Censored!

Since I've been on a musical theme that last few days I thought I'd bring up this little conundrum that's been baffling me for some time.

Back in the 70's George Carlin brought up "The Seven Words You Can't Say On TV"... And he spelled them out. Since the FCC is in charge of the radio waves also, this also applies to the music we hear, and a lot of the new songs are getting edited to hell...

But one song, or rather two, have me baffled. This has been going on for years with these songs too. The Who's "Who Are You?" and Steve Miller's "Jet Airliner".

The sensors definitely block the word 'shit' in this line: "And I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky SHIT going down in the city..." in 'Airliner' But leave in 'fuck' in one chorus: "Tell me just who the FUCK are you?" in that classic Who song.

They will bleep out 'shit' but not 'fuck'. I find that curious.

Shortly after 9/11, I was listening to a talk radio program on KFI out of LA. This was when I still lived in Arizona and could pull in that station. Anyway, the over night host, I forget his name took a caller and he definitely sounded middle eastern. The caller began spewing evil shit about how we're all going to die, Allah is great, shit like that.

The host, getting tired of his garbage, hung up on him, but before he did he distinctly said; "Hey pal, FUCK YOU!"

Nothing was ever said to this guy. Why can he get away with that and they censor ol' Steve Miller for not wanting to deal with funky shit going down in the city?

My whole theory on this is, if it offends you, turn the channel. You don't have to listen to it but maybe someone else wants to. Don't ram your moral beliefs down my throat.

Who the FUCK are you to tell me what I can or cant hear?

George Carlin's words? Here they are: Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker, and Tits...

Copyright 2005 Thomas J Wolfenden