This post is a response to another post on another blog =).
Well I was thinking about what you wrote, it did make a lot of sense and it is a pretty tricky topic. I decided that its a topic worth expounding upon myself so here I am. Perhaps calling it a 'response' isnt too right because thats like replying what you have said, but thats not exactly what im doing. Im more of, adding to it. These are what I see that is happening in the trends of media in this world and my own personal response to it. I will mainly be touching upon the area of the more explicit songs.
Frankly speaking, Katy Perry, Cee Lo Green and all that barely scratch the surface of what the popular secular music culture is. I posted the billboard charts top 50 songs not too long ago and if you watch it you'd have noticed Eminem, Rhianna, Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Jason Derulo having songs in the top 20 which are not the kind of songs that reflect the kind of culture and lifestyle a Christian should have.
You mentioned that 'songs are losing their primary purpose and becoming a tool the media uses to satisfy what the crowd wants to hear'. Yes, that is very true, for our understanding of music in church is really to aid in our worship to God. Yet in the secular society, no such use for music exists. So what kind of music would a secular society produce? Songs that sell. What songs can bring in the money? Songs that reflect what the people want. Songs that the people want to hear.
The media is really a vicious cycle. If people demand for things more sexual in nature in the media, then in order for the money to come in, this is exactly what the media will give to the people. In turn the people will be influenced by the media and demand for such will increase and so on and so forth. Certainly perhaps sometimes I wish the cycle could go the other way but seems like it is not to be.
Look at songs like 'Little Wonders'. Its really a wonderful secular song, inspirational and makes me think about this life that I live and what is important to me. It briefly hit the billboard charts in 2007 but dropped quickly and disappeared. Nice, sweet, lovely songs about life don't sell. They used to a bit more, not much, but a bit.
I personally do avoid songs that are overly explicit. I admit that I actually do enjoy the groove in some of these songs. They can be so darn catchy and hard to get out of your head sometimes but I dont listen to them because they really arent the kind of songs that I would like to have an influence over my life. One of them I can say is Starstruckk. That song is really catchy and I really like the music (oh dear now it just started playing in my head) but I absolutely refuse to listen to it because of the nature of the lyrics in that song which is quite appalling to me.
At the same time, I do not completely shy away from all songs, especially those that just plain dont make sense. TiK ToK, the number one song of 2010, frankly is so filled with nonsense. I do not however feel that the lyrics will in any way affect me precisely because its so nonsensical so im fine with it. Generally though, I still do play Christian songs alot more than secular ones on my ipod (with a few notable exceptions).
Seriously speaking though, this whole issue with the media has been around for alot longer than many people think. Its not a recent issue, if you look at the chart toppings songs of the 1990s even, you would realise that this trend already existed back then, though somewhat lesser. The thing is, we dont remember many of these songs. I dont even listen much to some of the popular songs I was listening to in the middle of last year anymore. The songs we remember are the ones that have made an impact upon our lives and the only songs that would ever do that would be those with lyrics that speak to us. At least that is one thing I am glad of. Maybe ten years down the road, no one will care about katy perry anymore, but I would find pockets of people who would still remember 'Little Wonders'.
Shizz, maybe thats why old secular songs can drop to 3 for 10 dollars but Christian music remains at 20 bucks after more than a decade. Oh well I digress.
Going back to the point about the vicious cycle of media, I would point out that while we see english secular songs suffering from this problem, but it is interesting to note that if you look at the chinese music scene for example, you don't find many songs of these genre. Yes, love songs still dominate a huge portion of it, but thats about the only thing that really exists over there. The explicit stuff we see in the english secular scene is almost unseen in the chinese secular scene. Really, I think it is because the people who listen to such music enjoy such a genre and so that fuels the media to produce songs to their liking.
What I have said so far, which is quite alot heh, revolves mainly around the situation we have at hand. This is the picture of it as I see. The question I suppose we have to ask ourselves then is, in the light of this, what do we do?
I don't really think we can do anything to change the situation. This is the reality of the life we live in. We by our own strength will be quite unable to change the nature and trends of the entire society as it is. Perhaps a time will come, completely beyond our means, that the secular english music will once again take a shift in another direction. It is also quite difficult really to change the kind of music someone else listens to.
The only thing left really is ourselves. What do we do in the light of all these? This I cannot give an answer that will please everyone. My answer is merely my opinion on this matter. Like how I have weaved it into what I have said above, my belief is that so long as it will not affect you in a negative manner, it is alright. Nonsensical lyrics that don't make sense are alright, because they are nonsensical and they aren't going to make any difference to your life anyway. Listening to TiK ToK isnt going to make me party until sunrise you know.
Which is why I disagree on the point on 'Forget You' being released. I would never actively listen to the song if it retained its old lyrics because I really dont want to hear that word flying at me when I enjoy some time with my music. Granted, I hear it alot in school and even at home, but those I cant really stop. I stop what I can. By changing the lyrics, 'Forget You' becomes a regular nonsensical song that I dont believe in the lyrics but it doesnt have a negative impact on me. I enjoy the song for its music and its amusing non explicit lyrics.
Of course, the downside is, how can we ever really know that something isnt going to affect us? We may think it doesn't, but perhaps in subtle ways it would. I won't go into this though, I don't have an answer. Also, it seems that I do not stick to my criteria fully all the time considering I have Fall Out Boy in my playlist.
At the end of the day, I think this falls back upon the question that Christians have been struggling with through the ages. How exactly can we live upon the face of this earth, but be not of it? How can we live our lives such that in this place where we have made our temporary residence, where we are called to be a light of the world, we will not be instead overtaken by it?
Now THATS a long post, not yours heh.
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Oh and before I leave, lets end this on a lighter note, something the guest speaker said today =p.
In USA, everything is permitted, except for what is expressively forbidden
In Russia, everything is forbidden, except for what is expressively permitted
In South Africa, everything is permitted, even what is expressively forbidden
In China, everything is forbidden even what is expressively permitted
xD.
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