Screen shot from Channel One: Kids get another dose of Lady Sovereign’s alcohol-drenched lyrics.
I wake up late every morning
Managers calling im still yawning
Get up wake up hair and makeups
Waiting for you don’t be stalling
This performance is important
I don’t think I can put my all in
Hold on I was drunk last night*
Now its all kicking in and I don’t feel right
On September 14, Channel One played an extraordinary ad for students. It was extraordinary because it was two minutes long. Viewers don’t tolerate ads more than 30 seconds. That’s why you don’t see even one-minute commercials on network TV. However, in the classroom where Channel One’s captive audience cannot avoid the ad, cannot turn the channel, a two-minute commercial can be extremely effective.
This epic ad was for Verizon Wireless and their new Chocolate cell phone. We have reported on this earlier. The second reason it is extraordinary is once again the raunchy rap singer Lady Sovereign is featured. This time a large portion of her song "9 to 5" is played.
This song conveys some awful messages to young people. Underage drinking is cool is one overriding message from this British rap singer.
Jim Metrock said, "Channel One’s CEO Judy Harris must be a big fan of this singer. She has approved at least two different ads featuring two different songs and each one promoted underage drinking. The song ‘9 to 5’ is about a young women who can’t make it into work at 9 o’clock because she was drunk the night before. Yuk, yuk, Channel One. Is that funny to you marketing geniuses? Why did you allow this to be played in our high schools and middle schools? Shame on you. Who are you going to blame this mess-up on? Is the the fault of the all-white, semi-anonymous Channel One Advisory Board?"
* The lyrics that talk about the singer being too drunk the night before are the ones the students hear on the commercial. The word ‘drunk’ is obscured but the kids probably know the song and therefore they fill in the missing word. No one at Channel One cared enough to do any research on this singer or song.
"9 To 5"
Ok yo….
I wake up late every morning
Managers calling im still yawning
Get up wake up hair and makeups
Waiting for you don’t be stalling
This performance is important
I don’t think I can put my all in
Hold on I was drunk last night
Now its all kicking in and I don’t feel right
Gave my number to a breh who wasn’t my type
Now my phones on silent im being polite
Now private callers get no love from me
Just let me be…
[chorus]
Oh my gosh my days are getting longer
There’s no turning back cuz im working da 9 to 5
To keep my contract did I say 9 I meant 1:30
Im no early birdy im lazy dats all dat I can say
So make sure you heard me
And deres no turning back cuz im working a 9 to 5
So you gotta…do…sum…ite… for…channel…u
Channel who sorry who im altered for snooze
Oh! Channel U da ones dat made me huge
Like Katie Prices boobs
Whoops Im being rude
Wheres my red bull and my sandwich I need food
I cant handle this
Im getting pissd++ like pampers throwing a tantrum
"Action"
Nah Id actually rather catch my z’s and count sheep in my sleep
Lets not wake her up actually looks quite cute
[chorus]
Oh my Gosh my days are getting longer
And theres no turning back cos im working a 9 to 5
To keep my contract did I say dat I meant 1:30
Im no early birdy im lazy dats all dat I can say
So make sure you heard me
I aint no early birdy
Wont wake up till 12:30
I couldn’t be bothered to say much ere
Sooooooooo oh dear
Huh where am I man…
This… aint good… whats going on?!
So my label have changed my image
Im a pink lipstick chik called dipstick
This aint on my wishlist
Oh s*** Im in FHM posing in a bikini
Next to a Lamborghini
Next stop the theme tune for Tweenies
Im presenting C-beebies
[pukes] Have u seen me?
Never again, am I drinking lambrini**
"Its alright Sov it’s a dream… jus wake up!"
[chorus]
Oh my Gosh my days are getting longer
And theres no turning back cos im working da 9 to 5
To keep my contract did I say dat I meant 1:30
Im no early birdy im lazy I’ll say it again
To make sure ya heard me
I aint no early birdy
Wont wake up to 12:30
And I cant be bothered to say much ere
So ill say it again
++ "pissed" in England means drunkenness or intoxication, being physically and mentally impaired due to excess consumption of alcohol. These lyrics appear to have the American meaning of being angry, but since so many of the singer’s songs delight in and encourage heavy drinking, and she is from England, there could be a double meaning.
** Lambrini: Perry or pear cider is an alcoholic beverage made of fermented pear juice. It is similar to cider, in that it is made using a similar process and often has a similar alcoholic content, around 8% alcohol by volume.
Lady Sovereign’s songs seek to "empower" young women and girls. Her music is aimed at preteen girls among others. Getting high and getting drunk helps make a girl equal to a boy.
Lady Sovereign is just the latest bad drug/alcohol message Channel One has sent to students. Channel One has advertised movies, TV shows, and music that help normalize drug and alcohol use by minors. Just a few examples of Channel One’s recklessness: Dude, Where’s My Car? Starsky & Hutch, Ringingphone.com (pro-drug images for children’s cell phones), PSA’s that say it’s OK to be underage and drink as long as you don’t drive, Kangaroo Jack , CBS’s Clubhouse – teens who drink too much alcohol may have problems; Channelone.com article to help kids determine if they drink TOO MUCH; the OC – if you are a teen and DON"T drink, you’re a loser; a report that instructs kids on the slang names of street drugs in case they didn’t know; Stealing Harvard movie with a truly awful message about teen drinking and driving; Missy Elliott and her pro-drug music gets plug on C1N; Honey – drug and alcohol content didn’t deter C1N from advertising to MIDDLE SCHOOL students; One Tree Hill – a TV show loaded with teen drinking; "Are teenagers and alcohol a dangerous mix?" you got to be kidding me, this is how Channel One thinks; Hey, 6th graders, do you have a "drinking PROBLEM?"; and much more.
Thank goodness the vast majority of secondary schools in the U.S. have never had one episode of Channel One News shown in their classrooms.
