The evolution of fuck
In 1997 an artist by the name of Meredith Brooks came out with a song entitled "Bitch". I am slightly embarassed to say that I purchased the album and listened to it. For some reason I associated her with Alanis Morissette. The song was significant because it broke into the mainstream and was the first time in my life where the word bitch was used without censorship. It is entirely likely that a thirteen year old was more interested in the use of curse words than in appreciating a certain style of music. I still remember the chorus today.
I'm a bitch I'm a lover,
I'm a child I'm a mother.
I'm a sinner I'm a saint,
I do not feel ashamed.
I'm your hell I'm your dream,
I'm nothing in between and no you wouldn't want it any other way.
Bitch wasn't initially acceptable when the song was released however. It was a whole process, wherein DJ's would omit the name and the lyrics would be censored; but as time passed, the song became so popular that more and more you would hear the explicit version. I checked out her Wikipedia page and it turns out she released a few albums, seeing moderate success on the billboard charts; in total releasing five albums with another on the way this year.
Here we are a decade later and we have alternative media in which there is no traditional censorship. The mainstream media though, has slowly but surely loosened its restrictions. The word bitch is rarely censored anymore at all, piss can be said with impunity, even damn and ass have become acceptable so long as there isn't a God before the former or a hole following the latter.
On August 19th, Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You" came out, getting over two million views in five days, and with its success comes perhaps the final push towards the complete removal of censorship in modern media. Of course, you Lily Allen fans out there know that she had previously released a song with the same title in 2008. Allen's version was more well received in Europe than here in the States, nonetheless, it should not be said that Green's use of the phrase as a song title was a first - nor was Allen's. In 1999, the Dr. Dre Album 2001 contained a track of the yet again the same name.
As should be expected, the alternative title for Cee Lo Green's song has been announced: The title "Forget You" will likely broach the mainstream as well as a non-explicit radio edit. Just as Meredith Brooks single was initially referred to as "Nothing In Between", so too will the original wording be modified in order to appease censors.
It seems ridiculous at this point as anyone with internet access can go directly to YouTube right now and listen to the song in its entirety, completely uncensored, for free. There isn't even a disclaimer or a nice button to click for age verification (as with my page here).
I stand corrected, there is verification required. I was logged in when I watched it the first time so I did not see the disclaimer.
I'm a bitch I'm a lover,
I'm a child I'm a mother.
I'm a sinner I'm a saint,
I do not feel ashamed.
I'm your hell I'm your dream,
I'm nothing in between and no you wouldn't want it any other way.
Bitch wasn't initially acceptable when the song was released however. It was a whole process, wherein DJ's would omit the name and the lyrics would be censored; but as time passed, the song became so popular that more and more you would hear the explicit version. I checked out her Wikipedia page and it turns out she released a few albums, seeing moderate success on the billboard charts; in total releasing five albums with another on the way this year.
Here we are a decade later and we have alternative media in which there is no traditional censorship. The mainstream media though, has slowly but surely loosened its restrictions. The word bitch is rarely censored anymore at all, piss can be said with impunity, even damn and ass have become acceptable so long as there isn't a God before the former or a hole following the latter.
On August 19th, Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You" came out, getting over two million views in five days, and with its success comes perhaps the final push towards the complete removal of censorship in modern media. Of course, you Lily Allen fans out there know that she had previously released a song with the same title in 2008. Allen's version was more well received in Europe than here in the States, nonetheless, it should not be said that Green's use of the phrase as a song title was a first - nor was Allen's. In 1999, the Dr. Dre Album 2001 contained a track of the yet again the same name.
As should be expected, the alternative title for Cee Lo Green's song has been announced: The title "Forget You" will likely broach the mainstream as well as a non-explicit radio edit. Just as Meredith Brooks single was initially referred to as "Nothing In Between", so too will the original wording be modified in order to appease censors.
It seems ridiculous at this point as anyone with internet access can go directly to YouTube right now and listen to the song in its entirety, completely uncensored, for free. There isn't even a disclaimer or a nice button to click for age verification (as with my page here).
I stand corrected, there is verification required. I was logged in when I watched it the first time so I did not see the disclaimer.