Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26239285-20190303225604/@comment-26239285-20190305003016

Yes there's always a balance, especially in the arts (including lyrics), between freedom of expression and saying things that upset or distress people.


 * Because of the wide audience of Fandom (nee Wikia) especially if not predominantly children, they state that as a condition of using their services, that we won't post material that is pornographic, abusive, profane, etc. As a parent myself (although my kids have mostly grown up now), I would agree that it is a good rule, which is why I'd be happy for kids to use the services.
 * Some content, such as sexualizing minors (which I'm sure I came across in at least one song), may well be illegal in many jurisdictions.
 * Content that promotes hatred or racism might also be illegal (it is in Australia, don't know about the jurisdiction where Fandom is based) but even if not, I think many would consider it immoral, and it's definitely against the terms of use.

On the other hand, it's useful to have an archive of lyrics that have been produced, whether it's for research, historical or artistic purposes, whether it's to help listeners understand the meaning of songs they like if they don't speak the original language, or whether some people just get a kick out of listening to porn etc. But for reasons cited above, this generates a conflict between freedom of expression (as you rightly say) and responsible behaviour towards our users. This is a manifestation of a long-standing issue in society that's been around AFAIK for a long time.