Should Corporations Censor Political Statements in Songs?

Question

AT&T executives claim they would never interfere with web content.

On Sunday, when Pearl Jam was performing the song “Daughter” during the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, the band broke into a version of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” Reworking the lyrics of the classic rock song, Vedder sang, “George Bush, leave this world alone” and “George Bush, find yourself another home.”

AT&T: “We have policies in place with respect to editing excessive profanity, but AT&T does not censor performances.”

And, of course, Vedder’s lyrics about Bush, which were not profane, did in fact get censored.

Pearl Jam released a statement on the censorship incident:

“This, of course, troubles us as artists but also as citizens concerned with the issue of censorship and the increasingly consolidated control of the media. 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.."

Answer 1

No. They paid the artists to sing, and they sang about what they believe in so no they shouldn't be censored. That is sad and I hope Pearl Jam gets a prime-time slot on TV to sing that song. I want to hear it.

Answer 2

If the corporation owns the song, they may edit it at their discretion.

If AT&T owns the web content, they may also edit it at thier discretion.

"Censoring" is done by the government.

Now...having said that...no, I don't think they should, either. However, if you listen to various songs on all kinds of local radio stations, they will mute-out certain words in songs that are generally found to be offensive. That, also, is corporate "censorship"...but I never hear anyone talking about that. Neither do I hear anyone talk about "bleeping" words on television channels, even cable ones like Comedy Central.

Why is there so much concern all of a sudden?

Answer 3

i became no longer a fan yet no one had extra suitable political songs than Phil Ochs who had songs like " I Ain't Marchin' Anymore " + " Love Me i'm A Liberal " + " Draft Dodger Rag " and intensely some others ............. of path the suited protest political assertion song of all time ( which I despised ) became the " Fixin " To Die Rag " by way of united states of america Joe and the Fish whose call became Joe McDonald whose mom Florence McDonald became between the leaders of the San Francisco financial disaster of the Communist celebration in the late '50s & early '60s.

Answer 4

It's their right to do it - they are a private actor, not the government - but the bad publicity will certainly hurt their business.

In other words, people have a right to react to them, and stop using their products.

Works for me.

Answer 5

No they should not...but they do lots of things that they should not do...and they just don't care about what is right! *sm*