July 2004 Ratings System:
++ Christian - made specifically by Christians for Christians
+ Secular - but contains nothing offensive to most Christians, probably made by Christians trying to exert influence in secular media.
M Mature content. Not necessarily offensive, but parents should be careful before allowing exposure to children and pre-teens.
X Mature content. For mature teens, firm in their convictions and morals, who have received much parental guidance.
XX Contains very mature, problematic content. Parents should seriously consider restricting exposure to teens.
XXX Completely offensive. Not only should teens be restricted, but adults may want to question their own exposure.
VH-1 / Cable Network / XX
I think that VH-1 actually gets less racy when they start showing videos than during their regular programming. With shows like Queer as Folk, Teen Sex Comedies, Rock bodies, Awesomely Oversexed, and Maxim's Hot 100, VH-1 is sexually supercharged. And we wonder why our nation's teens are so confused about sex and reality. Once again, I recommend VH-1, along with it's sister station MTV be locked away behind parental controls. Better yet, if you have teens, consider making a statement by disconnecting the cable altogether and explaining that you don't want the content of most cable channels coming into your house.
Avril Lavigne / Under My Skin / +
While I've never heard that Avril Lavgne is a Christian, it wouldn't surprise me if she was. Don't Tell Me, the lead off single from her new disk, is an anthem for girls who value themselves and their virginity. Avril dresses modestly, and her songs are positive and relatable. Her music is allo over the radio, and she is loved by millions of teens. Proof positive that good, moral music still sells in 2004 - you don't have to push the envelope to make money, unless of course, you have no talent. Read my review of her last CD online at www.RedeemerBirmingham.org for more on Avril. This CD measures up.
Slipknot / Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) / XXX
Rage, suicide, violence, depression, gore and insanity are the themes of the new Slipknot disc. I'm not from the school of thought that says that you'll act out what these guys describe just because you listened to the CD. I do however, think that you are what you eat so to speak. You gradually adopt that values, priorities and morals that are advanced in the media that you consume. Therefore: XXX. There is no redeeming value to Slipknot.
Usher / Confessions / XX
There is a phenomenon among teenagers (and adults!) in which a teenager will confess to their friends all the bad or immoral things they've done. It is done in such a way that the outwardly the teen portrays him or herself as humble and sorry, regretting what they did. What is really going on is something completely different. The teen is actually bragging. Of course, it might not fit the personality of the person in question to brag about something bad, so instead they turn it around and say, "Don't do what I did. Let me tell you all about the bad things I've done that I wish I didn't do." Jesus warned of such a phenomenon in Matthew 15 when he said, 'These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me." Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that every time a teen offers repentance with their mouth they are indulging in bragging! This phenomenon is rare, but it does happen. Just ask Usher, he wrote the CD on it. The disc is full of immorality, and the title song, Confessions, says it best, "[if I were you] I would never do the things I'mma 'bout to tell you I've done / Brace yourself, It ain't good / But there's more, listen..." You make the call.
Wuggie's Ranting and Raving on Violent Music
Last month, a Redeemer teenager was working on a project about violent music for school. She sent me an Email with some questions. I thought the questions were very insightful, and I'd like to share my answers with everyone:
Q: Why do kids look up to the artists who promote violence in their music?
Kids are dependent on their parents, right? Teenagers gradually become more and more independent, until they become adults, and they are completely independent from their parents. Hey, it's normal for teens to want to be independent. Then they see some guy on MTV singing about violence, and sex, and drugs and whatever, and they say, "Wow! That guy is completely independent from his parents. They would never approve of any of that!" And so then that artist appeals to some teens who want to exert their independence. You don't have to go out and be violent, just listen to violent music, and ta da! It makes your parents mad and you feel independent. I think this is unhealthy, by the way. I think there are a lot more healthy ways to become independent from your parents than by listening to violent music.
Q: What kind of music influences kids most?
I don't know if there is a certain type of music that influences kids more than any other. All music is going to influence the listener. That's why it's so important to be smart about what you listen to. You are what you eat. You become the kind of person that you let your music make you. You will adopt the values and morals that are behind the music that you choose. Choose wisely!! I'm not saying that if you listen to Evanescence sing about suicide that you're going to go out and kill yourself. But when things go wrong in your life, you might get more depressed about life listening to Evanescence or Shinedown than if you were listening to Switchfoot or No Doubt. And if you were really truly struggling with depression and suicide, then you are going to be much more influenced by Evanescence than someone else is. No one ever listens to Evanescence to cheer themselves up.
Q: In this society, where there are bad influences every time you turn on the TV, go to a movie or listen to the radio, how can kids avoid the violence?
The solution is simple: Choose wisely. Actually doing it is tough. Choose what TV shows to watch based on their content. I really don't watch much TV any more. I enjoy decorating shows like While You Were Out, and cooking shows, some sports, and the History Channel. That's about it. When you watch TV, you are basically sitting there NOT living your life, watching someone else live their life. Turn it off and go live YOUR life. I don't really listen to the radio much either. I listen to CDs. I preview the CD online, or in the store, or get a recommendation from a friend, and if I don't like the morals behind it, I won't buy it. So I won't be listening to it, and it won't influence me. I listen to a mix of Christian music and non-Christian music that is compatible with my morals. As for movies, I don't usually see R rated movies, even though I am obviously old enough to! I find that they are rated R for a reason, and I don't generally want to be influenced by the kind of stuff they put in an R rated movie. So the solution is simple - God gave you a brain, use it. Choose wisely. Of course, actually doing it is tough. When everybody is talking about that new movie that is rated R, you want to go see it. When everybody is talking about that new show on the WB, but it's full of stuff you don't want to influence you, that's tough. Find people to hang out with that share your morals. I'm not saying diss all your friends whose morals aren't the same as yours. I'm saying, Make sure you hang out with people who share your morals and support your decisions!!!