So I’m up late working. The TV is on and the channel’s set to MTV Hits (because sometimes I crave videos), but I’m only half paying attention. Kanye West segues into Fergie, then 50 Cent, Aly & AJ, and one Sean Kingston. Now, I’ll admit, I’m not all that familiar with Kingston, but I do know he’s 16 years old and has the number one song in the country this week. It’s a track called "Beautiful Girl," a sweet little ditty with a slightly retro faux-’50s vibe (it’s built on percussion and bass line samples from Ben E. King’s chestnut "Stand By Me"), and the video features cute, innocent-looking high school kids in poodle skirts and ponytails. I tune in for a bit, then tune out, and just as he hits the chorus, I notice a big chunk of it is missing. Not just a bleeped or scratch-replaced word, but a good line or two, since I can see him mouthing along.
I’m intrigued and keep watching. A couple choruses later, not only are the lyrics removed, but all music is silenced leaving a gaping hole of dead air. So I’m thinking, this kid’s 16, and good girls Aly & AJ were the lead-in to his American Bandstand-looking video, what could he possibly be saying that’s so bad, so racy that it didn’t pass muster with MTV Standards & Practices?
A Google-second later, I have my answer. Here’s the chorus, the third and fourth lines of which MTV removed:
You’re way too beautiful, girl
That’s why it’ll never work
You’ll have me suicidal, suicidal
When you say it’s over
(After the jump, watch the uncensored video and weigh in on whether MTV is right to snip this clip.)
Of course, we’re all used to MTV’s self-policing policies by now — blurred out logos and excessive skin, the removal of hateful, homophobic, or overly-violent lyrics — even when nonsensical at times (a pot leaf in a Snoop Dogg video will get distorted, yet the song "Because I Got High" can air in its entirety). And not to belittle teen suicide, which is on the rise according to recent studies, but it seems like the sentiment of "I would die for you" has been common in pop music, going on many, many decades (not to mention for centuries in literature). In fact, Prince had a song with that exact title. If it aired now, would it have to be "I would (bleep) for you?"
So I started thinking of other similarly-themed songs, like Violent Femmes’ "Kiss Off" and Papa Roach’s "Last Resort." After some Internet-ing, I found a Tim McGraw song called "Kill Myself" and was reminded of Pink Floyd’s "Comfortably Numb," Hüsker Dü’s "Too Far Down," Pete Droge’s "If You Don’t Love Me (I’ll Kill Myself)," and the Pernice Brothers’ "Working Girls" ("Contemplating suicide and a graduate degree," sings Joe Pernice in one of his best lines). Sad songs, yes, but they really do say so much.
So what’s my point here? I guess that it’s a shame for a newcomer like Sean Kingston to have to settle for such a poorly-executed edit on his MTV debut. Or that superfluous booty is perfectly acceptable day or night, but a real emotional expression, while not exactly poetry, isn’t. Or how maybe things haven’t changed all that much since the Doors and the Rolling Stones’ lyrically controversial appearances on Ed Sullivan 40 years ago. Or maybe I’m reading too much into this. Perhaps it’s totally justified. What do you think?
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I think you’re on the right track. MTV is being a little too sensitive with this. Muchmusic is currently playing the video uncensored but who knows if that will change.
MTV is ridiculous. There is no way the line suicidal needs to be edited out. ever.
I love that this kid proclaimed that he would never have profanity in his lyrics, and yet he talks about killing himself.
But really, who cares? I saw the kid perform the song on “The Today Show” and he was so off-key the entire time, it sounded like bad karoake. He’s a one hit wonder that’ll be gone in no time.
I think the real travesty is the fact that this “song” gets played at all . . . seriously, when did singing become an optional thing in a song that could be replaced by a heavy-handed producer?
I think that’s really a pretty ridiculous edit. I really can’t understand why they would censor it. There are plenty of songs out there that are actually about suicide. It’s no huge loss as this is just a little tweeny song (although it’s one of the better ones I’ve heard), but it is somewhat worrisome when MTV starts to edit songs for lyrics like this as opposed to language or nudity.
This is the most ridiculous edit I have ever heard. They SHOULD have edited the part where he says he went away for doing his first crime in ‘99. You know, when he was 8.
I personally don’t like the song, and also feel that he is a one hit wonder in the making. But, to edit the song is crazy. With all of the crap MTV shows, they feel this line is “too much”? Really?
I think censorship is the only purely black and white issue I have: Censorship is always bad. I blogged on the exact issue — censorship in music — last year: http://daily-journal.com/bloggers/dietpopculture/?p=18
I think “You have me suicidal” would _definitely_ fall in the “ridiculous reasons to censor” category.
I found this so strange too, it was something I commented on to my friends a few weeks ago. I think it is sad that they feel the need to censor the word suicidal, yet it is OK for 12 year olds to sing about being sexy, infidelity, and partying.
My favorite MTV editing example is with the Sublime song “Santeria”. There’s a line that says something like “…and I won’t think twice to stick that barrel straight down Sancho’s throat. Believe me when I say that I’ve got something for his punk a**”. MTV edited the part about the gun, and left in the profanity. Radio does the opposite–they leave in the part about the gun, but edit “punk-a**”. THAT makes sense…
It is so funny that you should post about this – I was discussing this very thing with my friend the other day. On the radio – they play the full line, on MTV they played a clip of the video (Hot Pick or something) and the silenced the suicidal line – I thought that was so absurd!
I agree with MTV. I destest that song. As someone who lost a person to suicide I can tell you it is pretty offensive and the fact that it is a bubble gum, sugar coated pop song being played on stations that market to children makes the difference. I am not for sensorship but I am for corporate responsibility in what they market to young people.
In an era where we are so quick to blame our children’s problems on everything and everyone BUT ourselves it does not surprise me that MTV has made this edit. When kids laid down in the middle of the street and got run over because they saw it in a movie called “The Program” back in 1993 the victims parents, and all of America, was ready to persecute the filmmakers and not, you know, THEIR MORON children.
Is it any wonder that MTV is cautious?
MTV is a complete joke anyway, so why shouldn’t they be moronic with this too? can’t say “suicidal”, but you can show seven people living in one house, drinking, puking, and boinking all over each other and hey, that’s entertainment. what a bunch of hypocrites.
When this song first came out, they played the song in its entirety on the radio here in Toronto. Then, after a couple weeks, the line was changed. Now, we hear “you’ve got me in denial, in denial” instead.
My brother and I were talking about this song earlier this week and, after searching the internet, when I found out what MTV was bleeping I actually got mad.
First, they could have at least inserted a line like “going crazy” instead of “suicidal” to avoid having those long stretches ead air during a video. Secondly, if they think that taking out the word suicidal from a music video will prevent anyone (or at least that song’s target audience) from committing suicide they’re crazy. A lyric in a song doesn’t have the ability to convince someone to take his/her own life and if it did, then that person was troubled before watching that video or hearing that song.
this song is terrible. i’m disappointed they even play it.
Dude has a really awful voice.
In Canada on Much Music they do not censor this song. I will also say it is a totally earworm and I never want to hear it again.
In Canada on Much Music they do not censor this song. I will also say it is a totally earworm and I never want to hear it again.
They’re still playing the full version on our radio stations. But then again – I did hear G*D D**N on our station a few weeks ago. Thought that one was gone too.
MTV does strupid things like this all the time. When Avril Lavigne’s song “Don’t Tell Me” was in heavy rotation, the line “…Will get you in my pants, I’ll have to kick your ass” was censored:
They bleeped the word “pants” and left in “ass.”
Huh?
Seriously? “Suicidal”? Can we focus on the real issue here?:
How the F does this kid think he can sample the baseline from “Stand By Me” and turn it into a crappy weirdo reggae-rap-pop mashup?!
Ben E. King should slap him.
Well, censorship is the new freedom. Simply as that. MTV (and radio stations and record labels as well) seem (and need to) censor anthing that even remotely could qualify to offend someone or be used to sue the label/station if something coincidental happens – like in this gem of a line from Wheatus’ Teenage Dirt Bag: “Her boyfriend’s a d1ck – he brings a gun to school and he’d simply kick – my a$$ if he knew about us” miraculously turns into “Her boyfriend’s a [blank] – he brings a [rad scratching skills] to school and he’d simply kick, my a$$ [!] if he….” in the radio edit and the video. Now where’s the logic in that? Why is [Little Richard] not fit for broadcast, but [Donkey] is? And since when need guns be edited out?
i think its comical that mtv is trying to be some sort of morality police with this song. the other 99.9% of their programming is dumbing america down and making mindless clones out of our youth. superficiality, cheating glorified, materialism, and the list goes on. whats the one thing they rarely have in their programming?
MUSIC
I agree with SM. If an artist sings about suicide in a heartwrenching tearful, painful way, I’m ok with it. I’m not ok with an “artist”,& I’m using the term very loosely, singing about suicide like an eager Smurf. The tone of the song is my issue. And the fact that its just a bad song.
i agree with everyone else..how dare he or most likely his producer sample a classic song and put the crappiest lyrics over it..definitely one hit wonder material and i hope i never have to hear this song ever again
When I first heard this song, I hated it right away. The song itself is awful.
I think there is a difference between a song that says “I don’t think I could live with out you”, and “I am going to take my life”. Teen suicide is a serious thing, and I think it is fine to err on the side of caution. Besides, I am sure the controversy isn’t hurting Sean’s career at all. If it wasn’t for the shocking lyrics, he may not have even gotten a deal in the first place.
it pains me to say this, but the beat is hot.
Considering what MTV does show this censorship is stupid.
This song is over-played so I don’t like it anyway.