Music Today: Entertainment or Influence to Murder?
Music Today: Entertainment or Influence to Murder?
Teen violence, murder, suicide; they seem to be becoming more and more rampant everyday. The media, as well as concerned, angry parents, look everywhere to find someone to blame for these tragedies. Their fingers are pointed in the direction of many music entertainers. Artists and performers are being badgered everyday for their lyrics and image they create for their fans. Can music really influence someone to acts of violence? Maybe, to the mentally unstable or uneducated. Is music at fault for these acts of violence? Absolutely not. It cannot be blamed for the crimes of obvious psychotic adolescents. The music business, mainly "death" metal, has been said to be at fault for major tragedies, for example the Columbine High School Shootings. In fact, one media spokesperson even related the two killers to Marilyn Manson because they were apparently dressed like him. This constant distraction of pointing the blame on someone else just strays our focus on the real causes. Music can directly express the personality of many individuals. The way the dress, the way they talk. Overall it expresses the way a person feels. However, can music be blamed for the actions some of it 's listeners my take?
Over the past ten years or so, music has been the scapegoat to many murders, acts of violence, and sexual abuse for many years now. Many cases have now opened with the introduction of Death Metal to music world. Since many murders are now rampant within young children and teenagers, there must be someone to blame for them. One example is in 1995 the Death Metal band Slayer was blamed for encouraging Royce Casery, Joseph Fiorella, and Jacob Delashmutt to torture and kill Elyse Pahler, 15-years-old. The parents of Pahler blame the disgusting lyrics of Slayer to the crime. The three boys, all fans of Slayer and bands of their stature, were all found guilty and are still serving time in jail. The Pahler 's tried suing both the band,
Teen violence, murder, suicide; they seem to be becoming more and more rampant everyday. The media, as well as concerned, angry parents, look everywhere to find someone to blame for these tragedies. Their fingers are pointed in the direction of many music entertainers. Artists and performers are being badgered everyday for their lyrics and image they create for their fans. Can music really influence someone to acts of violence? Maybe, to the mentally unstable or uneducated. Is music at fault for these acts of violence? Absolutely not. It cannot be blamed for the crimes of obvious psychotic adolescents. The music business, mainly "death" metal, has been said to be at fault for major tragedies, for example the Columbine High School Shootings. In fact, one media spokesperson even related the two killers to Marilyn Manson because they were apparently dressed like him. This constant distraction of pointing the blame on someone else just strays our focus on the real causes. Music can directly express the personality of many individuals. The way the dress, the way they talk. Overall it expresses the way a person feels. However, can music be blamed for the actions some of it 's listeners my take?
Over the past ten years or so, music has been the scapegoat to many murders, acts of violence, and sexual abuse for many years now. Many cases have now opened with the introduction of Death Metal to music world. Since many murders are now rampant within young children and teenagers, there must be someone to blame for them. One example is in 1995 the Death Metal band Slayer was blamed for encouraging Royce Casery, Joseph Fiorella, and Jacob Delashmutt to torture and kill Elyse Pahler, 15-years-old. The parents of Pahler blame the disgusting lyrics of Slayer to the crime. The three boys, all fans of Slayer and bands of their stature, were all found guilty and are still serving time in jail. The Pahler 's tried suing both the band,
Cited: Horn, John. "Heavy Metal: Music to Murder By?" Newsweek 4 Nov. 2000: pp. 46. Manson, Marilyn. "Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?" Rolling Stone 28 May 1999: pp. 1-5. Miller, Alec. "Rockin ' in the Free World?" The Washington Post 3 Feb. 2001: pp. A20. Morgan, Fiona. Mother 's Who Think. 17 Jan. 2001 www.salon.com/mwt/hot/1998/12/15hot.html. Temple, Johnny. "Noise From the Underground." The Nation 18 Oct. 1999: pp. 17-18, 20. Waxman, Sharon. "Did 'Death Metal ' Music Incite Murder?; Lawsuit Against Band, Distributors Could Overcome First Amendment Hurdle." The Washington Post 23 Jan. 2001: pp. E1. (Sources from www.elibrary.com)