We have a lot of kid topics, so why not this one?

I am a hypocrite of sorts. I don't let my son watch cartoon shows like Simpson's and Family Guy. I think they are garbage.

Yet, I do not censer his music listening. He has had mix c.d.'s of anything I listen to since he was old enough to navigate a c.d. player.

I just have the thought process that some of those shows are not artistic installments that are worthy of justification, yet any musical artist is worthy, no matter lyric or intent.

I'm kind of torn on this one. I mean when I was a kid, the only music we had to listen to was my mother's Oldies CDs and the oldies songs that were on the radio, nothing from the 80s, 90s, growing up we were told that rock music was bad even though the oldies station said they played rock and roll (those were very confusing times for me), I didn't get into my own kind of music until I was 10 and 11 and we had Napster so I could look up all the songs I heard on the 80s CD commercials and download them and put on my own CDs.

I think it should be censored to some extent...but on the other hand, I am all for raising them with a wide variety of music because for years all I had to listen to outside of the tapes I recorded, were the Beach Boys and that kind of crap. And then, any good 60s songs I heard on the radio I liked, 'oh that's a drug song' 'oh WE don't like that music'. And clearly, I'm not going to do that with my kids if I ever have them...but on the other hand I'm not into most of the 'music' today, so the way I see it, you give the kids a wide range from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and yes even some stuff from today, I think that for the time being is good enough until they're old enough to pick their own music.

Yes - I think so. Some of the music out there that kids listen to is pretty disturbing. There's a reason why movies and TV shows and video games have age limits and music should be the same. I work in a middle school and some of the lyrics in the songs kids listen to really aren't appropriate for younger kids.

I won't buy my daughter music that I know is too vulgar in content, and if I hear her listening to something that it too grown, then I may confiscate (or at the very least make her turn it off.) Generally I think kids music should be censored, but I also think that things like parental advisory labels and 'clean versions' of songs that are dirty have traditionally been prone to have the opposite effect. Let's face it, most parents don't keep up with their kids music. When I was a tween/teenager, I sought things that were labeled mature. The censoring helped me be privy to the dirtier content.

When it comes to kids I don't see the point in censoring anything that's not str8up porn. They will hear it eventually. If a kid is raised right then parents won't need to go out the way to shield them from more grown shit, it wont burn their ears or make em run out and do it. The most it MIGHT do is make them ask questions that they dont wanna answer.

It's more than just that. Sometimes it actually is the parents thinking the music is pure crap and if you think something is crap, you're not going to allow it in your house. If you thought a movie was pure crap you wouldn't spend $20 to bring the DVD home and you wouldn't appreciate your kid wasting their money to do the same thing.

I don't think anything should be "censored," but I do think parents have a responsibility to use discretion when it comes to what their kids should be exposed to. But I don't levy that responsibility at the knees of the musician or film maker. Not everyone is Disney.

^ Agreed. The only time I would be in favor of censoring kids music is if it was actually being made BY kids. If Justin Bieber or Willow Smith decided to get a little too blunt in their lyrical content....then edit it out....but I can't hold grown artists responsible for making sure their lyrics are clean enough for their 10 year old fans. Even if they have a large young base, I still have to believe that as an adult they will want to sometimes talk about adult things in their art and in an adult way....which may include explicit language.

RedBedroom wrote:

I just have the thought process that some of those shows are not artistic installments that are worthy of justification, yet any musical artist is worthy, no matter lyric or intent.

This is one of those times we're not going to agree, Red. There's vastly more potential for your son to hear something you would otherwise consider inappropriate than to see it on a prime time cartoon. It makes it OK for him to hear because it's artistic expression?

We don't need to actually censor the stuff they listen to so it's more acceptable. We merely need to say that they can't listen to it.

Only at the discretion of the artist but it shouldnt be forced on them. Parents gotta be more involved & stop depending on strangers to make up the "the village" that its taking to raise their kids.

Maybe I misunderstood Red's point. No, I don't think "kid's" music should be censored. If something needs to be censored, it shouldn’t be classified as being for kids in the first place. There are already warning labels on music thanks to Tipper Gore and her sewing circle just as there has been a movie rating system in place for many years. That should be enough. Has it really been a problem that underage artists are releasing inappropriate material for their underage audience?

Wadsworth wrote:

When it comes to kids I don't see the point in censoring anything that's not str8up porn. They will hear it eventually. If a kid is raised right then parents won't need to go out the way to shield them from more grown shit, it wont burn their ears or make em run out and do it.

Agreed.

Also....if something is too vulgar for a younger person to hear, what makes it appropriate for an older person? Does it stop being vulgar once you turn 18?

Secondly, I don't buy into the "you're not bringing that into MY house" mentality. This is my kids' house, too. They are people with their own opinions, and I WANT them to be people with their own opinions. I want them to question authority and not be sheep. So far I've been pretty successful.

^^^^It's the kids' house? I'd love to see them pay the bills. I was able to have an opinion growing up, challenge authority, not be a sheep (If they're listening to that trash anyway, they might already BE sheep. ), AND still abide by (most ) of the rules of the house! I never did buy the "free expression" mentality.

In my house, being respected as a human being with wants and needs has nothing to do with money or paying bills. If my kids want to listen to music that sounds like garbage to me, that's fine with me as long as they respect my wanting to NOT listen to it. They can keep the volume low, use headphones, or blast it when I'm not home. If respect is given both ways, there is very little need for "rules."

It's called consensual living. You don't have to agree with it. My family is happy, and you don't have to live with us.

One can have rules and still be respected as a human being with wants and needs. The idea that it has to be total tyranny or "do whatever you want if you don't get in my way" seems to be pretty black and white for our era.

I ain't trying to change how you live. Don't take things so personally! I'm merely commenting on your mindset like you commented on another mindset that works for many people and that you don't have to live with.

Impact wrote:

I don't think anything should be "censored," but I do think parents have a responsibility to use discretion when it comes to what their kids should be exposed to. But I don't levy that responsibility at the knees of the musician or film maker. Not everyone is Disney.

Forgiveness Man wrote:

Don't take things so personally! I'm merely commenting on your mindset like you commented on another mindset that works for many people and that you don't have to live with.

Not really. My comment was about how I raise my children. Your comment was about how I raise my children. That sort of makes it personal. I didn't criticize how anyone else raises their children; I just mentioned that a particular way is not my preference.

Shale, I don't think all "normal" teens are what you describe. I think most "mainstream" teens are what you describe. Out of all the teens I know well, I only know one kid who fails to follow his family's rules and is frequently punished. I also happen to think his family's rules are stupid, and that's probably the reason he doesn't follow them. Almost all of my kids' good friends are the children of my own friends, and while they are sometimes moody or angsty or sassy, none of them are doing a whole lot of sneaking around because their parents don't keep them on a short leash. And no...none of them are pregnant or on drugs any harder than pot.

Impact wrote:

Not everyone is Disney.

Disney? You mean where beautiful people are good, ugly people are bad, mothers are always dead or missing, children are raised by people who don't have their best interests at heart, and women need to be rescued by men?

alan smithee wrote:

RedBedroom wrote:

I just have the thought process that some of those shows are not artistic installments that are worthy of justification, yet any musical artist is worthy, no matter lyric or intent.

This is one of those times we're not going to agree, Red. There's vastly more potential for your son to hear something you would otherwise consider inappropriate than to see it on a prime time cartoon. It makes it OK for him to hear because it's artistic expression?

I agree with you on that. A racy primetime TV show on network television is I think "safer" for a kid to see than hearing music with a bunch of graphic language. I would much rather my 8, 9 or 10 year old watch a suggestive Family Guy episode than to listen to Eminem or 50 Cent on a cuss rant about sex and murder. Actually I think kids will be more influenced by what their favorite artists suggest than what an adult cartoon has to say.

femme fatale wrote:

alan smithee wrote:

This is one of those times we're not going to agree, Red. There's vastly more potential for your son to hear something you would otherwise consider inappropriate than to see it on a prime time cartoon. It makes it OK for him to hear because it's artistic expression?

I agree with you on that. A racy primetime TV show on network television is I think "safer" for a kid to see than hearing music with a bunch of graphic language. I would much rather my 8, 9 or 10 year old watch a suggestive Family Guy episode than to listen to Eminem or 50 Cent on a cuss rant about sex and murder. Actually I think kids will be more influenced by what their favorite artists suggest than what an adult cartoon has to say.

I'm gonna have to that too. I'd much rather my kids watch a TV-14 rated show than listen to a CD with a sticker on it. Family Guy may be suggestive and implicit....but it's still more subtle and easier to dismiss than graphic language on a stickered album.

My kids LOVE The Simpson's but I don't let them watch Family Guy. I think there is a big difference in the content of the two shows and I've seen more than my share of both of them because my husband loves them.

For the music question though, I don't think that I would censor what they listen to, but if I hear something that goes against my values then I will definitely talk to them about it and make sure that they know that I disagree with the values being presented by the music.

My kids are all 9 and under so this hasn't been an issue for us yet.

thepossiblepolice wrote:

My kids LOVE The Simpson's but I don't let them watch Family Guy. I think there is a big difference in the content of the two shows and I've seen more than my share of both of them because my husband loves them.

For the music question though, I don't think that I would censor what they listen to, but if I hear something that goes against my values then I will definitely talk to them about it and make sure that they know that I disagree with the values being presented by the music.

My kids are all 9 and under so this hasn't been an issue for us yet.

TPP, I'm not sure why you wouldn't let your kids watch The Family Guy but you would let them listen to "Who Are You" with Roger Daltry repeatedly asking "Who the fuck are you?"