Over here, Sean Kingston doesn’t get “suicidal” over “Beautiful Girls,” like he does in the American version of the song. Apparently, he’s just “in denial.”
The radio-edited version of the catchy tune made me think of what bits of generally accepted American culture Australia tries to keep out. I basically came to the conclusion that they don’t like our talk of things that end in “-icide.” The word “gun?” Definitely edited out of the Australian-bought version of Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag” I have from the previous journey to Oz.
The funny thing is, I don’t even recognize the presence of those words until there’s dead air where something’s been bleeped out or when I’m driving along, blaring the radio, and singing along…and realize that what I’m singing isn’t what Mr. Kingston is.
Hmmm…maybe I’m just in denial over how de-sensitized we are.
MTV (or maybe it was older sister VH1) played an edited version of that song too. I couldn’t believe they were bleeping the words “suicidal” and then I realized just how de-sensitized we really are…
on another note…KROQ has been playing some songs that I still can’t quite believe make it on the air…some song by Pepper called Give It Away (why don’t you have some dirty hot sex with me) and Pennywise F*** the Authority…I mean that gets airplay and they have to bleep the main message of the song.
Hope all is well in Australia Jayna…when are you headed back to Asia?
I think it’s funny when the missing words completely change the meaning of the entire song. Like when 104.3FM censored the word “wh*re” out of Panic at the Disco’s “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies” and substituted a “Shh…” So it now says, “The groom’s bride is a..Shh…” So then, I didn’t get why the narrator was saying the gossips should have closed the door…I was like, Why when they didn’t say actually anything bad about the groom? Hmm…I guess that makes sense only if you know the song I’m talking about. I hope you do, and I hope you’re trip is still going fabulously!
Asia will be coming soon! Oct. 21. Yeah!
And I don’t think I’ve actually ever heard the UNedited version of “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies”…so you actually just helped clear up my confusion as well…