The South African Broadcasting Complaints Commission has rejected an appeal against its earlier finding, that the content of a certain Katy Perry tune is not potentially damaging to minors.

After hearing the song on East Coast Radio, pastor Ashby Kurian, who is the father of two girls, lodged a complaint with the commission.

The pastor took issue with what he perceived as inappropriate allusions to nudity, promiscuity and illegal activities in the song “Last Friday Night”, which featured on Perry’s latest album.

In his original complaint, the pastor suggested that the song might exert a subliminal influence on the minds of young children.

“One very effective way to teach children to remember a message is through songs as it also works subliminally,” he said.

“Please put a stop to this or we will have more school going boys and girls ending up in the 7pm e-tv news of bunking school, drinking and rape. (sic)”

In its response, East Coast Radio argued that the song has been broadcast around the world, and is available for free on the internet. Thus far, it can be assumed, no positive correlation between the release of the song and the incidence of rape, truancy or under-age drinking has been found.

“This song has enjoyed huge airplay on TV, other radio stations, YouTube, and it has been widely downloaded, so we can’t be solely responsible for the knowledge of the song,” said Nick Grubb, chief operating officer of Kagiso Broadcasting, on behalf of East Coast Radio.

“I think the reasonable person will listen to the song for the happy tune and sing-a-long melody and not assume that what is portrayed in the song is right or should be tried.”

He pointed out that the many references to the heartache and sorrow that so often signal the end of love, themes highly prevalent in the history of popular music, hasn’t stopped people from entering into romantic relationships.

Kurian rubbished that station’s suggestion that the lyrics were neither explicit , nor comprehensible to children.

“Today’s children are more advanced than a decade ago, and are exposed to sexual content and connotations from the age of five,” he said.

Kurian collected statements from school principals opposed to the song as part of his effort to have it banned from the radio.

The code of conduct for broadcasters states that “no excessively or grossly offensive language should be used… at times when a large number of children is likely to be part of the audience on television or radio”.

In its final judgement, the commission’s tribunal, led by Professor Kobus van Rooyen, found that the song’s lyrics were neither excessively or grossly offensive.

Kurian had in fact inadvertently let the air out of his own argument by arguing that the offensive messages were both subliminal and subtle, which made it easy for the commission to declare that the code had not been violated.

In response to the pastor’s claim that the song glamorised sex and crime, the tribunal pointed out that their were no explicit references to sex in the song and that only older children would manage to decipher any submerged meanings.

“The appellant conceded that the influence of such lyrics was not seen immediately,” it said. “Rather it was argued lyrics like these would have an influence on children as they grow.”

The tribunal pointed out that the youth in the modern era would inevitably be exposed to more mature subject matter than was the case with previous generations, as popular culture continues to become more permissive.

“Songs like this Katy Perry song exist in the context of our free and fairly permissive society,” it said, encouraging parents and caretakers to enforce their own code of conduct in the home, with an awareness of the realities of the outside world.

“It can also be argued that a completely sanitised media environment in the hours in which children may be listening is neither possible nor desirable.”

Ultimately, the tribunal found that despite the fact that some citizens might take issue with the lyrics of the song, a general ban would undermine the right to free expression.

“In the result, we find that the broadcaster did not contravene the broadcasting code and the appeal against the adjudication is not upheld,” it ruled.

Pics courtesy of Facebook.