This month Policy Review unfortunately attempts a full on assault on 'alternative' music, from hip hop to grunge. Who would attempt such lame essay? Why it's "Mary Eberstadt is a fellow at the Hoover Institution, consulting editor to Policy Review, and author of Home-Alone America". Yeah, someone who really knows music...she probably blames Marilyn Manson for Columbine. She even gets basic elements of her story wrong like proclaiming that Snoop had "three years of jail service"--First of all, what the hell is "jail service"? I don't think he even served a year.
Mary, our esteemed music/society analyst with an agenda, an axe to grind and a constituency in denial about reality states throughout most of the essay that music is 'more violent and deprived than ever before'. Really? I seem to recall that in 1989, 'Straight Outta Compton' was released. I seem to recall that the Sex Pistols ruled the airwaves, and they once 'oh my!' swore on the BBC! I seem to recall NIN's Downward Spiral was released in 1995. How about 'Back door Man'? 'Cocaine' by Clapton? '12XU' by Wire? 'Rocket Man' by Elton John? 'I'm so pilled up that I rattle'? Do some history: This little premise is ignorant and self-serving. The sky isn't falling....and the earth's not flat, either.
Okay, but she says it's worse now though because punks are 'emo', and tend to get all upset about their parents breaking up. Well, yeah. They might be. This is perfect for her little thesis about parental breakups being hard on kids (breakups shouldn't happen in her universe of the 1950's). If she's worried about punks talking about their feelings, versus the complete nihilism of generations that saw no future in the late seventies as the world seemed to fall apart in Britain and Carter's US, than she has got to get a grip. "My feelings are hurt" songs are fine: I don't dig them, but if they help some kids get through a tough time, so be it.
But then she loses it. Just lose it:
Much of today’s metal and hip-hop, like certain music of yesterday, romanticizes illicit drug use and alcohol abuse, and much of current hip-hop sounds certain radical political themes, such as racial separationism and violence against the police.
Well, Mrs. Brady, like I said earlier, when certain areas (LA, circa late eighties) had some valid beefs with the cops, there were violent songs that some people related to. I can certainly remember being chased by cops (I never got caught) and when I was younger, I could certainly relate to "F*** tha Police" to a certain extent. Of course, I realize that, with some, er, relative maturity they were simply looking out for us kids. I didn't really think they were taking away our skateboards/contraband/explosives for personal use five minutes later, and I would never consider and have never considered violence against a police officer.
...and radical political themes? Get out! Like "Freedom should be fundamental"? Or "Fight the Power"? I think the fewer the people that follow this wanker, the less of a chance the Black Panthers will have a comeback. PS: The fifties are never coming back. Start dealing.
And, of course, the most elementally appealing feature of all, the sexually suggestive beat itself, continues to lure teenagers and young adults in its own right — including those from happy homes.
I don't use the term "Borderline Retarded" too often....in this case, it would insult the mentally challenged.
"The seductive beat is killing us! Ban Condoms! Ban Sex Ed! Ban Sex on TV! Abstinence until marriage! Ban Gays! Ban Blacks! Bring back the Cleavers! Deary Me!"
Today as yesterday, plenty of teenagers who don’t know or care what the stars are raving about find enough satisfaction in swaying to the sexy music.
Imagine that. People having fun. So what are you saying? Now the kids don't care what the lyrics are? Your argument makes zero sense. Right about now, Your Argument fell apart brother! right about now, your argument fell apart brother!
As professor and intellectual Allan Bloom observed about rock in his bestseller, The Closing of the American Mind (Simon & Schuster, 1987), the music “gives children, on a silver platter, with all the public authority of the entertaining industry, everything their parents always used to tell them they had to wait for until they grew up and would understand later.”
Yeah, same with that jazz music. Oh, no, you mean that's about sex too? It's everywhere! Maybe they should tune into some hyper violent tv instead, and watch some heavily accented foreigners eat the lead of Rambo. Its not "cool" when punks talk about feelings, but when Dirty Harry takes out some punks he's the man. Our kids are just not learning about the right type of killing and the right type of music.
Get my collection of Pat Boone covering the '60's version of ebonics (jive talk)...er what was that black fellow he covered again? Little Richard? Wait, "Tutti Fruitti" is about sex too?
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/sarcasm off.
You have all kinds of problems in the US relating to drugs, alcohol, eating disorders, violence and this idiot chooses to confuse cause and effect of these issues. Art is not an inspiration for violent action. It reflects reality or creates a fantasy. I personally think that rap can draw on some new experiences dealing with some other topics other than simply violence, but not because the artists aren't reflecting reality-they are. Jay-Z, Tupac, Snoop, and Notorious B.I.G. were all drug dealers. They all were involved in a violent lifestyle, and they talked about it. ...But these are well trodden paths.
But really, does it inspire drug abuse? That's stupid. Demand for drugs starts from within. Are we going to attack artists who reflect the reality they see? The one outlet where some find comfort? Are we going to sweep these issues under the table by jailing every frickin' kid caught with possession of drugs, or simply stating that certain issues are 'not appropriate dinner converstation'?
These artists are spitting the truth, and some are going to relate to their view. No one gets 'Wake up Little Suzie'. The Everly Brothers (thanks Syd) were lying about 'falling asleep' innocently with their date. This is the millenium and we aren't into the delusions and repression of previous ages. We're not going to avoid the issues, but hit the problem head on, by bringing out the truth in the song.
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