Should Recording Artists Skip Explicit Performances at Award Shows?

by Fergie Posted 2012/07/02 19:00:00

Related Topics: Music, Beyonce, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Artist, Award, Kanye, Censorship, Jay-z, BET

538 votes
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	Yes	395 votes	73%
	No	143 votes	27%

Jay-Z, Kanye West, Chris Brown and Beyonce all won big last night at the BET awards. The awards show featured a tribute to Whitney Houston and many other performances from award winners. Unfortunately, many of the performances were heavily censored resulting in long moments of awkward silence for TV viewers. Should artists opt for more "TV-friendly" performances at televised award shows? Or should they perform their songs exactly how they were written?

Entire segments of performances, from Nicki Minaj to Rick Ross, were muted out due to foul language and obscenities, though several vulgarities were heard on air.

+19

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Balladeer-PWCM-POTL 2012/07/02 19:24:51

Yes

+21
BUT they won't because they lack TALENT and therefor NEED a gimmick like shock. and thank you for your posting here...WHY because when i tell the truth about Rap and filth i am called a racist and the defenders say 'the filth is a rarity'
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More polls by Fergie

asherbash 2012/07/09 18:26:11

Yes

When it comes to award shows, I think performances should be censored because there are more than just one group of fans watching. Like at the Grammys. There were Nicki fans watching, but Beach Boys fans watching as well. When it comes to albums, I don't think they should be censored. That artists target audience can go out and purchase it, and those outside that audience don't have to be bothered.

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Dave 007 2012/07/08 12:09:26

No

+1
"heavily censored" - so surprise here.

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Spe168 to Dave 007 2012/07/08 12:56:37

Thanks

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Budge 2012/07/06 20:45:10

Yes

I tried to watch the BET awards show but it's so demeaning. I just wish BET could be uplifting and classy and contribute something positive to the young people who form their biggest audience. BET is the main reason I cancelled my cable for six years. I didn't want the images it presents to be the ones my daughter models. When she was about 11 she became enthralled with some of the performances that network aired, so I got rid of it. I recently got cable again and BET is no better than it was. Luckily she has many other interests now and is not as easily influenced.

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Gwen 2012/07/06 09:04:05
Eva 2012/07/05 14:52:43

No

I disagree with censorship; in my opinion, our freedoms of speech and expression are some of the most important. However, the pop music created today often seems to use such 'obscenities' and 'foul language' to a gratuitous, and consequently meaningless, extent. When something which is supposed to be dramatic is used frequenty and carelessly, it loses much of its meaning and impact.

So, while I don't think that music should be censored, I do think that excessive usage of such 'innappropriate' words and phrases should be reconsidered and reduced.

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art1ej 2012/07/05 04:37:21

Yes

+2
Why cant they do a tv version with no swearing...

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Spe168 2012/07/05 03:13:26

Yes

+1
They are classless

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Proggy 2012/07/05 02:31:14

No

There's this not so new invention....

Some people may find it difficult to use, but most come with an instruction manual that will make it quite easy.

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Call me Mark willya? 2012/07/04 21:23:59

Yes

It's just an example of, If you can afford to come here you can see the whole show, if you're at home F@#K YOU!!!

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Kitsune Touhou 2012/07/04 18:46:37

Yes

+1
you call this art?!you could at LEAST clean up the language. -_-" just goes to show how bad our education system is.
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

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Tre 2012/07/04 18:19:32

Yes

Unfortunately, some of those mentioned only know one way to talk and that is heavy profanity based. However they are very talented in what they due.

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john doe 2012/07/04 15:15:42

Yes

+2
better yet, vulgar, no-talent idiots shouldn't be on media at all.

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Tofy 2012/07/04 14:44:43

No

+1
Art is art. Shows air at night anyway, so kids won't hear.
Never censor a piece of art.

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john doe to Tofy 2012/07/04 15:21:30

+2
art implies a talent of some sort. what these guys do is very similar to the rantings of some wino bipolar dude that sleeps on the street.

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bluedragon30120 2012/07/04 14:20:08

Yes

I don't believe in censored music and at the same time they do have radio and tv songs that don't have to be beep for minutes at a time they know what is live and should have more respect for fans at home

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rand 2012/07/04 14:19:35

Yes

+2
Profanity is a childish way of rebelling. I'd like to see "art" returned to music.

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beach bum 2012/07/04 10:09:06

Yes

yes

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jerry.alan.carroll 2012/07/04 10:00:33

Yes

the foul mouths need to stop period. Tired of having to look for radio edits for everything I DJ..that means I can't find a 12" of a dirty song for mixing with.

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Metalingus67 2012/07/04 08:13:18

Yes

+1
Like it or not, being a person in the public eye such as actors, athletes and musicians there is a level of responsibility. Award shows are broadcast to a wide range of people and live preformances should (in my view) promote the cream of the industry they represent not the crap.

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Col 2012/07/04 05:25:49

Yes

+3
Calling these people artist is a joke. They are talentless nobodies. If it wasn't for the trash and profanity there would be no lyrics to their "music???" I think they should be banned from all awards shows.

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Realistic 2012/07/04 02:51:16

Yes

+5
I get so tired of all the profanity and garbage in rap music. It is over the borderline of absurd. When I saw Nicki Minaj perform with an orchestra and started cursing I changed the channel. I blame the executives at BET and the FCC for not putting a stop to the foul, pants-hanging-off-the-butt nonsense. It is embarrasing to watch. If there weren't any stop signs on the roads people would not stop. These artists need to regulated. The ultimatum should be no cursing and pants on your waist or you do not perform on our stage.

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adeenmc... to Realistic 2012/07/04 06:09:11

I agree.

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Zombiecat~Metalhead4Life 2012/07/04 02:23:21

Yes

+2
I can't say much because the music I listen to can have some swearing. But this sounds like an unnecessary amount in one song. The mainstream versions of my genre can be the same way. But metal isn't televised half as much as rap is though.

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michael 2012/07/04 01:55:03

Yes

+1
I would prefer silence and blank video if all they have to offer is explicit thoughts ,expressions of xrated vocal .Talent should have a advantage in this professional contect.

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Nick 2012/07/04 00:43:33

No

+1
Like it or not music is as much of an art as poetry. Word are just words, the only thing that changes are attitudes as we grow older but we do not necessarily get wiser. Maybe just more opinionated.

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john doe to Nick 2012/07/04 15:17:56

+1
rap is not music, ergo not an art form.

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Nick to john doe 2012/07/05 10:37:32

Rap is poetry if nothing else

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ParkMan 2012/07/04 00:19:57

Yes

+1
Just because you can does not mean you should. It's time for class to make a comeback.

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JoeBob Scruggs 2012/07/03 23:43:39

No

+1
Rap is dead.

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adeenmc... to JoeBob ... 2012/07/04 06:10:15 (edited)

+3
I agree on this. That is why I listen to Rap from the 1980s and 1990s. Eminem is like the only good rapper of this generation

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JoeBob ... to adeenmc... 2012/07/08 22:46:42

Just corporate backing of ersatz thuggery from the mid 90s. Nothing new or good for 20 years.

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adeenmc... to JoeBob ... 2012/07/17 14:56:21

+1
Well you have a point on that as well.
I listen to mostly 1980s Rap though. I only some 1990s Rap and I grew listening to 1990s Rap.
''Just corporate backing of ersatz thuggery from the mid 90s. Nothing new or good for 20 years'' You sound like my mother when you wrote that. She feels the same way.
Most of today's Rappers make Rap look bad ie Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne etc.
Rap deterioated in the mid 1990s when the corporates and record companies took control of Rap music and made it mainstream.
From then on, MOST Rap music has sucked ever since.

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brian 2012/07/03 23:14:16

Yes

+2
Don't call them Artists because they can shock. As an artist we use aesthetics to please the world. I'm not against freedom of speech, but "it" shouldn't be Popular because it's just obscene. The art world has seen and done that. Let's see some talent and creativity.

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darazan 2012/07/03 23:06:02

Yes

+1
Not that I agree with the BET awards in the first place, as I find the entire channel to be racist and stereotypical. But aside from that, any other performer in any other awards show has to be aware of the language used in their performance because it is televised. Now, I know that BET is a cable channel, affording them more freedom, however a violation of the FCC rules concerning language and content still costs the channel a lot of money per infraction. If an artist cannot choose a more appropriate song to perform, then censorship or flat out refusal to allow a performance by the awards show wouldn't be out of line. BET is not a premium channel, such as HBO, and must still abide by the rules set by the FCC.

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Saye Saye 2012/07/03 22:34:15

Yes

+2
Foul language does not belong there. Not surprisingly that they can't keep it clean

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Kingarthurup 2012/07/03 22:10:34

Yes

+5
But, when you have no talent, vulgarity gets attention.

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glendajb4 2012/07/03 22:08:06

No

+3
I think performances should be considered "foul" not for the constant use of explicit language, but for the lack of talent and originality.

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Kingart... to glendajb4 2012/07/03 22:11:10

Yes, when I was 12, I used to like to swear too.

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glendajb4 to Kingart... 2012/07/04 01:04:57

Um thanks for sharing.

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