Posted by Tall Tom: It is about time someone stood up for
music... I have been searching the net high and low for those sharing my
opinion.
Posted by Suzy: Hey everybody if anyone wnats to e-mail
me here it is suzyasmith2003@yahoo.com
Posted by SUZY: I BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE CORRECT. WHY CALL
YOU NAMES WHEN IN REALITY YOU ARE SAYING THE TRUTH. THE REASON PEOPLE BELEIVE
THAT MUSIC OR TELEVISION INFLUENCE PEOPLE TO COMMIT MURDER OR SOMETHING
ELSE IS BECAUSE THEY ARE IGNORANT AS TO WHAT SURROUNDS THE ASSASIN OR THE
ENVIRONMENT THEY LIVED OR USED TO LIVE. THANK YOU FOR BEING SO OPEN MINDED
WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE THAT!
Posted by Giggles: My brother friend kill a girl over a rappers
advice, and he admitted it so some people take rappers advice seriously
and I think that's the wrong way to handle any kind of situation
Posted by BlackWhiteWitch: People kill themself it's because something
is bugging them not because a good music told them to. And you kill for
a reason maybe because you enjoy it or because you hate that person but
don't blame it to the music. and some people say that parents should not
aloud that music in their house well that's sh*t and Juan Carlos shut the
f*uck up if you don't know what you are talking about. All my classmates
hear the same music the others hear. They wear the same clothes What the
f*uck?
Posted by The Ryno: Linkin Park was blamed for the recent
school shooting in San Diego??? For real? The shooters must've been pretty
wussy, or their parents are blaming the wrong band. Linkin Park doesn't
even swear on their record. Damn, what's the deal with people today?
Posted by unclefuka: great rant. you should have your own radio/talkshow.
Posted by ralph chunks is a chump: your a dildo get a life you tasteless
bastard
Posted by Angel of Death: I am a very big fan of bands like Ozzy,
Slayer, and Cannibal Corpse and also 16 yrs old. I hate to hear it when
metal bands are blamed for people doing things. Linkin Park was blamed
for the recent school shooting in San Diego. Yes there are offensive lyrics
in metal. There are some people who take that stuff seriously. And then
they get drunk and all that is multiplied. You can't just blame the music.
Not even rap, even though they make blatant references to having guns and
killing people. You just have to blame the person. They made the choices
they made. You can't blame the parents either. I am not close to my mother
and she doesn't know that I listen to death metal. You can't say the parents
shouldn't allow it in their homes because most kids, like me, will sneak
it in their house and listen to it secretly. People need to stop finding
scapegoats and look at the real problems in the person that commits the
crime or kills themself.
Posted by Dr. Love: In my America, we're free to do nearly
anything we feel like doing. It is what the country is founded upon. This
means that we are free to work, be happy, and enjoy the music WE decide
we need to hear. One of my favorite parts of this charter is the freedom
of speech. Under the first amendment, people like Juan Carlos are allowed
to disagree with other's musical tastes. Also protected by the constitution
is his fundamental right to misspell Eminem's name. However, I feel that
people should never have the right to impose on what I can watch on TV
or listen to in the privacy of my own home. People like Tipper Gore and
possibly Juan Carlos feel that they can raise our children better than
we can. I believe that these people use this as a guise to seize more power
from the citizens. Obviously a country does need law and order, otherwise
there would be anarchy. The only problem is that for every law that is
passed, our freedom is limited that much more. To paraphrase Jello Biafra,
"You can start by putting labels on record sleeves, but where do they draw
the line?? Eventually, they will have control over information itself."
I feel like parents should be allowed to raise their children any way they
see fit, not the government. The flipside, of course, is that parents will
have to be accountable for actions perpetrated by their offspring. They
will have no one to blame but themselves. No excuses, no scapegoats. And
CERTAINLY will not be pinned on media outlets. It's time for people to
take responsibility for themselves.
Posted by Juan Carlos: I think that Music has a terrible impact
to this teen society and if you see they blame it on such singers Marlyn
Manson Emenim AC/DC ETC... the other thing you should also blame it on
is the Parents they dont care what there kids listen to and that is why
we got so many messed up teens and adults in todays world if parents would
take a Second to hear what they listen to they Damn! parents wouldn't and
shouldn't alow it in there homes....
Posted by James Wright: I feel that music in general can't be
blamed for the crimes that people commit. Ya, a song might have some kind
of meaning to a person, but if they feel influenced to go kill someone
or themselves, thats on them. Not the artist who wrote/performs the song.
Posted by Kirkcarrion: Hey, Mom! It's Kyle! How ya been, man??
Posted by Ralph Chunks: Your right JIMEE! I'll kill Slayer instead!
Posted by JIMEE: Man Ralph Chunks, you must be weak if
you want to kill yourself to Slayer. You shouldn't kill yourself for anything.
Posted by Metalmom: People are looking for a scapegoat and
music seems to be what it is right now. I just heard that they are zeroing
in on the Linkin Park song as a cause for the kid who was responsible for
the shootings in San Diego. My kids (ages 23, 20, and 17) were raised on
Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, etc., and have not killed anyone yet. This
boy is extremely trouble emotionally, and for various reasons, instead
of asking for help, he was feeling desperate and acted out his anger and
hurt with very tragic results. If I listen to this music when I am angry
or upset, it actually has a calming effect on me and makes me feel better.
Posted by Ralph Chunks: I believe music can cause sme one to kill.
I know if I had to listen to Slayer, I would want to kill myself.
Posted by ?: Bet you can't name all twelve.
Posted by No name: You go Goth!
Posted by GothGirl29: I can think of atleast a dozen movies
where there is this nerdy guy who gets revenge on the kids and other people
who were mean to him. Many people identify w/ the nerdy outcast. It's a
silent fantasy many people have, but few act upon.
Posted by Ralph Chunks: P.S. OZZY RULES!
Posted by Ralph Chunks: AIC ozzy GIRL. I agree with everything
you said.You sound like a cool chick. But One thing your going to realize
and live with. Some people are as*holes. It's a unfortunate fact of life.
Posted by Jeffery Dalmer: Shut up Tom. Before I eat you!
Posted by Tom: I think it's time to take this subject
off the board. This is getting too silly.
Posted by Eric Harris: Shut up Bob. Before I pop a cap in your
head! Kevin is one of us!
Posted by Bob: Shut up Kevin! You fatso!
Posted by Dylan Klebold: I know when I was in high school. I got
picked on allot! There is only so much that a person can take, before he
looses it! You have to answer to your own actions!
Posted by Andy Williams: I meant to say thank you Kevin. The voices
in my head are confusing me!
Posted by Andy Williams: Thank you Kein! You think just like me!
KILL KILL KILL
Posted by Kevin: Personally I don't see these school shootings
as tragedies. It's a wake up call. Kids have been picking on other kids
and doing horrible things to eachother that, if they were adults, would
be criminal. Yet everybody dismisses it as "kids will be kids". Huh? You
don't think getting teased constantly for years and years of school doesn't
have a profound impact on the rest of somebody's life? It ruins people.
It makes them feel inferior and they grow up believing that. But that's
"OK", apparently.
Posted by AIC ozzy GIRL: Go ahead Andy.
Posted by Andy Williams: Why don't all of you shut up! Before I
kill you, too!
Posted by AIC ozzy GIRL: Anyone here about the latest school shooting?
You would of thought people would stop teasing each other after the previous
school shootings. I guees not, people must be really dense in their head,
and too self-absorbed in their own world to care whethe ror not their words
or teasing is going to hurt other people. But I guess people have to learn
the hard way, and sometimes the outcome isn't good, but people still do
not learn what teasing can do to a person!! Man, how can people be so stupid?
You push a person past their limit, and they just might turn around and
kill you. It's a classic example of human anger and limits for which one
sets for themselves.
Posted by GREENMUSE: back in the day the in the old skoliwol,
it was like that for me too,most of the teachers were pretty cool about
my manson shirts,aside from the head of christians in action,and fellowship
of christian atheltes,boy i got a nice start on my jack t chick tract collection
those year lol.on aside note,copkiller is a great song.best song bodycount
ever did.
Posted by AIC ozzy GIRL: NICELY SAID OZZMAN!!! I too listen to
alot of of the same bands that you mentioned. Once at school I was wearing
an Ozzy shirt, and this teacher came over to me and started talking to
me. Then she said to me "Who is that on your shirt." I politely replied
"Oh, it's Ozzy Osbourne." She then replied "oh dear, you like that evil
man's music?" and she gave me a look of concern. I HATE THAT, I HATE IT.
I could be the nicest person on the planet, but people, including teachers,
and other teens my age find reasons to hate me just because of the bands
that I like. You can't justify my personality by examing the bands that
I listen to. That is a sterotype that doesn't need to exist anymore. And
if you want to blame heavy metal music, why don't you blame rap music?
Listen to some lyrics by Snoop Doggy Dog or ICE T-who wrote a song about
killing cops, and I bet most people would find their songs more offensive
than heavy metal music. I don't find heavy metal music offensive at all.
But maybe other people do. And I bet my teacher has never even heard any
of Ozzy's music, she just sterotyped me because she didn't wan't to take
the time to get to know what type of a person I was. I give everyone the
benefit of the doubt when I first meet them, and I treat people how they
would want to be treated. But when people act as if they are superior to
me and belittle me, then that is when I have the right not to treat them
with respect. Enough said. ----- And by the way, I am not an evil person,
but if I ever was ever going to kill someone (hypothetically speaking),
music would NOT MAKE ME DO IT! Lyrics would not make me go out and kill
someone! That is not an inncentive to kill someone. I would have to have
a good reason to kill someone, and music would not qualify as a reason.
Posted by marty:
66.27.3.61
music may influence someone who has problems
already so you can't place the blame on the music directly because some
crazy nut has a bad reaction to it.
Posted by name withheld: Music doesn't influence anyone at all.
Right wing Christians sing gospel songs about love, peace, and forgiveness
every week in their churches and yet they are some of the most grudgeful,
hateful, closedminded, argumentative people you'll find anywhere. the propensity
to kill arises from other factors, many of which have nothing to do with
music or any other form of entertainment but have to do with the practices
and habits of society itself.
Posted by
the max: There's a difference between music triggering
an emotion and music making a person kill. Think about it, just because
I get mad at my ex whenever I hear a song that makes me think of her...doesn't
mean I'm going to go out and kill her. Music does influence...to a point.
Any farther than that and then you have to look at other, more imposing
factors.
Posted by
Mind Over Music: So people say music doesn't influence
Huh? Music has made some fall in luv. What about that song that gives u
that sporting feeling. ever drive to somewhere and hear a song that makes
u angry at your last girlfriend or boyfriend. ever watch a porno and think
"damn this music really suck". How is it possible that the music from a
television commercial can trigger a childhood memory. What? u say that
song sucks? Why does that song suck? Now it's up to me to only really act
out the good emotions that songs give me. Sarcastically speaking: How can
music make someone do something they shouldn't. almost 350 million people
in the united states and were all perfect. Yeah, right!!!
Posted by
870621345: It's not the music that makes people do
stupid things like killing themselves, it's the parents
Posted by
GREENMUSE: did i miss something? penises?huh? ill
go crawl back into my whole under the sofa,tis a great land of wonder here,wont
you join me in heavenly bliss?dance with the dust bunnies,but try not to
stir so,away they will go in great puffs of dust.
Posted by
AntiGuy: DELETED
stupid, childish phoney post has been deleted. If you are going to
pretend to be someone try typing the name correctly next time.. aG
Posted by
GREENMUSE: what constitutes "punk trash " and "real
music" that post down there makes me think how much i miss the old manson,sure
he wasnt original,music was rather mediocore.but he had the charisma to
pull it all off.in my opinon the old albums,up until mechanical animals,the
old albums had substance,rather insightful lyrics.ahh i miss me spooky
kid days.
Posted by
lol: I disagree if someone made me listen to
that punk crap I have seen on this site lately I would kill them. Dump
the punk trash and cover real music AntiGuy!
Posted by
d: I won't deny that music does take a valid
role in changing a persons behavior. Even in the smallest ways. When Marilyn
Manson was rising to the top, I had a friend who practically worshipped
the band. Not Satanically, he wasn't all into the Satanic stuff, but he
did his hair just like guitarist Daisy Berkowitz, wore suits he bought
from the Thrift store, combat boots, dyed his hair black, wore a black
string thread thing around his neck AND one around his wrist, had every
manson cd, single, and bootleg import. We were even at school eating breakfast
in the cafeteria, and all of a sudden he always bought sugar coated cerial
and put LOADS of extra sugar on it. Why? Cause he read somewhere that Marilyn
Manson said that if you wanna be like him, it's helpful to eat Sugar Coated
Cerial. Music and Artists and Entertainers do have an effect. But...where
do people come to the mind to start listening to these bands? Bad parenting,
neglectedness, bullies in school, early deaths from close friends and families
can put that darkness in ones heart and head, and cause them to get into
alcohol and drugs with peers, cause they feel unwanted and that it doesn't
matter. Keep getting on the drugs, and you listen to the music, and that
molds around how you think. You listen to the lyrics. Just like manson
lyrics from the Man that you Fear: "You can kill yourself now, cause you're
dead in my mind" if someone is drunken, trashed, depressed, or whatever,
can easily cause a person to say "You know, he's right!". Music doesn't
nescearilly cause those types of situations all the time, but you can't
deny that it's possible due to credited circumstances placed before hand
with early problems. Problems get bigger if they are not acted upon quickly.
And who can fix the problems? The parents can. The Teachers can. It's those
individuals who aren't working with the kids. The parents aren't caring
anymore, and it's showing much more. I recently went to talk to a 2nd grade
teacher of mine I had way way way back in the day, 11 or 12 years ago,
and she said that the students aren't paying attention, and it's cause
the parents are always letting them play and letting them get into video
games, and not study and do homework. But what are the teachers doing to
help it? Are they talking to the parents to let them know their kids are
f*cking up? Then the High School teachers treat the non-preppy sport playing
students like sh*t just for that fact. So, when the kids feel neglected
at school, they skip school, they skip class, and get drunk or get high
at home or with friends, then the days they do show up teachers treat em
like bigger sh*t for that, then they eventually drop out. Then the parents
bag on them for that. They get depressed, get into more drugs and alcohol,
listen to a song that can spark that piece of the depression that leads
them to do something stupid. It's all in a list, and it starts at home.
But you are right, the ones who started the problem ARE the ones who are
quick to point the finger. That's all I really have to say at current.
Posted by
Goat: people who blame their actions on things
such as heavy metal, and wrestling and violent video games are idiots.
Im a metal head, a wrestling junkie, and think the more blood in a video
game, the better, but you dont see me out there gunning people down kuz
the music told me to do it. No, see we all have that little voice in the
back of our head that tells us not to do stuff like that, its the same
voice that tells you not to lick the razor when you are shaving, crazy
people dont have that voice and therefore go do stupid sh#t like kill people,
its just frigging stupid
Posted by
SINISTER_HO: CHECK THIS OUT YO! www.movietitan.com
Posted by
pornhound: seen some nude chicks lately?
Posted by
Kirkcarrion: People need to take responsibility for
themselves. If a kid kills another kid after watching the WWF, then it's
probably the parents' fault for not explaining that pro-wrestling is fake.
If you started smoking because of a picture in a magazine, that is your
fault. If you kill someone (or yourself) because of a song you heard, that's
your fault. The WWF, any magazine, Slayer, Eminem, Cannibal Corpse, etc,
etc, have NO responsibility to protect you from yourself. If you are that
easily influenced, then you are wasting my oxygen, and I am going to live
a year less because of it.
Posted by
Whatever: Willingly?
Posted by
bum: sinister_ho touched my bum
Posted by
the max: People who type with the caps lock on
should have to touch that dudes bum.
Posted by
bum: I like to touch bums. want to touch mine?
Posted by
SINISTER_HO: I THINK ALL THIS SH*T ABOUT INFLUNCING
TENNS WITH KILLING PEOPLE OR THEM SELF IS DUMB. WE DONT GET INFLUNCED BY
MUSIC. I THINK THIS IS JUST A SCAPE GOAT FOR THE PARENTS SO THEY DONT HAVE
TO THINK IT WAS THEM. MOST OF THE TIME ITS THE PARENTS FAULT. I NO THIS
BECAUSE I WANTED TO KILL MYSELF MANY TIMES AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF MY PARENTS.
IF I DID DO THAT THEY WOULD PROBLE BLAME IT ON MY MUSIC I LISTEN TO JUST
BECAUSE I LISTEN TO KORN METALLICA KITTIE MARILYN MANSON DISTURBED GODSMAKE
AND BANDS LIKE THAT. -HEIDI- IF YOU WANT TO EMIAL ME ITS SINISTER_HO@HOTMAIL.COM
OR IF YOU WANT TO CHAT ONLINE WITH ME ITS WITCH_ZZY
Posted by
Zoda: I am a 15 year old boy and I watch pro
wrestling,I backyard wrestle,I play video games,I listen to music such
as korn, slipknot, incubus, NIN, sublime, ozzy, metallica, slayer, and
pantera I find that most of the messages in music I like have postive meanings
even if you can't tell from the surface slayer songs are about what is
wrong in society not for it. Killling someone or myself is the last thing
id ever wan't to do, I think if were gonna blame music, blame rap I mean
the rapers are more respected if they do crimes(not all) and sing about
"b*tches,drugs,being popular, and being a gangsta".I don't blame them either
though I blame people who listen to music and take it in wrong and I blame
the taking it in wrong in how they were raised.
Posted by
bob: people are never influenced by what they
see and hear...that's why companies spend billions of dollars making commercials
and jingles to sell their products.
Posted by
bum: bum
Posted by
Ows: Well I say that America is screwed up,
and it's so screwed up that there isn't a whole lot of thigns left to blame.
It's all politics and politicall correctness and I'm pretty much sick of
it. Same thing happens with wrestling, a 10 year old wrestling fan kills
a 8 year old girl in the US; they blame the WWF, that makes little sense
to me since I've both listened to music and watched wrestling all my life;
and I haven't killed anyone or feel the need to. Music is there to be enjoyed
and they can't censor it for my sake or anybody else's, when people kill
themsleves they must have a pretty good reason for doing it; I doubt that
music could influence soemone's decision in the end. Hey, it might hasten
the process, or slow it down, but sooner or later; it'll happen. So would
these people rather we listen to stupid little pop groups that are stage
school brats who wouldn't know how to write a song if it turned up and
kicked them in the ass? These puppets with a record producer's hand up
their ass who sing about love in the most benile way? If that's who everyone
listened to, then this world would be pretty soul-less and plastic. It's
good to say what's on your mind in a song, as opposed to staying on the
lyrical safe road. That's it I'm through and I'm off to listen to listen
to Metallica; it's soothing, it gets my frustrations out for me; so I don't
HAVE TO go out and punch someone in the face or kill them. I tihnk I talked
a lot of crap (See it's even happening on this site;I'm not allowed to
say $hit) .......so I'll stop now.
Posted by
RidahNY: Post #846: What these sue-happy prickz
have gotta realize is that there is gonna be fire and there's gonna be
brimstone. You're gonna have the Osmonds and you're gonna have Black Sabbath.
Just because Black Sabbath ain't the Osmonds, don't mean they're responsible
for the 8 billion ills of society. This wholesome image Bullsh*t is nothing
but a hoax anyway. Everyone is so sure of what is good for their kids etc.
but yet we have preachers beating their wives, athletes raping and shooting
folk, and the parents still bring the kids to church to listen to the wife
beating preacher and buy the kid the Rae Carruth poster for Christmas.
It's gotten to the point where everyone is so snowed over as far as "good
role models" go that they're flat out too ignorant/naive to realize that
they're placing the blame on the wrong people. It's not Nikki Sixx's or
Ozzy Osbourne's fault for this kind of sh*t, it's clearly the result of
bad parenting and bad role models.
Posted by
Ozzman: so much for only 1 quote, eh Ridah? but
i won't say anything cause you've managed to recover nicely since the last
board. i have a question for ANTIguy though- can i have that article published
in my school paper? it has got to be one of the best i've ever read and
it summed up my feelings and thoughts exactly and i'd like to get that
message across to the other 300 juniors i must deal with day in/day out
not to mention the 1,000 other mindless, mtv absorbed peppers that i can't
help but encounter. they all need a lesson in real life- not everything
is flowers and happy stuff and shyt like this does happen. but when it
does, you just can't go out and blame an artist for having some heavy riffs
in their songs. most of metal, as has been said before, sends GREAT messages.
that's one of the things that draws me to it. beats the living hell out
of "oh baby oh baby oh baby" in every line.
Posted by
thalia: I must say that it is one of the best
articles i've ever read. My opinion is that those parents are more stupid
than their children.Before criticising the music their chldren heard they
should first criticise how they behaved them.I'm sure that they had done
a lot of mistakes.A sixteen year old child is able to have an opinion about
what is happening around the world and can be responsible of what he/she
does.Unfortunatelly our society is not the best for the children to grow
up.I hear to rock and metal and i believe that it's a music with many(good)
messages.Genneraly music is a way to express ourselves manytimes better
than words.How many songs are written to stop wars,make peace or talk about
values and ideas?It is true that music is beeing fought.I'm 14 years old
and in my school the teachers make remarks to the children who wear tshirts
with bands.Why?Are they trying to make us stop express ourselves?Does our
society want to make people impersonal? I agree about what you said to
Lucy for MTV.It has converted music to a dull show.No lyrics,no sence!!It
is very sad.
Posted by
TIMMY!: Music is a form of self-expression. It
is an outlet for an artist's creativity and emotions. Sometimes music is
even used as a soapbox to express one's views with a greater impact. It
comes from the heart, gut and mind of musicians and artists. Listening
to music is an attempt to manifest one's emotions. It is comforting to
know that someone else understands and feels how you feel. Music does not
choose us, we choose our music. Musicians should not be blamed for another
indivisual's actions. They should be commended for showing the true nature
of these indivisuals. Maybe if someone else would have listened to the
music, they could have forseen the tragedies.
Posted by
Lucy: RidahNY, I guess I can see where your
coming from. I guess indirectly the media could assume some of the responsibility.
Although I still say when you are influenced by your peers it is more of
a 'clicky' type influence, rather than media. Clothing and what not are
minor things. What I can not and will not accept is people saying that
a particular type of music or artist are to blame for killing sprees and
suicide. Image is one thing, but mind control is entirely another. As I
said earlier...music can not use you. You can use music to enhance a mood
or a stance, but music can not lead you to do evil things. But I guess
I can agree on the image thing. Like in 'the max's' rant...it's a means
to identify with a lifestyle which could translate into the music you listen
to or the values you hold. But no one can blame the media for death, murder,
rape and other deeds. It's already in the mind if its gonna happen.
Posted by
RidahNY: Lucy i respect what you have to say and
in some way it's the same as what i think but for instance, when you said
you were influenced by peers that helps prove my point. About 5 or 6 years
ago when i was in high school sometimes i'd copy off of friends and buy
the albums they had, buy the clothes they had, or drink the same beer that
they did and then i'd ask them "where'd you guys hear about this stuff?"
Most of the time the answer was "i saw it on tv" or "the guy in the movie
Dazed and Confused had this shirt on" etc. A majority of the time media
is the influence, even if it is an indirect influence.
Posted by
GREENMUSE: thanks for dispelling that for me masterofpuppetz,ive
heard this,from all over.from what you said of angel of death,im pretty
sure the mans name was dr menegle.
Posted by
Lucy: I beg to differ, but perhaps it does come
with age. I made alot of bad choices early on also. I just think it was
more peer's.I just can't say that I was ever influenced by music or any
other media. Of course maybe the clothing trends, but that was also my
friends influence. I don't know..I guess I am different.
Posted by
RidahNY: We think on our own accord but things
influence us in making our decisions. There is no such thing as absolute
free will when making a decision unless you live in a cave or under a rock.
Especially for MTV's sake, they've gone over the boundaries of good taste
for too long now. I think it's about time that they be held accountable
for their actions. They show Eminem all day long and then get a group of
gayz together and whine and complain about Eminem's lyrics. Whose promoting
what here MTV?
Posted by
Sidd: Its sad that we live in a society that
would put the blame on music because a few psycho's who commit murders
happen to listen to it. What did Hitler and Stalin listen to? Not Heavy
Metal. Things like this have been going on since the begining of time,
but now we have a society that listens to the media and believes whatever
they are spoon fed.
Posted by
Lucy: Only to the weak of mind, RidahNY. If
you started smoking because of a picture in a magazine...well, that was
a choice that YOU made. That magazine can not make you smoke. MTV can not
make you angry enough to hurt someone. That shows lack of direction and
an inability to think on ones own accord. At some point we come to the
age of accountability, which means we are old enough to know what is right
and what is wrong. Before this age we depend on our parents. A high school
and/or college age kid should be very well able to distiguish which is
which. And with you being a pshych major, you above anyone else should
be aware of that fact, right?
Posted by
RidahNY: As far as "Jackass" being blamed for that
kid and Eminem being nailed for his supposedly "hateful" lyrics goes, it's
MTV'S FAULT. No one else's. It's all MTV's fault because if it wasn't for
those faggotz running a horsesh*t channel that promotes voilence and Britney
Spears taking her clothes off in the same breath, none of this f***n' sh*t
would've ever happened in the first place. MTV chose to air the show so
it's 100% their fault and MTV decided to put Eminem into the rotation as
one of the 4 videos they play these days so they're at fault for exposing
kids to this sh*t and making it more accessible to them. I started smoking
cause i saw a picture of Eddie Van Halen smoking a cigarette in a guitar
magazine. Whose fault is it? It's not Eddie's - it's mine as well as the
guitar magazines for putting that in there for youth to see. MTV is trash
and sure wish someone would put a stop to it before the youth of our world
are completely intellectually and morally destroyed. Please take action
and stop this madness.
Posted by
heidi: I dont think music is to blame. People
think kids that listen to metal and dress in black are always the instigaters
and producers of problems. They blame everything on the music they listen
to. Well if thats the case what about eminem and a lot of other rappers.
The subject matter of every song is sex drugs and violence.
Posted by
josh: To whoever wrote this article, this is
one of the best, if not the best article I have ever read. I couldn't have
said it any better if I tried, so good job, and your absoluetly write on
the whole subject. people believe what they want to believe, instead of
accepting the truth, they deny it, they fear it, they rather make a big
news story out of it by blaming it on entertainment. once again, good job,
keep up the good work.
Posted by
kornfreak: recently jackass is being blamed for some
kids stupidity. many teens including i listen to rock music. i have not
commited any crime at all. most parents blame the music for their mistakes
in parenting. just like columbine. but those kids had issues with the students.
i cant stand when parents hide their own mistakes and point the finger
at music which is easily being blamed for almost everything.
Posted by
the max: You know, I just realized...half of these
people who claim metal is a bad thing are nothing more than dipshyt polititians
and religious leaders looking to make a name for themselves by drawing
up some controversy. The people like Tipper Gore and her bible study group
are among the brainless morons who support the polititians when they go
into their moral crusade. This kind of crap plauged Elvis era and The Beatles
era and will continue to do so. There's nothing anyone can do about it.
Unless, maybe we form our own little coalition and go after these people...try
to censor them for trying to shove THEIR beliefs and THEIR views down everyone
elses throat. Yes, Yes, I can see it all now.
Posted by
.: Your on this twice, explain yourself ridah.
Posted by
RidahNY: It's stupid to post on this subject several
times. Just post once, state your beliefs and then leave it alone. This
ignorance of heavy metal and rock music has been going on since Elvis came
onto the scene in the 50's. In fact i have a grandfather whose made a point
to tell me at least 100 times that "the beatles are responsible for bringing
drugs to America." Uh yeah whatever - when people think like this, you're
not gonna change their minds. Don't even bother.
Posted by
MasterOfPuppetz: Slayer has no Neo-Nazi ties. this is just
an accusation put on them by the media. Jeff Hannemen has an Interest in
WW2 and writes about it often in his lyrics. The reason people call them
Nazis is because of the song "Angel Of Death" which is about one of hitlers
henchmen who oversaw the Exterminations at Aushwits (sp?), no where does
the song praise him or say what was going on was right, it is basically
just a violent description of what went on, and because of this they were
labled Nazis by some idiots. supposedly they even began to draw skinhead
crowds because of it. Any halfway intelligent person can read those lyrics
and tell that they are not condoning it, they are just making an accurate
depiction of what went on there.
Posted by
BUTCH: Lucy, I agree. But I do think it is possible
to seriously influence people through media, among other things. Of course,
emotional and mental aptitude play a key and vital role in who allows themselves
to become "followers" of anything. I don't think metal bands are fairly
portrayed in the media. I don't think they are protrayed very to much,
to be more acurate. They are frequently demonized by fringe conservative
groups and even elete leftist (tipper gore and her lot) join in. I'm just
rying to take this subject in a different direction. Other than the trite
view that metal is misunderstood and the demons of censorship are in our
midst. I find that sort of discussion boring. But I do whole-heartedly
agree that parental nurturing and love, or the lack there of, are prime
factors (coupled with poor suplimental influences and mental derangement)
to the downward spiril of or society. I'm looking at the broader text,
I suppose. CHEERS, BUTCH
Posted by
Lucy: Butch, I can appreciate the direction
you are going in saying there is an influence...HOWEVER..it is not the
music or the artist that makes them do it and if there had been any parental
guidance the influence would have been minimal. Yes, music can been used
as a hyping force..that is when you are already sure of what you are going
to do and need reenforcing or hyping. It all comes down to what your surroundings
consist of and how mentally adept or inept a person is. You can use music
in many ways...but music can not use you.
Posted by
BUTCH: I also find it strange that most people
at this site are so quick to label kids "victim's of pop culture" or say
that they are "followers" of brainless music (i.e. boy bands). Yet, the
basis for your views on this subject is that the media doesn't influence
people. I see a contradiction. MEDIA DOES INFLUENCE PEOPLE. Hell, everything
influences people for that matter. I think music can aid people in killing.
YOu shouldn't underestamate the power of music. For example, in the colonial
times and even centuries before that, music was played as the soldiers
advanced into battle--even while they battled. It was done to give them
courage and to enrage passions of honor and violence. Now, the music wasn't
what made them kill but it helped them along. And I think a lot of these
kids, in their own twisted minds, who are going into schools and killing
their classmates see themselves as avengers for the underdogs of youth.
Almost like soldiers. And I am sure the music they listen to reflects their
attitudes, even reenforces them. I mean, come on, they're not listening
to John Denver. So that leads to the inevitable question of "what can be
done?" Well, not too much. If people and bands want to feed nhillism and
alienation they have a right to do so, but I don't think many metal bands
push any kind of artistic envelope. It is a very narrow genre. So, to recap,
music does influence people and their is nothing we can do about it except
join hands and sing folk songs about love. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-with healing
love, BUTCH
Posted by
BUTCH: "me", you make ME yawn.
Posted by
Joe Gorrelle: What a bunch of sh|t, if half of what
some of the wild alligations were true they said about "Suicide Solution"
there would have been hunderes of people blowing their brains out. Those
stupid reporters tried to use music as a scape goat for those Colmbine
kids. Most of those people who have killed people or themselves, they all
have gone insane, its them not the music.
Posted by
Religion: This is exactly what I try to argue with
people about at school. I am constantly criticized because the music I
listen to does not embrace the term "nigger," talk about smoking marijuana,
or killing white people. As if enduring the constant deluge of comments
from the wiggers is bad enough, I must also listen to the castigations
of the "punk rockers" and emo sluts at my school. I'm one of the only people
at school who listens to metal and you wouldn't believe what these people
think I am. They have it in their minds that I am a practicing Luciferian
and I sacrifice children to Satan. They're afraid of me; they think I'm
gonna bring a gun to school and shoot them! I just wish people would get
their heads out of their asses and realize that media does not influence
a person. Many self-proclaimed experts like to say that people who watch
violent programming are made violent, and most, if not all, people who
commit violent crimes do it because they were exposed to violent media.
Do these people ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, these people
had violent tendencies to begin with? Seriously, what do they think violent
people watch after a hard day's work? Dynasty reruns? HBO's showing of
Little Women?
Posted by
Ozzman: I've unforunately had to deal with the
same type of crap that most other metal heads have come across "What the
hell is wrong with you? Why do you were all black? Do you think you're
evil? Are you a satanist...blah blah blah" yet, all the while, i have never
lashed out in a violent rage. i don't kill people. hell, i've never even
been arrested or had a cop or other authority figure confront me with "aweful
behavior". But, wait. I listen to Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Ozzy. so
that means I MUST be mentally fuucked and worship the devil and want to
kill all good people. What most of these people fail to understand is that
metal preaches on real social issues- Death Penalty (Ride the lightning-Metallica)
Anti Racism (attack the radical- Pantera) Why war is foolish (War ensemble-Slayer)
and leaving hatred behind and opening up to good (Crazy train-Ozzy) allow
me to quote the "evil" Ozzy- and maybe its not to late, to learn how to
love and forget how to hate". What i can't understand is the shallow mindedness
of some of these people. they claim that metal is evil and wrong, when
they've never even bothered to read some of the lyrics. truely absurb.
what i'd also like to know is the same question most of the other people
on this board have imposed- why blame the band when the problem always
lies elsewhere? music should be taken seriously in its context, but no
word that someone says would drive a sane person to kill. there was obviously
a problem with all those people that did kill, and it spawns far further
then a couple distorted riffs lyrics. long live metal
Posted by
Lucy: aG, the whole article is so well written
and you leave nothing out at all. But the last paragraph sums it up. I've
said it before and I'll say it again. When you stop taking responsibility
for raising, teaching and disciplining your children...that is when you
see it all go wrong. Parents today want to be friends with their children
more than they want to be parents. We have all gotten so materialistic
that we want our kids to have objects and priveleges more than we want
them to have morals and values. I remember back in 1985 our school pulled
us into the gym for the First Baptist Church back-masking sessions. All
our favorite songs were blasted for bad lyrics and hidden messages. Hotel
California was welcoming us to hell, Another One Bites The Dust told us
it was fun to smoke marijuanna, etc...on and on. And yes, the Ozzy Suicide
Solution thing. I have great parents who took responsibility for me and
I rebelled like crazy. I was aweful for a while. Think about these kids
now adays who have no parental direction? You have to get away with something
as a teen. If you are allowed to do anything you want in front of your
parents...you'll find someone to rebel from! The law. So no, you can't
blame music..no matter what the music says. And your right, it is very
seldom blamed on television or movies...except for that one about a killing
spree. Anyway, great article.
Posted by
GREENMUSE: damn antiguy,your writing skills have
grown a hundredfold,best thing ive ever read of yours.sure music affects
people,if not the artist is doing something wrong.but if a song supposedly
makes someone off themselves,all the better nobody needs thier sorry ass
anyway.but to take someone with them is ludicrous.i doubt this trend will
ever go away.espacilly since the dreaded columbine killers liked manson,kmfdm,and
assorted others.nobody wanted to look at maybe these people at the school
needed to be delt with,not with guns of course,but i have heard stories
of the jocks at columbine,pretty much doing whatever the fuk comes to mind,and
getting away with it,not just in school but outside too.music doesnt drive
people to kill,i listend to manson for years,i have yet to actully kill
anyone.in part i think the religious right is the cause for the blame the
music mentalitiy,even back in the 50's when rock was pretty much safe fluff,the
stodgy old people wanted it snuffed,this carries through to today.well
thanks for letting me yak. ps.doesnt slayer have neonazi ties? forgive
me if this is a silly rumor,as i have never payed much attention to slayer.
Posted by
`asterix: Censorship will never happen. Music should
touch on every facet in life and we should listen to it all. You find that
people who have lived sheltered lives are weak and choke up when the inevitable
comes. You don't listen to music unless you relate to it already. If the
only thing on this planet that can influence your thoughts is a CD - there's
your problem in a nutshell. Having nothing that sympathises with you is
probably hell worse. At least music helps let the anger out I guess...
Posted by
me: Bitch suing a band doesn't give the victims
families closure you putz its the same kind of backward think that created
the environments that led to the murders. There are bad people in the world
and some just so happen to listen to certain kinds of music. Only a moron
would think connect the two.
Posted by
the max: Good point Butch, I agree totally. Everyone
has to remember...even if an artist did openly preach violence and the
like, a person would still have to be severely mentaly unstable and/or
drugged up to actually listen to, or follow such subject matter. I hate
hearing about these damn law suits cluttering up the courts. I blame Tipper
Gore, her husband, and her little band of merrywoman for this kind of shyt.
Self righteous people such as them have ruined modern musics reputation.
I cannot drive down the street, blasting my favorite Soulfly song without
drawing a dirty look from a uninformed (and most often, older) person.
They only know what they hear on the T.V., Metal is bad!!! (mmmkay) It
will make your children do drugs, have casual sex, and kill people!!! It's
shyt like this that makes people like me even more disenchanted with politics
and ridiculous religious figures who tell me I'm a servant of the devil.
Fukk you all!!! Leave me and my music alone!!! Dammit I'm pissed.
Posted by
BUTCH: FACTS: (a) There will always be murder,
rape, suicide and various antisocial crimes of the demented mind. (b) Music
does effect people, in good ways and bad. CONCLUSION: Perhaps, music can
excite the deviant mind to commit murder and other acts of evil. QUESTION:
WHat can anyone do about it? ANSWER: Nothing!-_--_-_ LAwsuits like these
make my stomach turn. First of all, a horrible crime has been commited
and the victims family is left bewildered, dumbfounded, mourning and confused.
They need clousure and a reason for a reasonless act. So, the look to place
blame. Unjustly, they blame the music. I feel for their torrment and anguish
but agreeing with their conclusion/lawsuit is hard to do. But, I don't
condemn them for it. This will go nowhere! These lawsuits are notorious
for causing a stir but never really getting anyone convicted of anything.
I think the judicial system allows them to help heal the family wounds
that are caused by such crimes (Plus give bands great publicity as 1st
Amendment martyrs). They let the mourning family file a lawsuit; of which,
everybody knows will be dismissed or a verdict of "not guilty" found. But,
they let the family vent and grieve through the lawsuit only to have it
ultimatly fail and one of the many perposturous theories the mourning family
has for closure will be put to rest. Well, maybe not. But, it makes since.
I do think music can insite murder in individuals who are not based in
reality, are mentally disturbed, or are just plain lunitics (which, are
all one and the same). However, punishment for the artist is not what is
called for in these cases. No, you can't do that within reason. Unless
it is true that a band IS trying to get its listeners to kill (which is
hard to prove without a confession) And if that is the case, I wonder what
you all at this site would have to say about that. Should an artist be
allowed to say "hey, kill your family, kill your teachers, kill your pets,
kill your friends, and then kill yourself"? All the while saying that they
really mean it?
Posted by
Max: Seems to be all of these experts, socialologist
and phsycologist are making society worst not better, could it be they
are full of sh*t? Shouldn't go back to the practices that kept mankind
working for thousands of years and throw away this socalled enlightenment,
stop blaming our problems on everyone else, stop finding "false" memories
through regression theorpy that destroys relationships with the accussed,
start being responsible human being once again not looking to put the blame
or the responsibility for our lives in other peoples hands? Wouldn't we
be better off?
Posted by
RidahNY: Being that i go back to class tomorrow
i've been reflecting alot lately on the work i did this past semester to
see what i can maintain and what i can improve upon. I wrote a paper for
sociology class that was one of the most rigorous assignments i've ever
had. However i failed to use my original topic. I originally planned to
write on whether or not hard rock/heavy metal music influences violent
behavior. I thought of this subject because it is something that is of
interest to me but i decided to refrain from using it because i was to
write a "research paper" which means academic writing and straight academic
journal articles for sources, which all happened to find out "through research"
that music does indeed not only influence violent behavior but triggers
it. They mentioned all of this ludicrous crap about how wearing leather
signifys death because leather is not a natural fabric and it's quite often
black. Another reason they explained was how heavy metal is supposedly
geared toward and largely consumed by "the kids from the trailer park"
and "American's disposable youth." I was so enraged with anger that i knew
i'd never be able to write an unbiased research paper that didn't show
my own opinions so i had to can the topic. It's sad that because you enjoy
music with intensity and heart you're labeled as "disposable youth" despite
any of the good qualities you may posess. As far as these fools that went
and killed others which transferred the blame over to alcohol and heavy
metal, it's their fault - not the booze or the music's fault. Like those
kids from "Paradise Lost" trying to blame Metallica for what they did.
It was their own fault and no one else's.
Posted by
LJ: Huh. This is crazy. I think that IF we
are going to blame music for violent crime and/or suicide, we should blame
someone of more just cause...EMINEM! his music is so much more violent
and degrading than metal could ever be. still, music should not be blamed.
if someone has it in them to murder or commit suicide, than that is the
deciding factor, not music.
Posted by
Whatever: Bravo aG. These parents are just placing
the blame on anything they can. Metal listeners are often stereotyped as
violent people who might blow up in their faces or something. What they
overlook is that the human behaviour is also influenced by things other
than the music they listen to like bad childhood experiences, alcohol etc.
More often than not the fault lies with the parents themselves for not
taking the kids in hand. When something goes wrong you can be sure that
most will point to a scapegoat just because the artist sing songs with
controversial lyrics. If this goes on many might be discouraged to write
songs that reflect the true human life and end up like boybands singing
about puppy love which to the parents seem harmless. You can be sure that
if these kids had committed the crime while listening to N sync nothing
would be held against the group. Im sick of this discrimination of metal
lovers. The result is that the rock genre is flooded by people who listen
to metal to obtain the supposedly bad boy image that comes with it. If
blame are to be continually placed on metal music then itll lead to the
gradual downfall and the deterioration of metal and their listeners.
Posted by
Dr Fever: well, aG, i'm pissed. You just took my
plan for the Febuary rant. Ok, i'm not really pissed. i just felt like
typing that. But, this was pretty much my idea for the asyet unwritten
February rant. At anyrate, this is probably the best thing you've written
EVER. well thought out and written, this should be sent to every narrow
minded group that wants to blame music, movies, tv, video games on senseless
murder/suicide. Like i've always said; start at home. in other words, when
your looking for the answer to the eternal question ('Why? Why did this
happen?') you need to take a look around your house before you start trying
to shove blame on artists trying to just have fun and make money.
