Violence in media - possible abuse trigger

I think that if the person already has had violent tendencies and sees something on TV that triggers the rage, they may act on it. Also, younger kids who see that and think it's reality and it's cool to be tough and hurtful, may act on what they saw out of curiousity and adventure.

But I can't see people who listen to certain types all be categorized as potentially dangerous due to their music or TV program preference. It's gotta be deeper than that. I think you already have to have mental or emotional problems before the media can trigger violence, KWIM?

I hope that makes sense.

I think that it's important to recognise that this is not a problem souly of rap-- this occurs in ALL music types: country, heavy metal (especially heavy metal!), indy, "alternative", etc.

I think that it's important to recognise that this is not a problem souly of rap-- this occurs in ALL music types: country, heavy metal (especially heavy metal!), indy, "alternative", etc.

I think that it's important to recognise that this is not a problem souly of rap-- this occurs in ALL music types: country, heavy metal (especially heavy metal!), indy, "alternative", etc.

I think that it's important to recognise that this is not a problem souly of rap-- this occurs in ALL music types: country, heavy metal (especially heavy metal!), indy, "alternative", etc.

i have yet to hear a rap song, with the exception of that one that Tupac did about his mother, where a women was respected in ANY way, that was by a male rap star of mainstream proportions.

feel free to correct me, i don't listen to much rap or hip-hop music anymore.

However, it is rare in country, alternative or what have you to call women "bitches" and "hoes" and talk about them in a COMPLETELY derogitory way.

It's not even a feminist matter on some planes. I feel that the culture glorifies drug hussling, gun-violence, revenge and gang membership, which are very negative, go-nowhere things to be idolizing.

There are good things about the culture, very positive things that i have had close relationships with through a good deal of friends such as a love of art from the grafitti scene in major cities, the positive actions of rappers like Mos Def and other community minded persons of color, the promanence of the rap culture in mainstream has begun a great awakening of mainstream media to the reality of racism, poverty and violence that many people live with in inner cities and has, perhaps, caused more young people to chose a different path.

It worries me when i hear a young person of color say that when they want to grow up they want to play sports or get into the rap music business, just as it worries me when a young person of any race relies on these asperations instead of wanting to go to college.

Invaderkymm wrote:

However, it is rare in country, alternative or what have you to call women "bitches" and "hoes" and talk about them in a COMPLETELY derogitory way.

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It absolutly is not rare. Have you listened to country? Not only do they call women bitches quite a bit, there are a lot of country songs that disrespect women in many ways.

i would love some examples of this, i don't listen to county music, so i admit to being ignorant on this front. I have been around it from time to time and i don't recall hearing anything i was offended by last time i was around it.

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And alternative disses women, on a more subtle level, but I would argue that is just as dangerous.

again, i am interested in examples.

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Rap and hip hop, in mainstream, are heading away from anti-female. I think that there wasn't actually ever that much anti-women stuff. Mostly artests/songs which were widely publisized, but there's a HUGE underground of hard-core political rap, and Nelly (sp?) has done a lot of really positive hip-hop/rap stuff.
(I don't even really listen to hip-hop/rap).

That is excellent. I am pleased the mainstream is flowing in a more positive direction.
As i already stated i am not talking about underground and i do understand that it's not ALL of hip-hop culture, i am talking about MTV quality rap: spice 1, dr. dre, too short (i know, i'm dating myself here) ice cube, all glorify violence and drugs and are on (or were) on mainstream television often.
Even Jay-Z (who was quite mild when i still had television) is often seen in videos running around with scantilly clad women shaking money around. This doesn't seem like a very healthy image to me, but what do i know?

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It's not even a feminist matter on some planes. I feel that the culture glorifies drug hussling, gun-violence, revenge and gang membership, which are very negative, go-nowhere things to be idolizing.

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Umm.. what culture? Hip-hop culture?! No.. I would disagree strongly with you. I think the idea that it is comes from the fact that it is a predominantly black culture and whites automatically equate that with violence, etc. If you look at hip-hop culture, it's really, really full of strong women, and postive influences.

No, the idea comes from my observation of MAINSTREAM RAP MEDIA CULTURE not hip-hop personified. As should have been made clear by my next paragraph.
I take racism very seriously. i understand power and privalige only to the point that i can culturally.
But again, what do i know?

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There are good things about the culture, very positive things that i have had close relationships with through a good deal of friends such as a love of art from the grafitti scene in major cities, the positive actions of rappers like Mos Def and other community minded persons of color, the promanence of the rap culture in mainstream has begun a great awakening of mainstream media to the reality of racism, poverty and violence that many people live with in inner cities and has, perhaps, caused more young people to chose a different path.

It worries me when i hear a young person of color say that when they want to grow up they want to play sports or get into the rap music business, just as it worries me when a young person of any race relies on these asperations instead of wanting to go to college.

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Would it worry you if they said they wanted to be classical musicians? How about opera stars? A prima dona in the ballet? In a successful grunge band? A punk band? An artest? a poet? a writer?
How about the fact that young people in inner cities, such as Chicago or LA have a really, really hard time getting out of their neighborhoods without the aid of sports or music. At least they are saying they still have hope for themselves.

i have already addressed this: see?

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just as it worries me when a young person of any race relies on these asperations instead of wanting to go to college.

key word being INSTEAD.

But if you are interested in my views, yes, i worry about anyone going into a field that has a very low success rate such as the arts or music or professional sports, especially if they are trying to rise above.

There are only a handful of people who succeed in these fields. I worry about actors heading out to hollywood in droves or new york to do plays and how many of thier dreams will be smashed until they have to go find something else to do. This worries me. Mostly because of my political views and my obsession with efficiency. But that's more of a personal matter.
There are a million occupations in the world.

i worry that you may be interested in pointing out that i'm a racist, which was my worry in getting involved with this conversation. i was picking on rap culture in particular because it was brought up first. i could say many things about video games, which i detest, and i believe are leading to a lot more wasted time then violent crime. I could say plenty about reggae, professional wrestling or soap operasor whatever being the source of the problems but it's not necissarily true. nor am i trying to pin plame on anything.
i believe poverty leads to crime a lot more often then being a person of color does, and there are poor people of every flavor in this country.

So, in closing, my apologies for wasting anyone's time.

Invaderkymm-- I was certainly not meaning to tell you that you are racest, I know nothing about you. I would argue, on another point, that if you are white that you (as I am) are inherently racest, but that's another point altogether.
I will provide examples of what I was talkign about tomarrow. I'm to wired/can't focus tonight, but I was just pointing out that the idea that rap music is pointed out as being a horrible thing by white people all the time, and I DO think a lot of that comes from racest tendencys w/in our society.

The line about waisting anyones time, I think, was a bit unnessisary. I think that a healthy debate is a good thing.

I take racism very seriously. i understand power and privalige only to the point that i can culturally.
But again, what do i know?

Hey Kymm. I am a huge hip-hop fan and I can tell you a few folks to check out that are really quite respectful to women.
KRS-ONE, De La Soul, Dead Prez, Mos Def, Blackalicious, Mystic (a woman), Kanye West, Common, just to mention a few. I think there are really conscious forms of all kinds of music.

[Talib Kweli] (Spoken)
Yea, so we got this tune called "For Women" right
Originally, it was by Nina Simone
She said it was inspired by, you know
Down south. In the south, they used to call her Mother Antie
She said No Mrs.
Just Antie
She said if anybody ever called her Antie
she'd burn the whole goddamn place down
I'm over past that
Coming into the new millenium, we can't forget our elders

[Talib Kweli]
I got off the 2 train in Brooklyn on my way to a session
Said let me help this woman up the stairs before I get to steppin'
We got in a conversation she said she a 107
Just her presence was a blessing and her essence was a lesson
She had her head wrapped
And long dreads that peeked out the back
Like antenna to help her get a sense of where she was at, imagine that
Livin' a century, the strenght of her memories
Felt like an angel had been sent to me
She lived from nigger to colored to negro to black
To afro then african-american and right back to nigger
You figure she'd be bitter in the twilight
But she alright, cuz she done sseen the circle of life yo
Her skin was black like it was packed with melanin
Back in the days of slaves she packin' like Harriet Tubman
Her arms are long and she moves like song
Feet with corns, hand with callouses
But her heart is warm and her hair is wooly
And it attract a lot of energy even negative
She gotta dead that the head wrap is her remedy
Her back is strong and she far from a vagabond
This is the back of the masters' whip used to crack upon
Strong enough to take all the pain, that's been
Inflicted again and again and again and again and flipped
It to the love for her children nothing else matters
What do they call her? They call her aunt Sara.

Woman singing in the background

[Talib Kweli] (+ Background Vocals)
I know a girl with a name as beautiful as the rain
Her face is the same but she suffers an unusual pain
Seems she only deals with losers who be usin' them games
Chasin' the real brothers away like she confused in the brain
She tried to get it where she fit in
on that American Dream mission paid tuition
For the receipt to find out her history was missing and started flippin
Seeing the world through very different eyes
People askin' her what she'll do when it comes time to chose sides
Yo, her skin is yellow, it's like her face is blond word is bond
And her hair is long and straight just like sleeping beauty
See, she truly feels like she belong in 2 worlds
And that she can't relate to other girls
Her father was rich and white still livin' with his wife
But he forced himself on her mother late one night
They call it rape that's right and now she take flight
Through life with hate and spite inside her mind
That keep her up to the break of light a lot of times
(I gotta find myself) (3X)
She had to remind herself
They called her Safronia the unwanted seed
Blood still blue in her vein and still red when she bleeds
(Don't, don't, don't hurt me again) (8X)

[Talib Kweli] (+ Background Vocals)
Teenage lovers sit on the stoops up in Harlem
Holdin' hands under the Apollo marquis dreamin of stardom
Since they was born the streets is watchin' and schemin'
And now it got them generations facin' deseases
That don't kill you they just got problems
and complications that get you first
Yo, it's getting worse, when children hide the fact that they pregnant
Cuz they scared of giving birth
How will I feed this baby?
How will I survive, how will this baby shine?
Daddy dead from crack in '85, mommy dead from AIDS in '89
At 14 the baby hit the same streets they became her master
The children of the enslaved, they grow a little faster
They bodies become adult
While they keepin' the thoughts of a child her arrival
Into womanhood was heemed up by her survival
Now she 25, barely grown out her own
Doin' whatever it takes strippin', workin' out on the block
Up on the phone, talkin' about
(my skin is tan like the front of your hand)
(And my hair...)
(Well my hair's alright whatever way I want to fix it,
it's alright it's fine)
(But my hips, these sweet hips of mine invite you daddy)
(And when I fix my lips my mouth is like wine)
(Take a sip don't be shy, tonight I wanna be your lady)
(I ain't too good for your Mercedes, but first you got to pay me)
(You better quit with all the question, sugar who's little girl am I)
(Why I'm yours if you got enough money to buy)
(You better stop with the compliments we running out of time,)
(You wanna talk whatever we could do that it's your dime)
(From Harlem's from where I came, don't worry about my name,)
(Up on one-two-five they call me sweet thang)

Scratches + Woman singing in the background

[Talib Kweli] (+ Background Vocals)
A daughter come up in Georgia, ripe and ready to plant seeds,
Left the plantation when she saw a sign even thought she can't read
It came from God and when life get hard she always speak to him,
She'd rather kill her babies than let the master get to 'em,
She on the run up north to get across that Mason-Dixon
In church she learned how to be patient and keep wishin',
The promise of eternal life after death for those that God bless
She swears the next baby she'll have will breathe a free breath
and get milk from a free breast,
And love beeing alive,
otherwise they'll have to give up being themselves to survive,
Being maids, cleaning ladies, maybe teachers or college graduates, nurses, housewives, prostitutes, and drug addicts
Some will grow to be old women, some will die before they born,
They'll be mothers, and lovers who inspire and make songs,
(But me, my skin is brown and my manner is tough,)
(Like the love I give my babies when the rainbow's enuff,)
(I'll kill the first muthafucka that mess with me, I never bluff)
(I ain't got time to lie, my life has been much too rough,)
(Still running with barefeet, I ain't got nothin' but my soul,)
(Freedom is the ultimate goal,
life and death is small on the whole, in many ways)
(I'm awfully bitter these days
'cuz the only parents God gave me, they were slaves,)
(And it crippled me, I got the destiny of a casualty,)
(But I live through my babies and I change my reality)
(Maybe one day I'll ride back to Georgia on a train,)
(Folks 'round there call me Peaches, I guess that's my name.)