research into censorship

Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication or other information which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions. The reason it is used is to prevent explicit material being viewed by a certain type of person, for example minors. The most common use of censorship within music is explicit language that is either completely excluded from a song or "bleeped out" per se, within music videos there also certain scenes that are blurred during the day in order to avoid the inappropriate scenes being viewed by any underage.

There has been a lot of controversy based around censorship within music videos and the music itself. We had a classroom debate and students within my class were playing the roles of the artists, fans, recording label, parents and radio stations. The debate was based on Eminem and the type of music he uses within his music videos and way he presents his music. This should allow me to understand all the opinions of the people that listen to offence music.

 The law on censorship that Ofcom enforce is that they make sure people in the UK get the best from their communications services and are protected from scams and sharp practices, while ensuring that competition can thrive. There was a communications act that was introduced in 2003, the act says that Ofcom’s general duties should be to further the interests of citizens and of the consumers. Ofcom make sure that people who watch television and listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offense material. People are protected from being treated unfairly in television and radio programmes, and also from having their privacy invaded. However Ofcom do not deal with disputes between people and the telecom provider and they do not deal with the content of television or radio adverts.

A music video that has been censored is the Robin Thicke ft I.T Pharrell- blurred lines. The music video has been banned from YouTube after the bosses deemed it was too sexually proactive for the video sharing website. The video features naked models dancing with the artists. It was removed after You Tubes executives confirmed it was outside of the websites censorships guidelines. There are too versions of the music video the censored version and the original. Everything has been covered up and cut in the censored version of the music video.

A second music video that was censored was Katy Perrys music video ‘Firework”. As the clip shows a firework shooting from her chest and two men kissing in a club., it was classed as inappropriate for a young audience. The video goes on to show a boy being mugged on the street and a cancer patient watching a women giving birth in hospital. The video could be watched on You Tube by on the private viewing only so the details that were shown in the video would not offend a younger audience.

In class we had a debate about Eminem, people within the class were representing different characters that were associated with the artist. The character that played Eminem explained how he had a hard life growing up in a caravan. Therefore the music should not be censored as it is about his life and he has overcome many things, so his song relate to his life experiences and people can learn from his mistakes. 

Both of the fans agreed that his music should be able to be played as it educates teenagers but he could do it with out being too explicit, however at the same time they also argued that the explicit language was also needed in a lot of areas as it allows the artist to further express his emotions. The explicit lyrics used have also become some what of a trademark for Eminem so trying to completely censor his music would in a way ruin the persona that he has in fact become famous from. They feel as if it should not be censored but there could be more done to make sure that he does not swear or talk about violence as much as he does. 

 Eminems record label supports him, as they are representing the artist. They said that he has sold many albums world wide therefore his music is respected, his album Marshall Mathers LP sold over 10 million copies, which shows how well he followed.  This therefore shows that his music should not be censored as people like what he doing with his music, which is evident from this amount of copies that his album sold. They also admitted that the censorship issue is not really of much concern to them as ultimately as a record label their main is to make the largest profit from their signed artists, so as long as eminem 

The parents have mixed views about the artist as some are for and some are against. The parents that are for his music explain that it is down to the parents whether or not they allow their kids to listen to that type of music. It would also be up to the parents of the children to teach them right from wrong therefore they cannot say that the music has an effect on the children. It is how they have been brought up and what impact this has had on the child. Children can draw positives from his music as he has overcome many obstacles and he is where he today, which shows to the children that listen to it they can reach any goal that they set or themselves. However, the parents that are against his music explain that the explicit language and music that he has often offends young children therefore it should be censored. Also they parents explain that his attitudes may be adapted by children and they may look up to him as a role mode. They may follow his attitude of not really caring about society.

The radio station radio 1  disagree with his music. They dont agree with the language that he use and they also don't agree with the lyrics that explain about him killing people.As they are apart of the BBC they have a certain reputation to uphold being part of a quite a family orientated viewing station, so as previously mentioned when it comes to censorship they have to be very strict.Capital Xtra have quite the opposite view to radio 1 as the genre that they primarily broadcast is Rap and UK Grime which often has large amounts of profanity, in order to conform to the rules of Ofcom all songs broadcasted throughout the day are censored however after the 9pm watershed the radio channel may allow some profanity in lyrics to be broadcasted depending on the severity. Overall Capital Xtra are not strongly apposed to censorship however for a popular radio station they can be be seen as quite lenient

MTV support the censorship as they don’t want to offend any of, their large audiences and lose viewers. They don’t want complaints from audiences, as they are the biggest music channel in the world and of course that again comes with a certain reputation that they must uphold especially with the wide variety of ages that watch their channel so they have to be careful in what they show so they are not seen to be influencing younger viewers with the more adult related songs/ music videos.The radio station AKA want to represent the true artist and what they represent therefore they disagree with censorship to a certain extent, they see themselves as a channel that is very orientated towards the artist as that is where their main focus is, they have been a key part in helping UK Rap/Grime artists become famous and reach a wider audience then what was possible. In order for them to be accommodating to the artist as possible they have to ease on the censorship after 9pm which is known as watershed, this allows certain profanity to be shown at TV depending on the nature of the lyrics, it is used very often on channel AKA as it allows them to achieve the amount of censorship that they want. 

I think that artists should not be censored as they educate people on their experiences and they help people not to make the same mistakes they did. However, I think that they can still educate people but they can do it without being to explicit as children listen to the music and they may adopt the views of the artist. For example if a artist talks about rape or mugging then the child may adopt this if they are not educated by their teachers, parents or music.

In conclusion, the various music videos that i have looked at are just trying to express their artists song through the music videos they have made. The artists are telling the story behind the song through the music video, therefore i feel as if they should be shown to some extend. Finally, if some music videos do show violence or drug use then these music videos show be shown at a later time, so children will be asleep and therefore they are protecting them but still showing the music video after a certain time. 

research into goodwins theory

Analysing music videos are important as it allows us to break down the conventions that are expected to be seen within a music video. A music video would typically consist of dancing, singing or instruments, depending on what type of genre the music video comes under. The theory that i am analysing throughout this post is Goodwins theory that contains seven key characteristics that a large majority of music should have.  I looked at the music video domino by Jessie J as this has the seven characterises that need to be covered.

The first point Goodwin expects to see is how the music video demonstrates genre characterises. Within this music video Jessie J uses a semi dance routine as she repeats the same dance moves over, but she try’s to hide it to look like she is just dancing to her song. It is event that she dances throughout the music video to make the song seem like a dance song.This is quite conventional of the pop genre as they very often feature the artist involved in some sort of a dance routine which is evident in this music video. The target audience will most likely enjoy the use of the dance genre as it is something they are used to seeing so therefore it is expected and most likely will be enjoyed.

The second characteristic that Goodwin expects to see covered with a music video is the relationship between lyrics and visuals. This was evident when she sings “ head spinning out of control” and then she spins her head and her body also seems to spin out of control Also the green screen shows her moods during the song, therefore the lyrics and visuals match up. The purpose of this is too show that during her song, there are different emotions such as happy, confused and angry. It would appeal to a target audience as the audience would go through all these emotions throughout their lives therefore she is relating to them.Its evident through research that again this seems to be quite a conventional characteristic of the pop genre as it allows the target audience to build a greater relationship with lyrics and the artist.

The third element would be the relationship between the music and visuals. This is evident as Jessie J is dancing to the beat throughout the music video and It shows  the audience that the song and the beat are easily able to be danced to . This would then appeal to the target audience as the age group she is targeting would want to listen and buy that song. The purpose would be too sell more albums and songs to make more profit. Songs within the pop genre do tend to have an up beat which is again makes this video further conventional within the pop genre although there is also a large amount of sadistic songs within the genre so it seems there are quite a few conventions.

The next element is the demand of a label to make the artist a label. The producers have done this within Jessie J’s video as they have close ups on her to show her facial expressions which seem to repeat throughout the whole music video quite often. Also it is evident throughout the different fashion she uses and wears, showing that she wears them clothes therefore the target audience would want to follow her. This would then promote the fashion therefore making her a fashion icon and label. The target audience would want to wear her clothes and copy her style. 

The fifth point that Goodwin wants to see is the frequent reference to nation of looking and particular voyeuristism between the female bodies. It is evident in the music video from the long shot when her whole body is in a short skirt and she wears stockings. This is to get male attention, as her video is stereotypically to be for girls. This would therefore make her target audience range larger therefore selling more albums.

The sixth element needed is there often intertexual reference to films,magazines and TV programmes. This is evident when she wears boy London clothes and when it has an extreme close up on PiageT watch. This is then promoting them clothes and watches that she wears. This would then make her audience want to go out and buy them clothes to be like her, it would then lead to her being a face of a certain brand and then making more money.

The last element that Goodwins expects to see in a music video is whether its is primarily based on performance, narrative or concept based. This music video was predominately performance as   she is constantly dancing and singing within her music video. Jessie J has done this to show the video has no other purpose except for being a dance video. It would make the audience see that it is purely a dance video.

Looking at this theory it has helped me to break down conventions of a music video. During the production of my music video I will look at the characteristics and try to include Goodwins theory to help it become conventional. This post will enable to me to look at the conventions in more detail and to follow conventions rather than break them which is what some music videos do.

Research into music channels- Miss.Georgiou

The purpose of music television channels is to provide a platform that allows artists to share their music with the audience usually through the form of satellite, cable or digital TV. The music channels tend to host their own shows and chart shows 

MTV

• The target audience for MTV consists of teenagers between the ages of 13 to 21 year olds.
• MTV main genre of music which it plays is usually songs that have been in the top 40 charts

• Rhianna, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Jason Derulo and maroon 5 are all examples of artists that typically feature on MTV
• These types of artists are mainly used as the top 40 charts consists of the most popular artists and songs at that moment in time, so in order to cater for there large audiences they will have to play the most popular artists in order for their choices of music videos to appeal to everyone.
• These particular artists apply to the same theory as they are all popular top 40 artists that provide songs and music videos that tend to be very popular among MTV's demographic, hence the reason their music is played so often on MTV
• MTV is owned by Viacom media networks, it is a large company that owns a wide variety of other channels such as comedy central, nickelodeon and VH1
• Examples of segments on MTV are "One direction: official top 10" and "the official UK top 20", these types of programs both link back to the demographic as these programs are quite clearly aimed at teenagers as one direction's target audience is teenage girls and the UK top 20 artists have a large majority of people from the ages of 13 to 21 that listen to them 
• Lastly MTV has taken a simplistic approach to their company logo for one main reason which is to take the attention away from their logo when music videos are shown on their music channel, the colour scheme of the logo also supports this further as the colours chosen are dull and not very noticeable.

Channel AKA

• The target audience for channel AKA consists of teenagers between the ages of 15-25 years old

• The main genre of music which channel AKA plays usually consists of UK urban/grime/hip-hop and was a major influence on the careers of popular UK artists such as  Tinchy Stryder, Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, Chipmunk, Wretch 32, Devlin and N-Dubz which are also the typical type of artists you see featured on channel AKA.
• These types of artists are mainly used as the UK grime/urban/hip-hop category consists of artists that are quite popular among UK culture or showcases up and coming UK artists that adhere to that genre of music.In order to cater for their relatively  large audience they will still have to show popular UK hip-hop artists in order to generate views of the music videos that they show.
• The artists mentioned  
• Channel AKA also a few segments on their channel such as "Urban Throwbacks", "UK gold" and "Hip Hop, Rap & Rhymes". These segments all play different genres of music or music from different time periods which is specifically shown in the "Urban Throwback". These segments are all aimed towards their demographic as they need to ensure that the segments they have created are frequently viewed.

• The channel scuzz would typically target the older generation who were interested in rock. 
• This would be evident form the music that is being played on the show; it has a broad range of rock including all its sub-dramas. During the daytime it plays more pop punk and current metal from up and coming artists. 
• It aims to promote new artists to make fans of the rock world be able to recognise them and want to listen to more of their music. The channel has been known to promote many UK artists including Enter Shikari, young guns, me and you at six and deaf Havana who all regularly get played on the station. 
• The sister channels of Scuzz include chart show tv, chart show dance and true entertainment. This would show that scuzz would use these channels to promote their music channel and promote the up and coming artists they show on their music channel.
•  The ‘SCUZZ’ log would appeal to their target audience as it is in the design of a typical heavy metal and punky design. The logo would appeal to the audience as it stands out and is different to any other music channels logo that I have looked at. The logo has a stand out appeal and the rockers would like the look of it therefore it would result in them listening to their radio channel.

•  The target audience for VH1 is people in their early twenties to mid fifties as their music ranges from radio and chart based much like MTV to early and late era based music.
•  For example they may play music from the 90s for an hour, and then play chart music, it varies. The music that is chart based, regular artists that are played include Kayne West and Beyoncé. 
• These two artists are constantly in the charts with their new singles being played a lot when they are first brought out. However other artists include guns n roses and the rolling stones. 
• These two groups were loved across the world in the 80s and this would appeal to the older audiences. This channel is a part of the MTV family and therefore both channels with help each other with advertising and promotion. 
• The logo that VH1 uses is contemporary as the colours are soft and relaxed. This would then appeal to the audience range as it has the look that everyone could like. 

• The box television target audience is around 11-21 as they play music that is exclusive. 
• The audience would want to watch this music as they play world and country exclusive screenings of the music videos, therefore they audience would want to be the first ones to see the new music and their videos. 
• Examples of artists that regularly played on this channel are Justin Bieber, one direction and Rita Ora. As this artists are for the younger audiences it would appeal to the target audiences as there are loads of hardcore fans that will follow this artists and groups all around the world. 
• Therefore they will want to see their music videos first. This channel sisters channels include channel4, film4 and more4. 
• The sister’s channels would then show off the box channel to get more viewers, which would make more profit for this channel. 
• As the logo is in black and white the colours contrast well. The logo would stand out to the target audience as it is in graffiti type music and it is bold as it stands out from other colour logos. It is a logo that tells you what it is rather than a flashy logo.

The reason for MTV having sub channels such as MTV hits, MTV base and MTV dance is so that they are able to appeal to a wider demographic which is not possible with only one channel that primarily shows music videos from the "Top 40", with the use of their other channels they are able to show music videos from specific genres. Music channels are important in appealing to a target audience as in order for the music videos to generate views the music channels need to make sure that the content they produce are intended for the target audience that they produce for.There are a large variety of music channel as many people have different tastes of music so in order for those tastes to be satisfied there needs to be large verities of music channels that showcase different genres of music.By analysing these music channels I have learnt that there are music channels that cater for smaller sub genres and not just the "Top 40" popular as well as that the target audience is very important to establish before creating a music channel.The analysis will help with my own production as it allows me to see where my production would be shown based on the genre and styles of my music video.