Kids Television Programming and Censored Explicit Music

Filed Under (music) by djByron on 01-18-2008

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I’ve seen this happen now on a couple occasions and thought I’d post something about it. Why is it that the producers of children’s programming insist on showcasing censored or modified versions of songs that normally contain explicit lyrics? Today was the second time I’ve seen this happen and probably ONLY the second time because I don’t normally watch TV with a young one.

The first instance was a while back when I walked by a show on the Disney Chanel where the artist Nelly was performing “Ride Wit Me” to a group of pre-teen and young teenagers. I can’t remember just how they pulled this one off considering the song is filled with drug and sexual references on top of the explicit lyrics.

Today was not as bad as that but got me to wondering none-the-less. Preparing Evan his dinner when I hear James Blunt singing about the triangle shape on Sesame Street to the tune of “You’re Beautiful”. Those of you who are familiar with the CD version of the song (which I don’t own mind you) will know that one line in the song states “She could see from my face that I was, F**king high” (flying high on the radio version).

Now I don’t have an issue w/Blunt singing on Sesame Street or Nelly on the Disney Channel but why choose a song that who’s original version contains questionable content? Do these artists have no other songs they can perform in this scenario? My primary point is that both songs are catchy musically (thus their popularity) and what happens when these impressionable young minds want to go out and buy the album that contains the song they just heard on their favorite TV channel?

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  • Drew
    For real, I am a firm believer in freedom of speech, against censoring in a general manner, but why can't these people have enough moral consideration for others...
  • Toby Dawes
    I couldn't have put it better myself. There is a market for those types of songs, but that is not children's television. I like certain performers, GnR being one and there is certain song lyrics, like "Get in the Ring" that have some really offensive language, but if you see the underlying story of the song you'd see that the writer(s) had just reason for it. But this is not something that I'll play with my daughter in hearing distance.

    I for one am wondering what this shift in moral thought is about. What happened to the entertainer that actually sang children's songs on these shows. Would it kill Nelly or James Blunt to sing a nursery rhyme or some sort of educational song? I don't think so.
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