Hate Goes Pop MTV Launched

¶ … Hate Goes Pop

MTV launched a campaign against discrimination and hatred seen on television and in the music industry under the name of Fight for your Rights. This series contained many features that focused on the rising trend towards discriminatory practices and values which had permeated the media in the last decade. One of the features was titled When Hate Goes Pop aired on April 12, 2001 and gained recognition for bringing the issue out of the shadows.

Discrimination, sexual innuendoes, sexism, slurs and racism are common themes in music of people like Marilyn Manson, Eminem and Lenny Kravitz and others. It is believed that talking about things you dislike in most crude and rude terms makes you look 'cool' and 'hip'. While the media would be reluctant to discuss racism and hatred in open and clear terms, people in the music industry are less inhibited. They have become increasingly outspoken in the last few years since there is no censorship in music industry as what these people say is equated with freedom of speech and hence any need for regulation is quickly shrugged off.

MTV's When Hate Goes Pop was meant to increase awareness in the public regarding use of racist and sexist themes in music and questions were raised as to whether it needs to be regulated and monitored or not. The program contained interviews of musicians who are accused of using such violent themes and it was very surprising to notice that while the all spoke for tolerance in music, they did not appear ashamed of their violent compositions. Most musicians appeared to believe that slurs used in music had a different meaning than it would have in the public. For example the use of word 'fag' by Eminem in his songs was defended by the artists who claimed that it no longer had the negative connotations that it once used to have. But is that really true? Who is to decide what is politically correct and morally upright? Certainly not these artists!

We must understand that the judge of what music should or should not contain should be decided by the target audience. If certain lyrics offend a whole community, they must be censored regardless of how the artist chooses to defend his songs and himself. This is because he is not the one being attacked. And in any case of physical or verbal abuse, we do not ask the attacker if he is satisfied with his behavior. Instead it is the attacked, the victim, who decides who he was victimized and what punishment is befitting the crime. We need to stop accepting such values and themes in music in the name of freedom of speech and expression because freedom is not meant to rob another person of his rights to live peacefully and securely. If my freedom hurts the rights of someone else, it means there is something wrong with the freedom granted to me. Similarly if a person encroaches upon the rights and happiness of another person and then justifies it with freedom of speech, such a person needs to seriously reflect upon his definition of freedom.

It would be wrong to assume that people are so influenced by such lyrics that they would go around killing other people and adopt anti-social behavior but they would certainly be at risk of developing such an attitude which could prove detrimental in the long run. Secondly we must understand that artists have wider acceptance and impact among impressionable youth than print media and for this reason, the public opinion among young people can be influenced by these artists. Youth is impressed by these people who appear cool and in, and thus they follow their ideals and values which is dangerous for the society itself since it breeds hatred, violence, discrimination and racism.