The Lie--Music and Media Have No Lasting Effect on Me

I love music. I love all kinds of music. I love country, rock, hip hop, rap, oldies, classic rock, bluegrass, classical, and everything in between. I do NOT love all the songs within each genre. There are some that have some redeeming qualities and some that are just plain bad (talent wise) or vile (content wise). I would like to see us (all of us) be a little more conscientious about our consumption of media.

I always like to ask the youth that I work with about their media consumption. What kind of music they listen to, what shows they watch, who their favorite artists are, what books they are reading or have read recently. I believe that the media we take in shapes the words we put out--even if it is only barely noticeable. My favorite thing is when a young person, when presented with the question "why do you listen to that garbage", responds with "I don't listen to the words, I just like the beats." I usually then proceed to askt hem questions about the song and ask them to "hum a few bars." 100% of the time, if they are honest, they have a good portion of the lyrics embedded in their minds. It will almost always come out in their language also. If you never take bad words in, there is no way you can spit them back out.

Understand that I like all kinds of music. I listen to all kinds of music. I even listen to some music that is "not good for me". I really do like the beats. The difference is, I KNOW that those words and thoughts are being preached at me in a really catchy sermon of beats and words. I am a conscious consumer. I am not someone that says that an 18 year old should completely hide from the world he or she lives in. I would also say that it is a parent's job to know what their kids listen to and to shield them as much as possible. It is important to listen to the stuff your kids listen to so YOU can be a conscious consumer for your kids and help them develop the skills necessary to be that conscious consumer themselves.

This goes both ways, by the way. A lot of parents believe that if their kids listen only to certain types of music, there is no problem. For example, if a song mentions God, it is probably ok to consume. This is so very dangerous. Kids like to dig into the music and the artists. Here is an example of why this can be dangerous. The band Evanesence did a song called "Bring Me To Life." It is a really good song. If you listen on the surface, and even if you dig into the lyrics, it can easily be passed off as a Christian song. In fact, when it first came out, CCM radio stations played it and Christian bookstores sold it. After the song got popular and sold a ton of albums, band members said things like "Can we get over the whole Christian music thing. It is so lame." and "What the f*** are we doing there" in reference to being on the Christian music charts.

The take away from this blog is this, be aware of what goes into your brain. Don't assume that if it is on the radio it is ok. Also don't mindlessly consume media and expect it NOT to affect you. Music and television and movies change you. They add vocabulary to your arsenal, the beats get stuck in your head (I call that an earworm), the ideas cause you to pause and think. Over time, your whole personality is shaped by the media you consume. Just be aware of it and make sure you like the person you become.

Culture

So last night was awesome. I took Rick, Matthew, Jonas and Tyler to the demolition derby at the Wilson County Fair. It was a sort of cultural awakening for Rick and Tyler. I mean, really, how great is it to have 18 huge old cars in a mud pit purposely running into each other in a sort of "king of the hill" battle royale? This experience generated a great conversation on the way home.

Before the event started they had an invocation asking for the drivers' safety and for everyone to act "sportsmanlike". We discussed how pop culture brings God in sometimes and how it is good/bad/misguided/lacking/and comical all at the same time. Think about it, "Dear God, we are going to line up these cars, crash 'em into each other and we want you to protect us from harm. By the way, we are going to put poisonous snakes in the car with us and a few sticks of dynamite. Please don't let us get hurt." This conversation of course segued into a discussion of pop music references to God, both purposeful and "implied." When Amy Lee sang "Bring Me to Life" did she mean to start a rumor that Evanescence was a Christian band? How does one interpret that song other than as a spiritual reference? What about the song "The Little Girl" by John Michael Montgomery--is it possible that Jesus is literally there with a child when the child is in that type of situation? The Bible does mention "the angel of the Lord." Do pop culture references to "God" or even to "god" show a deep societal longing for spitituality or do they show irreverance or is it something else entirely?

What do you think? I really just want to open this up as a conversation. You know me, I love spiritual discussions and would love any insights/thoughts/rants on the topic. Keep it civil.