What to do about Music Videos?

What to do about Music Videos?

What did he say? Have you stopped recently and really listened and watched the music of today? Music has been used in various forms since early human history. According to the Encarta Encyclopedia, “Music is the organized movement of sounds through a continuum of time. Music plays a role in all societies and its exists in a large number of styles, each characteristic of a geographical region or a historical era.”

Music has a been and is presently used in different cultures for different reasons. Music can be associated with religious establishments, dancing, theater, concerts, recording devices, and through out televisions. Overall, it has always been a form of expressing oneself. Specifically, music is as unique as each person here, but should artists express themselves in ways that poorly influence our young people?

In 1981, our televisions began to introduce visual expression into our homes through music videos. It was the first advertised-supported televisions network and it was call MTV. In 1985, VH1 was launched as a second network playing a popular music format as opposed to the rock format shown on MTV. For the first time, viewers could “see” their favorite songs performed and expressed without going to a concert. This allowed our young people to see a world not as readily available before.

Music videos in and of itself is not something that can be considered the absolute cause, but rather the catalysis that for some young people gives them the ideas and impressions to look or act in a certain way. Today young people are anxiously looking older and determined to grow up faster than ever before. They have strong desires to emulate some of these performers. In a recent Newsweek magazine, an article was featured about Brittany Spears. She was cited for changing her image in recent concerts and videos to appear much more seductive. As a 17 year old performer, her outfits consist about skin-tight, sexy attire worn during provocative dance sequences.

Through the artists use of videos, young people have been encouraged to “walk the walk”. As a parent of young children, I am very concerned of the influence music and its artists might have on them. Hopefully, as adults we will try to continue to monitor this situation. A rap singer, Todd Smith, also known as LL Cool J is a father of four living in Westchester County, New York.