Replies

The arguments are well-stated. People have a terrible fear of "censorship" as though there is no action or expression foul, hideous, or depraved enough to warrant suppression. One argument is that such things don't affect people. This argument is patently untrue. If what one reads or hears or sees had little or no effect, then education, propaganda or religion would all have no effect.

Rap music should be outlawed even if it takes an Act of Congress to do it.

I gotta a better political program its called anyone who is incapable of minding their own business should be shot.

I hate the "ban because I don't like it" crowd. I hate having to deal with the idiots that seem to drive minivans, but I'm not calling for an end to minivans or the rounding up of their drivers.

Damn straight vulgar rap music should be banned. As should pornography, and all other kinds of sex-and-violence-dripping crap.

Aristotle, Plato, Aristotle -- or, at least one or two of these guys warned that corrupt music would corrupt the youth, and, eventually, undermine the civilization. (And, these guys were practicing queers, if memory serves.)

Were they correct? Well, anyone heard of ancient Greek culture surviving intact for the past 2500 years?

I'm not sold on censorship. The media doesn't need to support this man with radio airplay or interviews though.

There have been former hoods with recording careers before (including members of the Ramones, Merle Haggard, and others of different musical persuasions). Some artists like Johnny Cash continue to record dark songs. There is a "lifestyle" (known as being a "playa" in "the game") that is being sold. The media doesn't need to support it but they do. I was surprised to see gansta hip hop videos being aired locally in Houston on PBS on Saturday nights. There is a double standard but I don't want to see things defined downward as "equal opportunity" outrage is given its coverage).

Some of it is a vamp. Playing up an image that has nothing to do with reality. There were songs with rough sexual and violent lyrics in the 1950s (this is from the man who wrote and first cut "Good Rockin' Tonight" on that same label, Roy Brown and His Mighty Men). This wasn't even a "white label" adults only party record. This is a blues shouter but it could almost be a rap as it is more spoken/shouted than "sang":

BUTCHER PETE (PART 1 & 2)
(Brown - Bernard)
ROY BROWN (DELUXE 3301, 1950)

(Part I)

Hey everybody, did the news get around
About a guy named Butcher Pete
Ol' Pete just flew into this town
And he's choppin' up all the women's meat

[Chorus]
He's hackin' and whackin' and smackin'
He's hackin' and whackin' and smackin'
He's hackin' and whackin' and smackin'
He just hacks, whacks, choppin' that meat

Butcher Pete's got a long sharp knife
He starts choppin' and don't know when to stop
All you fellows better watch your wives
'Cause Pete don't care who's meat he chops

[Chorus]
Ever since Pete flew into town
He's been havin' a ball
Just cuttin' and choppin' for miles around
Single women, married women, old maids and all

[Chorus]
Wakes up in the morning, half past five
Chops from sunrise to sunset
I don't see how he stays alive
Meat's gonna be the death of ol' Pete yet

[Chorus]
The police put Pete in jail
Yes, he finally met his fate
But when they came to pay his bail
They found him choppin' on his cellmate

[Chorus]
That Butcher Pete is a crazy man
Tries to chop down the wind and the rain
Just hacks on anything he can get
Say, turn this record over, you ain't heard nothing yet

(Part II / Side II)
Well, they let ol' Pete out of the jail
He went back to his store
All the women who payed his bail
Were waitin' on Pete to chop some more

[Chorus]
There's an old woman, who's ninety-two
Lives down the street
She said, one thing more I wanna do
Is find ol' Pete and let him chop my meat

[Chorus]
Pete went to church one Sunday night
He gave the preacher a fit
That crazy Pete started a fight
When he went hackin' on the pulpit

[Chorus]
Well, they put him in jail again
They tried to give him life
Pete beat the case, he pleaded insane
They gave him back his same ol' knife

[Chorus]
He got out of jail on Sunday night
Monday he tightened his grip
He started to China to see the sights
Went nuts again and chopped up the ship

[Chorus]
They brought ol' Pete back to town
To electrocute him there
But Pete was crazy like a clown
He chopped down that electric chair

[Chorus]
He's a maniac!
He don't do nothin' but hack.

Music censorship in the 1950s gave us an extreme example when there were bans in Boston (and elsewhere) of the Link Wray instrumental called "Rumble" because it was "too suggestive".