Gangsta Rap, Censorship of Options

[Hell-Rell]

Should the government censor lyrics of songs that are violent or expletive, for example “gangsta”rap?

There is an ongoing debate about the impact of music on certain listeners – especially music such as « gangsta » rap, with lyrics linked to violence and illegal acts. There is widespread disagreement, for example between the music industry and parents’ groups, about the effect such music has on young listeners, and their behaviour, i.e. does it encourage them to behave in a particular way?


I think that Government censorship is a dangerous form of statist control. Even if one accepts the argument for some limited form of government censorship to protect public morals, this needs to be very precisely and conservatively defined to avoid the slippery slope towards creeping totalitarianism. Allowing censorship of popular culture on grounds that the lyrics are mildly subversive is unwelcome as it incorporates a very expansive view of the proper ambit of government regulation. This issue is properly the concern of parents, who should take more interest in, and responsibility for, the music (and films, TV, internet use) to which their children are exposed.

[xXYouMeBedNowXx]

FOR
As nearly every person on the planet knows, trends and fad identities go in and out of the group with time. Since the presence of "Gangsta Rap" and the mass influence of the "Gangsta" sweep, the Fad has taken on its suitable role. It's not difficult to notice that a large majority of teens and young adults are taking the presence of this fad in: wearing large and baggy clothes, speaking like the people they see on television and the people they hear on the radio, and even to the extent commiting crime. These actions are influenced, not seperately, but on different levels. The media has a monumental influence on the average routine-viewer's behavior: the majority of them being young adults and teens. The government is aware of this, and is trying to filter out what should and shouldn't be projected and in turn, trying to control what degree of influence the media can cause.

For those that believe that it is not the government's right to rule out what should be

EDIT: I'll come back to this later.