Where's The Line?

In my office we have a radio. On that radio I choose to listen to music to help get me through the day. Just having music in the background helps me concentrate. Through most of the day, I don't even pay attention to what is playing unless I recognize a particular song that I like. Since I'm not alone in the office, I used to change it up a bit and switch over to AM so my partner could listen to talk radio. That was until the election stuff started up and it became unbearable to listen to the likes of G. Gordon Liddy, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glen Beck or Bill O'Reilly. While I will admit to enjoy being a generally grumpy person, this was putting me over the edge. It was making me hate everything, including myself. I was afraid that if I continued listening to that garbage, I was going end up harming myself. Anyways, I switched it back to FM where it will stay as long as I'm here.

Living in a rural town means we have about 3 choices when it comes to music. We have country, we have mixed, and we have classic rock. I leave it on the country station because...well...I like country music. It's generally a safe bet, and doesn't tend to offend people that happen to walk into my office as much as Bon Scott hollering that he's on a Highway to Hell would (don't get me wrong, I'm a huge AC/DC fan, I just don't know that it's 100% appropriate in the workplace). I've grown to like a lot of newer country bands that I hear. Sure, every now and then I'll have to endure the likes of Darryl Worley bitching about something (I must have forgotten), or Taylor Swift crying about another lost love (he doesn't even know I exist!!!), but those are the songs I just tune out. One of the more popular songs our country station will play is, of course, Angry American by Toby Keith. It's a catchy little ditty, and I don't too much mind it. The song probably had more of an impact when it first came out, but all in all it's not a horrible song. Hey, it even has that fancy catch phrase "'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way"(!!). I can't think of too many people who would take issue with this song. I mean, it has a nice melody, the words are chock full of tough-guy one liners, and it's patriotic, by God.

So when I heard the 3rd and latest single from a band I have really grown to like, Zac Brown Band, I didn't even flinch when the opening lyrics stated "I've got my toes in the water, ass in the sand..." I thought the song was great. It had a Jimmy Buffet feel to it, fun lyrics and was just a good song. This was the song, as a matter of fact, that nudged me to buy the album. I kept listening for it on the radio, but didn't hear it for a good week or two after the first time I heard it. Then, one day I'm sitting in my office working away, and I hear the familiar opening chords of the song. I immediately get excited I'm hearing this song again. That is until the opening lyrics state "I've got my toes in the water...toes in the sand". I was amazed. I mean, the song still works, but it sounds so silly now. I began wondering why they would censor the word ass. I'm not saying one word makes or breaks the song. In fact, I really don't care that they're censoring it. That's fine. I'll be a father soon, so bad language (if you could call the word "ass" bad language) shouldn't be on the radio where kids can hear it. I get it. I just find it curious that they will leave Toby Keith's song intact, while censoring Zac Brown Band. Is it because we're allowed to cuss when talking about terrorists? Where is the line? Obviously right down the middle of "ASS".