X-Envelope-to: ALLMUSIC@AUVM.BITNET
X-VMS-To: IN%"ALLMUSIC@AUVM.BITNET"
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Wed, 29 Jul 1992 14:47:00 GMT
From:         "OUT,
              OUT - YOU'LL NOT FEEL THE FALL-OUT..." <OLIVOTTO@ITNCISCA.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: allrep

Seb says:

>HYPOTHESIZE: I am a young white man, unemployed, living in a rundown
>suburban area, I have a lot of friends like this. We form a group,
>our songs concern killing people of another race, raping women, taking
>drugs, etc. What would happen?

        Probably nothing. This may open up a discussion (and a nice can of
worms, too) about the social aspect of music. If we look back in history,
and limiting ourselves to so-called popular music, there is a certain pat-
tern of "rebel" artists which seems to repeat endlessly - whether the rebel-
lion be social, sexual or political.
        Some old blues standards are as sexually explicit as some hardcore
songs that seem to stir up so many parents nowadays. Dylan was definitely a
rebel when he sang "Please Mrs. Henry". The Doors were ("The End"), and so
Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones, The Fugs, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful
Dead, and so on - I know, I'm mixing them all together but the thing is really
universal. Oops - I forgot punk of course.
        I can't understand why censorship should intervene, after all. And
still I assume that nowadays music is not so censored: sometimes a record
may be banned from the radio, but almost never from record stores, I think.
And, even in the past, the more it was banned the more it sold (think of
"Let's Spend The Night Together" in 1967). It was a game, if you think it
over: censorship means more sales - OK, let's make an offensive record!
All that, I repeat, in quite a far past.
        Anyway, I've been through that myself lately. My girlfriend has a
sister (14) who asked me to dub a record for her. An Italian record, so she
can get the words. The lyrics are absolutely obscene. I've taken my time:
the word "cu*t" (in Italian) appears +50 times. The same holds for other bodily
parts. Whichever internal fluid is mentioned and evoked with great detail.
Several copulation techniques are described. So, you may say, wait a minute -
WHY did you buy it? The answer is very simple: it's all a joke. A very heavy
joke, but it's like reading comics for adults. The band is great, play in
a heavenly way, and simply make you laugh your tears out. I've even seen
them live: They're not offensive at all. Some lighter (but not certainly
clean songs are even given strong airplay).
        Anyway I had serious doubts should I give a tape to the young girl.
I said: "you know it's very obscene, don't you?". She replied: "of course
I do". I said: "practically, I don't want any trouble with your parents, whom
of course may not understand". She though it over and said: "you're right,
I'll buy the tape". Of course at this point I took pity of her and dubbed
it - simply because my aethical respect of her young age was blown away by
the simple and plain availability of that record in any store. There is an
infamous sticker on it, but anyone who buy it makes a responsible choice.
        The sad truth is that +50 "cu*ts" won't ever damage the youngie as
much as seeing people shot in the streets by mafia or corrupted government
men or, even worse, a school system who will make its best not to allow her
to think with her own head.
        You know, they'd like you to stand still possibly: you're far more
difficult to kill if you are given a chance to move.

        Ciao, Marco
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