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Ok that may be overdramatic. But on the topic of "Parental Advisory" tags on records and CDs, I think it started off as a great idea when it was launched in 1985, but over the years, it seems the stickers have lost meaning. When a person had to be over 17 to purchase a CD with the PA sticker, it was a way to control the music and ideas that the youth was fed. The only way I was able to get that Jay-Z album I wanted was to either buy an edited version or get my mother to buy it for me (not happening), so I was stuck listening to "I got 99 problems, but a girl ain't one."
Record companies should be held accountable for including that PA stickers on records and CDs that include heavy foul language or suggestive themes. But there is a limit to this as well. If you buy a song on iTunes from an album that has swearing somewhere on the record, there is an "Explicit" label tacked on the file, even if that particular song has nothing even questionable in it. This may be an over-reaction. For example the song "Until the Day I Die" by Story of the Year is foul language free, but since it was released on the album Page Avenue, which includes other songs with explicit lyrics, iTunes has tagged it as "explicit." Another theory is that even though the song contains no language, the story can be seen as violent, so children should be prevented from hearing it. Some language that may be questionable is "my hands are at your throat and I think I hate you." For critics that take lyrics out of context, this can be a direct threat of choking a lover; for those who keep these lyrics in context with the rest of the song, it becomes more a song of confessing undying love for someone, no matter how many mistakes are made. We may get angry, but for the most part we are able to control ourselves.
Over the years though, the meaning of the PA label has lost the effect it used to have. Now people are looking for the label to prove that they enjoy listening to gangster rap, or that they can be just as "hard" as the next person. Personally, I pay no attention to the labels that may or may not be present on my albums, I purchase music for the music. I know many people will not go out and buy a CD only because it doesn't have a PA label on there, but at the same time, I cannot remember the last time (if ever) that I decided against a CD only because it did have a label on the front cover. In the end, the PA labels have really lost the effect that there once was, and no one really even pays attention to them, not that I notice anyways. For a fun little experiment go to your favorite record store and watch people browse the CDs, if you ask them their feelings of the PA label, most will probably admit that it means nothing to them, so if no one cares, why are they still on there?
I liked what you had to say. :) I feel kinda the same way. I think that the record companies should put the lables, however they don't work. If little Timmy wants to listen to that kind of music he is going to. There is really nothing that anyone can do about it.
ReplyDeleteYou brought up a good point. Back in the day the stores would make you show some kind of ID before you went and bought Music that was explicit. Today however there is no ID check. There is just a label. What good is it. What is it preventing. Is there really anything to prevent?
I ask that question alot, is there anything to prevent when it comes to music? No I don't think so. In today's day and age we go to Stater Bro's and expierence Explicit. I mean really you can't even watch Oprah, without being exposed to something vulger or explicit.
I truely believe music has nothing to do with the young and their violent tendencies. We need to stand up and address the real issue.
I would love to believe that there are moms out there like you had. But with music downloading today when are parents monitoring? It is just more complicated these days with all the new technology. If you were to go to your local record shop, which I feel will become like video rentals, obsolete, noone would care. They would probably even say, Oh what label? I diddn't notice." Well bravo for your mom because it is a 24 hr. a day job raising kids. You throw a couple extra hours in there for a really concerned parent. 24+. Of course the dead beat dad's and mom's get no credit. As for label's I think we should have them because someone is paying attention and there is some accountability. If we go completely computerized then who is accountable and who is monitoring content? What warnings? It will definitely be a free for all. Or is it already?
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely still people who care about the advisory labels. I, myself, included. Not necessarily for myself, but for my children's interests in the future. Before parenthood, or even when I'm alone in my car nowadays, I'd listen to anything I wanted to listen to. The language made no difference to me. The content? Not an issue. I think Eminem is brilliant. Would I listen to him with my kids in the car? Absolutely not.
ReplyDeleteI have definitely become more aware of what is coming out of the speakers when my children are around. The labels will be of greater use to me when buying music for my sons when they are old enough to pick out their own music. If they are picking out an artist that I'm unfamiliar with and I see that parental advisory label, I'm going to be cautious. If I feel like they are too young or I'm really unsure, I may tell them that we will come back a different time to purchase music. I'd go home and possibly research the artist and the lyrics just to make sure that it seemed age appropriate.
I realize this sounds super extreme and overbearing, but I could be way off base. I haven't had to deal with this yet, so as a parent, I'm still unsure of exactly how I would approach this situation. Hopefully, I raise my boys well enough to be able to trust their judgement in music. I will just have to wait and find out.