The Pros And Cons Of Music Censorship

Since the being of time people have been making and listening to music. Music has been considered the best way to express ourselves. The Bible even talks about how music was used to praise God. Music has been used for all type of things ranging from to getting a girl to notice guy, trying to get over a broken heart, or maybe losing a love one. Now society says that music has become too violent and sexually oriented. Many people have different point of view on this topic some people feel that there should be some type of censorship, while other feel censorship is against the first amendment, and others feel that parents should be responsible for what their children listen to. The question that comes to mind is should

     Many people believe that music should be filtered because it provokes violence or sex within society. There may be some truth in this but for the most part it is merely myth. People who have any common sense or are not legally insane can understand fact from fiction and what not to imitate. Anyone who listens to Eminem and decides to go and kill their wife should have been locked up long before the actual crime. When people do things that resemble what an artist says in a song, it is usually by pure coincidence and all are negative incidents. Frank Zappa was quoted to have said “I wrote a song about dental floss but did anyone’s teeth get cleaner?”(Jackson 1).

The United States of America seems to be protected by a very important historical document called the Constitution. Despite the fact that it was written and signed many years ago, the American people and their leaders still have faith in the Constitution. One of the major statements of the Constitution is the First Amendment, freedom of speech. Although it is difficult to decide what is offensive and what is not, it is clear to see that songs of rape, violence, bigotry, and songs containing four letter words are completely unnecessary for susceptible minds to acknowledge. It is reasonable to say that more people listen to music everyday and for that reason, music tends to be more influential. The American

It can change the way we carry ourselves or even the way we dress. Songs had a powerful grip and effect on society. Music can give us information or state an opinion. (White)

What is the purpose of music? Music is created to bring happiness to the world. In “How We Listen”, Aaron Copland mentions “The simplest way of listening to music is to listen for the sheer pleasure of the musical sound itself.” (“Copland”) Music is defined as “an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.”

     Today, in the 1990's, citizens in our society are being bombarded with obscene material from every direction. From the hate lyrics of Gun's 'N Roses to the satanic lyrics of Montley Crue and Marilyn Manson to the sexually explicit graphical content of today's movies, the issue is how much society is going to permit and where we, as a society, should we draw the line. The freedom of speech has always been considered a right, but that doesn't mean that you can shout, "Fire!" in a crowded movie theater. The real question is whether such material is harmful or dangerous to our society.

A well- known spiritual that has found its way into the hymn books of America's religious institution is titled Wade in the Water. This song was created by the slaves of the south. It was used as a very important tool to assist Harriet Tubman. Tubman was a conductor of the Underground Railroad. Born into slavery, she was able to escape her life of bondage and successfully escorted over 300 slaves to freedom during a ten-year span (Public Broadcasting System). The lyrics of this sacred song alerted runaways that slave catchers were nearby, and advised the use of waterways to avoid being detected by scent-sniffing dogs. It also warned the runaway of the freezing temperature of the Ohio River (Songs).

When listening to the radio, most people come across a song that has been changed from its original version, whether certain words are beeped out, or a string of lyrics are replaced altogether. This is censorship, and it is very common on the radio. It is also very controversial. People don’t agree what should be censored or if anything should be censored at all. However, we believe that censorship is a good thing. Censorship allows offensive music to be altered so that it is not offensive anymore. It also prevents younger children from being exposed to harsh and inappropriate content in a society where access to music is growing. The positives of censorship outweigh the negatives by far.

Music has the power to make people have powerful emotions. Sometimes music’s power to make people feel powerful emotions scare them who are afraid to feel the emotions it brings. Banning music would set a very menacing example for the censorship of other things such as books, movies, and tv shows. Factors of music censorship could be, racial motivations, generational value gaps, and fear. People should know that those aren't the only things that could cause music censorship though.

Encyclopedia Britannica defines music as, “art concerned with combining vocal or instrumental sounds for beauty of form or emotional expression, usually according to cultural standards of rhythm, melody, and, in most Western music, harmony”. Music was considered beautiful at one time. Musical artist in this day and age put their drive to succeed well before their personal morals. The explicit language warnings on music covers are not enough. The foul language used in music is not the only thing that is influencing the younger generation. Pop, country, R&B, and rap music is having a big impact on influencing the American youth. Most of these music lyrics are just flat out detrimental to all involved.

Censorship in music has been a major problem plaguing America since the early nineteen forties. It came to a head during the nineteen sixties with the Vietnam War and the hippie movement. During the nineteen seventies and eighties heavy metal and hard rock were getting the brunt of the censorship heat. Now in the nineteen nineties the major focus of censorship is rap; primarily gangster rap. Some of the main factors of music in general that cause legal ramifications are sexual content, suggestive violence and obscene language. Censorship is an attack against our first amendment right guaranteeing the freedom of speech. However if a song or album is deemed obscene the first amendment does not protect this.

“Censorship, like charity should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there,” is a quote by Clare Boothe Luce (Fitzhenry, 84). Some parents are against the censorship of music. They believe that they should raise their kids, not some politicians who believe one nasty word will change a whole child’s future.

Music is one of the most popular ways of expression and has been for generations. It makes us want to dance, inspires, soothes, relaxes, and sometimes tells us a story. Music is something the whole world shares and has brought together different kinds of people. However, there has been a question on whether some music has affected society negatively and crossed the line with some of its lyrics, content, and the persona of the artists. Certain music has been boycotted and even banned in the U.S. Pro-censorship supporters say that music is something that can deeply affect our society especially children who should not have to be subjected to things like violence, sex, drugs, or hate. However, being that music is a form of expression,

Profanity in often a precursor for censorship. Profanity is heard in many different songs across the world. Especially in rap. However many will still ask the questioned “Why should it be censored?” Many adults say it should because it “gets into people’s minds and may cause their children minds and fear that they might get “brainwashed” by the profanity. Yet, children say that's “It’s freedom of speech.” Many agree that freedom of speech has a huge impact on this situation. A jouranslt stated that “Not only does it violate the first amendment of freedom of speech, but censoring lyrics also violates your freedom of thoughts.(Polter)”. A singer writes from their mind and emotion. Censoring lyrics takes away their feelings in the song. Despite

Pros and Cons of Censorship in Music Can you imagine what it would feel like if your favorite song was suddenly banned because it was thought to be ‘dangerous’ by certain people? Music plays an integral part in our lives. It accompanies us through our ups and downs, sometimes being our outlet or coping mechanism. This is why the issue of music censorship is a hot one. Artists, fans, producers, society, and the government have many and varying views on the topic, and each party has some compelling opinions.