| HEAVY METAL |
| Gangsta Rap |
| Rap music has also been blamed for having a negative influence on youth. The orgins of rap music has been the expression of troubles of the tough city streets. Artist such as Tupac Shakur and Biggy Smalls were very influential in when they were alive, especially with today's youth, but they were not setting the best example for children with their criminal records and the rivalry between them. In an article titled " Bling Bling... Hot Sex, Cool Violence, and Radio," Twaddle explains the behaviors of youth after being exposed to mainsream muisc talking about sexism, glorifying violence, drugs, and other negative factors, she asserts, "Real Life. A Community Talent Show. She is droppin' it like its hot. Her legs are spread and she is gyrating...grinding...pumping her hips in a sensual fashion. This is not cultural-heritage day-Afircan dancing. She is twerping, mimicking a sexual act. Hold up...wait a minute...she is only 11 years old!" Music has a major impact on peoples lives. In most cultures people listen to music everyday, all year round, this includes children. Therefore, parents as well as society needs to be cautious and aware of what today's youth are being exposed to. It has been proven by a number of psychological studies that exposure to violent music can have an negative effect on thought and feeling, which influences behavior. |
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| Music is very important to children and teenagers. It has an influence on how they identify themselves as well as the world around them. Most popular music that youth listen to today is violent, this includes heavy metal music. Numerous studies have been done to see if violent music lyrics can effect emotion and thought. Yes, it has been proven that it does have an effect. There was a Swedish study conducted that discovered that those adolescents who developed an interest in rock music early were influenced by their peers more so than their parents (pediatrics,vol 98).This can become dangerous because the heavy metal music that they listen to has become more explicit with its lyrics over the past 40 years. The content of the lyrics is about violence, drugs, casual sex, suicide, and it devalues women. Listed below are a few exerpts from Rolling Stone Magazine. These excerpts are of various tragedies were heavy metal is considered to be the culprit. One Study revealed that of the 700 most popular songs of "heavy metal," 50% speak of killings, 35% of satanism and 7% about suicide. Shelia Davis, professor of lyric writing at New York University, is convined that '"better give serious attention to the content of pop songs and to evaluate not only what lyrics are saying to society but, more important, what they may be doing to it" ( USA Today, October 11,1985,p.10). Iron Maiden's mascot is "Eddy" a dead man who kills with great delight. According to Satanist and brutal murderer Richard Ramirez ( the " Night Stalker"), it was AC/DC's song " Night Prowler" that became part of his motivation to murder 30 people. He said the song gave him " inspiration." "Night Prowler" contains the stanza, "No one's gonna warn you, no one's gonna yell 'attack!' and you can't feel the steel until it's hanging out your back, I'm your night prowler." ...In a town called Jefferson-Towsonship, ( New Jersey), a youth named Thomas Sullivan stabbed his mother, Betty-Ann, to death in the basement of their house. Setting fire to the divan with the aim of destroying the house and killinf his father and younger brother, he ran outside and committed suicide by slashing his wrist. All week long before this carnage, Thomas had been humming a rock song about blood and killing your mother. Police later established that Thomas was a talented student, outstanding sportsman and had belonged to the Scouts. He began to dabble in " hard metal" music and, before committing his crime, he confided to his friends that Satan had appeared to him and ordered the killing of his family. |