Eminem and censorship

by Uni girl 67 Replies latest jw friends

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  Uni girl

  When my son came home from the meeting, he told me that they were told not to listen to Eminem because (in his words) he's bad.
  I can not stomach the kind of censorship that is put upon people...aren't these things a personal choice or at least a parents choice. By censoring everything they make a child go behind their parents back and close the line of communcation which could result in some real harm. I listened to Eminem with my son and whilst some of the things are very offensive it was quite clear to me that although he was talking in the first person, he was actually expressing what he thought societal problems were,(no one think Bob Marley actually son the sheriff do they??)
  I think the main thing is to be with your kids, take an interest so that they do not feel in anyway fearful of expressing themselves, repression is a terrible thing and can hurt the mind awfully. In this mad world all we can do is offer our children support and don't judge them..Eminem is not bad and he will be gone one day, just as soon as he arose and all that fuss will have been for nothing..

  The end...
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  claudia

  Uni girl, I agree. As the mom of a 16 yr old boy I feel I have instilled enough decency in him, and I trust he is not going to do something stupid because he listened to eminem. The only thing I ask is that he not let his little sister hear some of the music. When I look back at some of the music I listend to.........
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  SanFranciscoJim

  There are two very separate issues being dealt with here:
  (1) The Watchtower dictating what the flock can and cannot do without fear of reprisal. When I was at the 1976 International Assembly in Montreal, one of the Governing Body (I think it was Freddie Franz, but I'm not sure) exhorted the multitudes not to listen to any music which was composed by "known homosexuals". He went on to then spout a laundry list of classical composers from the 18th & 19th centuries, spewing hatred for their "immoral lifestyles", warning the audience that listening to such music could invite demon possession. I never heard such absurdity! So, then, following that same logic, considering that composers are artists, were I to go to an art museum and view works by Van Gough, perhaps I may become demon possessed and do something foolish like chop my ear off. Uh-huh....
  (2) There is a wide chasm of difference between artistic license and inciting hatred. No, Bob Marley certainly did not encourage his listeners to shoot their local sherriff. However, Eminem's so-called "music" is viciously anti-woman and anti-gay. His graphic depictions of what he wants to see happen to those of whom he so vocally disapproves belongs in Nazi propaganda, not on the radio waves of any free society. Ask yourself this: How would you feel if Eminem suddenly became a rabid Jehovah's Witness, and slightly altered his lyrics to condemn, instead of women and gays, "apostates", the spiritually "weak", and the "Harlot of Babylon"? If this brand of "music" is allowed to continue, then I'm afraid I shall have to move post haste to Salem, Massachusetts in that I am sure to be branded a witch and burned at the stake. The middle ages have returned!
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  claudia

  Hmmmm, Ok, maybe I should listen to his lyrics a little closer. I wasnt aware that he downed woman and gays. i have heard about 4 of his songs.
• 

  newguy

  SFJim:

  There is nothing wrong with Eminem. And saying his lyrics are Nazi propoganda that should be banned is wrong. Look at it this way: if the 1st ammendment will protect even someone like Eminem (or Larry Flint), how much more so will it protect us?

  Besides, people are free to buy and NOT buy what they want in a capitalist society. If 19 million people buy his records and radio stations get ratings playing his music, then more power to him. Don't begrudge him his success. I listened to his songs on Napster and actually went out a bought the CDs becuase I liked his music so much.

  As Eminem says in one of his songs: "Their just words in a mike."
  So Grow up SFJim and welcome to Capitalism!
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  SanFranciscoJim

  I take strong exception to your telling me to grow up, Newguy.
  Since when does capitalism dictate the right to demand the injury or destruction of others simply because some celebrity cleverly puts words together into so-called "music"?
  I sincerely hope, Newguy, that you are never mistaken for a homosexual on a dark city street and chased by armed thugs, or that you are never thrown down a flight of steps by a rabid homophobe. THESE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED TO ME!!!
  Maturity comes by looking prejudice straight in the face and calling it for what it is, not making excuses for it.
  Now who needs to grow up? Queen to queen's pawn three.... your move.
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  doubtingsister

  Ok, I haven't heard his music, but here's my two cents.

  Some people like to create hurtful, evil things, even songs. They should be pitied. All the money in the world can't change how he must think and feel to write stuff like that. With so many kinds of music to listen to, why that? But, whatever, I don't care what others choose to do and I do feel thankful to live in a society where we have that freedom of choice.
  As for me, I draw the line at lyrics that promote pain, suffering or hatred of others. Period.
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  d0rkyd00d

  I'm hoping that this doesn't degrade my entire name on this website, but I absolutely love eminem. He may not be a lyrical genius. Yes, his lyrics are racy. Yes, he uses obscenities. But do you really think he'd be as popular as he is if he wasn't looked down upon for it?

  I love his songs. Maybe not the lyrics in general, but i think they have a great beat and rhythm. I listen to all kinds of rap, whether it be Will Smith or Eminem, as long as it has a good beat to it, I like it.

  Yes, he says some very VERY nasty things in his songs. I don't respect him for it. But I love the beat his songs have, and they have NO EFFECT what-so-ever on my thought patterns. I don't hate gays. I don't hate women. I don't think women are toys, or lesser beings than men. And although I don't support the gay lifestyle, I feel a person has to do what makes THEM happy, and if that means homosexuality, more power to them. The real problem comes in when people who listen to eminem cannot distinguish the difference between reality and fiction. I'm tired of people saying this is what causes school-shootings and all this other stuff. Guess what. The entire country listens to eminem. But you don't see the entire country shooting each other. If that were the effect of his music, then I'd assume he was living back in medieval days. I'll assume he's just as popular in Iraq. No, I think the leading cause of violence worldwide is difference in religious belief, not one man who puts up a false image behind a bunch of words that everybody knows he doesn't mean, and then adds a beat to it.

  "No cool quote yet. But I'll think of one soon."
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  d0rkyd00d

  I forgot to mention one more thing in regards to SanFranciscoJim's comment.

  *****How would you feel if Eminem suddenly became a rabid Jehovah's Witness, and slightly altered his lyrics to condemn, instead of women and gays, "apostates", the spiritually "weak", and the "Harlot of Babylon"? *********

  Well, if this were the case, I'd bet the WTBS would be selling his cd's at the literature counters....
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  SanFranciscoJim

  I'm tired of people saying this is what causes school-shootings and all this other stuff. Guess what. The entire country listens to eminem. But you don't see the entire country shooting each other.

  
  When I went to high school some 30 years ago (probably long before you were born), school shootings were an unheard of phenomenon. Back then, pranksters would sneak out of school to a public phone booth and call in a bomb scare, and that was the extent of school violence, save for the occasional fistfight.
  d0rkyd00d, while I do not argue the fact that anyone should by rights be able to listen to anything they wish, I think it speaks volumes about today's society by such virulent lyrics having become so popular. By allowing such hatred to flourish, the recording industry is giving the green light to impressionable youth to carry out their hatred and prejudices in ways which would have been unheard of just a few short years ago.
  In my opinion, the only difference between Eminem and Fred Phelps ( http://www.godhatesfags.com/ ) is that the latter wasn't savvy enough to get a recording contract and a good agent.
  Oh, by the way d0rkyd00d, LOL @ your literature counter comment!