Responsibility or Censorship?

I’ve always felt some of my best writing was done under the pressure of my teachers laying down restrictions on topics, words or particular styles they DIDN’T want me to use. I never viewed it as censorship at the time, (probably because it wasn’t restricting me from doing anything I actually wanted to do) but while it technically WAS censorship, it made a better writer in terms of creativity, depth and expression.  (One could argue that I suppose, but with only my wife reading these posts, I think I’m safe)

All of that said, you know the old debate about freedom of speech and the ability for someone to falsely yell “Fire!” in the middle of a movie theater? I feel that same way about music. (In case you don’t know, yelling fire in a movie theater (or any other place where people congregate) when there is no fire, will land you in the back seat of a patrol car with criminal and civil “breech of peace” charges pending (civil charges if anyone got hurt in the panic you created).

Lennon

You see, much like that person that isn’t allowed to falsely yell “fire”, I don’t think music, mainstream or otherwise,  should be allowed to have offensive lyrics suggesting to its listeners that violence, rape and murder are OK. Insane Clown Posse, GGAllin, Blood Duster, Marilyn Manson, and Cannibal Corpse are just a few of the groups who have pushed this envelope and have gotten away with it in the past. (Forgive the fact that my age is showing. There may be more offensive people in music today, but these guys are still pretty revolting if internet forums are any indication, even if they are 20 years out)   As usual, these groups stand behind their “music” and claim protection under the 1st Amendment saying they are entitled to free speech, but here is what they - even that guy in the movie theater – all fail to grasp.  The 1st Amendment does not protect those who intend to do harm -either to people or society – with their speech.   And if you ask me, that is exactly what songs of this nature do. 

Have you even heard of a teenager arrested for killing his schoolmate with a sword because the Beach Boys told him to?  No you haven’t.  But you’ve heard them blame Slipknot.  How about Columbine? Marilyn Manson’s name came up a few times during that incident.  Have you ever heard of a teenager committing suicide because of Kenny Rogers?  Again, no, but you’ve heard them blame Ozzy Osbourne, on more than one occasion.

To be clear, I’m not saying that music made these people do what they did. We all have the freedom to choose our actions and ultimately we should be taking responsibility for ourselves.  We cannot blame those around us for what we do. (yet it happens every day)   However, I AM saying that the folks involved in the writing, producing, marketing, and singing music should all be held to the same level of responsibility as its buying public. They all know its vulgar disgusting trash they are putting out, and don’t care to stop it. Sounds like harm to the public to me.

 

Is it right they craft songs suggesting folks kill themselves, or masturbate in a school parking lot to the images of little children?   Is it right they compose songs that glorify rape of their own mothers, senseless beatings and murders of women, and butchery of a fellow man?  When is it EVER OK to write about such things?  If music is expression of who you are supposed to be, these twisted and sick individuals don’t belong on a stage, they belong in mental hospital.  And if any of the people in the chain of command in making any of that trash had any morality at all, those sorry excuses for musicians would have been thrown out of the studio a long time ago.

The worst part of it all is like it or not, these artists actually become some sort of demented role model for the impressionable adolescents buying their "music". But of course they shirk that responsibility never once believing they have any influence over anyone, (how convenient) but they truly posses a power they will never care to comprehend.  (Perhaps if you put a dollar value on it, they may begin to get it)   They don’t want to believe that their music reaches out to people and touches them. Or that their music makes them feel like someone out there understands who they are and what they are all about - makes them feel a little less alone.  No, instead they waste their opportunity to be positive to produce songs like:

“Your Kid Committed Suicide Because You Suck"
"I Became A Counselor So I Could Tell Rape Victims They Asked For It"
"I Like Drugs And Child Abuse"
"I Convinced You To Beat Your Wife On A Daily Basis"
"Sweatshops Are Cool"
"I Sent A Thank you Card To The Guy That Raped You"
"I Made You're Kid Get AIDS, So You Could Watch It Die"
"You're Pregnant, So I Kicked You In The Stomach"
"I Pushed Your Wife In Front Of A Subway"

Think I’m making this up do ya? These scumbags actually put that crap to vinyl.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AxCx

Some very offensive material on that page....don't say I didn't warn you. What an embarrassment to the human race these guys are. (from Massachusetts no less....what a surprise. Not.)

So yes, another old band, and back then you’d never hear them on the radio. To get their stuff you’d have to know what to look for and where to go if you really wanted to seek out this type of putrid waste..   (Lets put it this way, I never saw their stuff in Strawberries, or Check It Out).  But today’s pop music while not so direct or graphic isn’t much better in terms of being a positive role model.   Take a look at Katy Perry’s T.G.I.F, or Kesha’s “Booty Call”. And lest you think I’m picking on female artists whose names begin with K, take a look at Eminem’s latest album for a song called “False Love in Real Life”.   You think these are songs your teenager ought o be listening to?  God, I hope not. 

Don’t you “artists” realize that by virtue of being famous and on stage you are idolized by young folk?  All you do from this point on becomes a direction in which they will follow. These warped kids listen to your vile verse all the while believing you are talking straight to their soul, and you choose to talk about having sex with prostitutes you beat up, blowjobs, or how hung over you are after getting high and drunk for the past two days. 

 

I’m not suggesting that government get involved to lay down rules on these folk. Nah, that would just make matters worse. What I am suggesting is songwriters take some personal responsibility for the crap they put out and stop taking the easy road of writing about violence, sex, alcohol and drugs.   Those topics are just too easy to speak to and lend no value to the world of music.  It doesn’t mean one can’t write about romance and relationships, but there is a pretty thick line between the I Wanna Hold Your Hand to I Wanna Sex You Up, so find some middle ground. The same goes for all of the people in the chain of releasing music to the public - from the label all the way to the producers - if any of you just stood up and said you actually have some integrity and you wont release any of this crap, you might just find that you're not alone. 
 

Dylan

Ever wonder why artists from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s are still being heard on the radio today after an average of 45 years of being recorded?  (If I was in the profession of making music, id certainly be wondering)  Perhaps the reason is because it was good wholesome music that people young to old can relate to?  Did the artists want it to be wholesome?  Well…… I’m guessing the FCC and the higher moral fiber of the people in charge of the industry at the time was what kept most of it clean, but the artists had something to do with it.   But even if they didn’t, they got point across even in the wake of those strict FCC rules, didn’t they?  Fast forward 50 years and ask yourself if songs like Nickelback’s  oh so cleverly titled “S.E.X” or “Something in Your Mouth” will ever be heard on the radio 50 years from now.  (I’ll give you a hint – those songs are only 3-5 years old and I haven’t heard them on the radio since their release. )  Taking those kinds of topics out of the hands of the writers would weed out less talented folk, and leave only ones that can overcome the hurdle of having to deal with restrictions on their writing.  Trust me, it will raise the level of songwriting and it will grow and mature the craft. Who knows, maybe they will actually discover they are much more creative, expressive and deeper than they ever imagined.

.  

So to quote Voltaire (or Uncle Ben, take your pick) with great power, comes great responsibility. Now someone go and tell these losers.   

I Hate This Woman.

 

Yes I know hate is a strong word, but that’s exactly why I’m using it.   

Nadya Suleman, AKA Octomom is a disgusting waste of human existence.   She is the epitome of the vermin that is the “me me me” generation and she’s an embarrassment to humankind the world over.  An avaricious and greedy attention seeker, bent on her own selfish, egotistical, self centered need to be loved, trudging along in a relentless pursuit of notoriety.  Why am I all riled up now when she was made infamous for all of this back in 2009?  Because she just filed for bankruptcy, that’s why.

http://news.yahoo.com/octomom-files-bankruptcy-owes-30k-rent-235042455.html

Yeah…like we didn’t all see that coming. Color me unsurprised. 

Let’s take a quick step back to see how void of ethical fiber, logic and decency this woman really is.

The SINGLE mother had 6 children all under the age of 8 and was $50,000 in debt before undergoing additional in vetro fertilization to allow her to conceive 8 more kids!!. (6 wasn’t enough apparently) Up to that point she was already receiving $490/mo in food stamps and $600/mo in government payments for EACH of the three children she had with varying disabilities — an autistic son, a child with ADHD and another who was “developmentally delayed” in learning to speak, yet Suleman claims she’s not on welfare. There is no father in the picture here either mind you, just an egotistical woman and a “friend” she had donate sperm, which she claims has never met his kids.   Oh yeah…to complete the trifecta, she’s also unemployed. She was employed, but within two years of working at a mental institution (how fitting) back in 1999, she was caught up in a riot and “injured” her back. (how convenient)   Over the next seven years, she would collect $167,908 in disability payments. .(Alison Stateman, Time.com, February, 2009)   To this day she is still without a job or any continuous revenue stream, other than state funded money. 

To further underline how psychotic, damaged, and deranged this woman really is, understand a single IVF procedure usually has women implanted with two or three embryos. But Suleman being the greedy monster she is, requested to be implanted with all 12 (!)  of her remaining embryos she had stored.  When asked by Ann Curry of NBCs The Today Show about selectively weeding some out, she had this to say.  “What gives any human being a right to pick and choose which embryo —which fetus —  is more valuable than another? You know, that is not up to human beings.”  (Mike Celizic, TODAY.com contributor, updated 2/11/2009)

So let me get this straight, you vile waste of oxygen… You play God when it’s convenient for you, but once you’re asked to be responsible for the sake of your children and the world around you, you claim it’s out of your hands??  Am I the only one that gets sick over the lengths this woman was allowed to go to satiate an obvious mental illness? (Her doctor had his license revoked in 2011 by the way.  Another reprehensible pig who I hope rots in Hell for a thousand eternities)


So fast forward 3 years and here she is, like we all knew she would be. Flat Broke and looking for a handout. She claims she’s over $1,000,000  in debt and needs the help of the state via a court appointed trustee to liquidate her assets.  Funny... she wears Abercrombie and Fitch clothing, sends her kids to private schools, has a stylist that she pays $520 a month, and owes DirecTV a huge sum of money. Plus she rents the house shes living in.  What assets do you think she has? Does anyone else see the problem here?  The sense of entitlement with this family is nothing short of astounding.  I guess she felt she was entitled to Satellite TV while failing to pay her mortgage, huh?  Or payments to the stylist were more important than say, paying the water and electricity bills?  When all of this is over, the only take away anyone will have will be the children.  After this debacle, you can rest assured they will all have a better understanding of how to milk the system to their advantage. How to live off the backs of others; how to screw, cheat and steal from those who actually work to provide them the “assistance” they claim they so desperately need, and how to accumulate debt and live so irresponsibly beyond your means that they’ll never have to worry about any of it.  Absolutely gross.

Nadya Suleman is a revolting and despicable human being. She is the worst mankind has to offer and by all standards is a deplorable waste of space. Jillita Horton, a Yahoo! Contributor called Nadya a “professional parasite” and her assessment couldn’t be closer to the truth. The mere thought of this woman and the mockery she’s made of motherhood should churn your stomach like it does mine.  Her ego and lack of self esteem got her into this mess, and now the tax payers of California have to bail her and her little army out of it.  Such is the circle of life for the professional parasite.