By Jeralynn Borges, staff writer
Every time you turn the radio on, the lyrics to songs seem to get more and more sexual. This generation grew up with rebel ideas of redefin- ing music along with videos and television everywhere that tell men and women to be less shy about showing skin. Parents and grandparents complain abuse, drugs, and other bad influences are taking over today.
Over the past three years, some of the most popular songs have gone above and beyond offensive in lyrics and video like Robin Thicke’s song “Blurred Lines” that talks disturbingly about sexual abuse and drugs, suggesting both might be acceptable ways to get a girlfriend. The accompanying music video shows girls wrapped in clear plastic wrapping. In his own defense against enraged fans, Thicke claimed to have composed the song in honor of his now ex-wife, model Paula Patton. For his wife or not, the song is still derogatory and infuriates many listeners still today.
Lavigne brushed it off with the intent for Hello Kitty to just show her playful love of the adorable Japanese-made icon.
This extends to popular songs like “Wrecking Ball” and “Anaconda,” both have no shame in video content. Miley Cyrus’ video for “Wrecking Ball” blew fans of Hannah Montana and parents out the window with her scenes of swinging on the wrecking ball completely naked, save a networks like FOX that influence people. They present ideal, perfect women in song lyrics and videos and it sticks in the mind as you sing these verses, becoming an idea of “Hey, maybe I could do that too and become rich or famous like this.”
Ideas like this can get in the minds of young teens and adults. Youth might hear a song that they barely understand the lyrics to, but they like the beat of it so they might go look up the lyrics.
Not all of these songs offend sexually, some upset listeners because their accompanying videos are seen as racist. Avril Lavigne has long reigned as the
“forever teenager” celebrity, but a while ago she upset many of her longtime fans with her song “Hello Kitty.” In Lavigne’s music video for “Hello Kitty,” she is seen in a bright colorful and childlike outfit as she is dancing around a candy store, eating sushi, and walking the streets while waving to fans usually followed by a group of matching, quadruplet, stereotypical Japanese girls. While under fire by disappointed fans, video. They see what a great time these stars are having while they indulge in these reckless activities, making it seem cool or fun to try insane behavior. Some might not even realize it’s all a publicity stunt.
Maroon 5’s recent song “Animals” created a nightmare situation for their music video. The “frontman” Adam Levine is seen throughout the video as a butcher that sees a beautiful girl (played by Levine’s wife and Victoria’s Secret model, Behati Prinsloo) only once before he begins stalking her, having fantasies of her in which the scene disturbingly shows them together in a naked embrace as they are doused in pair of work boots. The scene gets even weirder as Cyrus is seen using props inappropriately. If a video like that doesn’t make it awkward enough, then try to watch Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” without making a face.
Are these videos along with the lyrics getting too crazy? It’s scary to imagine how some people may actually be affected by these songs and their videos. We find everyday stories from blood. While many videos are found disturbing just for the sexual content, this video becomes a concern for the stalker fantasies that belong in horror movies.
It’s hard to think what could possibly be the next level in these music videos where dangerous situations are glamorized.