When Tipper Gore struck and her cadre of Washington wives held US Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) Senate hearings on putting warning labels on music that referenced drugs, violence or sex, I, of course, was opposed.
Anything that limits freedom of speech is an important issue to me. PMRC proponents, of course, said that is not what they were trying to do. They didn鈥檛 want to stop people from writing and producing such songs, merely inform parents which records (that kind of dates it) contained 鈥渙ffensive鈥� material.
Opponents, of course, saw a much more nefarious underlying goal of censorship and erosion of the First Amendment.
The artists actually probably should have wanted to go along with it since a surefire way to get kids (or people in general) to want something is to have some group or another try to stifle it.
Look at the Last Temptation of Christ. It was a mediocre movie at best, probably destined for modest box office, but became the must-see movie of 1988 when the Catholic Church came out against it.
In any event, I am not going to advocate censorship of anything, but 25 (or so) years later, I can kind of see old Tipper鈥檚 point.
I鈥檓 personally not so concerned about explicit language or anything like that鈥斺�渕y anaconda don鈥檛 want none unless you got buns, hun鈥� notwithstanding鈥攚hat bothers me is the inanity of some lyrics. Take Sam Smith鈥檚 gigantic hit 鈥淪tay with Me.鈥�
Guess it鈥檚 true, I鈥檓 not good at a one-night stand
But I still need love 鈥榗ause I鈥檓 just a man
These nights never seem to go to plan
I don鈥檛 want you to leave, will you hold my hand?
Oh, won鈥檛 you stay with me?
鈥楥ause you鈥檙e all I need
This ain鈥檛 love, it鈥檚 clear to see
But darling, stay with me
Like, come on, gag me with a spoon.
I am not really the target audience for pop music, but there does seem to be an obsession with partying. Fun鈥檚 鈥淲e聽 Are Young鈥� is a great example of a combination of partying and inane lyrics. The worst part is the clich茅 chorus though.
Give me a second I
I need to get my story straight
My friends are in the bathroom
Getting higher than the Empire State
My lover she鈥檚 waiting for me
Just across the bar
My seats been taken by some sunglasses
Asking 鈥榖out a scar
And I know I gave it to you months ago
I know you鈥檙e trying to forget
But between the drinks and subtle things
The holes in my apologies
You know I鈥檓 trying hard to take it back
So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I鈥檒l carry you home
Tonight
We are young
So let鈥檚 set the world on fire
We can burn brighter
Than the sun
Ugh.
And then there is the outright irresponsible such as Pitbull鈥檚 鈥淭ime of our lives鈥� lyrics.
I knew my rent was gon鈥� be late about a week ago
I worked my ass off, but I still can鈥檛 pay it though
But I just got just enough
To get up in this club
Have me a good time, before my time is up
Hey, let鈥檚 get it now
Ooh I want the time of my life
Oh baby
Ooh give me the time of my life
Let鈥檚 get it now
So, instead of doing the responsible thing and go give his landlord whatever money he does have and try to negotiate some kind of arrange, he鈥檚 going to go out and get drunk. Hardly the kind of role model we would want influencing our children or grandchildren.
Celebrities don鈥檛 actually influence people, though, do they?
Once again, however, I am left with the only defensible position. I may not agree with what you say or believe, but I will fight to the death to defend your right to say or believe it no matter how stupid, inane, offensive or clich茅 I might find it.
