EDIT: below I wrote the following in mind of some radio stations housing mainstream music that is popular among my schoolmates, at least. There are radios that play great songs, but this in review of the mainstream radio, mostly. Corrupted, just fine, lacking in variety, WHAT are our radios, exactly? I've avoided the radios for years now, and the music does not seem to grow better, not in morals or quality. It seems to me that the continuous, monotonous songs about rape, getting high and drunk, and cheating can only lead to something bad. As if the lyrics weren't bad enough, the songs that seem to pop up nowadays lack in finesse and musical beauty. Ke$ha's songs are nothing of lyrical genius to begin with, but then some of her songs are distorted past enjoyment, even for their genre. (I do not need to get started on some of the singers that owe their careers to auto-tuning.) What has prompted this kind of music? Is it affecting its listeners? What do certain songs and certain music videos dictate? Now, I'm not ragging on the entire radio, because there are a few songs that are lyrically wholesome and produced with skill, such as Fireflies, Taylor Swift, some Beyonce songs, etc, etc (I'm not a fan entirely of all these artists/songs, but they do maintain some dignity on the radio). If this subject has been discussed before, then I apologize, and it can be dealt with as seen fit. That aside... opinions?
I must listen to the radio when I work out. I am ashamed to admit that I get Lady Gaga stuck in my head all the time. 0_0 But a local radio station from IWCC has really good rock music on most of the time.
Apologies, I wrote this in mind of my school's most popular music station, which is filled the music I've described.... Quick edit to take part in...
Why does music need to be dignified, or moral? Much of the music I listen to is liberating, uplifting, but I certainly would not call it moral- in fact, I wouldn't want it to be moral in a traditional sense. I don't listen to the radio, because the music I like doesn't get airtime, so I guess I'd say our radios are bland. edit to DragonGrim: I'm primarily a metal fan, and I love Lady Gaga. My friends tease me about it.
The radio annoys me a bit. Not because of the lack of moral fiber inherent to rap music (I honestly could give a **** about "moral fiber" but the fact that rap is unrepentant garbage makes me dislike the music) or dance music or whatever they play; but rather because the music is horrible. I'm primarily a rock, folk and metal fan. A little industrial here and there too. I'll admit, I LOVE the classic rock station whereI live. But that's about it. Everything else played on all the others stations is a bunch of garbage. Rap, dance, horrid-"emo" rock or **** like Green Day. So, I have an iPod. Yay middle-class income!
Yes, you all have valid points. I suck at properly expressing myself. Quite honestly, when music does not follow golden morals in lyrics, if you are a grown adult, then of course it is fine. It just concerns me that the mainstream music reaching younger ears is perhaps too inappropriate for them (the other day my eight-year-old cousins told me their favorite artist was lil wayne, and they gave me a playlist of their songs, which was not content suitable for their ears, which prompted me to start this thread.)
I see your point. Mass media is of course hard (and perhaps even unethical) to censor. That does not excuse the effect some forms of media may have on impressionable minds. I'll probably sound old-fashioned here, but I think solid parenting is a possible alternative to out-and-out censorship. (which is wrong in my eyes anyways. Censorship is not ethical, in most cases at least) Now, I don't mean the sort of parenting my parents had to endure in the 50's and 60's either, which involved copious swearing and violence all on its own. I mean parents who are interested in their children, not authoritarian but not blindly permissive either. Parents need to explain to their children that mass media presents life in a highly distorted fashion (usually) and that video games, books, music and all that jazz should NEVER define that child's actions. People can be exposed to all sorts of insane things, but as long as they know not to define themselves based on those insane things, they will turn out well. You can listen to gangsta rap about banging "'ho's" and shooting people up all day long but if you get to the end of the day and realize: "Hey, this is just shock-jockey garbage penned by a guy/gal who is making a living off of it and is not at all representative of my reality," then you'll be alright. Well, at least I think.
It annoys me when you walk into a shop and this is what your young children are hearing: "They say I'm really sexy, The boys they wanna sex me. They always standing next to me, Always dancing next to me, Tryin' a feel my hump, hump. Lookin' at my lump, lump." In my eyes, they seriously should be more aware of what kind of music they play in the shops. Some of them have their own music selections, but others just have the radio, which in my opinion, is NOT acceptable for the ears of young children. I personally DO NOT allow my children to listen to this kind of rubbish, although I have heard Dan playing music, and my father, that I do not deem acceptable around my children.
I have to agree with Torana on this one, I hate the music the younger generation is being offered. It is by far, too mature for their age levels. As for myself, I listen to very little radio. In my opinion, the radio stations play the music that brings in the money, artistic value has little place these days. This is why I have a Zune player and it gives me everything I want to enjoy.
There is definately alot of crappy music on the popular radio stations that I simply cannot believe is popular. So much of it is this sound-alike style with little variation all about inappropriate stuff that the population, sadly, seem to be veiwing as more and more ok. That being said, for me at least, I will sometime listen to the popular station my peers listen to because about 30% of the time it actually plays good music, some of which my normal (fantastic) station doesn't play. And while I hate how so much of the pop music nowadays sounds pretty much all the same, but there are some nice songs hidden in there that have sweet lyrics and catchy music. However it really shocks and disturbs me how much of music really is focused on sex and drugs and rape and potraying so much of it as common and normal and completely fine. Thats a horrible message that is getting sent to young kids and it really shouldn't be. I do agree with Sabeur though about the whole parenting thing. Though if a parent does teach their child good values and such I think the chances of finding this media stuff as good will definately decrease; that's how it is with me
I'm not going to lie, I love Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, etc...but my big complaint with the radio, at least here, is that it's ridiculously repetitive. There's lots of that type of music available. Must you play the same five songs over and over and over? I do agree with Tor about the music they play in shops. When I worked at Toys R Us, they played this weird song that part of the lyrics were "If I were invisible, I would just watch you in your room" or something like that, and where I work now, they play some questionable stuff. Granted, I work at an office supply store, so we don't have a lot of children running around there all the time, but still...I don't think that music like that should be played in a public forum where everyone is forced to listen to it.
I have to agree!! I am always asking myself, why do they play the same songs over and again? It drives me nuts. As for the songs they play in public shopping stores...where I worked last year was terrible for playing inappropriate music in the children and juniors departments. We had parents complain to management about two of the songs. I wish I could remember now what they were but the fact remains, those songs were offensive to the parents with younger children.
I agree. The radio stations here in Austin are abysmal. Songs comes across as gently-stirred versions of the previous ones, with the same general "racy," lyrics, all narrating sex in slightly different phrases. I'm not a prude or anything, but come on, branch out, be creative. It's all rubbish. Which is why I don't listen to the radio anymore. Ipods rock. I can put it on and listen to Iron and Wine and be content.
I pretty much listen to CDs in the car and the radio every once in a great while. But even then it's usually either on the classic rock station (which, surprisingly plays a huge variety and not the same hits all the time) or the generic rock station which plays everything from classic rock to today's rock. I'm afraid I don't share the same love for Lady Gaga as many others. I tried it once and, after watching a music video, I really felt like I needed a shower and, perhaps, needed to walk down to the local clinic to get tested for an STD.
Lady Gaga definetly is one of the most skilled artists on the radio, I mean, her music sends waves of excitement through everyone when it comes on the radio. Not bad for a party.
I only very recently had the pleasure of hearing Lady Gaga (I stay away from radio and tv-music sh0ws) but i think i saw pokerface or something and quiet liked it. Sure she plays up on purpose, but they all do these days. From the good to the bad. I think she has some talent. And she seems to have a creative mind I'll stick to Metal (music for passion not fashion) though.
That's great. I cringe when I hear Lady Gaga. It's physically painful to me. My biggest problem with the radio isn't even that they play rubbish, but that they play the same rubbish- The stations here basically have a list of 20 songs on repeat all day and night.
If Radio stations are playing current mqterial, i cant imagine4 them having more then 20 songs to play for people tbese days. Maybe iits just me, but it seems with the early/mid teens i know, they all like the same stuff (though i have a feeling its more a, "i like it because you do thing," rather than everyone liiking the same stuff). When i was a kid if someone said they liked Nirvana i saidd i liked Pantera, if someone liked The Doors than i liked Gun's and Roses. I always tried to find my own space with music (though love everything i did like the sound too)....which today seems to be the other way around. Me partners daughter is trying to follow me into the metal world (she keeps asking me to bring her alone to a few, though only to look for cute boys, not the music) but all her and her friends ever talk about is, A Day to Remember and Bring Me the Horizen (ALL of them!!) So i refuse. I told her the other day, shhe needs to find a metal band nobody else has heard of and follow them, then i'll take her to some metal gigs. my point is, i think the rado has just become =to static with material that's all the same (Some stations i swear onlly play kings of leon, a day to remember and BMTH). BTW, Last.FM all gthe way. I'm sure my mum must hav e though all grunge and metal sounded the same
Most band's songs sound very similar to each other due to the genre issue. Typically, when I say "All their songs sound the same", I actually mean that "I don't like their sound/style- and since all their songs are in that style, I don't like them." If I do end up liking that style/sound, then HELL YES- give me more!
yes, i know exactly what you're saying i just hate these greensticks calling certain stuff metal, or even HM. Makes me wish i could break their arms, but being greensticks its not easy.
Haha, yes. Calling something Rock is one thing, but calling it Metal- that's something else entirely. "Hey, I just heard this awesome metal band called My Chemical Romance! ZOMG they're so amazing!" *tries really hard not to laugh at the poor choice of band AND the label given *
LMAO! I had to go to a MCR concert 2 years back. Funny thing was, they had a parents/guardians room. We were all smoking, drinking and rolling our eyes around. It was a funny night, apart from the concert playing under the same roof. from what i have discovered, they grow up. The 15 year old rolls eye eyes at My Chemical Romance now and just talks about every screamo band around (Suicide silence is one i never hear the end of) I keep telling her screamo is only one step further away from hell than emo and she refuses to care. God bess it too.
Screamo: *SCREECH* MY MOM GROUNDED MEEEE!!!! MY GIRLFRIEND DUMPED MEEEE!!!! RAWR!!! I HATE EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPY!!! *SCREECH*
I listen to a lot of music. I have Ke$ha and Lady Gaga on my iPod, but I also have death metal bands and electronic DJs. I listen to the radio a lot out of habit when the car I drive had a broken radio. I agree that shops should be more cautious what they play --I've heard a lot of disgusting songs in Toys R Us, and I also agree that the radio is repetitive. But if you find a few favourite stations, it's pretty easy to avoid hearing the same song three times in one drive. I dont listen to the radio other than when I'm driving, but I find new artists using Pandora. Pandora doesnt censor and it helps you find new artists when you're getting a little bored. I guess it's the anti radio, lol. (Oh, and PS: Speedy, Rob, you guys are too funny. I remember being one of those girls. Thankfully I outgrew it after about a year... :redface: )
