October 2005 WUGGIE'S MUSIC, MEDIA AND MORE!
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.
Remember, my reviews are strictly my opinion, and no substitute for your good judgment
Please send me an Email (Mwuggazer@RedeemerBirmingham.org) or call me (248-644-4010) with requests for reviews!!
Kanye West / Late Registration / XX
This is the follow-up disc to last year's critically acclaimed "College Drop-out" CD, which featured the song, "Jesus Walks". Kanye was acclaimed in both the secular and progressive Christian music industry for that song because (as pundits claimed) he demonstrated a street level faith that spoke the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a language thugs, prostitutes and dealers could understand. While that is a novel pursuit, and I almost bit on the hype, his sophomore disc shows Kanye for who he really is: Just another rapper trying to push the envelope of social acceptability to make a buck. I feel ripped off that he tried to legitimatize himself with that nonsense about trying to preach the gospel to the street. Yea, on "Late Registration", I found references to Jesus and some half hearted encouragement to follow Him. I also found some explicit lyrics of the kind we normally hear form the artists Kanye has produced: Ludacris, Jay-Z and Scarface. On his web site I found videos featuring women in lingerie dancing very suggestively. (the same ones they play on MTV). Sorry Kanye, you aren't fooling anyone. I'm not doubting your faith or your salvation, but if you want me to recommend your music because you talk the talk, you've gotta do a better job of walkin' the walk.
Fall Out Boy / Under The Cork Tree / X
The latest punk band shows up with their biggest hit to date: "Sugar, We're goin' down swinging", which is about a guy who is jealous that someone else is sleeping with the girl he has a crush on. If you really read the lyrics, the song definitely has a laize fare attitude toward pre-marital sex. The upside is that there are no bad words per se, and I had to look up the lyrics on the internet, because there is no way you can make them out from listening to the song. The rest of the disc is likewise loud enough to drown out the lyrics, but if you were to figure them out, you'd find a jumble of emotion filled poetry about making mistakes, being an outsider, searching for an identity, and feeling the weight of impossible odds. The band has a cool web site that looks pretty benign. A clever idea is a feature that allows fans to ask questions of the band, which more often than not turns into an advice column. Problem is, the band gives some pretty wacked out secular humanist advice.
SO, to restrict or not to restrict? I'd lean towards allowing, with you making the call as to whether or not the ideas in "Sugar" need to be addressed with your teen. A normal Christian teen secure in their morals won't be really challenged by this disc, and might actually identify with a lot of the themes. If your teen tends to identify too strongly with bands of this type, they could also be susceptible to the advice on the band's web site, and that wouldn't be very good. Yet another reason to be aware of what your teens are doing online, and who they are getting advice from. Your teen doesn't still have I-net access in their bedroom, right?
The band will be playing at the State Theatre here in Detroit on Sept. 27. The crowd will be rough and edgy. Parental supervision under 18 would, I think, be necessary.
Green Day / American Idiot / XX
Just an update. I reviewed this disc in March, but the disc continues to be hot, with the new release, "Wake me up when September Ends". So I gave it another listen. Guess what? All the lyrics on this disc are still just as explicit as they were in March. Who would have thunk it? The new song, "September" is, interestingly, the one exception. It's a great song, with thoughtful lyrics about the memories that the month of September brings to the singer. I say download it for 99 cents and forget the rest of the CD. By the way, iTunes made a mistake and labeled "September" as explicit (perhaps because every other track on the disc is) although it is not.
The band's web site is rather plain. Thankfully, they keep all their message boards, chat rooms and photos reserved for fan club members. It costs $20 to join the fan club and get access. I can only imagine what goes on in those chat rooms.
Hilary Duff / Most Wanted / M
Ok, Hillary's image might not squeek any more, but it's still pretty clean. Her new CD isn't going to change that. The only thing to keep an ear on is that some of her themes may resonate too much with some pre-teen and teen girls. Many of her songs are about having a free spirit, and not being understood for it. She also sings about relationships and emotional confusion. While many girls will identify with Hilary, many will take permission to take things too far. If a girl struggles with having too free a spirit, letting her emotions and feelings rule all her decisions, being a fan of Hilary might not be doing her any favors. Hilary's web site is very clean, and incidentally, the only artist site I have visited this week that encouraged people to donate money to hurricane relief, and provides a mechanism to do so. That's the kind of influence I like.
Jim Jones / Harlem: Diary of a Summer / XXX
Hard core rap full of expletives. No redeeming value. Even the clean version is so obviously edited that your mind rushes to figure out what word should fill the space. In what way is that clean?
Lifehouse / Lifehouse / +
The new Lifehouse disc has been around for a few months, but disappointingly hasn't spawned a hit single (You and Me) until now. It's also disappointing in that they've departed slightly from their practice of weaving Christian themes into their music. The band is full of Christians, and yes, they are still trying to clean up the airwaves with great music and no bad lyrics. It's just that the lyrics this time around are more focused on everyday adolescent emotions, such as loneliness and feeling like and outsider; and less focused on providing answers. Still, a good disc.