# Ha! What are the censors on MTV smoking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610 "2004-04-23T12:33:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Scratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Chicken\_Scratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Scratch)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/1 "2004-04-23T12:33:48Z")
I just saw an Avril Lavigne video on MTV, where she spouts these lyrics, “I got you in my pants, I’ll have to kick your ass, and make you never forget.” MTV bleeped out “in my pants” but not “ass”. Since when is “in my pants” more vulgar/unacceptable than “ass”? If we were out in public, I’d rather my 5-year-old niece tell me she’s got an itch in her pants than an itch in her ass. Actually, I think the “ass” one is funnier, but seriously…who decides this stuff on MTV? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/2 "2004-04-23T13:54:16Z")
> [@Chicken Scratch](#): > > I just saw an Avril Lavigne video on MTV, where she spouts these lyrics, > “I got you in my pants, I’ll have to kick your ass, and make you never forget.” > > MTV bleeped out “in my pants” but not “ass”. Since when is “in my pants” more vulgar/unacceptable than “ass”? If we were out in public, I’d rather my 5-year-old niece tell me she’s got an itch in her pants than an itch in her ass. Actually, I think the “ass” one is funnier, but seriously…who decides this stuff on MTV? This is a whoosh, right? “kick your ass” is more “objectionable” to you than “I got you in my pants”? ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/3 "2004-04-23T14:28:00Z")
> [@Chicken Scratch](#): > > If we were out in public, I’d rather my 5-year-old niece tell me she’s got an itch in her pants than an itch in her ass. Would you rather she say, “Damn, I’d let that boy in my pants any day,” or “Susie’s an idiot, I’m gonna kick her ass”? It’s all about context. Though granted “in my pants” is hardly censorable for MTV, I would think. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/4 "2004-04-23T15:10:08Z")
If she had sung, “I got you in my ass,” I bet they would have bleeped that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/5 "2004-04-23T15:45:16Z")
Do you similarly object to “butt”, “fanny”, or “derriere”? Cause they mean the same thing as “ass”, right? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/6 "2004-04-23T15:51:55Z")
I’ve been playing a new online game, Lineage 2, the last few days and I’ve noticed some funny things while messing with the bad word filter. You can say shit, but not poop, and you can say cunt, but not vagina. I’m starting to think the people that designed this game don’t speak English. ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/7 "2004-04-23T16:00:17Z")
So what else is new? MTV has always been far more concerned with censoring sex, drug use and suggestive behavior than censoring violence or violent behavior. Y’know, because kids would never learn about sex and drugs if it weren’t for MTV. :rolleyes: Par for the course. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/8 "2004-04-23T16:02:53Z")
The REALLY disturbing thing about that Avril Lavigne song is that she sang it at the NICKELODEAN KID’S CHOICE AWARDS!!! My seven year old was watching that show, and I was genuinely surprised when I listened to the lyrics she sang. Jesus, it’s a show for children! ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/9 "2004-04-23T16:04:07Z")
I remember some years ago, during a concert clip of Weezer performing “Hash Pipe” MTV repeatedly censored the word “asswipe,” but did not do that for the video of the same song (IIRC). They also never bothered to censor the line “shit I got to have her” in ZZ Top’s “Legs” back in the 80’s, even though _everybody_ knew what the line said. So, at best, MTV’s censors are inconsistent. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/10 "2004-04-23T16:27:54Z")
The Avril Lavigne song you’re discussing, “Don’t Tell Me”, is one I would think parents and censors would wholly APPROVE of. If you listen to all the lyrics you’ll discover it’s a song about a girl resisting the sexual advances of a guy. The line in question is: “Don’t think that your charmin’, the fact that your arm is now around my neck, will get you in my pants, I’ll have to kick your ass, and make you never forget.” It goes on: " I’m gonna ask you to stop, that I like you a lot, but I’m really upset. So get outta’ my head, get offa’ my bed. Yeah, that’s what I said". Sounds like a pretty positive message for Avril’s young female fan base, if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/11 "2004-04-23T18:10:22Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > Sounds like a pretty positive message for Avril’s young female fan base, if you ask me. But she talked about _sex_! Won’t someone think of the _children_?! Oh wait… ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/12 "2004-04-23T18:57:10Z")
IIRC, Jon Stewart made a joke about “finger-banging Elmo” on _The Daily Show._ The network bleeped “finger,” but left “banging.” 😕 Um, guys, if you’re only going to bleep half of it, why _that_ half? ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/13 "2004-04-23T22:21:27Z")
Is this only an American thing? I’ve seen that video a couple times on MTV and I’m pretty sure they didnt beep any of it. And I agree with **randwill** , anyone with problems with these lyrics should really listen to the whole thing in full. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/14 "2004-04-23T22:40:57Z")
Oh, I thought this was going to be about how they don’t let Kanye West say “white.” He’s talking about black people and materialism and then says “and the … man get paid off of all of that.” What, are the MTV censors part of the conspiracy here? “We can’t let those negroes know that white people own the jewelry stores!” ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/15 "2004-04-23T22:59:39Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > The network bleeped “finger,” but left “banging.” > > Um, guys, if you’re only going to bleep half of it, why _that_ half? Because if they beeped the other half, everyone’s internal censor-correction circuit would read it as “finger-fucking,” which is arguably more offensive. (This reminds me of all the years that I thought Emilio Esteves’ character in _The Breakfast Club_ said “Eat my shit” after seeing it jarringly dubbed over as “Eat my socks” on American broadcast television. Imagine my surprise when I saw it on video and realized the offending phrase was “Eat my shorts.” :rolleyes: ) ---
**Author:** ![Teelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/16 "2004-04-24T02:49:27Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > Sounds like a pretty positive message for Avril’s young female fan base, if you ask me. Exactly, I think this is good for those kids at the teen choice awards. It will create girls with odd fashion sence that won’t take crap from horny boys, it seriously sounds good to me. ---
**Author:** ![International\_Playboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/48db29/32.png) [@International\_Playboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/International_Playboy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/17 "2004-04-25T04:46:00Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > IIRC, Jon Stewart made a joke about “finger-banging Elmo” on _The Daily Show._ > > The network bleeped “finger,” but left “banging.” > > 😕 > > Um, guys, if you’re only going to bleep half of it, why _that_ half? And this is the same network that has cartoon children singing about finger banging on South Park? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/18 "2004-04-25T04:51:57Z")
It’s also the same network that bleeps “Jesus” in certain contexts. I think the issue is when the programs air - the Daily Show is on at 7 pm EST (with reruns later) and South Park is on at 10 or 11. There are different standards for prime time vs. later in the evening when it’s assumed kids won’t be watching. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/19 "2004-04-25T05:01:32Z")
I think my favorite example of MTV censorship was in the video for Primus’s **Betty’s Big Brown Beaver** where there’s a bouncing ball going along with the lyrics at the bottom of the screen. In the line “I recognize that smell…”, they not only edited out the word from the song, but cut the word “Smell” out of the captions. But they left in “Smells like seven layers…” Yeah, someone somewhere’s got a huge screw loose. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610/20 "2004-04-25T05:52:55Z")
It was Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver, not Betty’s. And Primus is just weird enough that they might not have even been talking about a vagina. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ha-what-are-the-censors-on-mtv-smoking/241610.md?page=2)