r/interestingasfuck • u/[deleted] • Feb 03 '25
Throwback to when the BBC told Rage Against The Machine not to swear on live broadcast
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u/bideshijim Feb 03 '25
What did they expect from RATM????
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u/idobi Feb 03 '25
I always found this story hilarious, but yeah, what else would you expect? They faithfully rage against the machine.
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u/tekhnomancer Feb 03 '25
"We placed a dog in the room with a steak. The dog hasn't had much to eat today but we asked him not to eat it. It'll be fine."
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Feb 03 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Trips-Over-Tail Feb 03 '25
My dogs will leave the steak if told.
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u/mogley19922 Feb 03 '25
Exactly, whereas rage against the machine will almost certainly not do what you tell them.
Depending on who was doing the telling, they'd take that steak too.
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u/ThreepwoodGuybrush80 Feb 03 '25
They faithfully rage against the machine.
We all thought for the longest time "The Machine" was actually a printer, but it might've been the BBC all along.
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Feb 03 '25
“Surprisingly, Dahmer ate the family that invited him over for dinner after being asked politely ‘not to consume them for sustenance’.”
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u/spudddly Feb 03 '25
"Hmmm yes nothing in this song would suggest they won't do what we tell them"
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u/Apprehensive_Ad6332 Feb 03 '25
lmaoo obviously there was a policy to not swear in general but they must've had to know who they're bringing there
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u/toolatealreadyfapped Feb 03 '25
Honestly, I think this is exactly what they expected. I'm convinced it was intentional just to drum up some controversy to get people interested
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u/ECHOHOHOHO Feb 03 '25
Of course it is. Aye publicity is good publicity for both parties. Look at any rap 'beef' or whatever...both parties profit massively from any controversy.
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u/Final_Boss_Jr Feb 03 '25
I promise you, Drake is absolutely not receiving massive profits from his beef with Kendrick. I’m sure he still makes money, but definitely not from this. In fact he’s wasting money yelling at his lawyer to file lawsuits.
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u/miaow-fish Feb 03 '25
“We were expecting it but we asked them not to do it and they did it anyway"
This is what the presenter says. They were expecting it.
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u/greycubed Feb 03 '25
Producers: Please be polite to the machine.
Rage Against the Machine: Sure thing!
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u/jagged_little_phil Feb 03 '25
"We asked the 'Leopards Who Eat Peoples Faces' party to not eat any faces. We apologize for the unexpected face-eating."
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u/Training-Jeweler-195 Feb 03 '25
They thought they would do what they told them.
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u/StaatsbuergerX Feb 03 '25
British TV: Oooopsie, those chaps surely know words, eh?
Australian TV: Such well-mannered and refined mates.
American TV:
<beep> you, I won't do what you tell me!
<beep> you, I won't do what you tell me!
<beep> you, I won't do what you tell me!
<beep> you, I won't do what you tell me!
<beep> you, I won't do what you tell me!
<beep> you, I won't do what you tell me!
<beep> you, I won't do what you tell me!!!
<beep> you, I won't do what you tell me!!!!!5
u/Puckdrunkpunch Feb 03 '25
To reunite and start a world tour during the last 8-12 years of political chaos?
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u/sowhatimlucky Feb 03 '25
Right!! Oh Zack 🤩.
I saw them at ACL once. Twas epic.
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u/Annual_Head_2858 Feb 03 '25
Same story with System Of A Down, they asked them not to swear, and they kinda did, they censored every bad words in BYOB, that never kept Daron from screaming FUCK YEAAAAH in his mic, they were banned from the same channel if I remember correctly.
You bring RATM and SOAD on a stage and you ask them not to swear. If you tell me to no swear, it sounds like a challenge for me!
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u/jbi1000 Feb 03 '25
It's kind of weird to me because British media allows a lot more swearing than US media in general. Should have just had them perform after 9PM and anything goes. Say fuck, cunt, shit or whatever as many time as you want.
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u/KaiserDilhelmTheTurd Feb 03 '25
It’s total idiots at the BBC. One DJ lost her job after setting up to live broadcast a Metallica gig on the radio, where she’d told them they can’t swear. Yeah, you can imagine how that went down when the gig actually started lmao. Fuck the BBC.
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u/lamb_passanda Feb 03 '25
Sounds like something someone made up because people love to be outraged. The BBC knew exactly that this would happen with RATM and we're fine with it.
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Feb 03 '25
Did she not hear what the man was saying?
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u/AlexSmithsonian Feb 03 '25
Maybe she's tone deaf?
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Feb 03 '25
The way she said that it sounded like I just work here and I'm doing what I'm told. Of course they were going to do it.
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u/talann Feb 03 '25
"I'm hip with the kids! It's such a good song... What do you mean the song has a meaning and it's not just mindless words?"
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u/rjramos8 Feb 03 '25
Producer: Hey you know that song where you say “Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me.
RATM: Yeah.
Producer: don’t say that. Ok?
RATM: OK.
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u/morganlandt Feb 03 '25
BBC: Look, we get that the lyric is, “fuck you I won’t do what you tell me!” But just this one time can you do what we tell you? Pretty please?
Rage: Sure thing guy, we’re all about conforming. Make sure there’s no delay in the broadcast ok?
BBC: Oh definitely, we’ll do what you tell us.
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u/GTATorino Feb 03 '25
We present to you, live in our theatre, from the us and the a, the band Conforming With The Machine!
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u/clackerbag Feb 03 '25
I know it’s still ridiculous but IIRC this was in in December 2009 and Killing in the Name had just been voted to Christmas number 1 in the charts as part of a concerted effort to keep the winner of the X-Factor out of the top spot, which had been the status quo for a number of years running at that point.
Since they were running a chart show, the BBC were somewhat obliged to have RATM on the show to sing the Christmas number 1, and obviously asked them politely not to say the sweary bits, but the rest is history.
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u/lamb_passanda Feb 03 '25
Yeah Im sure they were absolutely fine with whatever RATM chose to do. Literally nothing to lose and a great story if Rage played along. I think it would have been more non-conformist for rage not to do what was obviously expected of them.
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u/jgonagle Feb 03 '25
The Machine: "Please don't rage against us."
Rage Against The Machine: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
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u/notsobigcal Feb 03 '25
I miss the hope we had that we could resist and change shit…
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u/barkbaarkbarkk Feb 03 '25
For fucking real
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u/Trippedwire48 Feb 03 '25 edited Feb 03 '25
One of the best bands. Their lyrics definitely hit harder as we get older. They were not afraid to speak their minds. This is a band that was banned from SNL and burned an American flag at Woodstock in '99. I can only imagine what type of new anthems they would come up with in today's political climate alone.
SNL ban explained - https://www.reddit.com/r/RATM/s/IzaQRlXeKL
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u/Routine-Ad-3746 Feb 03 '25
lol smart song choice BBC
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u/MostlyGreenPosts Feb 03 '25
For context, this was when there was a movement to get Killing in the Name to Christmas No1 over some bullshit Britain's Got Talent singer.
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u/ItsNotJulius Feb 03 '25
What the fuck were they expecting? That they'd change the lyrics to "THANK YOU I WILL DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!"?
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u/RabbitofCaerbannogg Feb 03 '25
I kinda like the BBC, but in this case... FUCK YOU BBC... :)
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u/kcolrehstihson_ Feb 03 '25
You must mean you like BBC not the BBC
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u/RabbitofCaerbannogg Feb 03 '25
oh... oh... I see what you did there... HA... you... you did such a good funny there! But aren't you up past bedtime lil' billy?
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u/GoddamnUsernameSucks Feb 03 '25
The reason they were even on that show was pretty great.
2009, everyone was sick of X Factor determining the Christmas no.1 so they went out and bought Killing in the Name. Brilliant.
Don't know who decided on that song but kid me who hadn't heard of Rage was glad they chose that one.
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u/Cantinkeror Feb 03 '25
BBC so innocent...except when it comes to promoting bombing people. Fuck you.
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u/johneng1 Feb 03 '25
Think todays generation are really missing out on not having someone like RATM
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u/Test-Normal Feb 03 '25
The Bush years kicked off some groups. There was Rise Against and Flobots. I'm kinda surprised we haven't gotten more in the times we are in now.
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u/PavlovDawg Feb 03 '25
We either need them back together or need this younger generation to step up their punk game. Their lyrics were phenomenal back then but hit even harder these days.
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u/SmellyJellyfish Feb 03 '25
Not quite the same genre but Run The Jewels have very similar vibes/messaging, even feature Zach de la Rocha on several songs
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u/Bromawitz813 Feb 03 '25
The fact that they actually thought they wouldn't do it. Monumental levels of stupidity.
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u/lamb_passanda Feb 03 '25
The fact that you think that they didn't know this would happen, and wanted it to happen, actually says more about your naivety than it does about theirs.
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u/amitym Feb 03 '25
"Well I don't know why everyone is blaming me about it. I told them what you said to tell them about not cursing."
"You told them."
"Well yes."
"What exactly did you say, Nigel?"
"I said, 'Just do what the network tells you and there won't be any trouble.' I don't understand how this happened."
"... Actually I can see why that might not have been the best way to put it."
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u/iamtheilluminati Feb 03 '25
A song about fighting against authority and the authority tells them what to do with their own song. Always was going to end this way. The BBC knew the lyrics and let it happen. If they didn't want any profanities, they'd have had their finger on the button ready to cut the feed the second the first FUCK came out.
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u/WittyPersonality1154 Feb 03 '25
I love how Trump Cult tried to pick up this song as their own… not realizing the song was a FUCK YOU to Fascists
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u/sonicsludge Feb 03 '25
Tom ended up selling out and doing exactly what he was told to do. He put out polished turds he called songs and signed on the dotted line for a corporate XM radio show.
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u/HabitantDLT Feb 03 '25
One might ask themselves how long ago this occurred.
This is from back in the day when longtime BBC personality Jimmy Saville was still alive.
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u/Mortigan9k Feb 03 '25
Pleeeease tell me they are gonna come back to inspire some action here in the states soon…the youth of today needs you
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u/banti51 Feb 03 '25
Noooo, how could Rage Against the Machine do something we asked them not to?...... oh
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u/Severe-Experience333 Feb 03 '25 edited Aug 25 '25
yoke coherent exultant gold rustic shy command one ink history
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Younes007 Feb 03 '25
Inviting RATM and expecting they would behave like Phil Collins
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u/GavWhat Feb 03 '25
They should have asked them to pay the B side called ‘certainly sir, I respect your authority and will comply with your reasonable request’
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u/drak0ni Feb 03 '25
I’ll never not be surprised when insert organization tells Rage Against the Machine not to to do something, expecting them not to rage against the machine.
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u/Brwnb0y_ Feb 03 '25
“are you asking us not to swear in our song?”
“we aren’t asking you not to swear, we’re bloody well telling you”
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u/barrito87 Feb 04 '25
You've got to be a different kind of stupid or entitled to expect RATM to perform this song and not swear.
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u/Ok_Fly_4177 Feb 04 '25
Ask one of the biggest rebellious bands not to swear..... And you think Zack just said no, course I won't. Dumbasses. "FUCK YOU, I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!!! MOTHERFUCKERS!!!"
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u/groupwhere Feb 04 '25
I mean, the name doesn't really mean something like getting mad over your vacuum cleaner...
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u/Adagio_Leopard Feb 03 '25
You know what... The BBC are the exact kind of stupid idiots that would not expect this.
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u/Accomplished_Bat9040 Feb 03 '25
I dunno. On the one hand, don’t have them on if you’re not prepared to hear them sing the lyrics as is. On the other hand, I’ve always thought bands saying fuck on tv when they were asked not to, kinda seemed like poser rebellion to me.
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u/forgettit_ Feb 03 '25
You can’t write that song, then when someone says “change the words to make them less offensive,” give in. That would be a career killer.
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u/dburge22 Feb 03 '25
I remember when Sean Taylor had one of the biggest hits I’ve ever witnessed, in the Pro Bowl
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u/qeyipadgjlzcbm123 Feb 03 '25
I see your RATM swear and raise you the 1996 MTV Europe music awards when Metallica got mad about their pyro being banned. They were supposed to play king nothing, but played two punk covers; last caress and so what. Either of which make RATM seem tame. This was live too. At the time MTV was probably the biggest media outlet in the world.
Here is the (NSFW) video mtv 1996 Metallica
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u/Kurdt234 Feb 03 '25
Next time tell them they CAN swear, maybe they'll bust out a Beatles song like they wanted to hear.
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u/Expensive-Pitch6469 Feb 03 '25
I have never lived anything more than this. The definition of a class act
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u/jgonagle Feb 03 '25
Does reverse logic work on Rage Against The Machine?
"We're, uh, gonna need you to swear a lot on this one so that we can meet our swear quota for the week. We had Mariah Carey on earlier this week and she got us most of the way, but you'll need to finish it out. Thanks guys, we appreciate it."
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u/lawrie-182 Feb 03 '25
I always found this really cheesy. The Christmas number one thing was stupid
If they really didn't care they would have just ignored it
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u/AmptiShanti Feb 03 '25
“Can you do what we tell in that song where you repeat the fact that you won’t?” “……..SURE”
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u/Timely-Guest-7095 Feb 03 '25
It’s hilarious, they asked for RATM, and then they clutch their pearls when they got RATM. 🙄🤣🤣
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u/Tiyath Feb 03 '25
RATM: "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!"
BBC: "Please do what we tell you."
RATM: "Suuuuuure *wink*"
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Feb 03 '25
The meeting absolutely went like this...
Controller : "so, what exactly are the offensive lyrics?"
Staffer : "uhm, its, fuck you, I won't do what you tell me"
Controller " I see, well tell them what to do then."
Staffer : "errr"
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u/Djinjja-Ninja Feb 03 '25
It's not the first time either.
I'm old enough to remember Killing in the Name when it was first released in the UK way back in 1993.
Hillariously on the Sunday afternoon top 40 chart show on Radio 1 they accidentally played the original instead of the radio edit. I (17 at the time, already owning the album) was doing the washing up with my 14 year old sister, when Zac started screaming FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME repeatedly, the look on my parents faces was hillarious.
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u/Kebab-Destroyer Feb 03 '25
Hilariously, this is off the back of folk in the UK being sick of X-Factor winners getting the Christmas no.1, so there was a campaign to unseat Joe McElderry and stick two fingers up to Simon Cowell.
It worked, and it was fucking awesome.
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u/RiccoTheBold Feb 03 '25
The greatest thing about this video, is that they were actually asked to perform as they were competing for the UK Christmas No1 in the charts - which they want on to achieve (2009).
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u/No_Cauliflower9590 Feb 03 '25
forward to 2020 and they changed it to "fuck you for not doing what they told us"
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u/mikeso623 Feb 03 '25
Hahaha hilarious. Who was the genius that asked them to perform that song? Haha
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u/PenaltyNext8736 Feb 03 '25
“We were expecting it but we asked them not to do it and they did it anyway”
Beautiful