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'French Eminem' Ignites Censorship Fight

Canceled concerts fuel national censorship debate

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 29, 2009 3:25 PM CDT

(Newser) – A rapper slammed for backing violence against women has sparked a censorship debate that’s reached the upper levels of France’s government, the BBC reports. OrelSan, the “French Eminem,” was dropped from a music festival after former presidential candidate Segolene Royal warned she might pull public funding. The governing party called her involvement an “intolerable” blow to freedom of expression.

OrelSan’s music is “full of hatred and violence against women,” says a regional councilwoman. “If he wants to do that, OK, but we consider that public money shouldn’t finance it.” But, one journalist argues, “art doesn’t have to be politically correct. If you censor this, you could end up censoring many respected authors.” France’s culture minister compared OrelSan to a 19th-century poet: “Rimbaud wrote much more violent things that went on to become classics.”

[Images (2)]

[Videos (1)]

French Socialist Segolene Royal, a former presidential candidate, says OrelSan's lyrics push violence against women. (AP Photo)

OrelSan, seen in a music video, has sparked a political uproar in France. (YouTube)

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An OrelSan music video. (YouTube)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 13 comments

Snarfeh

Jul 31, 2009 6:38 AM CDT

Yeah, I know, but neither is calling anything you don't like gay....c'mon, take it like a man...

brawne

Jul 30, 2009 12:37 PM CDT

Not liking the flag thing going on here. No matter what any of us writes the fact that we can should be more important than the fact that we don't like it. It is a tad illogical to flag a response on a thread about unlikeable words. Words are all we have here. As long as a word is being used as Webster intended, we should not flag for disagreement. If we start self -labeling offensive it is a short hop to no words at all. Liberal pigs while being stupidly banal at least has meaning which we like or don't like. But is it offensive? It's just a word, a thought an opinion. Offensive to me is the corrupting of words that have a specific meaning to corrupt us. Come on, how offensive is pig? Spider pig, spider pig can he fly-no he's a pig.

brawne

Jul 30, 2009 12:06 PM CDT

I don't know. Ever since Johnny Cash shot a man in Reno just to watch him die, I figure that lyrics are fiction. And like any fiction just cause I don't like it means about nothing. Personally, momma, I coulda written you a letter, but.... is the epitome of fictionalized grief. See, the grief is real but the words are fiction employed for effect.

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Segolene Royal • France • censorship • rapper • rap music • controversy • OrelSan

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'French Eminem' Ignites Censorship Fight