DISCLAIMER: 1) I'm really not a fan of Soulja Boy or the current crop of ringtone generating artists.
2) My tone may seem a little shrill, but this piece is not an indictment on pop culture, but rather a call to examine the direction it is heading. I personally think things are more extreme than they were when I was a kid coming up...
I was at a wedding this past weekend dancing and having a good ol' time with friends, new and old and some young'uns ranging in age from 4 to 13. We are all gettin' down to group dance songs like the Cupid Shuffle, the Cha Cha Slide, and the inevitable grand daddy of 'em all, the Electric Slide, when all of a sudden the DJ decides to throw on some more recent joints...Enter Soulja Boy Tell 'Em...the following scene ensues...
"YOOOUUUUUHHH!!!"
The classic ringtone joint "Crank Dat" comes blaring through the speakers in all its steel drum glory. All Adults-in-Training proceed to groan, laugh, and roll their heads & eyes in recognition of this insanely popular but otherwise ridiculous song by an artist whose name will be forgotten in a year or two. The shock, awe, and awwww moments then came as all the kids on the dance floor from age 4 to 13 proceed to execute to near perfection (well, some better than others) the dance steps of this infamous song. Someone please tell me why two 6 year old boys were rapping the lyrics with near perfect delivery, while they executed all the steps like little Soulja-boys-in-training!?!? The little girls were right along with 'em. Repeat scene for DJ Unk's "Two Step." Then, as soon as some actual good music came on; 90's classics like Candy Rain (Soul 4 Real) and Motown Philly (Boys II Men), the kids scattered like a flock of startled birds...Hilarious...
The whole scene just as cute as it was disturbing, but it made me think, what are we teaching kids these days?!?! Who is raising our kids...is it us or MTV, BET, and VH1? Is it the slew of reality TV shows that we just can't seem to get enough of or the reality of a stable two parent household? Popular culture certainly has its place in all our lives, but when a six year old boy starts rapping "Supasoak that h@!" I think we've got a problem. Now at that age, he probably doesn't really understand what he's saying or the meaning behind the lyrics of the supremely "eloquent" song, but the impact of these songs, videos, and lyrics on a young impressionable mind cannot be taken for granted.
I'll freely admit to watching some of the junk that passes across the TV screen from time to time, but I can do it with a more critical eye and a higher level of understanding than a child. No child of mine, however, is going to be exposed to any of that stuff until they can digest it properly and truly understand it for what it is...(a little militant sounding, but I'd rather have them listening to Talib Kweli over Soulja Boy any day...)
Adults-in-Training, how do you feel about the impact of popular culture on today's youth? Are they in more danger of being negatively impacted by some of the media that's out there than we were? Or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?
2) My tone may seem a little shrill, but this piece is not an indictment on pop culture, but rather a call to examine the direction it is heading. I personally think things are more extreme than they were when I was a kid coming up...
I was at a wedding this past weekend dancing and having a good ol' time with friends, new and old and some young'uns ranging in age from 4 to 13. We are all gettin' down to group dance songs like the Cupid Shuffle, the Cha Cha Slide, and the inevitable grand daddy of 'em all, the Electric Slide, when all of a sudden the DJ decides to throw on some more recent joints...Enter Soulja Boy Tell 'Em...the following scene ensues...
"YOOOUUUUUHHH!!!"
The classic ringtone joint "Crank Dat" comes blaring through the speakers in all its steel drum glory. All Adults-in-Training proceed to groan, laugh, and roll their heads & eyes in recognition of this insanely popular but otherwise ridiculous song by an artist whose name will be forgotten in a year or two. The shock, awe, and awwww moments then came as all the kids on the dance floor from age 4 to 13 proceed to execute to near perfection (well, some better than others) the dance steps of this infamous song. Someone please tell me why two 6 year old boys were rapping the lyrics with near perfect delivery, while they executed all the steps like little Soulja-boys-in-training!?!? The little girls were right along with 'em. Repeat scene for DJ Unk's "Two Step." Then, as soon as some actual good music came on; 90's classics like Candy Rain (Soul 4 Real) and Motown Philly (Boys II Men), the kids scattered like a flock of startled birds...Hilarious...
The whole scene just as cute as it was disturbing, but it made me think, what are we teaching kids these days?!?! Who is raising our kids...is it us or MTV, BET, and VH1? Is it the slew of reality TV shows that we just can't seem to get enough of or the reality of a stable two parent household? Popular culture certainly has its place in all our lives, but when a six year old boy starts rapping "Supasoak that h@!" I think we've got a problem. Now at that age, he probably doesn't really understand what he's saying or the meaning behind the lyrics of the supremely "eloquent" song, but the impact of these songs, videos, and lyrics on a young impressionable mind cannot be taken for granted.
I'll freely admit to watching some of the junk that passes across the TV screen from time to time, but I can do it with a more critical eye and a higher level of understanding than a child. No child of mine, however, is going to be exposed to any of that stuff until they can digest it properly and truly understand it for what it is...(a little militant sounding, but I'd rather have them listening to Talib Kweli over Soulja Boy any day...)
Adults-in-Training, how do you feel about the impact of popular culture on today's youth? Are they in more danger of being negatively impacted by some of the media that's out there than we were? Or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?
Peace,
A-i-T
Posts
7 comments:
(Q: Are we in Trouble?)
A: Nope, not in the slightest.
"The impact of these songs, videos, and lyrics on a young impressionable mind cannot be taken for granted."
Dude. Kids aren't that impressionable. For an example, let's think back to ourselves. We grew up on Pac and Biggie and Domino and East/West Coast "Gangsta" rap and violent video games that our parents seemed soooo worried about. Exactly what effect did they have on us that seems so grave today? We made it through, and I don't think it was "only just barely". My view is that it is experiences that we go through that teach us what we know about the world, at 6, 16 and 60, and we learn, course-correct and keep moving.
I'm not sure I'd necessarily encourage my kids to listen to our version of Soulja Boy when the time comes, but these things will find a way into the household one way or another. But they aren't important - they come and go. I'd hope to treat them as such...
i think kids need and deserve to have a clear sense of right and wrong, and we can teach them that- but i dont think i'm going to try to ban too many songs on their ipod playlists. It's just not an effective enforcement policy!
But i will use the teaching point of listening to a song's lyrics to literally sit them down and explain why they can never use some of those words because they are (i)ignorant; (ii)offensive and (iii) a great reason for a whupping from dad!
i just saw this today, good ole Jim Laffoon preaching a great message on parenting at Dave Degarmo's new church.
Anyways, i had to share ...
http://churchoftheking.com/watchandlisten/index/109/
When we were growing up, my parents disliked that I liked hip-hop and RnB. And they really didn't try to control what I listened to beyond only permitting me to buy edited versions of albums. I could listen to whatever I wanted to on the radio.
It wasn't until I could afford to buy albums on my own (older than 17/18) that they then allowed me to get the explicit versions.
The best teachings that they gave me was that there is a time and place for language. When I am home, it makes little difference how I speak with my friends, so long as none of it enters the house. As such, I developed an unconscious ability to taylor my speech based on whom I am speaking with. In a professional environment, I do not curse, and am genuinely shocked when superiors do. I still cannot and will not.
When I am with my mom or any family, the same applies. I do not, and will not curse. The concept just does not enter my mind. With friends, anything goes of course, but even at that, I make a conscious effort to NOT curse. Because, in the end, what is the point? I'd rather be able to eloquently express myself than be reduced to four-letter-words.
The teachings we give our kids should be that there is a time and place for everything. What you say amongst your friends is fine, there is little I can do when you are alone, but when you are home, or with a superior (teacher, counselor, boss, family elder), such language or method of speaking is prohibited.
I don't plan on limiting what my kids listen to, largely because the internet has made such parental controls rather difficult. All I can hope to do is limit the time spent on the internet (I'm thinking a communal computer, rather than their own in their room) and next to know TV (there is hardly anything redeeming on TV, and no way I am subjecting my child(ren) to Blue's Clues or any of those other ridiculous children's programming.
hey! wuts wrong with Blue's clues? lol. It's tough - things have changed since I was a kid but my parents most definitely monitored what we watched. We were sent out of the room when the man started kissing on the woman - but that was ok with us because it meant more time for play - now kids are lost without the computer and the TV. Even as an adult i find myself being tricked by TV to think something that i would otherwise think was NOT ok was passable...hmmm...even Disney is messed up sometimes - DO NOT be fooled by that CARTOON NETWORK - it was not suitable for children written all over it. For now, since i don't have kids yet all i can do is define my own values so i can get ready to pass them on! Hello dear, mommy loves you - here, watch the Discovery Channel isn't it better than Spongebob? weh weh...
@Anonymous: you definitely make some good points about what we went through as kids and how unaffected we are as adults. i put in a disclaimer in reaction to your comment, so thanks. but i still think that pop culture today is more extreme and decadent than what we faced. Biggie and Pac had some violent and misogynistic lyrics, but you will never see a Stanford poetry class analyzing any Soulja Boy's lyrics. reality tv was in its infancy, and the insanity we see today was unheard of back then. Ultimately it comes down to good parenting, but what kids are being exposed to today is arguably more extreme.
@Ugo: active parenting is definitely the way to go and some of this stuff can be used to teach valuable lessons. i probably won't be as strict as my parents were, but i'll give them a Lupe Fiasco CD before artists like Soulja Boy can infect 'em...
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=130328989303&ref=mf
Its either funny or disturbing depending on who you are. I chose disturbing.
@anonymous
"Dude. Kids aren't that impressionable"
Yes they are... dont kid yourself (pun/no pun). Like Ugo and AiT noted the need for good parenting. Some kids don't have that benefit. As parents progressively spend less time with their kids, the checks and balances goes to crap.
These things have had an impact. School shootings are a new phenomena. Perhaps we are willing to accept the occassional Columbine in order to continue consuming these products.
In 'The Republic', Socrates gives great importance to the cultivation of the youth, and one of the things he points out is that the stories we tell our children should be carefully examined to promote virtuous qualities.
Another quick note, Hollywood voluntarily submitted to a written code, beginning in 1930 and continuing through 1968 when the Motion Picture Associate of America rating system was set up. This 'Hays Code' said that:
...the MORAL IMPORTANCE of entertainment is something which has been universally recognized. It enters intimately into the lives of the men and women who affects them closely; it occupies their minds and affections during leisure hours; and ultimately touches the whole of their lives. A man may be judged by his standard of entertainment as easily as by the standard of his work.
Hate to introduce myself to the blog with such serious words. Your concept and topics are very interesting. :D
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