Is pop culture killing us?

[Zero Signal]

My girlfriend had the radio tuned to one of the local hit/hip hop stations today I hear this "So Crispy" song and the absurdity cracked me up. But I get so pissed when I hear the utter CRAP that people are mesmerized by (such as this song), I just fear for our future. I mean, I know music has been getting pretty bad but jeesus, it's just not getting any better. If this was Weird Al or Green Jelly, I would understand it's just all in humor, but this is all I see in pop/hip-hop anymore.

Seriously read these lyrics:
http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/k/Kinfolk-Kia-Shine/So-Krispy-Lyrics.htm

These ones just straight piss me off
http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/c/chingy/Make-That-Money.htm

http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/b/Baby-Boy/Rich-Boy-Lyrics.htm

WHAT???>>
http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/f/Fergie/Glamorous-Lyrics.htm


It used to be, people didn't want rap/hip hop putting ideas of gangs/violence/drugs into kids' heads, but now this? But how are any of the messages in any of these songs OK by any means?? It's like the record companies are pushing products and making people and kids want to buy all this crap.

When I see 13 year old kids in the mall with hundreds of dollars worth of garbage all over them, I can't help but link it right to mtv/hip-hop/american pop culture. It drives me FREAKING nuts. I saw a story in the local paper about people waiting in line 12 hours to buy an Apple iPhone. There was a huge picture on the cover showing the people standing in line, half of which clearly under 16. The article stated that most people had a friend with them so that the one person could buy TWO @ $600/ea!!!

Even 8-10 years ago in high school when I had plenty of disposable income (lived with parents), I never would have imagined blowing such a wad on something like that. Granted that's a personal choice of priorities since I just packed it all away to buy my Stang.

There's no wonder why the credit card companies do so well. In what way is it acceptable for people to spend 50% or even more of their gross income paying minimum credit card payments and thousands upon thousands for their wheels, fake gold teeth, $200 Nike shoes, $800 hand bags or their ultra-high end shopping sprees??? Am I way out of line with this making me angry? Am I just prudish and too conservative for putting a good chunk of my pay into a retirement plan every month? And not hitting up best buy for a couple big screens and a $2000 washer/dryer combo? Maybe I'm just too utilitarian. Is it just that my priorities are different and I shouldn't worry about other people?

Sorry, I know it's a stupid point but I just had to rant after hearing that "I'M SO CRISPY!" song.

 

[urban96]

ya they dont make songs like this anymore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sK3AqFYAWQ

 

[ChrisA#5]

Zero Signal, you're not alone. As a whole kids and culture in general seemed to have gotten past ridiculous. I work in the hood, and the people I deal w/ have expensive shoes, rims, but no food in the house and roaches everywhere, I don't get it. I think the drugs, gangs, and violence is already ingrained so they have to now promote increasing their level of criminal activity in order to have the stuff they talk about in the songs. And those lyrics, kind of irritated me for the day. Guess I'm getting old.

 

[blksn955.o]

I am with you, down with the LCD "entertainment". POP anything is not going to last long so the bright side...it wont be long before you get aggravated at a whole new slew of stupid crap.

I think our society (western culture) as a whole is on a decline. Case and point PARIS HILTON can she just OD or get hit by a crazed fan already. When THAT bag of bones gets more air/press than things that ACTUALLY matter something is wrong.

 

[The Green GT]

There are only a few new bands I listen to. My favorite newer band being Porcupine Tree, and they arent really that old either. I hate new music, is sucks. When I hear rap I literally get mad that some idiot who makes up a word when he cant find something that rhymes can make millions.

LONG LIVE CLASSIC ROCK!!

 

[final5-0]

John

I'll just keep my opinion simple and brief

You're wise to be concerned about the stuff you are exposed to :Word:

Garbage In ... Garbage Out

Grady

 

[HISSIN50]

John's not keep it real.

It's a huge issue IMHO. Things are just getting more and more shifted out of whack (Left field is now becoming home plate).

 

[cbarr300]

great....just got rickrolled hahaha

I asked someone at work how he could listen to that crap..."it sounds good"

in other words kids just follow the masses. "I'm so crispy?" WTF......is the guy burnt. Clearly people can't think for themselves anymore.

 

[Zero Signal]

On that last point about thinking for themselves . . .

I heard something on one of the local radio stations that just proved what I thought all along . . . They had Nelly Furtardo or some famous pop "performer" on and they had asked why she didn't do any songs from her new album on SNL last week. She said "because I haven't had time to learn them" . . . you HAVE to be kidding me! I punched the steering wheel

 

[cbarr300]

pathetic

 

[blksn955.o]

On the iphone...I heard there are people placing bets that with the opening day may-lay someone dies...FOR A PHONE.

The wife is always saying "you think most people should just die" and I reply "yeah...darwin/God is losing ground".

 

[BlackPearl955.0]

Screw the IPHONE
I need to wear my IUnderwear and IEars just to use the thing. People are just getting way to into stuff they will not use for more then a week. Also as far as dumb songs on the radio, that is why i only listen to cds and try to avoid the "new and Hottest" songs, plus Black metal and eighties metal are the f*^&ing S%*&T (awsome)
I remember seeing somthing online about how dumb people are populating more then smart people and how "evolution" is in revese (this was a funny video not a documentary or anything, though it may be soon)

 

[blksn955.o]

I love my MP3 player (NOT AN Ipod), windows based as I hate itunes. In the last 2yrs I have used it prob. 80%+ every workday at work and then the gym. I plan on getting a hookup for my car so I dont have to listen to the radio anymore.

People are getting dumber, dumber people have more kids and they have them earlier.

Not that I am claiming to be a ge-ne-us but for example. The wife has this total degenerate tard of an aunt on the mother-in-laws side (the father-in law and I both feel this lady is just like his mother-in-law). Long story short the aunt had 5 kids before she was 21, those kids, majority of them not so bright, have 3 kids avg. and some of those are now having kids. So the aunts kids, the equivalent to my wife (generational terms) are now up to 2 generations ahead of her. There might be a 5yr diff. from my mother-in-law and this aunt age wise. That just blows me away. The shame to me is that the mother-in-laws mother's side is like from the brother of Henry Ford or something.

 

[bimmertech]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91sqAs-_-g


i think any one with half a brain is upset at the current path of our society. one must learn to not get angry about this, but rather educate the uneducated why this is so dangerous.

i suggest everyone watch the movie "idiocracy" for a comical view on how our way of life will end up if we keep going down this path.

also just refuse to talk about/acknowledge certain people-genres-pop aspects.

the city of Paris is the only thing i think of when that word is spoken.

 

[WhiteStallionGT]

I don't worry about the thuggish/gangster kids as much as I worry about the emo kids. The thing is, I know those wanna be gangster kids all too well since I just graduated highschool only 2 years ago. Most of it is an act. I say, let em look like morons, doesn't bother me too much.

Emo kids on the other hand really f'n piss me off. Rich kids in suburbia that have no reason to dress and look like they are crying inside. Guys that wear tight pants and shirts. If my kid started to turn emo, I would slap the dog **** outta him and send his ass to military school. A lot of them are homosexual also. I can stand the rap and hiphop but the screamo crap that these emo kids listen to is sickening.

Yeah there are gangs everywhere, but in your typical suburb, it's the emo kids that cause trouble.

 

[Zero Signal]

Yeah I can't stand the emo crap. The kids don't know how to appreciate what they have and it's the parents' fault. I don't care for the emo garbage music either. I mean, they try to convey messages about being down and boohoo my parents don't want me wearing eye shadow and this and that and these bands are raking in the money like nobody's business. Two genres doing the same thing in the long run: making a killing, whether off stupid people or misguided/impressionable kids. Capitalism at it's best.

Granted I listen to mostly death metal or punk, it all stems from just liking the sound of the music and finding humor in the ridiculous stuff the bands come up with.

From what I've noticed, the emo kids are pretty much a group of pansies who couldn't hurt a fly unless you give them a gun and a will, but typically there's no will. School shootings don't seem to result from real emo kids, they come from that guy wearing the tench coat and combat boots everyday who gets made fun of for trying to look like Silent Bob. Look at the VT shootings, that kid wasn't emo, just a flippin psycho. It's the other genres who, rather than crying about it, try to make themselves feel better by actually causing trouble. Of all people who I've run into in my days who actually try to pick a fight, it's always some retarded homeboy trying to be a big man (or a skinhead which is a completely different subject)

 

[Nik_95Cobra]

I was born in the wrong generation...Soon as my time machine's done I'm going back to the 50's or earlier

 

[reddy351]

I was born in the wrong generation...Soon as my time machine's done I'm going back to the 50's or earlier

Just think, back then, WE might have been the weirdos and outcasts!!!!



It is a very sad state of affairs when one of the most important immigration issues (the vote in the Senate to to decide whether to let 20+ million "undocumented" people automatically become legal or not) was overshadowed by Paris Hilton getting out of jail. I would bring it up in conversation and got an alarming number of blank stares. (When I mentioned PH, I could count on quite a conversation.) So, yes, pop culture is killing us and everything that has made this country great for over 225 years.

With that said, pop culture has BEEN "ruining" us for those past 225 years, so I have faith that we will always be the greatest nation on Earth, because each new generation of Americans, make it their own. And the previous generations lend insight as to what is good, bad and right or wrong.

To sum it up. I think we'll be fine. In fact, I'm sure of it.

 

[WhiteStallionGT]

^^^^ Well said! I agree.

 

[BlackPearl955.0]

Ok so two things that make me mad with the way people are. Now sure it is great to be an individual but NOT claim to be and individual while being part of a group. Example goth kids are always claiming that they are individuals, yet they all look the SAME like a walking hottopic. Now I listen to metal, but not the crap that is being promoted as metal, I enjoy music that takes talent to make.
Classical music takes some thought while rap is a drum machine with repeating vocals and screamo and death metal (dumb) is just screaming about how they hate god and everyone is a big bully. Now I am not a country fan either but whatever some people are it is just not for me. Now kids think that they dont need to go to school because they can be a rapper and make millions and have whores dancing around(they are only good to look at but those girls have to talk sometime, why do girls have to talk anyway?) but anyway society either has kids who pretend to hate everything just to fit in and others who just hate cops and the government. Kids need to just calm down and not follow whatever get publicity. maybe all the goths, thug and gangster kids, kids who think they are cool because there truck has dirt on it, and just send them all to a camp that teaches them about real life, and please help close hottopic.