Why is it OK for Eminem, Jay-Z and DMX to use violent imagery, but not Be Your Own Pet?
You may have read about the censorship of Be Your Own Pet’s new album at the hands of their record label Universal. Get Awkward has had three tracks removed, apparently due to references to knives and violence.
I’m not the first person to point out the double standards at work here. Universal is the label that puts out material by Eminem, Jay-Z, 50 Cent and DMX, all of whom regularly have the “Parental Advisory” sticker slapped on them due to naughty language and violent imagery.
So why can they get away with it, while a bunch of young indie-rockers can’t?
Is the violence in hip-hop lyrics now seen as so cartoonish that the labels don’t consider it as dangerous as the lyrics of a young woman? Is it good old-fashioned sexism? Or could it be that violent imagery is now almost seen as a prerequisite for rappers keen to project a “street” image to high-selling effect, whereas violence in guitar-based music is seen as a possible scapegoat for the next school shooting?
The irony of this situation, of course, is that Universal’s actions have ensured a lot more publicity for BYOP’s second album than it might have received previously, which will probably lead to increased sales. Could this be the latest record company tactic in a trying time for the industry?
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The problem here is business, not moral standards or anything. The album has enough adult language in it to warrant a sticker, but it doesn’t have enough to warrant the audience to by it for the vulgarity. Many people will be fairly disappointed at the fact that this censored album is about as vulgar as third eye blind. It is a balancing act, if an album gets a sticker it better be as vulgar as Eminem so it will sell. If it isn’t vulgar, and if it isn’t great (and it isn’t really a good album in the first place)then you can forget an honest push at promotion.