Parental Advisory Cd example essay topic

Censorship in Music Nov. 19, 02 Nov. 12, 2002 Parental AdvisoryRapstation believes in freedom of expression. But not all people want to hear all expressions. If this track carries the Parental Advisory tag, it may contain lyrics with excessive profanity or endorse hatred, racism, sexism, violence or drug use. Censorship is one of the most controversial topics in today's society. What should and shouldn't be censored, and who has the right to make the decision to censor it in the first place. Everywhere we look something is being censored.

Books, art, movies, and especially music. I got this off some official parental advisory website. I love how it says, "not all people want to hear all expressions". That's really true in today's society.

People go on and on about the freedom off speech and freedom to express oneself in whatever peaceful way they want to. Music artists who use profanity in their lyrics are just expressing themselves and voicing their opinions and views. They aren't hurting anyone by using certain words and phrases. If you don't want to listen to swearing, don't buy the CD. Artists today express what they think in their songs. If they don't like something they sing or rap that they don't like it.

That's just their opinion. It doesn't mean that the artist is telling you to go and hate that same thing. I guess I understand how if someone's favorite rapper was going on about how he wants to shoot the president that might put ideas in heads. But teenagers today have their own strong opinions about everything. They aren't just going to mindlessly follow what others are saying.

Who decides what is profane and what isn't. Should it be some middle age man sitting in an office somewhere? What he may think is profane is what others may think of as an artistic expression. I think it should be the consumer who decides what is profane or not.

The person who buys the CD should then and there make a decision on weather or not they think they should listen to that stuff. Sure there should be a sticker on the CD to warn that there is cussing, but people under seventeen shouldn't be banned from buying them for that reason. We have our own minds and know what music we want to put into our heads. It really shouldn't be censored.

We may not want to buy CD's with profanity, but we should at least be given to choice to. Another place censorship occurs is at the movies. The rating system dictates what we are and aren't allowed to watch. I do understand that a bit though. I mean I wouldn't want my seven year old son to be able to go and see and R rated movie, but seriously, what's wrong with a sixteen year old, who's almost an adult themselves, hearing a few bad words or seeing a sexual scene.

I've never really seen the affects of censoring books. At every school I've ever been to, that's not been a problem. Just this year we read "Of Mice and Men", which apparently was banned in some other schools. Last year we read "To Kill a Mockingbird" which had a lot of swearing and racist comments. These books are classics, and I think everybody should be allowed to read them. This was really a difficult topic.

I have my views on censorship that I think are right, but I only think them because I think I should be allowed to buy a parental advisory CD if I want to. I know I wouldn't want my child to listen to what I listen to. So I guess I'm being a bit hypocritical, but it is my opinion. That's the only thing I can give.