bexter

MTV Censors NIN

I was highly disappointed when I read this today, not only because I wanted to watch the band perform on MTV, but also because I don't think that it is fair for music to be cenrsored like this. MTV will allow half naked women to appear in videos when young kids are most likely tuning in, but a political statement, something that every musician and artist is free to make is too much for them to deal with?

Anyone else find this annoying or frustrating?

TokyoNiGHTS

I like Reznors response to it. Absolutely classic

bexter

love that response

TokyoNiGHTS

Isn't "The Hand that Feeds" a song about Bush anyway? So they didn't have a problem with them performing a song that was directed toward Bush, but having a image of Bush isn't allowed? Yep sounds like MTV to me. I guess they can now go back to showing videos of 15 year old girls dressed like strippers and doing dances to go along with that image.

Lain

Just another issue of censorship

How much more politically correct and corrupted does America have to be.

bexter

Obviously way too much...I think this is ridiculous. I won't be watching the awards and am sending them a letter...though are all know how much good that will do

Lexis

MTV should be ashamed of themselves for this. Its perfectly OK so show Jackass but an artist making a political statement is somehow taboo? Its complete rubbish.

AlexEvans

MTV has the right to show what it thinks will entertain its audience. If it's wrong, it will lose ratings and ad money. If it's right, then it will avoid offending a portion of its audience. It has no obligation to help any party... er music group.. spread its message. Nor is this censorship.

I really don't get why some people try to make all entertainment political. (I also don't get why awards shows are entertaining, but that's a separate matter.)

VU&NICO

It was (sadly) predictable.

Alex Evans, entertainment that deals with political issues is a good thing...you should worry when politics become cheap entertainment with buffoons and liars (and believe me, Bush is a master at it).

ceilirose

MTV is owned by Viacom which also owns CBS and many other media outlets. It's corporate America at this point and nothing else.

Ironic that the gross and disgusting details of Britney Spears and her new boy toy are considered broadcast worthy but political dissent is not. I know which I find more revolting.

AuburnGrad

I saw a blurb about NIN and MTV in the paper this morning, and I shared the exact same thought re: Britney Spears' show.

I'm a NIN fan (saw them live last weekend) and am glad they won't be performing simply because I loathe MTV. But I do find it surprising the network is taking issue with this compared to its other programming. I can't remember, did MTV air Eminem's video re: Bush and the election?

silvercrystal

MTV are a seriously degrading channel, with what its showing these days it would be called RTV, R being Reality.

My response to this: Trent is god!

I love NIN, I love his work with other artists such as A Perfect Circle, which all criticise the war on Iraq.

This is just an example of how much power the government has over the media. For MTV to allow such a broadcast may not have made them lose viewers but maybe have them loose powerful sponserships from companies who do esentially have more control over politics than anyone realises.

Anybody that hasn't heard the album, I do recommend it as well as the A Perfect Circle album Emotive that he also worked on. Its not the sort of work you'd hear on a channel like MTV for the same reasons this story has come about.

In Fair Verona

MTV is just a trend-chaser, which makes a lot of sense since they seem to rack up on ratings that way. MTV was taking a seriously left-wing turn around election to time. Choose or Lose and Vote or Die were obviously left-leaning organizations, not just about "voter registration". Now that Bush has won the election suddenly they're on his side again. Kerry's not the flip-flopper, it's MTV.

Ah, well. If I were NIN, I wouldn't take it as too hard of a hit. MTV hardly plays music anymore anyway. In a few years they would have been banned not because of their message but because it has melody. I doubt it will hurt NIN's popularity or sales either. But props to Reznor anyway.

VU&NICO

It's funny...if NIN (which are great, btw) wrote something with a catchy melody, MTV wouldn't have any problems to show it. John Lennon, who admitted that he put Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto in music with his song IMAGINE, always thought it was funny that such a political song was appreciated even by reactionary people and said something like "you should blame the melody!".

WalkingOnSunshine

I can't really see how or why MTV should be ashamed. Were they going to allow NIN to perform an openly anti-Bush song? Yes. Did they prefer not to have a certain backdrop used in their show? Yes. I can't see why that calls for shame. MTV was the force behind the production of the now infamous Janet Jackson breast show. Maybe they didn't want to have to worry about NIN pulling something with their image of Bush in the background. Just a thought.

What's wrong with MTV wanting to keep their show from being brought down by politics and antics? Nothing in my opinion.

Most channels and stations are trend-chasers because it draws ratings which equals money to them. That's just business.

I don't know if I would consider MTV leaning left because of its affliation with those campaigns. Those were being marketed as bipartisan efforts to "get the vote out" if my memory serves me. Besides, during their one of their award shows before the election they had both the Kerry girls & Bush twins on to speak. Personally, I didn't really see an agenda there. Now, I do have some channels I consider left and right, but to me MTV has never registered on my political radar.

Yes MTV aired the "Mosh" video to a schedule of heavy rotation, but I believe it wasn't available until after the election. It had not been completed yet - not because of efforts of MTV to censor it.

I will never understand why the majority of celebrities feel the need to use their platform to voice their political thoughts.

Oh I agree. I usually Tivo award shows and watch them later, because they have way too many performances to be able to watch in their entirety.