Music Censorship Essays -- essays research papers fc

Things are heating up in America. People are protesting outside of the movie theaters, concerts, and book and record stores of this great nation everywhere. What is all the fuss about? Censorship, Government officials, and raving mad protesters alike have been trying to stop the expressive creativity in everything from rap music to Mark Twain. Censorship in music is a topic that has brought about much controversy in the past two decades. There have been many different arguments on the topic, however the question still remains as if it should be censored or it should not be censored. In Paul Blanshard’s book The Right To Read: The Battle Against Censorship, he speaks of censorship as a negative boundary on society. Blanshard argues that people have been given the right to express themselves fully and censorship is incorrect on the basis of the first constitutional right. Martha Bayles, in her article â€Å" The Perverse in the Popular,† discusses a characteristic of society that she calls ‘perverse modernism’, which refers to the public’s attraction to the evils or negatives of society. ‘Perverse modernism’ will cause censorship of controversial music to be unsuccessful. There are several concerns and issues with artistic expression through music, however censorship of the controversial music will not resolve any problems and it will only create more problems. The current state of society would not allow music censorship to be successful. ‘Perverse modernism’, which refers to the public’s attraction to the evils or negatives of society, is a characteristic that has become a standard of today’s society. This characteristic is not something that emerged recently but it has grown slowly through time. For hundreds of years, society has been exposed to negative material through literature, television, or music. People have developed an interest in material that is forbidden. There is a need for people to fulfill their curiosity with knowledge of all material, good or bad. Jeffery Goldstein explains, Violent entertainment did not suddenly arrive on the scene, and it is not likely to depart it any time soon. People become acclimated to the arousal generated by violent images, but they have a continuing need for excitement. Does this mean that we shall have to accept ever-increasing violence and terror for entertainment purposes? It would appear to be... ... Works Cited Anderson, Craig A. et al. â€Å" The Influence of Media on the Youth † Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 4.3 (1999): 81-110 Bayles, Martha. â€Å" The Perverse in the Popular.† Wilson Quarterly 25 (Summer 2001): 40-47.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blanshard, Paul. The Right To Read: The Battle Against Censorship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Boston: The Beacon Press, 1955   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Goldstein, Jeffrey. â€Å" The Attractions of Violent Entertainment.† Media Psychology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.3 (1999): 271. Huff, Darrell. Homepage. 2004. http://www.effectivemeetings.com/productivity/communication/statmanipulation.asp Levendosky, Charles. â€Å" President Bush: Make Those Protestors Disappear. † Humanist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  64.1 (Jan/Feb2004): 4 Shemitz, Jon. Homepage. June 30, 1994 - June 1, 1997 http://www.midnightbeach.com/jon/US-Constitution.htm Smith, Valerie. Home page. April 19, 2004. http://www.fradical.com/Canadian_copycat_incidents.htm Music Censorship 201:U5 Research in the Disciplines Final Draft Word count: 3,253 F. Nika Hedges Spring 2004