Heavy metal and violence: More than a myth?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
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Right, what I was merely trying to illustrate here is that if it is good for one genre, it should be good for both. I don't hold anybody responsible for what they do based on the music they listen to; there are much deeper psychological issues than that. I just want to know why Heavy Metal is blamed almost exclusively for this nonsense while having lyrics based largely in fantasy, while Hip Hop is not held accountable for the same having lyrics based in reality?
 
Because hip hop is about black people killing black people, but in heavy metal they talk to THE DEVIL!
 
Having said everything that has been said about rap, while I find it personally reprehensible and repulsive, I do think music in all forms should be protected speech, unless it is being specifically utilized to inflame a certain group of people to commit a crime.

IE, a song about killing a cop is allowed, but a song exhorting the listeners to kill cops is not.
 
LooseCannon said:
IE, a song about killing a cop is allowed, but a song exhorting the listeners to kill cops is not.
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Trouble is, how does the naive/vulnerable/easily lead draw the line?
 
Well, the difference (to my mind), is the active exhorting of a listener to commit a crime.  IE:

"We were riding down the street and we shot us some bacon"

compared to

"If you're riding down the street and you see a cop, shoot it"

And so on.  I don't think that you can describe an illegal act without actively telling someone to do it and have it illegal.  If you do, describing the acts in books, movies, poetry, etc. would be up in the air.
 
I understand that your point, LC, but the danger of even writing a lyric as such:

"We were riding down the street and we shot us some bacon"

may cause the naive to think it is acceptable, as their heroes do it.

Although, I do agree - this type of lyric is perfectly acceptable in countries that have freedom of speech. But you can never account for the stupidity of the listener.
 
Well, this is the argument that was made against bloody and gorey movies and books 50 years ago, and is now made against violent video games.  However, unless the media is explicitly encouraging people to commit these crimes, it should be protected speech.  It's pretty simple...the tests are defined rather clearly.
 
I find it hard to believe that even the simplest of minds could be persuaded to think that shooting anyone would be acceptable in any society.  The fact that someone is saying 'its cool to do it' doesn't change the fact that it is wrong to do so. 
 
may cause the naive to think it is acceptable, as their heroes do it.
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I think the important thing to remember here is that anyone that would be susceptible to such suggestions has a very good possibility of having mental problems in the first place. Thus, the responsibility for their acts would have to be mostly attributed to their pre-existing mental state, rather than the music they listen to.
 
Deano said:
I think the important thing to remember here is that anyone that would be susceptible to such suggestions has a very good possibility of having mental problems in the first place. Thus, the responsibility for their acts would have to be mostly attributed to their pre-existing mental state, rather than the music they listen to.
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Couldn't have said it better myself.


You can't attirbute any act of misdemeanour be it shooting a policeman, waiting in bushes so you can flash young ladies, dealing in drugs, or biting the heads of bats as a direct result of a lyric in a song.

The songs that are often quoted as the cause of a one person's particular act will have been listened to by millions of other people who have continued to carry out a normal life. Listening to a rap song you make hear references and boasts about how many ho's they have slept with, how many "nigga's" they have put in chalk etc etc but that doesnt mean the song is encouraging people to do the same and in the most part the listeners havent gone on to do copy the acts.

Equally I have not met any metal head who has wanted to carry out a satanic act of some form.

Without freedom of speech and expression we would live in a George Orwell like world.


Can I also just point out that I am not racist nd in many rap songs the artists often call young balck men from opposing gangs as "nigga's". Just thought I 'd say it before the Mods came down on my arse.
 
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