Censoring Song Lyrics - How Not To Do It
by asmo917
For the first time in a few years, I've actually been enjoying my time with Madden. I've probably played Madden 11 more in this first week of release than I did of Madden 09 and Madden 10 combined over their lifespan. While I liked hearing some new (or new to me) music in every year's release, I do think the use of more traditional stadium rock helps add to the atmosphere and create a more auth...
For the first time in a few years, I've actually been enjoying my time with Madden. I've probably played Madden 11 more in this first week of release than I did of Madden 09 and Madden 10 combined over their lifespan. While I liked hearing some new (or new to me) music in every year's release, I do think the use of more traditional stadium rock helps add to the atmosphere and create a more authentic experience. But then I hear brief gaps of silence. I know these songs for the most part, I grew up listening to them and still keep "Machinehead" and "Welcome to the Jungle" on my iPod. The first cut I noticed was jarring, but it made sense. I understand EA and Tiburon shying away from letting Axl Rose scream "You're in the jungle baby...you're gonna DIE!" at pre-teens and even younger crowds. Then I heard Thunderstruck come on...or should I say "heard Thunderstruck start to play." When you hit a certain age, you learn words have multiple meanings, and there's a potentially sexual connotation to the word "come." It's a thinly veiled double entendre if you're of a certain age, but it IS veiled in the context of the song and AC/DC discussing a trip "through to Texas."
If a songwriter has given himself plausible deniability, does censoring words with double meanings cause more problems? Have any parents had to explain why a song his or her kid has heard on the radio sounds different in Madden? This seems like a case of someone - EA, Tiburon, the ESRB - being hypersensitive. If you have to censor music (and I'm NOT advocating it, but I get it), use some common sense.