I have two hobbies which I am a little obsessive about – poker and Rock Band.   Sometimes we combine the two by hosting a home poker tournament which is followed by the losers playing Rock Band.   It really takes the sting out of an early tourney exit if you are walking down the hall to be a rock star. My husband has enabled both hobbies.   He is the one that sent me to poker school.   He is the one who downloads all the new Rock Band songs on their debut date.   Our children are often subjected to impromptu concerts and living room rock tours. My three boys have two hobbies – Legos and video games. So, when Lego Rock Band was released, it was like they had read my mind. HEAVEN. Legos.   Rock Band.   Video Game. All the Lego Rock Band songs are labeled family friendly.   It is all pretty cute.   The graphics are all Lego people rocking out sans-knees.   The guitar and bass prompts are colorful lego pieces.   The game has silly Lego facts and legends between the songs. Songs. I hate to be a super big prude, BUT my idea of family friendly is a little different than Lego Rock Band’s.   It might have something to do with the fact my boys are 3, 6 and 8.   It might have something to do with the fact that I prefer not to use the word HELL 6 times in a matter of 45 seconds… Crap. It is one of my favorite songs of all times, Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall.   I have been waiting for it to be released for Rock Band.   I have been complaining that the Rock Band library is a light in the female-lead singer department. I was so excited to see it on the list and a little surprised that it was one of the songs released on the Lego version because I never really thought of it as a kid’s song.   And then I sang it.   All of it…all the hell of it.   All 6 hells of it.
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see) This is what I wanna be Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see) Why the hell it means so much to me
I am not big on censorship or word substitution, but maybe placing songs into appropriate categories would be my suggestion.   By labeling something with a Lego brand and a family friendly tag, it is assumed that kids – YOUNG kids will be involved.   I don’t necessarily have a problem with the word hell.   I just would prefer not to hear my three year old belting out, “Why the hell it means so much to me”.   6 times.   In public.   Or anywhere.   Even in my living room. It is just weird to me.   And seems so unnecessary.   With the kajillion available tunes in the world, why choose something that might rub a family the wrong way? Why not release the song on the regular version? Seriously, Lego Rock Band, what the hell? Oh, and don’t even get me started on the family friendly inclusion of Fat Bottom Girls...



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16 Comments

  1. This really is good, my son really loves star wars lego and consistently pestering me regarding it – your post has solved a number of my queries. Time for additional searching!

  2. Funny you wrote this because I just blogged about overhearing one of my children say “damn it”. We love Lego Rock Band as a family…. but I understand what you are saying. My children are older but even when they sing the songs they will just hum the parts that have a word that is not appropriate (which differs from kid to kid).

    It could be worse.

  3. I want the Freddy Mercury Lego guy! How long till we can buy them, do you think? Freddy needs to go everywhere with me! I need his keen fashion sense-he could so rock a tight white jumpsuit!

  4. i TOTALLY Agree… I won’t let the lyrics of the other Rock Bands be displayed on the screen when my daughter or niece and nephews are around. I just don’t like it. When they announced Band Hero (for the entire family) I was thrilled. Then I saw the setlist. No freakin’ way. I don’t care how much Taylor Swift you jam into a set list, it’s not family friendly… (and don’t get me started on Taylor Swift. Even with the absence of profanity- a song about a girls boyfriend sneaking in her window at night is NOT what my 10 year old girl needs to be singing in the mirror.)