It looks like the Lebanese General Security has decided to ban Lady Gaga’s new album, Born This Way, from being sold and distributed in Lebanon, as reported by The Sun.
The cause of the ban? They deemed the album “offensive to Christianity”. Even her previous single Judas was taken off Lebanese radio soon after it came out in April.
So Lebanon will be one of the few countries in the world where Born This Way will never chart. Bans of the sort (based on religious causes) are never revoked.
But is the ban this relevant? I don’t think so.
Why?
Simply because most Lebanese have either heard the album already or have very simple ways to purchase it, or listen to it: YouTube, illegal downloading, etc….
It’s the same thing with The DaVinci Code. Has anyone not read that book yet? We’ve all gotten a copy from abroad and read it.
As they say, what is forbidden is usually wanted, so this will only increase interest in Lady Gaga’s album in Lebanon. The proper step would have been to simply release the album and let people judge for themselves if they liked it or not. Sure, the album has Christian elements in it but that’s Lady Gaga’s way to deal with her being raised up in a strict Catholic fashion.
After all, it’s not like Lebanese are going to run in masses to purchase the album that will surely be way overpriced at Virgin Megastore outlets.
A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares 
that’s so silly. what about stuff like Marilyn Manson or black metal? lady gaga isn’t satanic music or whatever, lol, they should check some black metal first before they ban Lady Gaga. and da vinci code is banned too?! oO wtf, really can’t see the point in that.
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I totally agree. I have no idea if Marilyn Manson or Black Metal stuff are banned but I would assume they are.
If anything, this ban will increase interest and get people to listen to the album. Besides, regardless of content, the ban shouldn’t even happen – and I am a Christian.
Regarding The DaVinci Code, there’s nothing in it. It’s freaking fiction! But it got banned! :@
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I don’t get it. Sometimes I’m even happy to live in Germany, where I can watch and listen everything without a ban 🙂 we are in the 21st century, not in medieval ages, they should think about that 😛
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I very much agree with this. This is the digital age. Do they think that by banning something, people aren’t going to get access to it? I mean, seriously!
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You’re absolutely right; I am not a Gaga fan, but I specifically looked up the song JUST because they banned it. Then posted it on Facebook just to make a statement.
On another note, didn’t they unban The Da Vinci Code? I’ve bought it from Lebanon. I think it was banned for a while then they got a life concerning this particular subject, no?
By the way, I’ve quoted your blog (credited and linked to you) on http://news.meedan.net/index.php?page=events&post_id=315401
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Exactly! I mean I’m Christian and I’m not exactly a fan but I downloaded the album and listened to it. There’s nothing in there that’s offensive to me. What would be offensive to me is the guy in my brother’s university who said outloud: “Don’t talk to me about those things that call themselves Christian, they are waste who excel at blasphemy”. Maybe they should ban such a creature from existence?
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no theyre not banned in Lebanon 🙂
But whenever u have a country that has over 18 sects of diff religons this is what happens, unlike countries that are regardless of their actual religous views, norms, and values. Theyre actually fighting for something and defending what they believe in rather than accepting any disrespect to whatever they belong to and showing indifference 🙂
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I understand where they’re coming from but I don’t agree with it. I’m a Christian and think this is ridiculous. I would also like to read Salman Rushdi’s The Satanic Verses but that book is banned in Lebanon as well. So yeah..
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This reminds me of the days when Bob Dylan was banned along with Enrico Macias… next to be banned will be the soundtrack of the Sound of Music
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lol yeah, imagine that happening :p
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The group that decided to ban it is probably composed of uptight 50 year olds who don’t know the meaning of freedom and interpretation
Whatever..who buys original stuff in Lebanon anyway
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Yeah, I don’t think the Church asked for it to get banned. They don’t have that much free time. But yeah, I do not agree with the ban. And that’s exactly my point: who will buy the original album in Lebanon anyway?
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i wonder why would they keep a show like “heik menghanneh” going on air!! each episode is even more slutty/immoral than Lady Gaga’s lyircs!
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But they don’t have songs that go like Judas, Black Jesus, Bloody Mary :p
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WHATS THAT?! In EUROPE ITS NOT BANNED AND THEY ARE ALL CHRISTIAN!!! I cannot believe that Lebanon is that sellfish. Dont they think about the fans !!! 😦
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It’s not Lebanon who’s selfish. It’s a bunch of men who decided that the album was offensive. I do not agree with the ban.
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I think we ought to celebrate Lady Gaga, she says in her song of this album: ‘you’re Lebanese, you’re orient’ trying to encourage us to accept our beings regardless, i am sure she has not suffered anything like being a Lebanese and an orient and she is ‘twisted’! So hail for Gaga, at least now people in the US will know that Lebanon is not the same country as Lybia!
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Yeah, I liked her mention of Lebanese in Born This Way. This ban is just too stupid. You can’t ban an artist this century!
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HAHA OMG U GUYZ R SO STUPID :O! OMG ITS NONE OF UR BUSINESS OF SHE DOES A SONG ABOUT JUDAS OR WHTEVER :O! NONE OF UR FREAKIN BUSINESS :O! AND U CANT DECIDE TO BAD GAGA’s ALBUM ok JUST THINK ABOUT HER FANs :)! Please Just Grow up And Get a Life 🙂
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You need to chill. I did not ban her album -_-
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They Ban Lady Gaga Form Lebanon… Some Metallica Albums Are Officialy banned From Lebanon for religious means… I Think if they Should Ban Each Song having a single word about jesus… I’d Compare this Country to a net with microscopic pores… 😦 And The Ironic Thing Is That LAdy Gaga And Metallica are the most popular around lebanon…. 😦 😦
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I don’t think they’re the most popular artists but yeah, banning things should be banned in itself.
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Pingback: Beirut Spring: Lady Gaga Backlash
I don’t understand how this is offensive to Christianity. I might not focus a lot on her lyrics, or listen to her a lot, but I actually liked the song Judas and I think Christians struggle with the same issue.
I especially like this verse
When he comes to me, I am ready
I wash his feet with my hair if he needs
Forgive him when his tongue lies through his brain
Even after three times he betrays me.
Now who does that remind you of? 🙂
I so love finding traces of God’s voice in secular music. There’s a lot of it in Adele’s music too.
Also …
I wanna love you,
But somethin’s pulling me away from you
Jesus is my Virtue
And Judas is the demon I cling to (cling to)
Enough said. All Christians have sinful thoughts and their own personal demons that pull them away from God’s love. I personally think it’s offensive and self-righteous to consider her music offensive to Christianity.
Ridiculous.
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I agree. I don’t think Judas is as offensive in itself but the video isn’t as fluffy :p
I don’t agree with the ban but there are other songs that deal with Christianity on the album: Bloody Mary, Electric Chapel, Black Jesus and Judas.
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1st I Don’t Think The Album Must Be Banned Itself… Born This Way is a good song
But 2nd… Facts In Some Songs Are Inadmissible…
Like In The Video Of Judas A Gangster Moto Rider Wears The Holy Thorns-crown OF Jesus…
And The Fact Lady Gaga Loves Judas… It’s Not Judas she Loves But His Symbolism… The Symbolism of his sin…
And In Bloody Mary She Sing “Like Jesus said
I’m gonna dance, dance, dance” ?!?!
All Young People Are Writing: Ridiculous!! Lady Gaga IS Glorious… She Shouldn’t Be Banned!
They first Should They Should Take A Peak At Her Vids And The Words They’re Dancing On….
Still I Think Government Should take A little Smarter Moves… This Album Shouldn’t be banned….
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I totally agree with this comment. The album shouldn’t be banned even though I do not like or agree with many songs and their contents.
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Pingback: Lady Gaga Unbanned in Lebanon « A Separate State of Mind
Well, I’d like to point out that the ban got revoked today. 🙂
As for the comment concerning the Bloody Mary lyric:
I’m gonna dance dance dance
with my hands hands hands
above my head head head
like Jesus said
Dancing with your hands above your head means two things. Having fun or surrendering. In this case she means not putting up a fight, just like Jesus would say. The point is, she’s not judging you, she’s forgiving you.
I’m not over-analyzing. It’s pretty obvious that she’s meaning to say that.
O and Hi Elie 🙂
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Lol hey Ziad 🙂
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Ah Lebanon, where its perfectly acceptable to strap a bomb on and blow up civilians, but listen to Lady Gaga?? No. That would be immoral.
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Seriously? What Lebanon are you talking about? -_-
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Sorry for reviving dead posts but…I just had to comment on the irony… Bloody Mary has been #1 on the Lebanese charts for 3 weeks straight… hahaha 😛
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I figured you’d comment on my review of You and I :p
Don’t worry about it 🙂 I actually like Bloody Mary.
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I think that should get a huge
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thumbs down
cause im bi she’s hot and her music and performances totally rock!!!
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Guys, since you can download it for free in all cases, then why are you protesting about the banning of such an album?!!?
It makes no sense, if you like the songs that she’s singing, whether they are offensive in your opinion(s) or not, then go ahead and download it, but there’s no point in getting angry if they banned it. 😉
I wouldn’t exactly appreciate it if anyone would trash my religion, singer, actor, or whomever! (Yes i call these kind of songs, as well as some of the metal hard rock ones to be trashing my religion) And just because she was raised in a strict catholic environment doesn’t make it “allowed” to sing such songs. (it’s about time some of us stand up and defend our Christianity, to be honest with you guys! We should open our eyes, really… you should look at this in a different perspective. Think about it this way, someone is singing a song about your dad that isn’t exactly praising him in any way… would you appreciate it? I mean you would be a little defensive at least if someone is displaying bad things about someone you love… this is basically the same, at least it is for me …)
So please for once, think about the cause behind it, they banned the album, yes! It’s your choice to download the song for free or not, I choose not to download her songs from this particular album coz yeah, she is being offensive to my religion and i’m not going to support her for doing it in any way :S … buying the album is supporting her directly, whereas downloading it by ripping it off is not necessarily benefiting her too much 😛 but in all cases, i don’t support her album , and i don’t think banning things that harm or come against any religion is wrong. Of course at the end of the day, it’s your own conscience that will tell you what to do and feel …
anyways that’s my opinion, I accept your opinions as well 🙂
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