The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has certain regulations that make the broadcast of obscene, indecent and profane material unlawful. There have been many cases in the past where artists have been forced to edit out certain words that are not even profane, but are considered as offensive, from their songs. It seems though, that broadcasters have been openly violating this rule for many years and it makes you wonder why they all coincidentally choose to risk their broadcasting licenses and having to pay fines while the film and video game industries have been heavily scrutinized for obscene content.
"The film and video game industries have also been heavily scrutinized for violent and obscene content. Yet, films and games are recognized as being purely fictional. In contrast, rap music generally prides itself on being “real” which ultimately sends a very different message to impressionable fans."
"If the music industry isn't expected to uphold certain morals and values, why does the FCC have rules regarding obscene and indecent content? Why do CD’s still have parental warning stickers? Why does the film industry rate movies based on content and age appropriateness? And who are these rules meant to protect?"
I thought this article was great and I am glad I stumbled upon it. It raises really good questions about why the FCC seems to not enforce their regulations on the music industry, mostly rap, like how they do with the video game and film industries. It is hard to understand why broadcasters all risk their licenses and getting fined simply to play the "obscene" music. Although radio stations play the censored versions of songs, the truth is that it doesn't change or hide the nature of a song, which can still be understood quite easily. A really good point brought up in this article was that with new slang and meanings, words such as "molly" don't get censored, yet the young audiences still listen to it being celebrated and glorified.
The second quote above really got to me and made me think long and hard. If the FCC isn't going to enforce regulations and uphold certain values, then really what could be the reason for these parental warning stickers and content/age ratings for movies?
Source:Rap Music, Censorship and a Real Life Conspiracy
Citation:
"Rap Music, Censorship and a Real Life Conspiracy." RapRehab. N.p., 07 Apr. 2013. Web. 9 Jan. 2015.
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