In dark global times such as these, satire has become unflinchingly important – that is unless it's lazily rubbish satire about George Bush shoehorned into a 28-year-old song performed by a band that nobody's cared about for 13 years.
Because that's sort of what happened with Pearl Jam at Lollapalooza last weekend. During a mostly-witless snatch of a cover version of Another Brick In The Wall by Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam's lead singer Eddie Vedder shoehorned in two clunky pops at George Bush. And – even though pointing out a disregard for George Bush is about as controversial as standing onstage and shouting "hands up who likes kittens" – the jabs didn't go down well with Lollapalooza webcaster AT&T, which bleeped them both out, leaving Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam throwing a tantrum about censorship. For what it's worth, we know exactly how Pearl Jam can avoid censorship in the future – by never making another record or performing live ever again. Just a thought.
Artistic censorship is a big deal these days – whether it's Starbucks refusing to sell Bruce Springsteen albums that contain songs about bumming a whore, the Super Bowl censoring The Rolling Stones because old men singing about ejaculation is creepy or Japan censoring Britney Spears' naked stomach for fear of mass nausea. And the latest band to be censored by the evil corporations is Pearl Jam, the band that could have been the next Nirvana if only one of them thought about killing themselves a bit earlier.
At this year's Lollapalooza show in Chicago, Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam channelled his formidable capacity for whining about things into thinking up the cleverest, most biting piece of political satire possible – something that would galvanise the crowd into marching on Washington and bringing down the government. And, after some careful consideration, Vedder decided that this would best be accomplished by changing the lyrics of Another Brick In The Wall by Pink Floyd to "George Bush, leave this world alone." But AT&T, the Lollapalooza webcaster, couldn't handle such a searing piece of incendiary wordplay and – assuming that America would riot if it heard a 43-year-old millionaire shoehorn a terrible piece of angsty sixth-form poetry into a cover version of an old song about how boring school is while sounding like he was straining for a shit – censored it away.
And this has made Pearl Jam awfully angry, as they write on their website:
During the performance of "Daughter" the following lyrics were sung to the tune of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" but were cut from the webcast: "George Bush, leave this world alone." (the second time it was sung); and "George Bush find yourself another home." This, of course, troubles us as artists but also as citizens concerned with the issue of censorship and the increasingly consolidated control of the media. AT&T's actions strike at the heart of the public's concerns over the power that corporations have when it comes to determining what the public sees and hears through communications media.
We'll grudgingly admit that Pearl Jam have something dangerously close to a point here – if you're going to censor a line in a song about George Bush being inept you may as well censor lines about rain being wet or love making your heart go bing bang bong. AT&T should really hold its hands up here and accept responsibility for this disgusting outrage – after all, it only cut the sound to Pearl Jam's concert for ten seconds, when it would have been much more polite just to mute the whole thing and cut to a scene of something less embarrassing than Pearl Jam's mass-marketed rebellion, like a scene of a man dressed as a duck pushing cutlery up his bottom or something.
Read more:
LOLLAPALOOZA WEBCAST: SPONSORED/CENSORED BY AT&T? – Pearl Jam
AB says
“No one has cared about Pearl Jam for 13 years”???? Do your homework, they still pack huge arenas today and sell out in a matter of hours! They are better than ever!!!!
Eben Foster says
This is the best article you have ever written.
Viking Lumberjack says
It looks like we found SOMEONE that still cares about Pearl Jam, someone who cares about them so much that they use four exclamation marks at the end of their sentence.
JJ says
Stop spreading hate!
I was at the show and these comments actually evoked a lot of emotion. There was a near fight between two people who disagreed with each other right next to me.
Try and write an article that isn’t flaming and filled with negativity. I hope you aren’t always this unhappy.
And, yes, they are still one of the biggest bands in the world and the show was incredible.
Mike says
Yeah, censorship rocks! Who doesn’t love censorship? Raise your hand and a gentleman in black will escort you to a private screening area.
carlos says
Sounds like it’s time to boycott AT&T – we have to send a strong message to content gatekeepers….
THE BIG CHUCQUITA says
Gee it sound’s like somebody not a Pearl Jam fan. Your loss Stuart.
Rick G says
Freedom of speech is generally quite misunderstood. If Pearl Jam was paying all the bills and their speech was curtailed they may have a leg to stand on. But A T & T certainly has no obligation under any free speech ideals to carry what they think is possibly boorish, out of line, or disrespectful displays on their dime.
CY says
Sorry, AB… there were ONLY 100,000 people at the show
Blah says
Why does the logo of this website use the Grand Theft Auto site…
TB says
The author of this is so out of touch with reality. Wake up already and step back from your computer…
Pearl Jam has been around selling out venues all over this country as well as the world for many years now. You seem to miss what the whole point of this is anyway no matter who the band is or what they are saying…it’s about censorship. Last time I checked, this was the USA in which we have the freedom of speech and expression…unless we fight to keep that right, we will end up like China or other countries in which our internet, news and tv will all be censored to what the government, large corporations, and/or religious groups want us to hear. You being a writer should understand that completely. What if your work is always censored when you write about certain things that are controversial or taboo? I think you would take offense to it. Even if you don’t like the band or what they have to say about politics, we all need to stand up against censorship.
SW says
Good Article! I’m sick of all of the Bush bashing. If they don’t like him tell them to move to Canada!
Adam Gade says
People like TB and others here suffer from a common disease afflicting the humor response section of the brain; they seem to see only the “news”
section and don’t realize that the writer isn’t taking political sides, soapboxing over censorship or anything like that, he is merely taking a potshot at a lame band.
Which is coincidentally why I’m sure he is far from “always this unhappy”…
JoelB says
USA has freedom of speech? My lilly-white ass!
Try being pro-abortionist without being shot, blown up or just plain stabbed.
Fools.
Eben Foster says
Militant humourless Pearl Jam fans are shit.
THE BIG CHUCQUITA says
I did move to Canada but when they found out that my sister voted for Bush they kicked me out.
Gilbert Wham says
I never met a Canadian I liked.
Gilbert Wham says
Then again, I’ve only met three. They were all terrible cunts though.
WeaselBoy says
Pearl Jan is the best!!!! They’ve been performing to standing room only crowds at County Fairs and RV shows all over the country!!!!
john says
Why did my post on this site get censored by the wonderful fucktards of Heckler Spew?
Craig says
Being somewhat an outside observer by living in England, I have to say I’m distressed at not only the issue at hand (freedom of speech), but the fact that the writer of this article feels he needs to add his own opinionated comments on a band which, if you did your research, has done an awful lot more than most people in their position have done to try and uphold the ‘unalienable’ rights of every man and woman given to you by your much celebrated and revered ‘Decleration of Independance’. The music aside, surely we should be concentrating on the matter of the censorship of anybody who holds views which oppose those in ‘power’ which I do believe is in the best interests of all of you Americans, and indeed hopefully one day the rest of the world. As journalists we have a duty to give the most objective, informative points of view as we can, and to give over a large proportion of your article to what is nothing but an ill informed, subjective rant can only be described as, among many other things, unprofessional. The writer is obviously a talented journalist, proven by the fact that although misguided, the article is in itself well written. There is a time and a place for opinions, but I don’t believe that time to be when a nation’s liberties are at stake. Thank you.
Craig says
I meant ‘Declaration…’ Apologies. c
monique says
great article again stuart. pearl jam is yet just another band who’s got a knack for “creating” depressing music. personally, for me, pearl jam was a great medium for perpetuating depression when my boyfriend was murdered back in 1996 and all i wanted to do was commit suicide. to this day every time i hear pearl jam it still sounds depressing. still, more depressing is the fact that people still crowd around any pied piper up on a stage to open their minds and hearts while someone channels their depressed emotions to others through their music, unless of course, it is uplifting, which pearl jam is not. their sound is okay, but the heart of it is pure depression.
Tom Cunningham says
eddie was on stage making a valid point – you can never NOT afford to criticize Bush if you have such a huge audience. this site is dicky and the writer is a lazy fucking hack.