Karaoke Forums

If I hear you drop something overly racist in earshot of me in your "private" conversation, you're getting away pretty lucky if I only sing a song designed specifically to offend you. It's the one thing I won't tolerate, and I can be a pretty big jerk when it comes to it, whether you're a teenage kid or somebody's grandfather.

That older generation knew how to behave in mixed company. Many people today just don't seem to care about anyone else but themselves.

Do what you have to do to make your point. You're probably not going to change an old man's outlook on life by singing a song though. Good luck educating the racists of the world. You really are special.

That's the thing--out here, the company isn't exactly, er, mixed. Hence, why racist folks feel free to be pretty loud and obvious with their words.

And, again, if someone's seventy, and somebody's grandpa, that doesn't mean I'm going to respect them if they go on like that. I will disrespect them very publicly, and very loudly.

Again, though--when I'm at the old man bar, as long as that doesn't happen? It's all Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, and Conway Twitty for me. I dig singing the older stuff anyway. If I do something "vulgar," then, I'm doing it strictly to make a point.

A previous gig, more restaurant than tavern, where the owners (and patrons) could get upset at vulgarities, I made it clear to my younger (or drunker) singers that bad language could not be tolerated. Instead I challenged them to substitute their own personal sound effects at the appropriate time. THIS was hysterical, and appreciated by everyone.

Not to mention on Prime Time TV.

I truly do understand that there are those that take offense to some language. In a restaurant setting when children may be present, it should be restricted. In a bar environment, it should be less of an issue. I am not sure I have ever been to a bar in my life where there has been no colorful language. I am not sure I would want to go to a bar where colorful language was restricted.

As it pertains to karaoke, as hosts, we have to make decisions that will impact our business. As Lonnie mentioned, he isn't going to walk away from a 20 year/7 night a week gig because singers aren't allowed to sure over the mic. Whereas I simply avoid taking gigs where a venue, or an owner, or the clientele might be offended by some salty language.

Personal preference aside, there is no right or wrong, only what works for you and your business.

-Chris

I was at a bar one night and some guy was complaning about Country Music being sung in a Jersey Bar. He proclaimed that he was gonna sing a Jersey song and proceeded to sing a MOTOWN song. Last time I checked MOTOWN was Detroit and Detroit wasn't in New Jersey. My next song was "Kiss My Country A$$" by Rhett Akins. Song seemed to go over very well that night.

It is funny what some people choose to be offended by. Personally, I find it offensive that someone needs to come into a bar where everyone else is there to sing and be respectful of everyone else in the bar and "That" person decides to sing the most vulgar song that he can find in the KJ's library. I'm not so offended when the KJ tells me that he has every song ever made for karaoke.

Chris obviously feels the opposite way. He has no problems with the people who want to make others uncomfortable and feels that it is a violation of their first amendments rights to sensor them. On the other hand, he thinks that the KJ with every song ever made should be killed.

A Psychiatrist would have a field day with you. It would seem that you never got enough attention when you were a young boy so you are starving for it now and there is no such thing as bad attenbtion in your mind. Very sad.

Whereas I simply avoid taking gigs where a venue, or an owner, or the clientele might be offended by some salty language.

To the best of your knowledge? Most people just leave without saying a word when thay have been made to fell uncomfortable. If you want to believe your own Bull-oney, go right ahead. Your sense of humor is all fun and games until some idiot takes your joke seriously and decides to kill a pirate. Will you be using a swastika as a joke any time soon?

The fact that you purposely look for venues that will allow and actually endorse your use of foul language over a microphone says more about you than anything else. A Psychiatrist would have a field day with you. It would seem that you never got enough attention when you were a young boy so you are starving for it now and there is no such thing as bad attenbtion in your mind. Very sad. Why not kill all of the smokers too? Second hand smoke kills youknow.

Bruce....you still want to make this personal. There are several others who have no issue with language at karaoke yet you want to single me out.

I don't purposefully look for venues that will allow and endorse MY use of foul language. I look for bars that support freedom of speech. Just like you look for bars that will play your homemade pirate discs. We each have a preference and we each exercise our right to choose where we go and work. There is nothing nefarious about it.

I don't know what my childhood has to do with this, but by all rights I think my childhood was.....average. I can't say the same for someone who can't have an adult conversation and debate without taking pot shots every single time someone takes a position you don't agree with.

-Chris

LOL This from the guy who uses something that I typed out as his tag line?

Freedom of Speech? Really? When I sing one of my Homemade songs at a karaoke bar, no one gets offended by the content of the song. They might not like the song or my singing but the content of the song will not make someone walk out the door. I don't choose my songs based on their ability to shock or awe someone with their vulgarity. If you need to do that to have a good time; I feel bad for you.

I have made literally thousands of my own karaoke songs that no other KJ will have in his or her library. If I want to sing them, I have to look for a karaoke show that has the ability to play discs; whether it is one of my homemade discs or a store bought original disc. I've yet to run into a KJ, who could play discs, who would refuse to play any of my homemade songs. However, I have run into KJs who refused to play anything with the Sound Choice logo attached to it; even if it was an original Sound Choice disc. My homemade songs are just as legal to use as any All Hits disc, any Dangerous Disc or any Backstage disc that people use everyday of the year. They must be pretty good because people are always asking me for copies of them. I'd put my productions up against the quality of anything out there today and none of them have any vulgar language in them.

The above pretty much says it all. I quoted you word for word in my tag line. Your words. Not mine. It isn't a personal attack, it is a quote....from you.



It isn't even about me. It is about letting the singers, and for that matter, the patrons here the exact same music they have listed to for years that has been censored on the radio, unfiltered at a karaoke bar. It isn't about offending anyone. Sure, I have had a few people that do sing the occasional filthy track just to get attention. So what. Unless it is truly offense - and again, to date I have never had a complaint - I let it go on.



You are not the end all be all of karaoke. I don't really care that you have made thousands of tracks that no one else has. Great hobby I guess and kudos to you for being super awesome at it. I really, really don't care nearly as much as my previous post may seem to indicate.

What boggles my mind is this: You have continually made feeble and failed attempts at making me feel bad or less worthy or less accomplished as a KJ because...

I have a tip jar...
I won't play burned discs....
Because I support Sound Choice....
That I don't have a dedicated disc player....
That I allow people to sing the songs as they were written (including curse words)....

Yet, in spite of your repeated attempts to make me feel bad or guilty or whatever you think you are trying to accomplish, the only change I have made is adding software to allow me to play discs that NO ONE BRINGS IN. I have never felt bad, guilty or otherwise incapable as a host, and I have not made any other changes to my show because of you.

I think I do a pretty good job at what I do and I have a successful side business that I still may decide to turn into a full time job.

Why you have a bug up your <span style=font-size:10px><i>(@$%&#!)</i></span> (oops....sorry....hope I didn't offend anyone!) about how I run and manage my karaoke shows - THAT YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER ENCOUNTER - is beyond me.

You are one of the many people that only has negative things to say about they way OTHER people run karaoke shows when you don't run one yourself. If you think you know how it is all supposed to be and that you can do it better, put your money where your mouth is. Run a show. Contribute something positive to the karaoke community. Show us all how awesome you can do it and how crappy we all really are.

Otherwise, you are just another karaoke singer that thinks they know more than the hosts that are actually working the job and taking home some money for doing it.

-Chris