Everyone has a right to speak freely. But when that speech advocates wanton violence, should it still be free? If I can't yell fire in a crowded theater, why should I be able to advocate the abuse of women?
This morning on The Right Balance, I heard the host, Greg Allen, make an excellent point about rap music. "It's one letter away from crap. And it's one letter away from rape." It is beyond irony that we allow the degradation, not only of women, but of (mostly) black entertainers by giving rap music the time of day.
If everyone is free to say and do whatever they want, we will soon be captive to the lowest common denominator. To avoid such captivity, we need to start using our freedom of speech, and speaking out against crap when we hear or see it.
Rap music is crap. The artists can make much better of themselves and their lives.
A caller recently called into the Michael Medved show claiming that when a rapper refers to women as "hos", he is only referring to the ones that are perpetually on welfare and are child factories for sexual predators. She didn't, it just occurs to me, state which group they they were referring to when they talk about the 'b****' word.
Nice try, caller. Your wishful thinking did not get you a fish fry.
Rap music is what's wrong with America. Its rhythm is the only part of it that occasionally requires any talent. The lyrics never do. It advocates acts that all Americans should be embarrassed by.
More frustrating than the fact that rappers ply their trade in the first place, is that people actually buy their music. Must be that they don't think about the words they are mimicking. At least I hope that's the problem.
Rap music commonly advocates violence to women. Violence to women in our culture is up. There seems to be a correlation. Why don't more people speak out against it? Unfortunately, rappers have their right to say what they want.
Fortunately, so do we. So, let's stop listening to it. Let's stop buying it. And let's encourage everyone else to do the same.
I forced myself to read through an article in the April edition of National Geographic entitled, Hip-Hop Planet. Although not devoid of educational elements, the overall result was that it made me want to puke.
ReplyDeleteAuthor James McBride concludes by drawing a parallel between the violence spewed by (c)rap artists and the violence embodied in our National Anthem. He says he now embraces this "music" that he tried so long to ignore because of "the good of it."
Paradoxically, he says, "At its best, hip-hop lays bare the empty moral cupboard that is our generation's legacy." Gee, that's it's best accomplishment? He goes on dropping boilerplate lines about racism and economic inequality that are employed to avoid exercising serious thought.
But I guess that conclusion was a fitting tribute to the "music" he now embraces: empty and ignoble.
Ah, open-minded intelligence and a willingness to accept the likes and dislikes of others. What an amazingly small minded post. Take yourself a music theory course, and learn a little about the interconnectivity of musical styles, you will be surprised (and lets face it, I've read a lot of your blog, a little learning is only gonna help). What is funny is that back in the 70's I remember the same argument being used against Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash, what with all the songs about jail and infidelity. Many were ranting and raving (using EXACTLY the same quickly put together with too little thought arguments you just used yourself) about the "downfall of suburban purity" with the "invasion" of this "music without morals." You entertain me. Every generation has it's idiots locked in their tiny worlds completely void of understanding and knowledge, huh? Good luck to ya. I'll check back often and see how your progressing.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm at least entertaining to you, anon. It would be interesting to know who you are, but then you wouldn't be able to hide behind your anonymous blog rage.
ReplyDeleteBut thanks for your comments anyway, even though they're not very well thought out.
WOW. how about you try not to GENERALIZE rap music as a whole. and as one blogger posted- some research might do you some good. I'd suggest you entertain these rap artists who; DO NOT CURSE, WHO DO NOT PROMOTE MYSOGYNY AND ARE ALL ABOUT POSITIVE MESSAGES TO YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR:
ReplyDelete-Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
-Run DMC
-DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
among MANY others. in the beginning stages of rap music- cursing and any type of negative message were not entertained, nor were they tolerated. Nowadays- it is widespread and it is unnecessary, however- you should understand the HISTORY of the genre before you go on making false statements.
As a young person of color who is also a member of the LDS church- I am so sick and tired of people trying to generalize rap and criticize it as an evil form of music; which, for your information, was a genre of music founded for the purpose of providing positive messages to young people of color. The reason why you despise rap music so much is because you do not understand it. After all, we always fear, what we don't understand. I'm pretty sure you've come into very limited contact with this music and the people who created and innovated it. Frank, I think it would really be in YOUR BEST INTEREST to READ, LISTEN AND STUDY somewhere outside of your SIMPLE Utah politics. because essentially...that's all your ideas really are. simple.
You are correct, and I apologize. Since I wrote the post I have done more research, and it would have been better not to generalize.
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, a couple of my favorite songs right now are rap ("Colors", and "I Have a Dream") since I watched the movie "Freedom Writers", which changed markedly my perspective on minorities and the battles many of them have to go through.