Artists Should not be Resposible for Explicit Lyrics and their Impact on Kids :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Artists Should not be Resposible for Explicit Lyrics and their Impact on Kids "Turn that music off! I don't want you listening to that kind of music." Many teens these days are experiencing this kind of thing almost every day. Many parents, in general, have complained and tried to regulate the music that teens are listening to these days. They complain that the music industry shouldn't be able to sell and produce the explicit CD's. The music industry gets a lot of criticism about the music that they put out on the market. Most of the criticism comes from the parents. There are bills passed, such as the "Parental Advisory Program," which enforce that CD's with explicit lyrics have to have a label on them that state, "Explicit Lyrics" or "Explicit Content" (Parental Advisory). This sticker cautions the person who buys the CD that there is bad language or content. The recording industry takes serious responsibility to help parents identify the music with explicit lyrics. The battle between the parents and the music industry still continue to this day. The Parents' Music Resource Center (PMRC) still thinks that there should be more of a regulation on the music than what there is now. "The 'gangsta rap' is just to vulgar for young teens to be listening to. It brainwashes them and sometimes even persuade them to do unlawful things" (Hip-Hop Lyrics). On the other hand the music industry has the "Parental Advisory Program." Therefore if the CD's with the explicit lyrics were restricted in any way it would bring unconstitutional restrictions on the First Amendment right of artists to express themselves freely, and their fans' right to hear what the artists express whatever the subject might be" (Explicit Lyrics). Many say, "What about 'Cop Killer' doesn't that depict that they go out and gunning down cops as a hobby of some sort." Rapper Ice-T himself comes back with, "'Cop Killer' is a work of musical fiction used in the hip-hop world" (Hip-Hop Lyr ics). Some people argue that the explicit lyrics label actually boosts the sales by drawing attention to the labeled album. "Warning labels sell albums. A lot of groups want warning labels" (Between...Place). Many believe that stores should have more of a restriction on which they sell the explicit CD too.