U.S. Congress more concerned over rap than the vidya

[Reenee]

GamePolitics.com » Blog Archive » Congress Focuses More on Rap, Less on Video Games in Tuesday Hearing

About fucking time.

[rmz]

AND YO HOMEYS KNOW WHO DUN IT
CUZ WHEN IT COMES TO THIS GANGSTA SHIT U MUTHAFUCKAS KNOW WHO RUN IT

[the anime lifestyle...]

Said Rap artist David Banner:

I can admit that there are some problems in hip-hop, but it is only a reflection of what is taking place in our society. Hip-hop is sick because America is sick.

He's right, it wouldn't sell if there weren't a market for it

edit: i've never bothered to look at gamepolitics before and i already fucking hate the community that surrounds it

I personally don’t like Rap music. I don’t associate with it as I am not a gangsta’, I am not pimpin’, I am not “Ridin’ Dirty”, and I am definitly not one to associate with “Hoochies”, “Hos”, or “Hoochie Mamas”.

I am “White and Nerdy”!

And PROUD of it!

fuck your niggernoise you gorillas, i listen to a semi-ironic parody about being awkward because it's easier for me to identify with it

[noisy doll☆]

It really annoys me when "nerdy" people can't spell. Most of the comments on the article seemed like they came from people just as dumb as the hip-hop listeners that they want to criticize and ridicule. Besides, we (or at least I) hear guys in almost any interest circle talk about women as though they are less than human beings.

However, I think maybe what Congress wants to do is more of a proactive measure than a punitive measure against the music industry. If music is powerful, why not use it in a positive way to shape the attitudes of a society? While it is true that the language they use in rap is only a product of the language you see on the streets, the fact that rappers on radio and television use the language only reaffirms to young people that it's okay to say those things. If the people who are supposed to dictate "cool" promote bad attitudes that disrespect everyone, including your fellow man and woman, then the attitudes will most certainly prevail. So I can understand why Congress might want to focus on the music industry as the point of entry into this system of violence and media.

As for what exactly they ought to do about violence in the media, I'm not really sure. There is definitely an issue of taking away basic rights, but at the same time we don't really want kids being fed all these negative messages.

[Valex]

I was going to make a parody of Otaku-Man's speech about how every single person in the world is a gigantic nerd (because he's a gigantic nerd and he doesn't want to fell left out), but then I realized it makes fun of itself

[violate forum boredom]

Nigga please.

[Skorpion9x]

I can admit that there are some problems in hip-hop, but it is only a reflection of what is taking place in our society. Hip-hop is sick because America is sick.

Yeah, maybe America is "sick", but creating music that promotes it and marketing it to kids certainly isn't fucking helping the situation.

[piepiepie75]

Well, it's certainly refreshing to know that there's nothing more important for the Congress to be doing! And after the Senate took time away to condemn that ad, I can only assume that the country is going swimmingly!

[the anime lifestyle...]

Originally Posted by Skorpion9x

Yeah, maybe America is "sick", but creating music that promotes it and marketing it to kids certainly isn't fucking helping the situation.

Except that it isn't marketed to children any more than are violent video games. Parental responsibility should be at the forefront of this kind of discussion. They can always refuse to buy or fund the purchase of this type of media and if they aren't able or willing to do that that isn't the fault of the musicians.

[Elegance of /flex]

Originally Posted by THE BRIAR PATCH?????

Except that it isn't marketed to children any more than are violent video games. Parental responsibility should be at the forefront of this kind of discussion. They can always refuse to buy or fund the purchase of this type of media and if they aren't able or willing to do that that isn't the fault of the musicians.

Exactly.

As an avid listener and defender of modern commercial hip hop, I do not find the rappers themselves to be in anyway held responsible for all of society's problems that the music stems from. They decided to put out an album of self expression. Some of you may not find it to be self expression as much as you see it as hate speech. But in essence, who are any of us to judge what is decent and can be considered art in society? We all grew up different, this is their lives and what they have to convey and dammit no matter how unintelligent or derogatory it may end up being, it's still fucking art. Choose not to like it if you like and block it out of your life if you wish. Making everyone loose it because you can't find grounds to accept it isn't right at all.

We can't start putting halts on free speech. Let's not forget, at one time stuff like ACDC, Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister and Black Sabbath were considered to be a downfall of society as well. Now they're considered classics. It's all relative to the time period. Now they're considered to be quite tame.

You're not going to fix a generation of poor, underprivileged, and angry people by censor one of their few outlets. We as a whole let society get this bad, putting the issue on the hush hush so that anyone not a part of it doesn't have to hear about it won't fix anything either.


tl;dr
Violence isn't going to stop by getting rid of rap.

[dieKatze88]

Originally Posted by THE BRIAR PATCH?????

Except that it isn't marketed to children any more than are violent video games. Parental responsibility should be at the forefront of this kind of discussion. They can always refuse to buy or fund the purchase of this type of media and if they aren't able or willing to do that that isn't the fault of the musicians.

See this is where the situation gets sticky, I found out through my intro to game design course that there is actually no law prohibiting the sale of mature content of any kind to a minor. Movie theaters don't let kids into R rated movies because its their Policy, Porn Shops deny those under 18 because its their policy, and we get Carded at best buy when trying to buy M-Rated video games because its Best Buy's policy. Theres no law actually prohibiting that, it all falls under free speech.

Now, there are some websites out there that are major proponents of Video game ratings that state that over 75% of parents monitor the digital entertainment content that their kids consume. Which is a fancy way of saying "75% of all parents not only know what the ESRB is, they pay attention to it" they've got a study on the subject, I personally feel that like all statistics, this one is a little rigged, but It brings up the question, are parents really this involved or should we turn to the government or large corporations for help? I don't mind showing ID to purchase Halo 3, but I can see why that would piss off a 10 year old. On the other hand, the 10 year old shouldn't be playing Halo 3 in the first place. On the side of free speech we see the "Anyone should be allowed to put their message out there and have it be seen by anyone else" but on the side of protecting America's youth, we see the violence and the lack of need for 8 year olds to be looking at it.

Also, We have the internet now. Everything is marketed toward everybody. The sooner we all get through that fact the happier were all going to be.

[Eight]

Am I one of the few who still blames bad parenting and sub-par education programs, especially in the areas that have histories of violence, crime, and other crap like that?


Because when I was 10, I would have been grounded for years if I was caught even thinking about playing violent video games or listening to music with curse words (nevermind the rap music they put out now... I'm talking Green Day...). My parents made me do my homework before I played my Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo stuff, and I went to bed every night at about the same time.

...and I like to think, save for my mental issues on the side, that I turned out okay. I know for damn sure I don't have the urge to go out and:

-deal drugs to make money
-do drugs all day long
-"get with" "bitches" and/or "hos"
-shoot anyone with differing world views
-shoot anyone who insults me or otherwise offends me
-wear "durags", pants that are sixteen sizes two big (and not wear a belt), wifebeaters, etc...
-watch nothing but MTV and sports
-play only Madden games
-install television sets in my car, along with speakers that are worth more than the car itself
-steal and/or commit other petty crimes
-skip out on school and become a "gangsta" by profession
-get into jail as a rite of passage
-...

I'm sure I didn't exhaust everything the "rap culture" and its subsidiary enterprises appears to preach (mind you, I do believe there can be art there... but are can and WILL be misinterpreted... especially by the youth!), but you get the idea. Going back onto what I was saying, though, while the media isn't entirely blameless here, one has to remember that SOMEONE is allowing this to happen on a child to child basis. Someone is exposing (or allowing the exposure to) children to things they won't understand or take in for more/less than face value.


Look at other countries. Countries where family is more important than it is here.

Everyone has their fair share of crazies... but dammit, look at how successful we are at breeding ignorance, violence, and overall stupidity here!

/rant

[SF1]

They read lyrics from 50 Cent aloud during the proceedings. Wonderful. They're generalizing the entire fucking genre with his music? Ugh.

[the anime lifestyle...]

Originally Posted by SF1

They read lyrics from 50 Cent aloud during the proceedings. Wonderful. They're generalizing the entire fucking genre with his music? Ugh.

He's immensely popular across a number of demographics, so, yes, that makes sense. If you're concerned that lyrics and presentation are having a detrimental effect upon society you wouldn't read lyrics from a bunch of unknowns because the latter would have a comparatively tiny base of listeners.