The genre ‘Rap’ (as in music) has a comical air, something to do with Ali G perhaps, and the more seriously it’s taken the more comical it becomes. This opinion is my own and does not represent that of the BBC.
So the BBC’s decision to ban the words “Free” and “Palestine” from the lyrics of rapper Mic Righteous, or muffle them with the sound of breaking glass, would be hilarious, if it wasn’t stupid and almost sinister.
Poor Mic Righteous had to chant:
“I still have the same beliefs
I can scream (broken glass)
Die for my pride still pray for peace,
Still burn a fed for the brutality
They spread over the world.”
However, the Beeb changed its tiny mind.
“The BBC Trust has decided it is not “proportionate or cost-effective” to proceed further with the complaint, but the original decision does not seem proportionate either. Indeed, had the BBC allowed the song to go through uncensored, it probably would not have been remarked upon (after all, it was two words, not a long political diatribe). As it is, this incident sends a very uncomfortable message.”
This arbitrary censoring and arbitrary uncensoring shows what a muddled thing this impartiality lark can be.
It would be a mistake to assume that every pro-Israel blogger automatically approved of this ban, just as it would be wrong to assume that they would support the BBC’s decision not to air the DEC appeal, never mind the ensuing brouhaha. Most people were ambivalent. (Glad they didn’t show it, but sorry the ban made the BBC look even-handed.) It’s not that they didn’t want people to donate to the cause – as if the ban would have stopped them – but they didn’t relish the prospect of more propaganda than necessary being thrust upon us via the BBC.
The BBC is a devious beast. Things like this are used to bolster claims that they don’t take sides, but in the face of the constant barrage of pro-Palestinian material we detail here day-in and day-out that’s patently ridiculous.
So ‘Free Palestine’ is censored but ‘burn a Fed’ is not?
I suppose they approve of killing Israeli (i.e. Jewish) officials but are worried about taking sides?
How quaint.
I think they “banned” it just to draw attention to the message (one of which they approve) otherwise 99.9% of people would not even have known about the “song”.
It cleverly also looks like they were also acting under orders from the “Jewish Lobby” but then showed a principled stand and fought back against these evil Zionists and dropped the ban after such a planned very-short time.
As Sue says, to others it may look that they are being even-handed but that it definitely not the case. The BBC have manufactured the whole thing as yet another stick with which to beat Israel.
The BBC can be no other than Bin Ladens flip flop…it has long ceased to have any internal integrity or consistency in anything.
Unless it`s anti-Israel, USA, dads, whites or general conserving of what actaully be of service to the “civilians/punters/Brits”-and all other Liberal labels for the vast majority of people trying to get by in Blairs Kitchen.
Truly infested/plagued by Guardian memes gone viral…moral CJD.
Hence their schizoid and frankly weird decisions and judgements-imagine Qatada won`t be losing any sleep over it.
Witness how Piggott trailed his piece on the morning news about Sacks and his replacement being advertised?…desperate drivel!
Yes, very smart!
When rap comes on the radio or tv I (and most people I know) switch over, so without the ‘censorship’ their audience would never have known what he was singing! “Free Palesitine” apparently….