This is a great link, hiphopmusic.com: MTV: “Stop Being So Commercial!”. It contain’s the original article text and the blogger’s response to it. It’s about that whole thing that MTV does where it blurs out what they perceive to be advertising in videos.

Excerpts from the original article:

In the past, MTV screeners - worried the cable channel’s savvy teen and young-adult audience would rebel against that kind of selling - have forced labels to blur images of products or logos that found their way into videos.

…”We’re trying to be as sensitive as we can to the labels’ financial issues without risking the trust of our audience,” said Tom Calderone, MTV’s executive vice president of music and talent.

And from the response to it:

I am amused by MTV’s high minded stance, claiming they are simply worried about “maintaining trust with the audience”.. I’m sure the fact that they are missing out on money here, and these companies are basically getting to advertise on MTV without paying MTV, does not factor into their concern at all.

Also, this goes to show that the music industry will use their financial woes much like the Bush administration is using the threat of terrorism, to justify all types of shady dealings, and expand their powers as far as they can push them.

I would add my own commentary to that, but there’s really nothing else to be said. Nice work. Actually, no wait, there is one thing I want to add.

That a subtle but important part of the cultural contextual expression/message is getting lost here by blurring out the brand names, corporations, and consequently trends and fashions that these artists & record companies are choosing to align themselves with.