Hip Hop Music and Its effect on the Younger Generation

The effect that hip hop music has on our younger generation is a very big issue in my opinion. Many adolescents are being influenced by entertainers that degrade women, are violent and who aren’t positive role models. However, we think it’s cute for young kids to rap and sing some of the songs that are quite vulgar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKuE2Lg_Dco&feature=related

As I was watching this video clip of this girl rapping Nicki Minaj’s lyrics to the popular song “Roger That,” I noticed how she thought it was ok for her to be rapping this song and for her to put it on you tube made me question who is supervising her. A verse in this song is “White Girls tell me, “Hey Nicki your Camp rules, is that why you get more head than shampoos?” Is this what we’re allowing our children to listen to?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKuE2Lg_Dco&feature=related

Another clip that I was bothered by is this girl who is “booty shaking” to a song called “booty got swag.” The way she is dancing to tis song is no way a young girl should be dancing period. She looks no older than 12 years old and for her to be dancing to this song really disturbed me.

My reason for posting these two videos are to create awareness of what the younger generation is being exposed to. Society complains about the youth being so violent and promiscuous, but look who they’re following. And society is paying them to put this kind of music out because no one wants to hear positive songs anymore.  Music is all about killing people, having sex with this girl and that guy, selling drugs, making money and what kind of cars you drive. It’s not about making good grades in school, saving yourslef for marriage, respecting others or loving yourself. Music has a great effect on the mind and research has even shown this. So what are you listening to? What kind of example are you setting for yourself and what are you allowing to influence you?

We have to set POSITIVE examples for our younger generations. It is so important for individuals in the Entertainment industry to set good examples because they are the people we hear when we turn on the radio or see on TV.  So many adolescents want to be just like hip hop artists like Nicki Minaj, Trina, Puff Daddy, Rick Ross, Lil Wyane etc. But none of these people are positive role models. Yes, they are making money, but what kind of message are they sending to young people?

Comment on blog "The Thin Line Between Mockery Potrayal"

http://knowyourroleblackwomeninmedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/thin-line-between-mockery-portrayal.html

This blog really caught my attention because I was actually watching a “Madea’s Christmas” with my family over Thanksgiving and I was thinking about how Tyler Perry portrays African Americans. However, it dawned on me that we as black people do act the way Tyler Perry portrays us in his plays because he had to get it from somewhere. Maybe if black women weren’t so rude, or so ghetto, or whatever negative stereotypes we are characterized with, then maybe Tyler Perry wouldn’t be able to make plays like this because he wouldn’t have anyone to make fun of.

On the contrary, I feel that even though we have these stereotypes and we do act this way, maybe if we had better models and people saying more positive things to say about black people then black people would see themselves in a more positive light. As long as African Americans keep watching plays like Madea, and shows like Maury and Jerry Springer, they will forever think it’s ok because we are influenced by what we see on TV.

In Perry’s defense, we do sometimes see positive attributes of black individuals, but the media LIKES him making fun of black people rather than speaking highly of them; and if Tyler Perry is making money and we are laughing, and watching his movies and plays constantly, then who are we to judge.

Do Media Lead or Follow Society?

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-f010.html

When I read this article, I noticed a very important question that individuals should ask themselves… Does Hollywood observe society and merely recreate it on film? Or do the media lead society and, over time, change it?

 In my opinion, I believe Hollywood does both. There is no television show, movie or song that doesn’t have some type of example that it was created from. Dick Rolfe, movie and television specialist said, “When you spend that much time watching something, you have just developed new role models and a new window on life. And I think that's the destructive value of some television and movies, viewers get the wrong impression and a distorted view of what life is really like.”

 However, Hollywood had to get their ideas from somewhere or someone. Yes people have creative and imaginary thoughts, ideas and creations but a lot of times producers, artists and celebrities are just reenacting what they've seen people do.

On the contrary, I feel that Hollywood goes too far with merely trying to reenact society with trying to influence. I understand that, yes, Hollywood observes society and recreates it on film, but at the same time I feel that instead of trying to teach individuals a lesson, they make things seem like it’s cool such as: trying to look like celebrities, fighting, being sexually promiscuous etc. That’s where I feel that media leads society because they make it seem like nothing is wrong with those things and “everyone is doing it.” So, by us being such an easily influenced society we feed off of the media and choose to do what we see in the media.
       I propose the same question to you. Does Hollywood observe society and merely recreate it on film? Or do the media lead society and, over time, change it?