Sean Kingston's Beautiful Girls "Banned" ...your view?

[Lionel Ritchie]

A RADIO station has banned a controversial song dealing with suicide from its playlist following a flood of complaints from listeners.


Dublin music station FM104 said that with the rate of suicide among young people at an all-time high, it felt it was no longer appropriate to air Sean Kingston's 'Beautiful Girls'. Meanwhile, 2FM confirmed last night that the song is also not on its playlist.

The song, which deals with unrequited love, has spent the last month at the top of the Irish and British single charts. However, there have been growing calls internationally for it to be pulled from television and radio playlists.

Kingston, a 17-year-old reggae-pop star, sings: "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."

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission is also looking closely at the song having received a number of complaints about it in recent days

MORE HERE (http://www.independent.ie/national-news/station-bans-hit-song-about-suicide-1084875.html)

Personally I'd probably have banned it just for being a chavvy piece of so called R'n'B:rolleyes:/Urban claptrap. Vile record from a vile genre and all that. BUT... is this not all a bit silly?

Where do we stop? Songs that mention Suicide by name (M*A*S*H* Theme/Simon & Garfunkel?) or hint at it (I Can't Live -Nillson/Mariah Carey ...please please please please YES) ....and why stop at suicide? why not have a whole raft of other records that promote, refer, acknowledge or provide other sideways nods to felonious or socially unacceptable behaviour struck from the playlists as well?

Off the top of my head such a list would have to include...

The Dubliners - Weila Waile. Because: Infanticide.

The Wolfe Tones - entire back catalogue. Because: Sedition/Incitement to hatred/reckless promotion of leather waistcoats.

Roy Orbison -I Drove All Night. Because: he drove all night. no refs to regular fifteen minute stops.

Nick Cave - Where The Wild Roses Grow -Because: romanticises pre-meditated homicide ...though what sane person hasn't pondered rocking Kylie Minogues head in at some point in the last twenty years?

That last one actually brings me neatly to a salient point. Surely Australian soap operas shouldn't be exempt from a cull of media that endorses or romanticises errant behaviour. I've heard educators, linguists and child psychologists complain about Home and Away doing measurable damage to youngsters communicative and conflict resolution skills.

Also -if we're to go down this path I'd like to put myself forward as arbiter. I'll cast a broad net, weild an even stroke of a keen scythe and hold all before me in equal contempt.:cool:

[GuisaSaigon]

The Wolfe Tones - reckless promotion of leather waistcoats.


:D lol:D

[superfrank]

What utter Nazism by the radio stations.

I personally think the song is terrible and will not be sad to not have to listen to it but it is ridiculous that a song which simply mentions the word is banned.

It is just simply sweeping the problem under the table. These people clearly need help. Finding someway to reach out to them would be much more helpful than banning every song that mentions suicide. Advertising support services every commercial break would be muh better, imo.

[Magicme]

Was actually a bit disturbed to hear a group of kids aged between 7 & 12 at our game friday nite singing that song. Only cottoned on when they sang the bit about suicide. Not sure banning it is the way to go but I do think it was a bit irresponisble of the record company considering the young lad that sings it and the style of song is going to be marketed at the kids.

[Ceirtlis]

I dont think it should be banned myself, it never occured to me really even though i have heard it more times than i have ever wanted too. There is a fairly upbeat tempo to it anyways.
I personally think it should be banned for the line that goes something like, "when i went away for doing my first crime," he is 17 ffs. Pure tripe and a rape of a good song.

[gilberto_eire]

you've mentioned the wolfetones there.... when have you ever heard there songs been played?.... there songs have been banned for years!!

[adamcarr]

hank God they've banned it, absolutely terrible song.

[Marked Man]

hank God .

These country music stars and their egos...

[pineapple stu]

The Police's Can't Stand Losing You (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can%27t_Stand_Losing_You) was never banned, which is explicitly about suicide. Stupid PC hype.

Edit - in fact, never read the link I posted! It was banned originally. Still, agree with those saying that rap, etc, trivialises a lot of unsavoury behaviour, and there's no reason to ban this song over any other.

[alansmithccfc]

**** song

On the suicide matter, alot more needs to be done to decrease the trend. There is always an answer to your problem is all people say, they need mroe help than that.
I can understand it being banned as with young people they idolise these so called "stars" and some even copy them a la say they fell suicidal

[Lionel Ritchie]

you've mentioned the wolfetones there.... when have you ever heard there songs been played?.... there songs have been banned for years!!

I concede I knew that. Jeez you try to add a little colour to a point and the fact-police get their truncheons out.;)

Actually I find it the height of hypocracy that the radio stations are happy to take The Wolfe Tones money to advertise their tours but won't play their stuff. Now I appreciate that on a purely commercial level there's little imperative to play them but still... I'm fairly sure if the WTs loyalist mirror image (Platoon or Brigadoon or whatever they're called) tried to buy radio ads down here to promote some appearance or other a way would be found to frustrate them.

As for Sean Kingston ...heard it on the radio last night (today FM I'm guessing) and it is no more nor less vile than the vast, vast majority of records of it's ilk ....all the usual passive sociopathic and criminality reference b0ll0cks the knacks love and sounding like it was recorded on an old philips tape recorder. I'm sure it features prominently on many a stolen Ipod. Time was when you'd a good long war every 15 or 20 years to thin their feckin ranks out.

Now I'm away to lie down ...I appear to have taken one of my periodic lurches to the right.

[pineapple stu]

Time was when you'd a good long war every 15 or 20 years to thin their feckin ranks out.
:D

Funny 'cos it's true.

[micls]

Would be delighted if there was a widespread ban simply cos its an absolutely awful song but don't think its any worse than many others.

Songs regularly trivialise death, murder, prostitution, drug addiction etc without being banned I don't see why suicide should be any different.

But ban it anyway

[Risteard]

I heard its been re-issued with in deni-al in place of suicid-al.

[Lim till i die]

Was actually a bit disturbed to hear a group of kids aged between 7 & 12 at our game friday nite singing that song. Only cottoned on when they sang the bit about suicide.

I've always found something really wrong with country folk acting the African-American myself :)


Time was when you'd a good long war every 15 or 20 years to thin their feckin ranks out.

"Thanks a lot Warren Christopher" :p

[Macy]

On the suicide matter, alot more needs to be done to decrease the trend. There is always an answer to your problem is all people say, they need mroe help than that.
Banning a song will do nothing, bar boost it's sales though. Woeful song, that really doesn't need to sell more!

You are right of course about suicide, more people die by committing suicide than die on the roads, particularly young men. Yet Suicide prevention struggles to get funding to a tiny percentage of what is spent by Gaybo, Noel Brett and the other dicks in the RSA.

Lionel - you missed every song by Suicide

[passinginterest]

Does banning a song for using the word 'suicidal' not just add to the stigma? I admit it's a bit odd to make such a poppy record about such a serious topic, but, it has brought new life to the suicide issue in Ireland from what I can see.

If anything the song could be seen as an attempt to reach out and admit to feelings that would otherwise be repressed. Isn't it usually the people who never mention suicide that kill themselves? I'm not sure of the facts, but, I can't see this kind of censorship helping anybody.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Does banning a song for using the word 'suicidal' not just add to the stigma? I admit it's a bit odd to make such a poppy record about such a serious topic, but, it has brought new life to the suicide issue in Ireland from what I can see.

If anything the song could be seen as an attempt to reach out and admit to feelings that would otherwise be repressed. Isn't it usually the people who never mention suicide that kill themselves? I'm not sure of the facts, but, I can't see this kind of censorship helping anybody.

I've long thought that any of the soap operas could be massively improved by the addition of a kindly grandfather figure who always and without exception advised suicide when someone poured their heart out to him. :D

Can't you picture some auld fellah in Emmerdale scratching his chin and going, "ave you ever considered sooh-ee-cide luv? They say it's painless and brings on many changes y'noh"

[Wolfie]

Anyone remember 3rd rate indie band "Kingmaker" in the early 90's?

Their lead singer (Loz?) tended to bang on about a desire to commit suicide in interviews where many would gladly have done the job for him.

He wrote this below which appeared on their "Idiots at the wheel EP".

No idea if he ever did top himself.

Every Teenage Suicide

Three minutes time
My well will run dry
No need to cry or feel sorrow

The moon is a jewel
But it shines like a fool
I can't really face tomorrow

Suicide

Stood on a chair
Soon I'll hang in the air
Swinging from the lamp by a noose

Blackest of thoughts
God knows I have fought
But alive I don't feel any use

Suicide

Finally cracked
I'm down on the tracks
My head is lined up with the wheels

Tried to be loved
Find a force from above
Below is always how I feel

Suicide

[Lionel Ritchie]

I used quite like Kingmaker actually. Ten Years Asleep was a class song. Though it might as well have actually been The Wonderstuff it sounded so similar.

[Pauro 76]

Ban the song because it's a dire monstrosity. But because the word 'suicide' appears in a song, that doesnt mean the suicide rate is going to go up. I think 'suicide' has actually appeared in a song chorus before.

Ash - Burn Baby Burn anyone?

Look into my tired eyes
See someone you dont recognise
Words that cant be untied
Oh this is slow suicide.

They didnt ban that. Or INXS 'Suicide Blonde' for that matter....

[First]

Say no to censorship.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Ban the song because it's a dire monstrosity. But because the word 'suicide' appears in a song, that doesnt mean the suicide rate is going to go up. I think 'suicide' has actually appeared in a song chorus before.

Ash - Burn Baby Burn anyone?

Look into my tired eyes
See someone you dont recognise
Words that cant be untied
Oh this is slow suicide.

They didnt ban that. Or INXS 'Suicide Blonde' for that matter....

a poor effort by Ash' standards and a standard dirge from the hangin'wankies ...I might've banned them both meself.

[jebus]

I'd ban the song, and kill anyone who sings it at matches, but then again I tend to be a bit of a right wing meglomaniac these days

[Neish]

Song should be banned for ripping off "STAND BY ME"

[Risteard]

Sampling you mean.
I'd have thought the writer of that song (Did Ben E King compose?) is credited.

[Neish]

Sampling you mean.
I'd have thought the writer of that song (Did Ben E King compose?) is credited.

Don't care, too many artists(if you can call them that) just getting lazy & sampling/ using other peoples songs with their own lyrics,vast majority of which wreck classic tunes.

[superfrank]

Im fairness, if it weren't for sampling I'd have never come across the great music of George Clinton, James Brown, Bootsy, Pariament-Funkadelic, Cameo, Zapp, the list goes on. I have to thank producers who sample for that.

[DaveyCakes]

Time was when you'd a good long war every 15 or 20 years to thin their feckin ranks out.



So true, so true. If only....I'd also settle for a military coup and a few years of martial law.

[Jerry The Saint]

You know Smithers, I've never believed in suicide, but... if you'd like to try it, it might cheer me up to watch.


And they didn't ban that movie.

[bellavistaman]

I heard its been re-issued with in deni-al in place of suicid-al.

I heard that version coming home from harps saturday, makes the song sound ten times worse. Now official bella rating of -20, although its one of the annoying ones that always in my head.

[noby]

INXS 'Suicide Blonde'

That's a reference to diy blondes - dyed by their own hands, not an actual suicide reference. Oh and it pre-dates the INXS song.

Thankfully, up until last week I presumed the song in reference to this thread was that 'Hey girls you are beautiful' one, until they played a clip on the news. I'm still managing to avoid hearing it in it's entirety.

[endabob1]

Firstly I haven't heard the song but I will say that Censorship like this is wrong, stupid & naieve. Rather than ban the song it should be used to promote discussion about the rising trend of teenage/young suicides.

Does anyone else remember the controversey when Dave Fanning played "Cop Killer" from Ice-T's bodycount album. Some idiot from the Gardai was on TV saying how irresponsible it was and RTE should be ashamed etc... it turned out he had neither heard the song or read the lyrics! These things tend to bring out the Irish equivalent to "Annoyed from Tunbridge Wells".