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MTV Bleeps Filesharing Software Names In Weird Al Video

An anonymous reader writes "We've all heard Weird Al Yankovic's 'Don't Download This Song,' which came out a couple years ago, but did you know that MTV is apparently so afraid that kids listening to the song will discover for the first time that file sharing offerings exist that in its video of the song, MTV bleeps out their names? There's a line in the song that lists out Morpheus, Grokster, Kazaa and Limewire (most of whom don't really exist any more), but for some reason MTV considers those names to be bleep worthy." Unless this is all one grand inside joke from Weird Al.

7 of 395 comments (clear)

  1. Prohibited in Canada by akorvemaker · · Score: 5, Informative

    From Canada, I can't even watch the bleeped video in the article. "Copyrights restrict us from playing this video outside the U.S." Pfft! Pfft, I say!

  2. Re:But by Corpuscavernosa · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yeah they bleep out "nine" when referring to a gun but you got titties and ass jiggling all over the place. I guess MTV only wishes to influence certain types of moral issues.

    --
    We figured out a long time ago that it's easier to elect seven judges than to elect 132 legislators.
  3. Re:Best anti-privacy band names by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Don't forget !!!

  4. Re:eh? by cayenne8 · · Score: 5, Informative
    "MTV's bullshit censorship changes with the times. Back in the early-mid '90's, they'd censor the word "ass" and other lame stuff from Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg videos(remember how half the screen was blurred out for some reason or other?)."

    I dunno what to think. Radio has gotten bad too. I'm listening to the classic rock station (ok, I'm old, it wasn't 'classic' when I first heard this stuff). I was listening to Pink Floyd playing "Money". They bleeped out "do goody good bullshit". What the hell?

    After that, they played a lame censored version of Jet Airliner, with the words "funky shit" changed to "funky Stuff". And on the song Who are You...the twice bleeped out the part where it says "Who the fuck are You?". That last one...is so buried in the song, you have to pretty much know when it is said.

    When did all this start? I mean, I grew up listening to these songs...and for nearly 30 years, they happily played these songs without editing them. Why start now all of a sudden?

    I thought society was getting more permissive....yet NOW they start to censor classic songs that have been perfectly fine to play on radio?

    Lord...I used to think it was funny when I could get a DJ to play the Stones song "Star Star"...but, c'mon...the other stuff was always played normally.

    What happened?

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  5. Re:eh? by nabsltd · · Score: 2, Informative

    Usually, they just fade the song out before that line, since it's so close to the end.

    But, yes, it's censored. ISTR that the Stones sang that song at the Super Bowl halftime and that line was bleeped or muted.

  6. Re:eh? by Sen.NullProcPntr · · Score: 2, Informative

    I dunno what to think. Radio has gotten bad too. I'm listening to the classic rock station (ok, I'm old, it wasn't 'classic' when I first heard this stuff). I was listening to Pink Floyd playing "Money". They bleeped out "do goody good bullshit". What the hell?

    At least broadcast radio has an excuse - FCC.

    There are many opinions as to why the FCC is cracking down today. Mostly involving a web site and soccer moms.

    Back in the 80's radio could play anything, in the Boston area the UHF TV stations played uncut R rated movies for a while. The college radio stations would even play The Ballad of Jerry Curlan!

    Not sure what the problem is with MTV, the FCC doesn't have the same control over cable.

  7. Re:MTV Still Has Videos? Drawing the line... by Dirtside · · Score: 2, Informative

    Don't be naive; they block what they think they have to to avoid shitstorms from the FCC. They'll show everything else. It's not like MTV was wandering out in the woods and whilst contemplating nature came up with a moral line. It's strictly what they (and, I must confess, we -- I work for an MTVN subsidiary) won't get shit for.

    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased