Now a days, we are used to shocking lyrics and eye catching looks. It seems that every artist now is fighting to be so different that everyone is drawn to them. It was not always like this. In the late nineties and early two-thousands, most artists tried to fit in with the other blonde, processed pop stars that the industry was spitting out. When there was an artist who was not always happy and did sing about PG rated topics, they were blamed for what was wrong with the world, especially teenagers. In his article ‘I’d Sell You Suicide: Pop Music and Moral Panic in the Age of Marilyn Manson”, Robert Wright delves into and debunks claims that rock music, especially that of Marilyn Manson, is a main cause for teenage suicide.
The title of this article says a lot about the content. In one line the author sums up the premise of the article. We can understand the title more intricately by splitting it up into three parts. The first part of the title is “I’d Sell You Suicide”. The phrase embodies the popularization of violence and suicidal themes in music. It speaks to parents concern that punk/goth music persuades teenagers to kill themselves by glamorizing suicide in their lyrics. The next section would be “Pop Music and Moral Panic”. This relates to how adults were shocked by themes that were becoming mainstream, through music; themes like sex, drugs, violence and self loathing. Parents though that since their children listened to music that they would try to copy the activities singers/bands wrote about.
The last section carries the deepest meaning and really sums up most of what the article is trying to say. The phrase, “In the Age of Marilyn Manson” carries two meanings. The first is that Marilyn Manson was the main entertainer t...
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...not learn about the bad things in life. Manson took big steps in advancing how America looked at who is harming the youth. He shows neo-conservatives and overly concerned parents that just because someone is different and sings about heavy subjects does not mean they are evil. Marilyn Manson and his music is a solution to America’s need to over sensor. Manson opens our eyes to conservatism and demystifying the taboo terms of sex, violence, drugs, and suicide. Essentially, Manson is the parent we all should be. We should talk to our kids about sex, drugs and even violence. We should make them feel like they are not alone in their thinking/feelings and that there is someone who understands them. If we all though like this and practices this, maybe teenager suicide rates would go down and people could see the evil in themselves and stop pointing fingers at rock stars.
Rosen, Steve. "Rock's Dark Side: Manson Resurrected as an Anti-'60s Icon." The Denver Post (April 17, 1994): pg. F-01. Online. Internet. 5 June 2001. Available: Lexis-Nexis Universe.
...oday can teach the youth that murder, suicide and other acts of violence are okay. It can teach them to look down upon others and only believe in success, fame and money. As children grow older they will keep with them this knowledge that they’ve learned. They will carry it throughout their daily lives and it could cause them to make dangerous and violent acts towards themselves or each other. If they continue to listen to this type of music their future could be a scary one. Dr. Anderson states, “One major conclusion from this and other research on violent entertainment media is that content matters. The message is important for all consumers, but especially for parents of children and adolescents.” The Canadian rock band, Triumph said it best, “Music holds the secret, to know it can make you whole. It’s not just a game of notes; it’s the sound inside your soul.”
As with any trend, grunge began to lose its followers within a relatively short period of time, or perhaps it simply became excepted to the extent that its label changed from “fad” to “mainstream“. Grunge, much like most trends or fashions, relied upon commercialization to exist as such. When newness fades, replacements are sought and new titles created that are designed to draw popularity to address the apparent human need to represent uniqueness, but at the same time fulfill a desire to be accepted by others with similar likes and dislikes. If one (1) views history with regard to fads, it may be observed that fads do not exist unless there is mass-marketing of a concept or series of events to attain the popular interest of people.
When the music group Radiohead first burst on to the music scene seven years ago, it became immediately evident through information means such as music articles, album covers, and an extensive website, that this particular band was not just another long-haired, head-bobbing grunge group only out to sell as many albums as they could. This band had a much greater mission than that. It was to inform as many people as they could of their political, social and economic convictions through their personal website. While dozens of other websites have cropped up about Radiohead, this website remains uniquely their own because of its direct listing name and multi-faceted page within a page of personal comentaries, many written in a barely legible free-hand style, of such issues as upcoming protest rallies, animal testing, predictions on Middle East genocides, wrongful government spending, and barely sqeezed in daily journal entries on their current music progress. With Radiohead's political accusations constantly being updated in oversized bold print, their political cartoons of talking teddy bears appearing on a vast amount of web pages, and an often rushed-looking hand-written on their musical progress, it becomes evident that this website was created more as a world news commentary than a self-indulgent display case of itself.
“Music is my religion.” Jimi Hendrix put a common feeling into the most relatable of words. Music is a uniting force; it brings people together emotionally and physically. People subscribe to the beliefs and lyrics of their favorite artists and performersas if they were a higher power. There is no better experience for a musician’s disciples than a live concert. For decades fans have followed bands and singers, to numerous shows and tours and around the world. In few instances this following gets out of hand, and the mere appearance of the star causes chaos, mobs and physical illness among fans. This special hysteria is brought about by none other than a boy band.
In America, we’d like to believe that our “unalienable rights” can’t be taken away from us, but the reality couldn’t be farther from the truth. A subculture of people, called Juggalos have been prosecuted only because of a misinterpretation on what being a Juggalo entails. The definition of a Juggalo depends on if you’re asking an artist, a fan, or an anti-fan, but you’ll find that they have a more positive affect on individuals and the community even though a small group of people are the complete opposite.
The 1960’s was the decade known for two things: the turning point for the civil rights movement and the rise of the people who preached about peace and love. Those two exact points is what shaped Charles Milles Manson. Manson was a hippie cult leader who claimed that the British rock group, The Beatles “White album” asserted his belief about the war against the whites and blacks (Linder, “The Influence of”). But how does a man from Ohio have the power to influence people into committing murder for him? Was Charles Manson born with the poor to brainwash others? Born to a single mother at the age of 16, Kathleen Maddox gave birth to Charles Milles Manson on November 12th, 1934 in Cincinnati Ohio (“Charles Manson”). The beginning of Manson’s
IN retrospect, when we look back at the earlier rantings of grunge today it hovers nebulously like some foggy hangover intermingled with the bittersweet scent of alienation and teen spirit. We remember the blonde haired saviour and martyr Kurt Cobain who will never fade from our memories and remain as the most anguished of them all. We think of Llayne Stayley and Alice In Chains and the intense violence of Chris Cornell and Soundgarden.
Josh Delmar Zimmerman is responding to a problem that has been increasing as social media and technology have evolved; the stereotypes imposed by society depending on the kind music you like. His bold language and extreme sincerity seek to a wake up call towards social judgment. The author claims our culture has enacted us to judge and label depending on the likings of the young community. His article states that “uncreative” people would try to categorize and profile someone’s identity from the way they dress or behave. Throughout his article, Zimmerman defies social judgment towards the punk community by supporting his claims with personal experiences as a young adult who had to overcome society’s stereotyping and judgement.
Charles Manson is one of the most iconic criminals in American history. He is mostly known for the Tate-LaBianca killings, but really, he was to convince his cult following to murder many people in the Hollywood area. Charles Manson had an extremely troubled childhood; however, this was nothing compared to the Manson Family’s tragic “Helter Skelter” murders.
In the past couple of decades, music has been in trouble. It has been said to be the cause of deaths, suicides, unwanted sexual behavior, and other forms of indecency. It has taken blame for everything no one wants to be responsible for.
The hippie era, 1960’s and 1970’s, invigorated drug use, free love, and sex. There were many music artists that became promoters to this message. The effects of drugs took its toll on many protruding and accomplished artists of that era. My paper will Focus on Three artists of from this era; Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin. Were these musicians an artificial character of their time, or were other issues impacting their choices that caused a fatal dependence on drugs? There have been many popular musicians that have died due to abusing drugs; why is it that drug abuse is so common among musicians and is there any ways it can be prevented? Follow me as we take a deeper look into this artist and their reason for abusing drugs.
It is said in the article that music helps you express your emotions and pushes you to let go of suppressed feelings. The article even mentions how in 1997, DMC aka Darrell McDaniels, of Run DMC contemplated suicide in a hotel room because of the downward spiral his life was beginning to take. As he thought about actually doing it, Sarah McLachlan’s song “Angel” came on the radio and ended his suicidal thoughts and prompted him to direct his energy into more therapeutic things like promoting adoption to help foster kids find homes. This evidence in how one song can change your whole perception of reality shows the astonishing affect it has on
Teens and the human populous have been draw to music, and the relief it gives off. As recent as the 1990’s, we’ve seen an increase in explicit and violent lyrics and deviant behavior in the music industry surrounding such genres as heavy metal, rock, rap, and gangster rap. During this past decade, lyrics are becoming more violent and sexually explicit. It is approximated that teens listen to an average of 40 hours of music a week, and somewhere along the way, a child will hear something derogatory, or cruel. Along with this, teens don’t necessarily interpret what is said through lyrics in the right manner. In one study, only 30% of those somewhat questionable lyrics by popular bands were comprehended by the teen population.
...ent and sales of its product. Can the same standards of scrutiny be applied to any industry that promotes poor mental health? For the sake of entertainment, we have allowed ourselves to cross the line and permit the debasement of women and the promulgation of violence against them to become the norm. Parents, community leaders, educators, and entertainers must work together to demand maintaining the dignity of all persons addressed lyrically through music. The quality of intent should be carefully scrutinized in music especially targeted towards adolescents. If the intent is to debase, devalue, depreciate or diminish another human being or to create an atmosphere of senseless violence, we have a moral obligation not to support its marketing.