A 2006 study found that teens who listen to music with sexually degrading messages are more likely to participate in sexual activity sooner than their peers.
I’m not sure that I agree with that finding, but one cannot disagree that today’s music is definitely lacking something. I don’t understand todays sexually degrading music – where men are gangsters and women are sex objects.
Some of the songs getting a lot of air time on the radio negatively influence disrespect for woman.
On the top ten list this week is “I Kissed A Girl” by Katy Perry (I have no problem with anyone’s sexuality, but I don’t want to hear how she kissed a girl and liked it. Talk about overkill on the radio too. ). Lil’ Wayne is at the top of the Billboard charts this week too with his song “Lollipop.” Sure enough, throughout the song he is talking about sex, and degrading women. Can it get anymore degrading than this? Lil’ Wayne sold more than 1 million copies of “Tha Carter III” last week. I just have to ask why?
Plies “Bust it Baby” is also on the top of the billboards this week. (What more degrading music? Old time country music lyrics are starting to sound good.)
“On the couch, on the table, on the bar, on the floor.
you can meet me in the bathroom, ya you know I’m trained to go” sings Usher. (Well doesn’t that just scream player. Usher did you make that 7-month-old son in de club?)
Today’s artists glorify life as a thug. I never heard of a ‘tip-drill’ until I Googled it. Nelly’s song “Tip Drill’ is interpreted to mean “a woman with a ‘nice’ body but an ‘ugly’ face.” ( Geez Nelly you might as well tell her to put a bag over her head. There is nothing like saying to a girl you’re ugly, but you are bangable.)
It’s not just men who stereotype women. Kelis milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and she’s not referring to a cold beverage which is made from milk, and ice cream. The likes of Britney Spears promote a “degrading” sexuality that makes her a bad role model to the young girls that idolize her.
I don’t understand why today’s young women have accepted this sexual stereotyping. Is today’s lyrics the reason so many young women lack respect for themselves and are willing to be submissive to men.
In recent news “sexy music videos could be banned from Saturday morning TV under a Senate committee proposal to protect children from inappropriate material.” (Drive to protect kids from sexy television music clips)
What happen to good music?
Article: Exposure to Degrading Versus Nondegrading Music Lyrics and Sexual Behavior Among Youth
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9 responses so far ↓
Wrote: Jun 26, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Sign of the times I guess. parents need to take more control of their kids, and SPANK them when they get out of line. You just posted
Dad Grounds- Daughter Sues and Wins and I think the two go hand in hand.
However, when I was growing up, all the music I listened to was Satanic presumably.
Rap is crap, and its hard for me to find ANY redeeming qualities about it.
I blame the parents for not taking charge enough.
Wrote: Jun 26, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Wayne, it’s all to easy to blame the parents. What about the artists of the music? They promote a degrading view of women.
Wrote: Jun 26, 2008 at 6:40 pm
every 10yr old, and a good many 9yo’s have had great laughs bye adding the words “under the sheets” to every song title on the current top 40, week, after week after week” since the top 40 was identified and promoted—whats sad is, the music stations who have no morals and allow such lyrics to be played—don’t blame the kids, blame the greedy radio, tv and yes the Artists themselves for putting that crap out.
Wrote: Jun 26, 2008 at 9:31 pm
I remember my elder generation saying similar things about our music in the 60s.
Wrote: Jun 27, 2008 at 7:02 am
Up until the point where children are old enough to earn actual incom e of their own, the blame of this DOES lie back on the parents.
That is, someone is giving children the money to keep these scummy “artists” flush with cash. They’re bilking every last dime out of kids, but where does all of that disposable (a term that’s suitable to this situation in every sense) income come from? Somebody is giving kids the funds & freedom to buy the music, memorabilia, and concert tickets or else the musicians wouldn’t be sporting diamond-studded platinum earrings.
Vote (or rather, veto) with your dollars!
Wrote: Jun 27, 2008 at 11:29 am
Rob, we can’t be with our children 24 hours a day. They go to a school dance and this music is played. They go shopping in a store and this music comes on the radio. You’re placing the blame on the wrong party.
Wrote: Jun 27, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Actually, I don’t disagree with you, Rose, in that many of the popular artists are reprehensible for their attitudes, behavior, and language. Certainly, if you’re going to profit off of being in the public eye, you should hold yourself to a higher standard and set a better example.
But that being said, these “artists” couldn’t get and stay popular without somebody lining their pockets. If they weren’t drawing a handsome profit for the record label and themselves, they’d be yesterday’s news – and fast.
That’s why I urge people to let their dollars (or lack thereof) speak loud & clear about what is and is not acceptible.
As for me, I’m about ready to wash my hands of Disney over this whole Miley Cyrus thing. They needed to have sent a message loud & clear that they wouldn’t tolerate teens behaving like tramps. They needed to have dropped her like a hot potato the moment she (and/or her family) chose to gamble her career against a dab of fortune & fame. But instead, Disney is only now considering dropping her because her “numbers” are “cooling off.” Might be the same outcome, but not for the same reason. They’ve done nothing to discourage others from following in Miley’s footsteps.
Wrote: Jun 27, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I think Disney should have dropped Miley long ago. What kind of message is this sending to girls who idolize her? Word is that she is about to launch her own teen talk show too .
Wrote: Jul 3, 2008 at 2:31 pm
One of the major problems in this case is not that the parents are allowing their kids to buy this music, or that the music ‘artists’ are recording this kind of music, but the fact that sex sells. The ‘artists’ are making a living, and often times the producers tell them what kind of music will sell the best and give them the biggest profits. Many times the ‘artists’ aren’t even writing the music at all. Other people write the songs and the famous singer performs them. Parents should be talking to their kids about what is acceptable behavior, not letting music, television, movies, and magazines do that for them. Parents can’t be with their kids all the time, but that doesn’t mean they can just let other people determine how their kids should think and act.
As for the Disney channel, I don’t let my daughters watch many of the shows because I don’t want them to be influenced by the poor choices some of the actresses have made. They may only be 4 (my daughters), but they still ask questions. Ever since the whole thing with Jamie-Lynn Spears getting pregnant while she was working on a kids show, I’ve been turned off by Disney.
Bratz is another hot subject for me. When my husband and I adopted our daughters we told both sets of grandparents that Bratz will not be allowed in our house. They all agreed instantly, so that was easy.
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now!