Hot/Q/Kiss Censorship??

[BobRoss]

Anyone hear that song "Don't Phunk With My Heart" by the Black Eyed Peas? The first time I heard it, the song was on 93Q, and that's the exact title Rick Roberts mentioned when he introduced it. Those were also the lyrics to the "chorus" from the song, and the same title is still listed on 93Q's hitlist on their website (http://www.93q.com/playlist.asp) - #14 as of this posting.

Hot 107.9's website also lists the song as "Don't Phunk with My Heart," as played at 11:21PM tonight.

However, both stations are now airing an edited version where the word "Phunk" has been replaced with "Mess." In Utica, Kiss-FM is also airing this edited version, and on their website (http://www.cnykiss.com/musicchart.html) they even decided to alter the title of the song! (#8 as of this posting.)

Why? Last time I checked, Phunk wasn't on the list of 7 dirty words. Sure, it's CLOSE to the big bad F-word, but it's NOT the big bad F-word. Thanks to the letter "n" appearing between the "c" and the "k", there's no reason to censor it. Yet, all three stations do.

Making things more ironic, they'll all play 50 Cent three minutes later, singing to some girl about how he wants to "unbutton your pants just a lil bit,
take 'em off pull em down just a lil bit, get to kissin' and touchin' a lil bit... get to lickin', a lil bit... "

Can anyone explain the logic here?

 

[WJPZOnAir]

In the actual recording -- some national radio execs thought when Fergie sang "Phunk" -- it sounded too much like the F word. So the Peas re-recorded the line and changed the title for radio. Kiss in Buffalo and PXY in Rochester also play the "Mess" version instead.

As far as 50 -- he doesn't come close to dropping an F-Bomb in Just A Lil Bit. The content is questionable -- but that's nothing new.

 

[CHR]

I know, that's one of the things I can't stand about Hot and other CHR stations. There is no consistency what-so-ever. Here's another one for you. What about that new Eminem song? There is a version that is highly edited and replaces the word ass with butt and has horn sound effects over many other words in the song. Hot some times plays a less edited version where the only word they take out is the word "ass". Ironically, one time I was listening and right after playing the version which takes out "ass", the DJ gets on the air and says, "I want to see all you sexy-ass ladies at the club tonight". LOL!!

 

[Birchum]

Go back to school and learn what censorship is. It certainly isn't playing an official version of a song, as to not offend listeners. Besides, after what has happened to radio/tv since Janet and her boob, who can blame a radio station for erring on the side of caution?

 

[BobRoss]

> In the actual recording -- some national radio execs thought
> when Fergie sang "Phunk" -- it sounded too much like the F
> word. So the Peas re-recorded the line and changed the title
> for radio.

That's too bad. I don't think it matters that it "sounded too much like" a certain word, when the title and lyrics clearly spell out that it's really an innocent word. If anyone complained to the FCC, all a station would have to do is supply a copy of the lyrics and they'd be cleared. Big deal.

Even though 50 Cent doesn't say the F word or any other illegal words in his song, I think the content is a helluva lot steamier... if I had children, I would *NOT* want them hearing that. Sadly, I know that would be impossible, since there'd be nothing stopping them from hearing it at friends' houses, in stores, at parties, at school, or so forth. But, such is life in these great United States of America... where a song on the radio can suggest that casual sex is a great thing with no consequences, but you can't say the word "funk."

In addition to the 7 dirty words, whatever happened to the FCC's stance on on-air content needing to be within "community standards" for tastefulness? Maybe that's not the exact term I'm looking for, but I remember disucssing this in media law in college.

 

[WaGaGa]

> Who can blame a radio station for erring on the side of caution?

Who can? I can!

When are radio stations going to take a stand against this kind of bull$hit??
The FCC would have to find the Black Eyed Peas song blatanly offensive in order to warrant a fine! The song is not graphic...therefore NOT indecent!

"Phunk" is phunk, not #uck!"!!

What? Are we in grade school here?

 

[Birchum]

> > Who can blame a radio station for erring on the side of
> caution?
>
> Who can? I can!
>
> When are radio stations going to take a stand against this
> kind of bull$hit??
> The FCC would have to find the Black Eyed Peas song blatanly
> offensive in order to warrant a fine! The song is not
> graphic...therefore NOT indecent!
>
> "Phunk" is phunk, not #uck!"!!
>
> What? Are we in grade school here?
>

First of all, the BEP's MADE the "mess" version, not some production guy at a radio station. They decided to do this to get their song on as many radio stations as possible.

Second, maybe the radio stations aren't worried about the FCC, just regular people, who won't take the time to go figure out from a radio station playlist that it's PHUNK and not F**K, and instead just turn the station off.

Go rage against the machine somewhere else...radio is a business kid, and the business is to get as many listeners as possible.

 

[WaGaGa]

> Go rage against the machine somewhere else...radio is a
> business kid, and the business is to get as many listeners
> as possible.

Yes...I understand that, Sir. Thank you.

> First of all, the BEP's MADE the "mess" version, not some
> production guy at a radio station.

Really, stupid? Is that how it works??

> They decided to do this to get their song on as many radio stations as possible.

THAT DOESNT MEAN RADIO STATIONS HAVE TO PLAY THAT VERSION! Yes...I would expect some (more conservative) stations would choose the "Mess" version, but stations like PXY, Hot & Kiss are CHR/Mainstreams! Any self-respecting 18-34 year old female that would deem the original version "offensive" isn't listening to CHR!
She's listening to Christian AC!

If the song isn't graphic, it's not indecent and, therefore, can't be fined!

Period. Okay,professor?

 

[hokeypokey]

If you want the truth, the corporate people told the CC stations they needed to play the Mess version and not Phunk. BEP went and rerecorded the song b/c CC said they wouldnt play it.

 

[BobRoss]

> If you want the truth, the corporate people told the CC
> stations they needed to play the Mess version and not Phunk.
> BEP went and rerecorded the song b/c CC said they wouldnt
> play it.


If that's the truth, how come 93Q swapped out the real version for the wimpy version? They're owned by Citadel, not ClearChannel. Same goes for PXY in Rochester -- haven't heard them, but assuming they're on the bandwagon since another poster mentioned them.

And even if people didn't want to take the time to go look at a station playlist, as I said, the first time I heard it, Rock Roberts clearly said "Phunk" when he introduced it. Also, most people are smart enough to know it's a given that a radio station won't put the word "#uck" on the air. Yeah, there are slips here and there, but no station would "accidentally" play a song where the word is constantly repeated throughout the song. Anyone with at least a 30 IQ should be able to figure out that it's "funk."

As another previous poster said, anyone who's THAT sensitive about it probably isn't listening to a CHR station anyway. This song would be the least of their concerns, compared to some of the increasingly suggestive lyrics out there today.

 

[hokeypokey]

I didn't mention anything about Citadel. I know that CC stations were told to play mess not Phunk. Ask lilraphie or any other CC CHR person. They can tell you that BEP had to go back in studio and cut it for it to get airplay. Do I agree with it, no, but with CC it don't surprise me.

This same kind of post has appeared on a couple other boards with the same corporate response given.

 

[Element9]

Ain't It Funky Now

>
> That's too bad. I don't think it matters that it "sounded
> too much like" a certain word, when the title and lyrics
> clearly spell out that it's really an innocent word. If
> anyone complained to the FCC, all a station would have to do
> is supply a copy of the lyrics and they'd be cleared. Big
> deal.
>

Funk, funky, funkier. Is this is a Carlin bit? Words, sounds, definitions and interpretations.

As most of us know, contemporary music is derived from the African-American culture. The word "funk" came about as a way to describe a certain aroma, not necessarily in a positive way, created by sweat, perspiration and sexual exertion. It then became associated with music that had a strong bottom line bass that motivated listeners to move, dance and get funky.

"Funk," according to three sources on contemporary American slang and idiom, is a relatively "new" word. Having evolved in the 50s, it came to prominence in the 70s.

"Fu*k," (verb, noun) on the other hand, is a word that is centuries old and as legend has it, is an acronym for the words "fornication upon consent of the king." Curious as to how, when and why the "t" was dropped from the acronym. Apparently, it was too difficult to pronounce "futck."

I guess the bottom line is, when a company owns a couple of hundred radio stations, it can influence artists and performers to modify their creative work to comply with the company's best interests. In some cases, this conflicts with the artists' creative energy. But as proven in this case, if the artist wants to get paid, he/she/they sing the song the way the way the company who's paying for it wants it to be played.

And so, the artist becomes conflicted. "Do I perform for the sake of art, or to make money?" Money usually wins, but not always. Guys like Tom Petty say "bite me," move on and write more songs about the idiocy and hypocrisy.

This, by the way, is not a defense and advocacy of Clear Channel, lest a certain poster reply with another one of his patented "we own Syracuse, we own America, we own the world" screeds. It's intended more as a commentary. For the longest time, we have been seeing an Infinity-Infinity Lite and Clear Channel-Clear Channel Lite "follow the leader" pattern. This is just another example.

In the end, how much difference does it make? Considering everything that's out there and the examples and comparisons that have been cited elsewhere on this thread, it doesn't seem to make much difference. And of course, there's Howard and the wannabees, telling young women to get naked and calling them a "hot POA." A whole 'nuther conversation unto its own funky self.

 

[doctorcomputer3]

In Many Cases

The FCC isn't the fear but more the interpretation by the advertisers. The buyers hear people like Stern getting thrown off and agree with it. This generates their own thoughts that "radio and TV need to clean up" and it reflects to the GM when Phunk gets heard in a recording. This isnt beat down the fcc, but more like make more money.. Dont plan on too many changes, our president keeps preaching and many people agree they shouldnt have a fear of turning on the media with their kids sitting close.<P ID="signature">______________
Let's all get together and have a hoe-down</P>

 

[ednaswap]

> Any self-respecting 18-34 year old
> female that would deem the original version "offensive"
> isn't listening to CHR!
> She's listening to Christian AC!

An attitude like that is why some DJ's don't have a job anymore.