Alanis Morrisette gets "naked" (sort of) at Canadian music awards to protest "censorship"

CNN ^

[SB00]

Alanis gets naked (sort of) at awards Singer protests U.S. censorship of song Monday, April 5, 2004 Posted: 9:18 AM EDT (1318 GMT)

EDMONTON, Alberta (Reuters) -- Canadian rocker Alanis Morissette didn't bare her breast like Janet Jackson, but she did bare her soul last night at Canada's annual music awards, demonstrating her disdain for what she called "hypocritical U.S. censorship."

Hosting the 2004 Juno Awards ceremonies, Canada's version of the Grammies, Morissette disrobed on stage to reveal a skin-colored, naked body suit with nipples and pubic hair.

As part of the skit, Morissette was then told by the show's assistant director that "actually, we can't show nipples or pubic hair on national TV," at which time the Ottawa-born singer pulled off the fake body parts.

The satirical act, says Morissette, was aimed at U.S. government institutions for over-reacting to cultural, free expression, as a result of the fallout surrounding Janet Jackson's Super Bowl faux pas, when her breast was accidentally exposed to millions of television viewers.

As you may or may not be aware, recently in the United States, I ran into a little problem with regards to a lyric in one my songs," Morissette told the near-sellout audience of 17,000, referring to her latest release titled, "Everything." The song includes the lyrics, "I can be an ***hole of the grandest kind."

"It was requested that I change a word in the first verse. Well, I am overjoyed to be back in my homeland, the true North ... strong and censor-free."

American radio stations threatened recently to ban the song, forcing Morissette to change the controversial word to "nightmare."

[Constitution Day]

That was truly bizarre.

[Enterprise]

I wonder what Beavis and Butthead would have to say. My first reaction when I saw the picture was - Man, what a dork!

[Rummyfan]

Yowza!

[socal_parrot]

Yeah. She's kind of like Shania Twain.

Only Terri sings Country music.

[JLS]

Let's see if I have this right:

1. She is protesting US censorship of Janet Jackson which in fact did not happen.

2. Her protest of censorship of nudity is to pretend to be nude, but she does not have the actual guts to get nude. Was this because Canada would have censored her or she self censored?

This is a typcial brave modern liberal. This is sort of like protesting segregation in Orangeburg S.C. by staging a sit in at a lunch counter in Harlem?

[Darksheare]

She did a music video in which she was nude, and got some flak for it.
The video was heavily edited by the time it got to actual post production.
She isn't either gutsy enough to try that again, or foolish enough to think that people would listen to her for her body.

[manic4organic]

Dear Alanis:

Your 15 minutes were up 14 minutes ago. You suck and nobody's buying your music.

[RightOnline]

She has every right to make a total, complete ass of herself.

[Loyalist]

They should have dumped a bucket of green slime on her head. Those of us who grew up watching You Can't Do That On Television would have appreciated the joke.

[taildragger]

That way you can both watch the Hockey Game on TV aye?

[null and void]

Good to see she's come out in support of the merkins...

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

She did a music video in which she was nude, and got some flak for it.

"Mad TV" did a parody of it in a "Pop Up Video" style during one of their early seasons. Was one of their best.

[albertabound]

Oh, an Ottawa bint, now I understand, she must have run out of carpets to munch. No wonder I only listen to Frank.

[Darksheare]

I missed that one!
*pouts*

[TexasCajun]

A Canadian singer I can really get behind.

I prefer Shania Twain, but both are great entertainers.
Would you be so kind as to post Shania's picture too. -thanks-

[JOAT]

Drudge has the story and the pic with Alanis facing the other way.

Umm..yuck. That rear shot reveals what a pear shape she has. Clothes not only protect us from the elements, they leave things to the imagination. If one does not have a perfect body, perhaps one should wear some clothing that accentuates the positives and obscures the negatives.

[Betis70]

How's this one? Why can't she protest censorship instead? Oh right, she is still selling CDs.

[socal_parrot]

And in the interest of equal time, here's a Canadian singer that's a big hit with the ladies...

[Dianna]

Her protest of censorship of nudity is to pretend to be nude, but she does not have the actual guts to get nude. Was this because Canada would have censored her or she self censored?

She apparently had to remove the fake nipples and public hair from the suit because they couldn't be shown on Canadian tv. Wasn't she outraged by that censorship?

I would think such cartoonish looking nudity might actually be allowed here.

[NutCrackerBoy]

I like Jagged Little Pill and Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (my kids call that CD Nekkid because it has a nekkid picture of Alanis on it).

The fact is that there has to be censorship via the FCC for programming on public airwaves because the people demand it, and rightly so. I am glad that artists are able to reach mass audiences with their uncensored material, but there are standards on the TV channels that everyone is watching with their kids.