Should ‘Massage the Pum’ song be banned from local airwaves?
BVI News Staff - Tuesday, July 31st, 2012 at 1:46 PM
USVI soca singer Pumpa’s “Massage the Pum” song has become quite popular in the Virgin Islands and has been getting significant play on local radio stations and at various public events. However, some parents are of the view that the song shouldn’t be openly played, and that efforts should be made to censor the tune at festival events where children will be.
During the July 21 airing of the JTV Speak Your Mind talk show, both the panel, including the show’s host Courtney DeCastro, and local Calypsonian Queen Sherene, aired their views on the issue. Members of the community, including a youth, three parents, and even an educator, also weighed in on the discussion.
The hot topic began with the call from a father who stated that he finds the song distasteful for little ears and questioned if radio stations couldn’t be asked to censor or ban such songs. He said that he would not want his children to ask him what the song is about, and felt that such music shouldn’t be played at festival events where children might be.
A young caller informed the panel that she was in disagreement with the censorship call made and stated: “What the caller stated about banning things, I don’t think that is the right thing to do. We as young people see things in our society that adults try to hide, and what you see will more be with you because what you try to hide the more we actually try to see it, and want to know what it is all about.”
An educator also called in and commented that sometimes some parents and adults overreact over certain songs when it isn’t even interpreted in the negative ways by children. She explained that she had a similar reaction when she heard her students singing Queen Mackeisha’s song “F Dem”, and was getting quite upset, but later calmed down when the lyrics were explained to her. The teacher advised that before censorship and banning discussions arise those concerned should take the opportunity to examine the song in its entirety and not based their judgement on just the hook.”
Sherene Flax, who joined in the discussion, said: “If your child comes up to you and ask you well mommy what is ‘Massage the Pum’ you must find a way to explain that, and explain it with the reality of what it really is. To me it doesn’t make sense to hide things from the kids… Instead of hiding it from them, we need to sit down and have conversations with them about these things.”
When asked by 4 King Man how she was going to explain the massage song to her child, Sherene said: “You have to sit down… each child is different….some children are more curious than some. Some children will come right out and tell you well mommy is it my private part, and another child might not be like that, so you have to know your child and understand how to get the point across. It might be more difficult for some parents than others. It is a tough thing but we have to realise the type of world we are living in today.”
In relation to censorship suggestions, Flax said: “Sometimes when you ban songs it makes it more popular. There are advantages and disadvantages to having your song played and not having your song played.”
A female caller said that it was not fair that parents, because of the song, will have to be placed in an uncomfortable position of explaining what it was to “Massage the Pum” to children as young as five. The caller stated that she is of the view that the song should not be played publicly.
Another caller said that he was in agreement with the first, and explained that the issue is a matter of responsibility: “The radio has the responsibility for what it puts out there. Don’t get me wrong, I love that song, but I am an adult; there is no question that the children are going to know it, but they don’t need to know it from the radio. The radio has a responsibility, and I do not think that it (Massage the Pum) should be played on the radio.
“It was mentioned that the older calypsonians used to do the same thing, I agree, but it was not that blatant. They were all hidden messages but today you hear these things and now they are so out there. There was this song ‘I never eat a white meat yet’; it was when I was in my 20s somebody explained to me what it was to eat a white meat. It wasn’t that blatant, it had to be explained to you or you had to listen to it over and over. I think a song like Massage the Pum should be played in the privacy of your home. I think the radio shouldn’t play that song. I don’t believe in banning things, you don’t need to ban everything but it is censorship, and we need to know where to draw the line.”
The show’s host, DeCastro, stated: “It is worst for someone else to explain that to your child. It is better that you the parent explain…I will have to do like Sherene and go straightforward and explain what it is because this is a real world and it has worst things than that out there; there is the internet and a whole set of other things.”
DeCastro also said he does not believe in banning things because it only gives it fuel to grow in underground situations.
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43 Comments
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Can someone post the lyrics to this song plz?
Why should adults listen to rudeness, but children can’t.
Sounds like HYPOCRISY to me.
im with yall no banning
We ga stop trying to ban things… it is infrindgment on freedom of speech… make a radio edit version…
Why we banning this? Because of the content, or because of the “Children”.
Cuz if we ban this song cuz of the children, then we gah ban Cinemax from showing fake blues at nite time, we gah stop super markets from having beer in the same proximity as juice and wrap everything up in bubble wrap so them don’t hit them head and plug the sockets with plastic.
A bit extreme? Quite. If you aint gah the power or dedication to either censor what your children take in entertainment wise , or the wisdom or understanding to properly filter it when they question you on such, then you kinda suck as a parent.
I mean granted, you can’t stop kids in this day and age from NOT seeing or hearing something that they shouldn’t hear, but come on? More than half a we who gah sense grow up in a world where we were exposed to such but we had limits, rules and explanations whenever we come across such matter.
“OH BAN THIS! CENSOR THAT! THE CHILDREN! THE CHILDREN!” I don’t want to sound evil but “F” censoring stuff “Cuz’a di children” when it come to big people things man! We turning big brother now?
And as for children in the village. I sorry. After 12 midnight I feel the village should be off limits to children and ANY child, for whatever reason caught there gah take the brunt of wha’eva de ASS goin’ on because it aint a place for them around tha time.
Kiddy fiesta done, carnival rides shut off, Adult artists out. I ain’t sayin’ that’s carte blanche to jump into FULL BLOWN SLACKNESS now, but jeez man. “Fo Di Children!” Children aint need sleep?
And I don’t even like this Pum song.
Banning a song does not change NOTHING!! the song been out for MONTHS! if u dont wanna have to explain it to ya kids DONT send them to events that you know will PLAY those types of songs! n i have heared “Clean” version to the song that eliminated the “pum” part! its just for the DJ’s here to get it or do it their selves! so u cant go about blaming a man for a song he wrote for ADULTS n not KIDS!!! SONG is A BIG HIT WORLDWIDE!!!!! BIG UP YASELF PUMPA!!!
The local Djs already have clean versions of that song if at the age of 5 your child coming to you and asking you that question well then it’s on your behalf to find out well how did my child hear this song? Baby Cham n o sang a song “pum pum tun up” how is that not an issue? Well ma boy I done c next yr god spare life is first flight out for carnival. # getting worst every year!
‘Massage the Pum’NUH CUM LE ME TOUCH IT UP TOUCH IT UP HAHA
‘Massage the Pum’ CUM LE ME TOUCH IT UP TOUCH IT UP HAHA
da song to funny
yall do know there is a censored version of it and it is banned from the air waves in the VI…
where is the VI? u talking about the USVI? because the VI aint ban it yet. The VI is Tola, VG, JVD ect…NOT rock, cruz and john..dem is USVI
There should be a committee set up to deal with matters like these. I don’t think anyone can ban the son but it could be censored and not played on the airway. It is all about being responsible. Let them hear it somewhere else. The radio stations should not be putting these songs with questionable lyrics on the air. Let’s be a responsible nation…. One step at a time
Schups. What damn committee? Parents need to do their damn jobs point blank. While you banning a stupid song the kids have unlimited access to internet and a set of shit, what’s the point? The more attention you give to stupid issues like this, the more interested in it people will become. You ban it from the radio and they find it on youtube, pointless bullshit. Parents must be parents.
please there is nothing wrong withthis sone there can be no clean verssion what is a PUM, a pum can be anthing thing the man never say massage the vagina leave de dam man alone
The song is already censored! Bertrum and another dj has a censored version
Is them people who not getting there pum massage and other people who not massaging no pum want the song ban (hmmm)
Lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this song crazy…. honest… soon as I got back I heard it and loved it… I done hit so many girls to that song…..
I guess in your dreams you can hit alot of things…LOL
You are a sick JackA…
The song is indeed rather explicit, although a ban would be un called for a simple clean version could me made by a local DJ and played as the radio version of the song
this is tru but if this song were to be censored then there won’t be much words left an then what would be the point of listening to it then?
im not sayin the song should or shouldnt be ban but it shouldnt have been the talkin point months after from the first hearing of the song a decision should have been madeoyan have a song out by the name kick een she back door not as vulgar as massage the pum and the big debate that the song should be ban from the airwaves and public places now i dont care what jamaica trinidad and whoever else want to sing we have to take a stand in our society
wa wrong with ayo for carnival we want to touch it up ,touch it up, touch it up. it hurting u?
Yes Pumps
Guess I was touch it up
ban it!!
ban ur ass…..would ulike u bring out a song and it song very nice an its popular and they want to ban it people ayo need to stop thinking bout ayo self and think bout ours….come let me touch it up…..
ban it all u want…WE THE PUBLIC ALREADY HAVE IT…ayo must be think this is CUBA. buh ban.. strupsss
The Feeging song out since April & it’s now y’all talking bout banning…………..AYO JOKEY all the school children done singing the song word for word since May……………Now ayo posturing when the milk is already spilled.
So a Jamaican artist can sing how her pum pum tun up and Pumpa can’t sing massage the pum? Stop being biased!!
Kartel & them sing about all kinda explicitness and they don’t get banned
JA ur such an ass thats in jamaica every country is different look onyan sing a song in antigua kick een she back door and there pushing to ban it from the air waves
she sing the song right here in the bvi
Actually all those songs are banned in JA…talk what u know
them ban it ja and she come here and sing it we get the bad end what ja dont want
Dem people who talking bout ban it never get a good massage yet!! Any child that understand ‘pum’ fully well know what it means. I have young kids and they love the melody of the song but they don’t understand it’s ‘pum’ he’s saying. The song is a good song and nothing is wrong with it. We want to ban a song from our local airwaves while letting the kids walk around with smart phones with internet, faceboook and other rubbish just a click away. Which is worst? Leave the man song. Caribbean people are used to these things, what’s new? Massage the Pum and have a nice festival!!! If you don’t want to have to explain to your kids then tell them it’s big people thing. But you run the risk of someone else explaining it to them so you take your pick.
BAN IT! NOT CENSOR! OUT OF PLACE LET HE GO SING THAT IN ST. KITTS
Why St.Kitts the island did not write his song or condone it and you have a choice to TURN OFF your radio or switch stations. You out of place..
you sound so STUPID!!! so bcaz he was born in st kitts means he cant sing the song else where! he didnt write it while in st kitts! he wrote it while in da USVI!!! if ya dont wanna hear the SONG JUS DASH WAY YA RADIO!! simple
LOL EXACTLY!
it doesnt need any bannin! so hush becuz there are all sorts of other songs that has in even moreeeee explicit words… look at kartel how many children dung here love n listen to he! nothing is wrong with the song…with the kind of world that we are living in children as young as 5 already know about the “birds and the bees” enuff said! NO NEED TO BAN!
Good publicity cause when dem want to ban your song you know you made it.
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