Stop Music Censorship

Music is an expressive, vivid form of art. The influence of music has a huge impact with every age group in the world. When people think of music they automatically think of how it makes them feel which most of the time is good.They don’t comprehend the provocative lyrics or what the song’s meaning really is. People have become used to this insulting and offensive language found on just about any song. Every song being released today contains some sort of graphical, sexual, or explicit lyric. Today’s graphic music encourages violence, degradation of women , and influences young children negatively.

Music containing sexually explicit content makes people in today’s world more calloused and more accepting of sexually activity. How do lyrics play a role in all of this? Lyrics play a huge role in enabling our society to normalize sex in everyday conversation. Songs with sexually explicit lyrics reinforce the idea that premarital sex is okay among younger generations. Studies show that premarital sex is more accepted by adolescents if they listen to explicit music compared those that do not listen to explicit music (Zhang, 2008).

It is understandable to have mixed feelings when pondering music censorship. On the one side, the First Amendment supports freedom of speech and the values that this country was built upon. The other argument, though, is that obscene music could potentially be a factor in raised violence, teen pregnancy, etc. Therefore, I agree that the right answer is to meet in the middle, where the government is not able to dictate the type of music being produced, but the option to listen to music without explicit content is available. One point I would like to mention is that I, personally, believe private sectors (Walmart, radio stations, etc.) should have the right to censor. They are just as individualized as every other American, and their right to

Profanic language in songs has increased over decades and there have been many controversies whether radio stations should censor these songs. The Radio Act is a way for stations to censor these songs. As stated in Music Censory, “The Radio Act has been a way for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to monitor content being put on the radio. The FCC is managed by five commissioners assigned by the government. The Radio Act banned the use of immense profanity in music. The main reason music censorship is so strong is because of the FCC.” I agree with the Radio Act that inferior songs should be censored on the radio.

Musicians should be able to express themselves any way they want to. According to Freemuse.org, article ‘What is Music Censorship?’, “Music is a free expression of the ideas, traditions, and emotions of individuals and of people. The claim states that musicians should express themselves which supports the evidence because they both agree that music is a way of expression. Art is a way to express your ideas and emotions and music is a time of art. Moreover, censorship blocks the right of expressing.

     Many people are very offended by some of the obscene lyrics in some music, however.  Music with obscene lyrics and messages are enjoying great popularity despite the fact that many, including a large number of prominent officials, find it repulsive, offensive and a bad influence.  This music has sparked great debate over what exactly the words freedom of speech entail.  The musicians and the people who listen to the music claim that freedom of speech is absolute, while others, particularly those who find the lyrics offensive, claim that it has limits.  Artists such as Ice-T, N.W.A.,and Cypress Hill have all had clashes with censorship.  N.W.A.'s music is almost entirely negative and

We need to be aware of what we’re watching. We need to have more common sense when listening to songs that want to get us to do bad things. Don’t fall into that trap. Don’t act like there’s nothing wrong in the industry when there clearly is. Look at Whitney Houston.

Communication Theorists want the public protected from the lyrics that could alter there way of thinking. Cultural Studies seem to see think that the shocking aspects of entertainment are a necessary evil. Then there is Traditional Philosophy, that seem to dismiss popular culture altogether.

Music has changed a great deal since the first melody was discovered, and to this day music is still very influential . In such situation, lyrics cound potentially hold words that are not seen as clean, so do we censor any sort of bad language or let todays artist pursue what ever content they choose.

Music has been notorious for letting out emotions, and using it to express themselves. With that said, music is one of the most censored types of arts we have in our society. “Music provides a powerful form of expression that at its most basic level helps to entertain while containing the power to cause revolutions – both cultural and political. Music’s inherent power scares some people who are afraid of the powerful potential to shape attitudes and beliefs. The banning of music sets a dangerous precedent for the censorship of other forms of expression – with dangerous consequences for a free society.Why is music censored? Factors may include clashing moral values, racial motivations, generational value gaps, and fear.” - http://www.lehigh.edu/~infirst/musiccensorship.html

We deserve to share our opinions about music and listen to other’s opinions as well. Furthermore, the content on The Music Club manages to both celebrate and critique popular music without downplaying the genre or those who enjoy it. I also agree that conversations about topics such as racism and sexism should be discussed concerning music and the music industry. There are many questions regarding these topics that need to be answered: Do derogatory lyrics towards women impact a person’s behavior? Does musical cultural appropriation exist? And the only way we will answer these questions is by having the difficult and controversial conversations about these topics. Overall, the articles written on The Music Club have a lot of variety, celebrate popular music, and even discuss social justice. I look forward to reading

It seems as if someone is always complaining about popular music on the market.  References to illegal drugs and sexual conduct are two of the most common complaints.  Adults claim that rock and roll stars are bad influences to children.  The lyrical content of songs and the examples set by musical idols are not suitable for minors.  Today's music, especially, tests the limits of good taste.  Objections to artists like Eminem, Lil' Kim, and Fred Durst are everyday occurrences, but what the judgmental public and media do not discuss is that these complaints are anything but new.  Songs by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Doors have also been objects of this type of condemnation.  Even as far back as operas by Germany's

a technology issue.  The music industry has so many more resources now then it has

Copyright laws in regards to music should be repealed. The RIAA has misconstrued the perceived effects staring had on artist development and revenue, when in fact the perceived financial short-comings of downloading and peer-to-peer sharing are actually made up through concert-revenue and merchandise-revenue.

Some artists such as Hootie and the Blowfish never accept money for their music to be