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was Who Is It (Music Video) banned in US

maral

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hi
i'm writing a paper for school on censorship . and i wondered if it's true that Who Is It (Music Video) was banned in US? is there any source on that. i have googled it but can't find any reliable source. can anyone help me?
 
i heard now i dont know how reliable this is but,.. I heard that michael had to leave towards the ending of the video and they used a double and he didn't like it so thats why they came up with the Alternative video for it.
 
here is something form Yahoo answers about it also...

" The Video Is Based On A High-Class Prostitute. It's Not A True-Ban. Stations Like MTV And VH1 Banned It. The Video Wasn't Even All Michael An Impersonator E'Casonova Was In Some Of The Video Portraying Michael. He Can Be Seen Sitting In The And Getting On A Helicopter. So It Was For A Number Of Reasons Why It Was Banned. Also People Was Criticizing The Video And Felt It Was Inappropriate For Kids, So Sony Didn't Want That On Their Hands."
 
MJsSusie said:
here is something form Yahoo answers about it also...

" The Video Is Based On A High-Class Prostitute. It's Not A True-Ban. Stations Like MTV And VH1 Banned It. The Video Wasn't Even All Michael An Impersonator E'Casonova Was In Some Of The Video Portraying Michael. He Can Be Seen Sitting In The And Getting On A Helicopter. So It Was For A Number Of Reasons Why It Was Banned. Also People Was Criticizing The Video And Felt It Was Inappropriate For Kids, So Sony Didn't Want That On Their Hands."
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Funny, how many MJ videos they labeled "inappropriate" - Who is it, They don't care about us (prison version), Black or White ending, while these TV stations have no problem playing hip-hop videos with full of prostitutes, swearing, violence, guns etc. They also have no problem with Lady Gaga dancing naked in her videos. But Michael's videos were somehow "inappropriate" and needed to be censored. I have the feeling the real reason was something else.
 
MJsSusie said:
here is something form Yahoo answers about it also...

" The Video Is Based On A High-Class Prostitute. It's Not A True-Ban. Stations Like MTV And VH1 Banned It. The Video Wasn't Even All Michael An Impersonator E'Casonova Was In Some Of The Video Portraying Michael. He Can Be Seen Sitting In The And Getting On A Helicopter. So It Was For A Number Of Reasons Why It Was Banned. Also People Was Criticizing The Video And Felt It Was Inappropriate For Kids, So Sony Didn't Want That On Their Hands."
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Seems like crazy reasons to ban a video. What about Madonna's videos? Or ITC? That wasn't banned. :doh:
 
respect77 said:
Funny, how many MJ videos they labeled "inappropriate" - Who is it, They don't care about us (prison version), Black or White ending, while these TV stations have no problem playing hip-hop videos with full of prostitutes, swearing, violence, guns etc. They also have no problem with Lady Gaga dancing naked in her videos. But Michael's videos were somehow "inappropriate" and needed to be censored. I have the feeling the real reason was something else.
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CaptainEoLove85 said:
Seems like crazy reasons to ban a video. What about Madonna's videos? Or ITC? That wasn't banned. :doh:
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Music channels are hypocrites..........

Lady Gaga (among others) going almost naked is considered suitable for children but this isn't............and even in 2011, "Who Is It" (or Black Or White Panther Scene) still never gets played on those channels!!!!!
 
Thats not all together true VH1 will play the panther scene but the writing on the windows and the car disapper all together. so it just looks like Michael is pitching a fit.
 
With me having this strange obsession with Who Is It. I had often wonder why I had never seen the video in my country. Cause I only ever remember seeing the second version video on tv. I didn't first see that version of Who Is It until I had gotten The Dangerous Short Films on VHS tape. About 10 years or so ago.
 
MJsSusie said:
Thats not all together true VH1 will play the panther scene but the writing on the windows and the car disapper all together. so it just looks like Michael is pitching a fit.
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Well, the version with no writing on the windows is the original one, as Michael originally intended the video. But then he was criticized for being violent so they altered the video to having the writings on the windows, to show Michael's violence is not just violence in itself, but is directed at racism.

But like I said, of course MTV had no problem with playing other, really violent or sexist videos, praising guns and misogyny :ermm:. It was always Michael who was "inappropriate".
 
MJsBollywoodGirl7 said:
With me having this strange obsession with Who Is It. I had often wonder why I had never seen the video in my country. Cause I only ever remember seeing the second version video on tv. I didn't first see that version of Who Is It until I had gotten The Dangerous Short Films on VHS tape. About 10 years or so ago.
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I love the video too.

Luckily in Europe this is the version MTV played from the beginning. I don't know why it was different in the US. (One reason I prefer Europe over the US is that a lot of stuff we have here in the US seems to be censored.) Yes, the video is about prostitutes, but it's not done in a rude way, it's a very artistic, beautifully done video. There are no pornographic scenes in it. But just watch a hip-hop video or Lady Gaga or many others...

Even know MichaelJacksonVEVO doesn't have the video on, just the US version.
 
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censorship 20 years ago was different to todays. what was banned or played after midnite back in the day, can be seen today on regular times. so thats why lady gaga, hip hop or today videos in general, can't be compared. different times, diffeternt restrictions.

same goes with movies. alot movies that were rated, are certificated new and come unrated or uncut today.
And the US was always odd with their censoring.

ITC was banned in MTV India. Also ITc is about "fliting with a girl in sexy way" and the story of WII video is about woman selling her body. Biiiig difference.
Madonnas Justify my love was banned and Erotica runned only after middnite. Now it's shown at breakfast time for the 12 year old ones :)))
 
respect77 said:
Funny, how many MJ videos they labeled "inappropriate" - Who is it, They don't care about us (prison version), Black or White ending, while these TV stations have no problem playing hip-hop videos with full of prostitutes, swearing, violence, guns etc. They also have no problem with Lady Gaga dancing naked in her videos. But Michael's videos were somehow "inappropriate" and needed to be censored. I have the feeling the real reason was something else.
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:clapping: exactly my thoughts!!
 
lom kit said:
censorship 20 years ago was different to todays. what was banned or played after midnite back in the day, can be seen today on regular times. so thats why lady gaga, hip hop or today videos in general, can't be compared. different times, diffeternt restrictions.

same goes with movies. alot movies that were rated, are certificated new and come unrated or uncut today.
And the US was always odd with their censoring.

ITC was banned in MTV India. Also ITc is about "fliting with a girl in sexy way" and the story of WII video is about woman selling her body. Biiiig difference.
Madonnas Justify my love was banned and Erotica runned only after middnite. Now it's shown at breakfast time for the 12 year old ones :)))
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I understand that about "Justify my love", but I don't think "Who is it" was rude even 20 years ago. What about this? This was 20 years ago too and MTV played it. Ok, they played the version where only "MF" is said instead of "motherf*cker", but the video is still a lot more sexually explicit than WII or even ITC (and this is just one example). In fact both WII and ITC are so much more tastefully done. IMO the great thing about ITC is that although it's about sex, but it's done so tastefully, so nicely that you don't get the feeling it's borderline pornography, like you get with many other videos about sex. Videos like "Justify my love" or "Sexy MF" are borderline pornographic, because they are not so tastefully artistic as ITC or WII.

 
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If Michael was sitting at the pool with naked women around him or driving in his car taking drugs or having sex at a party in his videos - he would probably had no problems with censorship...
 
godena said:
If Michael was sitting at the pool with naked women around him or driving in his car taking drugs or having sex at a party in his videos - he would probably had no problems with censorship...
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Lol, true!!!
 
actually WII wasn't banned, it was not released in US. the single was released in Europe in end of summer '92. there were no plans for US. only after the Oprah interview the single was released quickly in 93 there, because of the beat-box and the radio-play result of it. thats why GITM wasn't released in US. So basically, bad management. Nothing with banned. the video was just fine. the story is similar as "Express yourself", both directed by David Fincher.
Also the rumour, about Michael not liking the video, problably has something to do with it.

Only ITC video was banned in india, but they are prude anyway.
And WYBT later in Italy, cause of the trial about plagiarism.
 
lom kit said:
actually WII wasn't banned, it was not released in US. the single was released in Europe in end of summer '92. there were no plans for US. only after the Oprah interview the single was released quickly in 93 there, because of the beat-box and the radio-play result of it. thats why GITM wasn't released in US. So basically, bad management. Nothing with banned. the video was just fine. the story is similar as "Express yourself", both directed by David Fincher.
Also the rumour, about Michael not liking the video, problably has something to do with it.

Only ITC video was banned in india, but they are prude anyway.
And WYBT later in Italy, cause of the trial about plagiarism.
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I think you may be onto something, though it's not "Express yourself" but "Bad girl". Express yourself too was directed by Fincher but in my opinion it's not that similar. However Bad girl is:

watch

Indeed it's possible that this similarity is why Michael didn't release it in the US. Which is a shame because the Who is it video was made sooner than Bad Girl: BG was made in early 1993, while WII in 1992. And of course WII is a so much better song.
 
yeah, good one. the style of Bad girl and WII is the same. the storyline of EY and WII is more close to each other, then BG i think. BG is about a nympho and WII, EY about woman selling her self.
EY - rich guy, "loving a woman", who lives with him because of the money and not love. And prefers to sleeps with horny hot guys.
WII - rich guy, definately loving a woman, who sleeps with men for money, but she loves Michael (i think).
BG - horny bitch, who jumps with one after another in bed, just to fill her "needs".

the truth is somewhere out there. :)
 
lom kit said:
yeah, good one. the style of Bad girl and WII is the same. the storyline of EY and WII is more close to each other, then BG i think. BG is about a nympho and WII, EY about woman selling her self.
EY - rich guy, "loving a woman", who lives with him because of the money and not love. And prefers to sleeps with horny hot guys.
WII - rich guy, definately loving a woman, who sleeps with men for money, but she loves Michael (i think).
BG - horny bitch, who jumps with one after another in bed, just to fill her "needs".

the truth is somewhere out there. :)
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:lol: I agree but I think you forgot to ad that in BG the woman feels unhappy with that lifestyle, the poor girl lol
 
In the Closet was banned in South Africa. I remember that. I don't think Who Is It was banned in the US & I didn't hear about it being banned anywhere.
 
His videos are masterpieces in every way. They tell a story..they have a message.
You don"t have anything like that any more.

For example : I like the song " Nobody"s perfect " from Jessie Jay,but when I saw the video I was like WTF. It has NOTHING to do with the lyrics.

Michael is just...genious without comparisson.
 
it happens now guys, videos still get banned. i bet UK fans didn't know Ed Sheeran - A team video is banned during the day on some music channels because it shows a prostatute (instead they show a live version of the song), but yet it shows rihanna, lady gaga naked and rappers with guns, smoke and tits!

i personally think its a lot more deeper than excuses for being banned! Same with MJ, its a lot deeper than we think. Remember media are owned by one whole, if they want a artist to be great they will have there videos played constantly (e.g. Lady gaga and kathy Perry) and if they don't want them to....they ban the videos with lame excuses...which they did with black or white and who is it.
 
I am not a prude but when I see some videos today....they are really disgusting. S&M sex scenes....violence....I mean, young kids watch that . Sometimes I really feel uncomfortable watching something like that with my daughter.
And then ppl wonder, what is this world today ?
Musicians have to have responsability for what they do and what message they are sending. And those lyrics from Katy Pery"s " Friday night ".....?????!!!!!!
Michael"s musical geniousity and visionary , that is something we will never have again.
I am so thankfull for everything he gave us.
 
I think "Who Is It" was banned in the USA but I'm not an expert on why but here are my best guesses. Reasons why: Michael was in the video but not the whole time because E'Casanova who's an MJ impersonater was in it. You know the car you see and someone is in the back seat? Yes, that was him, not Michael. Watch the video and you'll know what I mean. I think another reason was because it was not good for kids to see.
 
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