First off: I am not a prude, having come of age in the 60's milieu of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. I have dropped enough F bombs in my lifetime to annihilate every state west of the Mississippi.. That having been said, let me state that I am appalled by the lyrics of many of today's pop songs. If these songs were aimed primarily at adults, I would have very little objection; however, as we all know, the main audience and major consumers of pop music are kids between the ages of 12 and 20. Therein lies my objection. Two songs in particular have offensive lyrics.
First is a song by Lady Gaga titled DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH MY BODY. Would you want your adolescent daughter, granddaughter, niece, etc.,listening to a song promoting that sentiment? A song in which the singer implores her boyfriend to have his way with her, no matter what that "way" implies?
The second song is by Rihanna and is titled BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY. Again, would you want your adolescent kids--male or female--listening to a song that voices that attitude? It promotes bad language, semi-literate grammar and an attitude more in line with thugs than with young men and women posessing some semblance of moral values and a positive way to interact with the world around them.
I have 2 granddaughters ages 11 and 8. They have begun, like so many of their friends and classmates, to listen to the radio and sing along with the music. I shudder to think they might be singing along with DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH MY BODY, and BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY. What kids today do not need--especially young girls--are songs teaching them to disrespect their own bodies and allow themselves to be exploited physically and emotionally. Add to that poor grammar and a thuggish attitude when dealing with their peers.
What is the solution? The kneejerk reaction would be to demand censorship, but that would be a heavy-handed approach and a violation of our freedom of expression. What is needed is a greater awareness on the part of parents and caretakers. This is the age of radio, MP3's, streaming, downloading, You Tube, etc..Our electronic age makes it even more imperative that adults engage their children and teach them moral values. Parents need to monitor what their kids see and hear over the airwaves and cyberspace. And when you catch them listening to something objectionable, don't punish or pontificate. Take the time to explain why it is objectionable, and how it diminishes their lives and the world around them.
There is no guarantee it will work, but if we don't make the effort to teach and maintain moral standards, and to extoll the virtues of self-respect and treating others with respect, then we do our children and ourselves a disservice. The lessons begin at home. We, the parents and grandparents must be the teachers and role models;otherwise, we have failed our children and betrayed their futures.
