The real revolution ain't about bootie size The Versaces you buys Or the Lexus you drives And though we've lost Biggie Smalls Maybe your notorious revolution Will never allow you to lace no lyrical douche in my bush Your revolution will not be you killing me softly with Fugees Your revolution ain't gonna knock me up without no ring And produce little future MCs Because that revolution will not happen between these thighs

--Sarah Jones, Your Revolution

In a surprise decision, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently rescinded fines against Portland, Oregon radio station KBOO-FM for airing the song "Your Revolution" by Sarah Jones. The song is described as a "a feminist attack on attempts to equate political revolution with promiscuous sex" and challenges male-dominated popular music. KBOO's successful defense reflects the same emphasis on context and message used by many Canadian campus and community radio stations to self-regulate potentially-offensive programming. But the case of "Your Revolution" shows that freedom of expression needs to be continually exercised and consistently applied.

Responding to a complaint about indecent material broadcast on a program in 1999, the FCC initially said "Your Revolution" contained, "unmistakable patently offensive sexual references," and proposed an fine of $7,000 in a May 17, 2001 Notice of Apparent Liability. Two years later, on February 20, 2003, the FCC concluded that the song was, in fact, not "patently offensive," given contemporary community standards, non-repeated graphic description and, to a lesser degree, context.

In a statement included in KBOO's defense, Jones explained that she wrote the lyrics of "Your Revolution" "to give voice to the concerns of those young women and men who are no longer interested in music that objectifies them, belittles them and underestimates their intelligence" and that "the song is a direct response to and parody of much of the popular music that dominates our country's airwaves often thoughtlessly encouraging casual and even dangerous sexual behavior, with a particular emphasis on degrading women sexually." Both KBOO's defense and the FCC decision noted that Sarah had been invited to perform her music in junior high schools, high schools, and universities. In a press release, KBOO station manager Dennise Kowalczyk said, "Sarah has an ability to speak intelligently to teens about issues that are real to them. She has an important message for young women and uses her music as a medium for her message of self-esteem."

More broadly, and with arguments that affect all other noncommercial stations, KBOO challenged the FCC's limited application of the term "context". While the FCC claims that context is "critical" in cases of alleged indecency, it initially only looked at the language used in "Your Revolution" in the context of its own policies. KBOO argued that analyzing the song without considering its musical style meant that the entire satirical concept--obvious to any young listener familiar with male-dominated hip-hop--is completely missed. KBOO also provided a scholarly description of hip-hop as a form of legitimate artistic expression by Professor Roderick Franklin and argued that the artistic merit of the Sarah Jones song was overlooked.

Professor Franklin defended the show on which "Your Revolution" was aired, "Soundbox", as a program "geared toward educating our youth" and a positive community role model. KBOO argued that the show is a forum for important social and political messages and aired the Sarah Jones song because of its serious content and impact, especially for young women listeners, and that this should have been considered by the FCC.

Lastly, and most important to campus and community radio stations in the US and Canada, KBOO argued that "Your Revolution" was broadcast as part of "KBOO's non-commercial mission to air unpopular material of artistic merit." The FCC itself notes the community-oriented role of public stations, and that by representing personal, social, financial, and political interests of its listener communities they are acting in the "public interest." KBOO argues that its role as a forum "for unpopular, controversial, neglected perspectives on important local, national, and international issues," was not recognized in the FCC's allegation of indecency. In its final decision, the FCC grudgingly admitted that context did play a part in the case, but mainly dropped the issue because the lyrics were not "sufficiently graphic to warrant sanction."

Other recent FCC indecency targets have included an edited-for-radio version of Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady" and Consolidated's "You Suck," a feminist role-reversal song similar in theme to the Sarah Jones piece. The Consolidated song has also been the subject of listener complaints on Canadian campus radio stations. It was successfully defended to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) by both CKCU-FM in Ottawa and CKDU-FM in Halifax as a political and intelligent response to male-dominated sexuality and sexual discourse.

Like the FCC, the CRTC uses a complaint-driven process and, like the FCC, claims to value freedom of speech. Offensive content in Canadian broadcasting is regulated by the Broadcasting Act, the Radio and TV Regulations, and various industry standards. Canadian campus and community stations have traditionally applied internal guidance to the presentation of challenging material like the Sarah Jones and Consolidated pieces. Recent online discussions around language and content suggest that many stations use the practice of "contextualization" to defend important tracks like these that wouldn't get heard on commercial stations. In general, an intelligent defense of a song's context and content satisfies CRTC inquiries and listener complaints. Nick Ketchum of the CRTC says that, "the Commission will continue to put free expression in the forefront--subject only to the provisions of the Act and regulations noted above."

KBOO's success in the US and the relatively liberal Canadian system don't protect all allegedly or actually offensive material. The FCC contends that "Your Revolution" was a "very close case," and there are hints that FCC indecency regulations may be strengthened. R&R Online reported on April 7, 2003 that Texas Rep. Gene Green, speaking at the National Association of Broadcasters' Congressional Breakfast, suggested indecency issues may ultimately become a Congressional problem. "While we value the freedom of speech, we also know that at certain times that there are certain stations that cross the line."

Meanwhile, in Canada, Nick Ketchum says that the CRTC is currently reviewing a number of complaints relating primarily to "shock-jock" type programs.

"If the commission decides that the problem is widespread, it may launch a policy process to get public comment on whether our regs or procedures should be changed in light of the type of programming that is out there," he says. "Such a process could be part of a general policy review of commercial radio scheduled for next spring."

Meanwhile, the "high standards" of the Canadian Broadcasting Act and the FCC's equally vague "community standards" can be applied broadly and inappropriately by a conservative regulatory body. And, the complaint-driven process means that a not very busy listener can harass a station with overly subjective or less-than-legitimate complaints. Finally, a high-profile court case involving an infinitely defensible song like "Your Revolution" could result in the self-imposed "chilling" by noncommercial stations afraid or unable to mount a defense against the FCC.

Only by constantly challenging narrow-minded notions of acceptability with Socially relevant and intelligent material will contemporary broadcast standards reflect true community needs and values. Content, thought, and intent should always be considered more highly than incidental language and phrasing. Like KBOO-FM, noncommercial stations should defend the right to air potentially objectionable material in the context of providing a forum for diverse communities (rather than a forum for promoting the sale of goods and services), in the context of presenting diverse and educational perspectives and in the context of promoting valid artistic expression.

Your revolution makes me wonder Where could we go If we could drop the empty pursuit of props and the ego We'd revolt back to our roots Use a little commonsense on a quest to make love De la soul, no pretense, but Your revolution will not be you flexing your little sex and status To express what you feel Your revolution will not happen between these thighs Will not happen between these thighs Will not be you shaking And me [sigh] faking between these thighs Because the real revolution That's right, I said the real revolution You know, I'm talking about the revolution When it comes, It's gonna be real It's gonna be real It's gonna be real When it finally comes It's gonna be real