explicit imagery of Satanism. MTV has developed a strict policy on refusal to air videos that may depict devil worship or anti-religious bigotry. [http://www.geocities.com/fireace_00/mtv.html?200711?200721 MTV] ] This led MTV to ban the videos for "Jesus Christ Pose" by SoundgardenPrato, Greg. [http://wc05.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:3vftxxrsldse "Jesus Christ Pose" review] . Allmusic] and "Megalomaniac" by Incubus.Cave, Damien. [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937141/mtv_under_attack_by_fcc MTV Under Attack by FCC] . "Rolling Stone": February 23, 2004]

Usually, all ethnic and racial slurs are censored on MTV music videos [harvnb|Williams|2005|pp=6, 8 The report mentioned that "nigga" was censored out of the videos "Freak a Leek" by Petey Pablo (p. 6) and "My Band" by D12. (p. 8).] and programming. [ [http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/campaigns/MTV/makingtheband.htm Making the Band 2 Episode Summaries] ] MTV has emphasized racial tolerance and diversity awareness for people of all races and creeds. [ [http://www.mtv.com/thinkmtv/features/discrimination/racism/ MTV.com - think - Discrimination -> Racism] ]

Censored music videos

MTV has also heavily edited a number of music videos to remove references to drugs,harvnb|Williams|2005|p=8 In this case, a reference to crack cocaine was removed from the video for "My Band" by D12.] sex, violence, weapons, racism, homophobia, or advertising. [harvnb|Nuzum|2001|pp=91-92] Examples of such edits have included:
*In the song "Beautiful Girls" by Sean Kingston, the word "suicidal" was censored, and replaced with "in denial". In similar MTV owned channels, such as MTV Jams, it is completely censored. [Citation | title = 20 Questions | newspaper = VIBE | pages = 144 | year = 2007 |date=November 2007]
*In Michael Jackson's single "They Don't Care About Us", MTV has replaced the words "Jew me" and "kike me" with "do me" and "strike me" in the line "Jew me, sue me... kick me, kike me; don't you black-or-white me". [ [http://www.jacksonaction.com/?page=videography.htm Michael Jackson videography on JacksonAction.com] ] Jackson argued that the song used the words to describe prejudice and that it was poor judgment to select Jewish people as explanatory words. [cite press release
title = ADL Welcomes Michael Jackson's Decision to Remove Anti-Semitic Lyrics from Song
publisher = Anti-Defamation League
date = 1995-06-22
url = http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASUS_12/2471_12.asp
accessdate = 2007-06-23 ]
*Hawthorne Heights' song "Ohio Is for Lovers" has the word "cut" edited out in the lyrics "Cut my wrists and black my eyes, so I can fall asleep tonight." [ [http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1245294&vid=61157 Hawthorne Heights - "Ohio Is for Lovers" | Music Video | Videos by Hawthorne Heights | MTV] ]
*"This Love" by Maroon 5 had the word "coming" edited out of the lyrics due to possible sexual connotation. [harvnb|Williams|2005|p=7]
*The song "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance had the words "Gun", "Murder", "Shirt", and "Pay" censored because of the attack on Virginia Tech.
*When the music video for "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. was released on MTV, the word "weed" was removed from the second verse, and the gunshot sounds that are heard in the chorus were replaced with cash register sounds in order to remove references to murder. Also, the singer's vocals were edited to take away from the song's mature content. This angered M.I.A. greatly, and she publicly spoke out against the censorship of the song on her MySpace blog.
*We Are All On Drugs by Weezer had every lyric with the words 'on drugs' altered to 'in love'. This resulted in the lyrics not matching the words mouthed by the music video actors. Also, during part of the video, a newspaper was shown with the song title used as the headline. This was completely censored.
*The song "Hip Hop is Dead" by Nas was censored when the line "murder the DJ" was replaced with "body 'em all day".
*.45 by Shinedown was heavily edited to remove the lyrics "the barrel of a .45" and "remnants of another life" from the chorus, forcing the title card of the video to refer to the song by the MTV-originated title "Staring Down..." Singer Brent Smith later stated that the editing was not only hypocritical in light of other unedited videos MTV played but that the editing blurred the message of the song and that if they didn't wish to play the song as it was written, they should have refrained from playing it at all.

Videos moved to late-night or obscure rotation

To deal with criticism over risque content in certain videos, MTV moved certain videos to late-night rotation in censored format. Such videos included "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher and "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot. [http://www.geocities.com/fireace_00/mtv.html?200711?200721 MTV] ]

In February 2004, following the controversial Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show produced by MTV in which performer Justin Timberlake caused the exposure of a breast of co-performer Janet Jackson, MTV made several efforts to limit daytime rotation of music videos that they felt had too much sexual content to be shown following the controversy. Such videos included "This Love" by Maroon 5, "Splash Waterfalls" by Ludacris, "The Jump-Off" by Lil' Kim, "Toxic" by Britney Spears, "I Miss You" by blink-182, "Salt Shaker" by Ying Yang Twins, and "Hotel" by Cassidy. By the middle of the month, MTV began playing edited versions of all the aforementioned videos. Additionally, the video for "Megalomaniac" by Incubus was pushed back not because of sexual content but because of depictions of Adolf Hitler and people drinking oil.

Also, the video for "Smack My Bitch Up" by Prodigy was initially given late-night rotation on MTV's "120 Minutes" due to a fistfight, sexual scenes and allegedly misogynistic language in the lyrics [cite news|title=Prodigy Video To Air On MTV As Controversy Continues|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1433371/19971204/prodigy.jhtml|publisher=MTV News|date=1997-12-04|accessdate=2008-09-01] but was removed from rotation after one week, a decision supported by the National Organization for Women. [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1433366/19971222/prodigy.jhtml] The song "Étienne" by Guesch Patti was moved to late-night rotation in MTV Europe due to a striptease scene. ["La Discothèque du 20è siècle", 1988, Polygram Direct, p. 14] The video "Prison Sex" by Tool was shown only on MTV's former rock-oriented digital cable channel MTVX due to sexual and violent content, [ [http://toolshed.down.net/video/psex/ The Tool Page: Prison Sex Video] ] but went on to be nominated for an MTV Video Music Award in 1995 for Best Special Effects. [ [http://toolshed.down.net/articles/index.php?action=view-article&id=January_1997--Circus_magazine.html The Tool page: Circus magazine, January, 1997 ] ] Alleged glorification of gun violence led MTV to show a bowlderized version of the video "99 Problems" by Jay-Z only between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. [cite news|last=Rotter|first=Jeffrey|title=Jay-Z Wants to Kill Himself|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6DD113DF93AA35756C0A9629C8B63|work=The New York Times|date=2004-05-09|accessdate=2008-09-01]

Also, the music video "All The Things She Said" by t.A.T.u. was not allowed to play beacuse of saying the word "shit" and showing two underaged girls kissing themselves, because videos that shows two lesbians kissing were not allowed. The video was not allowed to play during the day and only on late night the video could be played. In MTV UK the video could be played by removing most of the kissing scenes and leaving only a little. The song was later played with an edited video. With the time the full was played, only the word "shit" was removed and left a blank.

Banned music videos

From MTV in America

* "A Tout Le Monde" (Megadeth) [ [http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/videos_other.html#Monde The Realms of Deth - Other Megadeth Music Videos] ]
* "American Life" (Madonna) (replaced with a second version)cite web
last = McLernon
first = Matt
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = MTV hurts war effort with censorship
work = DailyOrange.com
publisher = The Daily Orange
date = 2003-03-31
url = http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2003/03/31/Opinion/Mtv-Hurts.War.Effort.With.Censorship-403205.shtml
format =
accessdate = 2007-05-28]

* "Amsterdam" (Van Halen) (Although the lyrics of drug use was edited out for the video, MTV still refused to show it)
* "Arise" (Sepultura)cite web| last = Rivadavia| first = Ed| title = "Arise" - Overview | publisher = Allmusic| url = http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:d9fqxqy5ldde| accessdate = 2007-08-03 ]
* "Be Chrool to Your Scuel" (Twisted Sister) [Prato, Greg. [http://wc04.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fpfpxq95ldde "Come Out and Play" review] . Allmusic: 1999]
* "Body Language" (Queen)harvnb|Nuzum|2001|p=95]
* "Erotica" (Madonna) [Kulkarni, Dhananjay. [http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-14-2004-54134.asp Madonna - Controversies continued...] Buzzle.com: May 14, 2004]
* "Ghost Ride It" (Mistah F.A.B.) [cite web
last = Liu
first = Marian
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Mistah F.A.B. walks the walk
work = San Jose Mercury News
publisher =
date = 2007-05-14
url = http://www.mercurynews.com/music/ci_5894566
format =
quote = MTV asked for edit after edit on the video, and eventually banned it. Columbia Pictures, which owns the "Ghostbusters" franchise, demanded the video be pulled because it still owned the rights to the likeness of the "Ghostbusters" car and logo, which were altered but used in the video.
accessdate = 2007-05-26]
* "In My Darkest Hour" (Megadeth) [ [http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/videos_rusted.html#Darkest The Realms of Deth - Megadeth Videography - Rusted Pieces] ]
* "Jesus Christ Pose" (Soundgarden)
* "Justify My Love" (Madonna)cite web
last = Chonin
first = Neva
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Madonna's No 'Pussy Cat': MTV bans her latest video, again
work = San Francisco Chronicle
publisher =
date = 2001-03-23
url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2001/03/23/neva.DTL
format =
quote = "What It Feels Like For a Girl" was rejected for heavy rotation by MTV and its affiliate VH1. Too violent, they say. This, from a corporation that makes a mint off marketing gangsta culture to the suburban masses.
accessdate = 2007-05-26]
* "Lacquer Head" (Primus) [Citation
last = Gundersen
first = Edna
title = Primus exerts 'Animal' magnetism
newspaper = USA Today
year = 2003
date = 8/7/2003
url = http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2003-08-07-primus_x.htm]
* "Reckoning Day" (Megadeth) [ [http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/videos_other.html#Reckoning The Realms of Deth - Other Megadeth Music Videos] ]
* "Six, Six, Six" (DeGarmo and Key) [harvnb|Nuzum|2001|p=92]
* "Vans" (The Pack) cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = MTV Bans Pack Video!
work = HipAndPop.com
publisher = HipAndPop.com
date = 2006-08-16
url = http://www.hipandpop.com/exclusive-mtv-bans-pack-video-497.html
format =
quote = "MTV asked Bay Area hip hop group ‘The Pack’ to edit their video AND change the name of their song! So the video as linked to below will NEVER be seen on MTV or any other website yet!"
accessdate = 2007-06-03]
* "What It Feels Like for a Girl" (Madonna)

From MTV in Europe

* "Amusement Park" (50 Cent) was banned in MTV UK [ [http://www.rwdmag.com/articles/5514.html MTV Bans 50?!?] ] , but MTV in the USA allowed an edited version of the video [ [http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/sf/voting.jhtml Sucker Free on MTV | Vote | MTV] ]

See also

* Censorship of music

References

*citation|last=Nuzum|first=Eric|title=|publisher=HarperCollins|date=2001|isbn=0688167721
*citation| last = Williams | first = Casey | title = MTV Smut Peddlers: Targeting Kids with Sex, Drugs, and Alcohol | publisher = Parents Television Council| date = 2005| url = http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/mtv2005/MTV_Report.pdf | format = PDF

Citations