The next music battle

We have touched on technology and music a bit here, but recent developments involving Pearl Jam need to be noted.

According to the band's web site, Pearl Jam's Lollapalooza webcast was censored by sponsor/webcaster AT&T:

When asked about the missing performance, AT&T informed Lollapalooza that portions of the show were in fact missing from the webcast, and that their content monitor had made a mistake in cutting them.

During the performance of "Daughter" the following lyrics were sung to the tune of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" but were cut from the webcast:

• "George Bush, leave this world alone." (the second time it was sung); and
• "George Bush find yourself another home."

Now I don't think an apology by AT&T is going to cut it. Especially, with net neutrality still being an issue.

AT&T's actions strike at the heart of the public's concerns over the power that corporations have when it comes to determining what the public sees and hears through communications media.

Aspects of censorship, consolidation, and preferential treatment of the internet are now being debated under the umbrella of "NetNeutrality." Check out The Future of Music or Save the Internet for more information on this issue.

Most telecommunications companies oppose "net neutrality" and argue that the public can trust them not to censor.

AT&T, like other telecommunication companies say you can "just trust them" about doing the right thing and keeping everything equal. We need to pass a net neutrality law now. Corporate censorship has always been a part of the American music scene but the internet could bring censorship a whole new level.

Talking Truth to Power

When will the media accept that people don't like President Bush and that they want to hear about politics on t.v.?

Pink is STILL being prevented from performing or talking about her anti-Bush song by most of the American media:

Are Pink’s anti-Bush views being censored?

The outspoken rocker — who recently went after her singing sex-symbol peers in her song "Stupid Girls" — is now taking aim at the commander-in-chief, in her controversial song, "Dear Mr. President." But she says that she’s not allowed to discuss her political views on the radio.

Pink appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," and thanked him for letting her sing and discuss the song, which she says the hasn’t been able to do on the radio or other TV shows.

What is the song that she can't play? This:

The Lyrics

Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me.
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind.
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You'd never take a walk with me.
Would you?

Music Censorship

In America, music is protected by the First Amendment, but sadly not every country is so lucky. I believe that one of the major factors in the recent Iranian election was the ban on Western Music, or more specifically that the people of Iran rejected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's decree that they should not listen to Western Music. Although the ban did not happen recently, it did occur during his tenure and I'm sure it has been on the forefront of everyone's minds as just another example of why they don't like him.

Before we look at why Iran banned music, let's start with some history. Oh stop the groaning, you know you want it. We are talking about the censorship of music by radical Islam in the Middle East, not worldwide. That would, sadly, be a really long history. Our current history starts about thirty years ago. In his breakthrough report entitled, "Can you stop the birds singing? The censorship of music in Afghanistan," Dr. John Baily writes:

Music censorship has been gradually imposed on Afghanistan since Nur Ahmad Taraki's communist government came to power in a violent coup d'etat in 1978. During fourteen years of communist rule, and during the Rabbani period (1992-1996), music was heavily controlled, while in the refugee camps in Pakistan and Iran all music was prohibited in order to maintain a continual state of mourning. The roots of the extreme Taliban ban on music lie in the way these camps were run.

Another reason to hate the communists. Not that killing 600 million people wasn't enough to hate a form of political thought, but for those who still like it remember the lack of music.

Under Taliban rule the people of Afghanistan are subjected to almost total music censorship, under which the only musical activity permitted is the singing of certain types of religious song and Taliban "chants" - panegyrics to Taliban principles and commemorations of those who have died on the field of battle.

You'd think that they would have stopped after we blew up in 2001. However:

On 30 June 2005, ten shops mostly selling movie and music tapes were damaged in a bomb explosion in Miramshah. The blast took place in the Gharhay Mandi bazaar following a warning by tribal militants against the sale and purchase of VCRs, CDs and music tapes on the audio and video. Four of the shops were badly damaged.

What would drive anyone to ban music? For starters the World Court ruled that forcing people to listen to Britney Spears constitutes torture. (Anyone forced to listen to her or most pop music will agree that it is definitely hard on the ears.) Johnny Clegg has said: "Censorship is based on fear." But that begs the question, why fear music?

Music can be a threat to power. Music is expression, music is creativity, music is critical thinking, music is free and can not be shackled by laws. Music expresses tradition, dreams, joys and aspirations. It brings ideas that might be outside the general public's knowledge or thought process and shoves them in their faces. Music gives a voice to emotions and feelings and allows those who can not formulate their ideas into proper sentences to articulate what they want. Music allows different cultures and people to share information.

Iran has been afraid of the power of music, but the ban has not stopped music. The people of Iran still buy music, just now through the black market. People still listen to Afghani music, while as for music by the Taliban it is no more. Music should not be stopped because it offends some people. Music should not be censored so life can be more pleasant. Music is freedom.

Actually, music probably wasn't on as many people's mind as I would like to think it was. A good parable would be the ban by the 109th congress on online gambling. The ban riled a lot more people then it appeased and it was a shining example of what was wrong with Republicans, but was not a major reason why people voted against the Republicans. I am sure there were people who voted against the Republicans because of the ban on gambling but I'm sure that it wasn't a major factor. I am sure that the censorship of music in Iran was just another reason for the people to vote against Ahmadinejad.

I think Apollo Forty Four said it the best, "You can't stop the rock." So you should just stop trying.