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Apple Makes NIN Hurt

Posted Mon May 4, 2009 11:21am PDT by Lyndsey Parker in As Heard On...

Future-thinking, technology-embracing Nine Inch Nails leader Trent Reznor--who left Interscope Records in 2007 and now independently releases music using technologies like BitTorrent--recently further delved into the digital age by creating a new, GPS-enabled iPhone app that allows fans to interact with each other at concerts in real time. It's a pretty cool tool for NIN diehards, sort of like a NIN-specialized Twitter.

But the new update of the NIN app seems to have downward-spiraled, so to speak, as it has been rejected by Apple due to "obscene, pornographic, offensive, or defamatory content."

Trent just posted this bummer news on Twitter, saying: "Apple rejects the NIN iPhone update because it contains objectionable content. The objectionable content referenced is [the NIN album] The Downward Spiral." 

Trent also discussed the controversy on the Nine Inch Nails website, likening the situation to one NIN dealt with previously:

"I'll voice the same issue I had with Wal-Mart years ago, which is a matter of consistency and hypocrisy. Wal-Mart went on a rampage years ago insisting all music they carry be censored of all profanity and 'clean' versions be made for them to carry. Bands (including Nirvana) tripped over themselves editing out words, changing album art, etc. to meet Wal-Mart's standards of decency--because Wal-Mart sells a lot of records. NIN refused, and you'll notice a pretty empty NIN section at any Wal-Mart. My reasoning was this: I can understand if you want the moral posturing of not having any 'indecent' material for sale--but you could literally turn around 180 degrees from where the NIN record would be and purchase the film 'Scarface' completely uncensored, or buy a copy of Grand Theft Auto where you can be rewarded for beating up prostitutes. How does that make sense?"

Seems like the iPhone has become a pretty hate machine for Trent.

Check out Digg's Trent interview on new technologies

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338 Comments

61. markj -
only a poosie kinda man (in other words you're NOT A MAN) uses that frikkin' language to sell songs/music. Where were ya raised dude? Would you feel 'offended' yourself if 'someone else' were to talk to 'YOUR DAUGHTER' crudely? Hmmmm... i BET ya would THEN want to stand up as a MAN and defend her. I think if ya feel the 'need' to speak fouly on your song or in your movies you're just another piece of crap. A 'poosy' with no real man left in him. Cuz if ya were a man you wouldn't talk the way ya do when you share your 'feelings' through your so called 'music' .

62. Ubergod -
Corporations, governments, and overly sensitive people are always forcing their will in this "land of the free". Get used to it or RIP the system.

63. T -
awww trent life sucks huh? kinda like your music does.

64. RodneyK -
Apple has this sick need to control everything that happens on their equipment. This company wants it all, hardware and software, and the apple freaks eat the stuff up. Apple is as crooked a company as they come, no matter how big of a smiley face you put across the LCD screen. Yeah Microsoft has it's problems, but if someone wrote a piece of software someone didn't like they wouldn't ban it!

65. Josh -
yea that sucks. it made me what to buy a iphone when i hear NIN had a app. but now no way. i'am a big fans of NIN's i have almost all his CD's. i steal buy them on Cd's even if i have ipod.
a what is up with company trying to stop think's likie that. It's not going to stop us. It just hurt's their sale's. been like that.It's because the blame music on eveything that is bad. and not on the real thing's that make poeple do bad stuff.

66. DON T -
wow! America Today.

67. why dont you come up with one for me? -
cant blame them for not wanting your product, they have the right to offer products and services they wish and you have the right to buy products from others its part of capitalism and if you cant handle it there are plenty of open houseing markets in russia and china that you can get into. i would say north koria also but lets just be realistic here, you wouldnt last through the open house in that country.

68. -
Never owned an Apple product, never will. Never bought music at Wal-Mart because of their sensorship, no matter what the music was.... And I paid real money for the last two NIN albums simply because Trent Reznor went out of his way to say I could have them for free if I wanted them. Thanks, Trent! btw, a free concert would reeeeealy be nice for those of us struggling these days :-)

69. MarkiGreen -
i like nin , and walmart sales policy won't effect the music industry , so my comment is eve*
ry one simmer down..

70. Robbie S -
Trent Reznor speaks a well-informed, intelligent truth. I may not like all his music(which is my personal right to do), I totally respect his views and his right to express them. As for Apple, a previous poster hit the nail on the head with the comment about them wanting total control over what apps are available on their precious Iphone. Precisely the reason when I upgrde my phone it will be either a Blackberry or a Palm.

71. Yahoo! Music User -
Astoundingly hypocritical of Apple.

C'mon, you can buy the trashiest music with the most explicit, violent, and disgusting lyrics imaginable on iTunes. How it's delivered (whether an mp3 or app) is irrelevant.

This has always been my problem with the idea of one company using a proprietary format and having a virtual monopoly over downloadable music purchase over the internet. Apps shouldn't be "bannable" by your freaking hardware manufacturer! It's truly not for them to say--it's YOUR device! When users voluntarily gave up that control, it all starts sliding down the slippery slope towards corporate tyranny.

72. Alec C -
props to NIN for keeping true to themselves and their style instead of selling out to mass retailer hivemind that is walmart

73. Yahoo! Music User -
who pays for stuff anymore?

74. Yahoo! Music User -
I dont get it, what is NIN? i know its an application, but why is it bad?

75. -
i would be happy if my ipod would actually work...let alone uploading an offensive app...I live in Okinawa, Japan...there is no Apple store here so I have to call tech support...they have no idea and tell me to mail the ipod to them...then I have my friend take the ipod 800 miles to Tokyo...to the Apple store...and the 11 employees standing around doing nothing tell him that he has to make an appointment online to get the thing looked at by the tech guy...that's just great service and an example that when a company gets too big...they screw the consumer///

76. justme -
Drake you’re an idiot! Yes Wal-Mart can have their decency and morality BUT they should make it go across the board...if you’re going to censor music, censor the video games and movies too...That's all that Renzor is saying....sheesh....try reading THE WHOLE comment before you comment

Jasper you’re a bigger idiot! They let the blacks?!?! They who? Apple? You mean the white people who own apple are racist against white people for banning Renzor...or the white people that run Wal-Mart for censoring music? Which white people are you referring to when you talk about how "they" are racist......idiot. Hypocrisy is not racism.....its stupidity ready for work,

77. Yahoo! Music User -
NIN/JA/SS=NINJASS. Sweet!

78. david b -
Nine Inch Nails sucks anyways...That right there is a good reason to ban their stupid app!

79. keeping%20it%20real -
don't blame him he is right

80. lisa -
I don't care for NIN, but Reznor has a point. I bet iTunes carries plenty of songs with 'objectionable content,' whether vulgar language, explicit sexual description, or gratuitous violence (as in a lot of gangsta rap).
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