Sanitizing the airwaves
In the latest attempt by the Parents Television Council to highlight broadcast indecency, the group called for a ban on radio airplay of "If You Seek Amy" because -- said rapidly -- children might hear the words as, spelling "Fuck Me." The idea is that the phrase can be heard as "F-U-C-K Me."
The controversy has drawn sharp lines in the blogosphere, as parents divide on use of language that children may be exposed to while listening to radio. Some parents and children, however, wrote that they did not hear the profanity in the song until it was pointed out in media by the PTC.
The song has made the Billboard Top 1oo chart and is receiving airplay around the country, according to Reuters.
Beyond the song title, the lyrics include the following: "All the boys and all the girls are begging to if you seek Amy," according to a music lyrics website.
Talking points: "This is a stretch," University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Communication Director Jeremy Lipschultz said. "If we now say that the phrase 'If you seek' belongs among words you cannot say on radio and television, where does this end?"
"By going after iterations of the F-word and dual-meanings, I think the moral crusaders weaken their shaken case that language should be restricted," Lipschultz said. "In a free society, we tolerate freedom of speech that we may not like -- especially in the absence of scientific evidence of harm to children.
The controversy has drawn sharp lines in the blogosphere, as parents divide on use of language that children may be exposed to while listening to radio. Some parents and children, however, wrote that they did not hear the profanity in the song until it was pointed out in media by the PTC.
The song has made the Billboard Top 1oo chart and is receiving airplay around the country, according to Reuters.
Beyond the song title, the lyrics include the following: "All the boys and all the girls are begging to if you seek Amy," according to a music lyrics website.
Talking points: "This is a stretch," University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Communication Director Jeremy Lipschultz said. "If we now say that the phrase 'If you seek' belongs among words you cannot say on radio and television, where does this end?"
"By going after iterations of the F-word and dual-meanings, I think the moral crusaders weaken their shaken case that language should be restricted," Lipschultz said. "In a free society, we tolerate freedom of speech that we may not like -- especially in the absence of scientific evidence of harm to children.
