Double Standard in Dealing With Music That Talks about Violence?

[erpowers]

This morning I was listening to the radio and heard the newest song by Maroon 5. I had heard the song before and even though it is somewhat okay, I have never really liked the fact that the lead singer talks about shooting a guy. However, this morning when I heard the line, which is repeated throughout the song, about the lead singer shooting a guy I began to question whether there is a double standard for white musicians when they talk about violence in there songs. For years people have seen and heard a number of people criticize African-American rappers for what is called gansta rap, in which these rappers talk about violence. So far I have not heard any criticism of the latest Maroon 5 song. Maybe I missed the criticism, but so far it seems like no one seems to care that the lead singer of the group talks about shooting a guy . So, I ask is there a double standard when it comes to criticism of songs that talk about violence. I assume the Maroon 5 song is not the first song in which a white singer sings about a violent act; however, I doubt I have heard very much criticism of the white singers. Below is a sample of the song's lyrics.


Snip
Wake up call
Caught you in the morning with another one in my bed
Don’t you care about me anymore?
Don’t you care about me? I don’t think so.
Six foot tall
Came without a warning so I had to shoot him dead
He won’t come around here anymore
Come around here? I don’t think so.

Would have bled to make you happy
You didn’t need to treat me that way
And now you beat me at my own game
And now I find you sleeping soundly
And your lovers screaming loudly
Hear a sound and hit the ground

snip
Wake up call
Caught you in the morning with another one in my bed
Don’t you care about me anymore?
Don’t you care about me? I don’t think so.
Six foot tall
Came without a warning so I had to shoot him dead
He won’t come around here anymore
Come around here?
I don’t feel so bad, I don’t feel so bad, I don’t feel so bad

[msongs]

1. just doing what the bibbble says, ya know, smite thine enemies and all that nt

[atreides1]

2. It's a song

Yes a song about a man who shoots another man who is sleeping with his wife/girlfriend! As opposed to Snoop Dog who sings about shooting people, based on his personal experience of shooting people.

The song has violence, but it's limited to one victim, and there isn't any reference to "Ho's".


Of course there's a double standard, it's par for the course, where do you think you are in Oz????

[Romulox]

3. Lyrics are a mere symptom. The real double standard is how we tolerate black-on-black crime

and warehousing young black men in for-profit prisons.

[flashl]

4. Sometimes, I wonder how ...

underachieving kids from bad neighborhoods controlled the music industry for so many years. :shrug:

[gratuitous]

5. See, violence in song and video games is bad

Violence in real life where hundreds of thousands of civilians are killed and billions of dollars are squandered? Hell, we have parades and pin medals on puffed-out chests for that!

[erpowers]

6. A Bit Different

They do not get medal for doing bad things. They get medals for doing the best they could to help their friends come home. It is different.

[gratuitous]

7. I disagree

I see lots and lots of medals on chests and damn few prosecutions for the taking of civilian lives. Something's way out of kilter when our society gets more upset about pretend violence in a song and ignores or justifies or mythologizes actual violence against people who never did anything to us, never meant us harm, and did nothing more than get in the way of the American wehrmacht.

[SyntaxError]

8. I heard someone discussing it on the radio a few weeks ago...

I never paid attention to the lyrics until then...