Maturity is a quality that remains absent–at least, elusive–in American culture. Some time ago, people were shocked by a covered nipple. Consequently, they were protected from vulgar wit this year.
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Stones ‘agreed song censorship’
According to this article, a few lyrics from “Start Me up” and “Rough Justice” were cut from the Rolling Stones’ Superbowl halftime performance. The censorship proceeded according to an agreement between the NFL and the band.
Inside sources provided a glimpse of this agreement. Apparently, it limited the lyrical content of the Stones’ performance, but it provided them with unlimited smack, coke and hookers backstage.
Jagger hinted to this provision in a press conference before the game. (NYTimes article) “America [is] almost unrecognizable and it’s very hard to imagine what the United States was like 40 years ago…Hopefully, though, both of us still have our core values intact.”
Indubitably. Certainly, ticket sales for the current Stones tour was not stellar. This article delineates the Stones’ motivation for doing the show and agreeing to censorship: ticket sales.
The core values of America and the Rolling Stones are indeed still the same.