For a man who has been responsible for some of the more industrial lyrics in music history, Nine Inch Nails’ frontman, Trent Reznor, has taken rejection by Apple with a relatively sanguine spirit.
On discovering that Apple has refused to approve NIN’s latest iPhone app update, he tweeted: “Apple rejects the NIN iPhone update because it contains objectionable content. The objectionable content referenced is ‘The Downward Spiral’.” (‘The Downward Spiral’ is a 1994 album that laces a touch of earthy nihilism into a musical screwdriver of heavy psychological meltdown.)
Reznor then added in a follow-up tweet: “Not even sure where to start with that one.”Well, he might like to start with the fact that the very same content, with lyrics that suggest the author would like to have rather rough, bestial intercourse with his lover on the track “Closer”, is still happily available for close scrutiny on iTunes. And, according to MG Siegler at TechCrunch, who is in possession of one, on the first version of the already approved NIN iPhone app.
He might then like to follow it up with the notion that, according to some developers, getting an iPhone app approved is not entirely dissimilar to having a sensible chat with someone at the DMV.
Even when you are given reasons, they say, those reasons sometimes embrace logic like a fish embraces sand.It does seem a little odd that the Baby Shaker app somehow made it past the Apple condo board while this NIN update is ensnared by an alleged and very sudden sensitivity to the parental guidance sticker. It isn’t easy to handle the sheer volume of apps being created. And 1 billion downloads doesn’t suggest a downward spiral. However, this particular tale does seem to border the peculiar.
