I might be offended. Should I be offended? Are you offended?

[lolaraincoat]

So I've spent most of the day moving back into my laptop with the nice new harddrive, and this led to updating software, including the iTunes software. That's how I discovered that one of the new! improved! features of iTunes turns out to be a neat little box beside the name of a few songs in my library, whose neat little red all-caps texts warns EXPLICIT. I just noticed it next to the Rufus Wainwright song "Gay Messiah." Prince, Bessie Smith and Funkadelic did not get boxed, which means -- I guess -- that you can be as dirty as you please as long as it's all couched in elaborate metaphor. Or that the people labelling the music figure that innocent youth don't listen to music recorded before 2003.

Yes, yes, I should be more offended by George Bush's comparison, in a speech today, between the Iraq war and the US war of independence. But if I was going to take umbrage at every idiotic remark anyone makes about the past, there would be no umbrage at all left for all the other historians.

Comments

[ithiliana.livejournal.com]

We have a snazzy calendar that counts down the days to Shrub leaving office with a selection of choice quotes of his stupidity. I wore out my umbrage at him long ago.

I always roll my eyes, however, at the letters to the editor which start out "history will judge!" because, dudes, you know, history ain't no judge, but it's funny that people keep claiming it is so.

Other historians *much* more worthy of your time, attention, and umbrage!

[lolaraincoat.livejournal.com]

Oh, I just meant that I didn't want to deplete the precious global stockpile of umbrage, when so many other historians need some too.

But your reading works better, actually ... hmmm ... let's just say that's what I meant all along, then, all right?

[bowdlerized.livejournal.com]

I think that iTunes might only classify songs as explicit if you bought them from the iTunes store. I don't know if that's causing the disparity in your case...but if not, GRR!

[lolaraincoat.livejournal.com]

Ah! in fact, I did buy that song from iTunes now that you mention it. On the other hand I also bought some Prince from iTunes and no little red box there. Plus, it didn't used to be there for "Gay Messiah" until the software update.

Dang these newfangled computers!

[fishwhistle.livejournal.com]

>>Yes, yes, I should be more offended by George Bush's comparison, in >>a speech today, between the Iraq war and the US war of >>independence.

Oh, you mean the war where an imperial power fought to hold onto one of its colonies and lost?

[lolaraincoat.livejournal.com]

Well yes, but even if that had been what Bush meant (and wouldn't it be pretty to think so) it would still have been a stupid comparison, since Iraq didn't start out as a US colony.

Are you around? there's more stupid search news to tell you ...

..

[whorlpool.livejournal.com]

Go into itunes preferences and turn off all the parental controls. They should be off by default, but maybe some of yours got turned on?

Strange. I've never had any red warnings and I have a bunch of explicit songs.

Re: ..

[lolaraincoat.livejournal.com]

Hah, yes, thank you; the key tickybox was "show content ratings in library" which was on the very front page of the preferences section.