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Message |
    
shoshannah
Citizen
Username: Shoshannah
Post Number: 1115
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 29, 2005 - 5:13 pm: |     |
My third-grader asked for the album American Idiot by Green Day. I don't know anything about this album or this group, but I noticed that it has an "explicit language" sticker on it. I looked up the lyrics and, yes, there are some curse words. But I have not listened to the album. For those of you who know it, is the album appropriate or not for a third-grade girl? |
dave23
Citizen
Username: Dave23
Post Number: 1212
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 30, 2005 - 1:05 pm: | |
shoshannah, This is a completely subjective question. I'd say that most parents would not be comfortable with it.
Green Day is a pop-punk band reared on the likes of the Dead Kennedys, but who have managed to get huge with very catchy tunes and, somewhat surprisingly, ballads. You may want to give the lyrics a closer reading to make sure that you are comfortable with the ideas behind the lyrics.
Go to greenday.com and check out the videos to give you an idea of where they're coming from. You can also hear bits of their music on Amazon. |
bookgal
Citizen
Username: Bookgal
Post Number: 691
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 30, 2005 - 2:42 pm: | |
Some of the lyrics include all the words you don't want your third grader to say. That said, our 4th grader has the cd and loves it. It is completely subjective. The good thing is that often the words are a bit indistinct and muffled so they don't often pick up on the exact words and you can hide the lyric sheets so she can't read it. It also depends on your comfort level as a parent..are you comfortable explaining what the lyrics mean if asked, are you comfortable with her singing along in the car? You have to be comfortable with what works for your family. Does she want the CD because all her friends have it? Does she love the music? Does she like one or two songs or the whole album? Or, you can use the language as a lesson (I know sound grim)..Green Day are a fairly political band (a bit like the Clash), we explained to Little Bookgal the political songs are often protest songs that convey anger and that people sometimes use strong language to convey their hurt or anger or contempt. Doesn't make it right...just a fact. Again, it depends on your comfort level as a parent.
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Copperfield
Citizen
Username: Copperfield
Post Number: 240
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 30, 2005 - 10:54 pm: | |
There's a line in one of the songs about a "mind-f**k America"
When the young Copperfields ask, I just tell them it says "the minds of America" and they seem satisfied.
Advantage (to parents) of Green Day is - as boogal noted- that the lyrics are often hard to understand. I personally tend towards explaining that what an adult rock star sings on an album isn't what a child is allowed to say in conversation. But that is a subjective opinion. |
Strings
Supporter
Username: Blue_eyes
Post Number: 761
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2005 - 9:03 am: | |
I know there's a series of CD's that compiles popular songs from the radio and edit them for younger kids... I think it's called Kidz Pop or something like that? You might want to check it out as an alternative until she's able to handle the heavier stuff.
FWIW, I started listening to Green Day when I was about 11 when they first came out, but they weren't quite as political, and the cursing was to a minimum. Maybe check out some of their older CD's like Kerplunk, if she's really into the band not just that CD, which I don't think has any cursing or overtly strong messages. |
SO Ref
Citizen
Username: So_refugee
Post Number: 1369
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2005 - 10:12 am: | |
You might want to see if Wal-Mart is carrying a version without explicit lyrics. I know they have in the past, but not sure of their current policy.
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Eric
Citizen
Username: Ericactive
Post Number: 81
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2005 - 12:35 pm: | |
The Green Day CD was never releases in a "clean" version. Green Day didn't want to kiss Wal-Mart's a**.
Kidz Pop is really lame and a smart kid won't want it.
When I was a teen my dad took a look at the lyrics to the songs on Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". There was no bad language but the songs about lesbians, masturbation, prostitution, sluts, social disease and fighting on Saturday night did give him pause though I remember him chuckling a little. He let me keep the LP and I turned out alright. I think.
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Charles De Mar
Citizen
Username: Charles_demar
Post Number: 151
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2005 - 11:50 pm: | |
You compared Green day to the Dead Kennedys. Funniest comparison ever.....
I'm sure Jello Biafra would love that. |
Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 2157
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 1, 2006 - 8:19 am: | |
When I was about 13 and staying with my godparents for a summer, they had a cow over some of the lyrics on Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer," not because they were off-color, but the slice of life presented ("whores on 7th Avenue")!
Personally, I'm pretty much where bookgal is. When my kid was in the 4th grade, she wanted certain CDs all the kids were listening to. My objection at the time was to language and characterization of women as whores, etc. I ended up buying it, but explaining routinely why I thought the lyrics were bogus, and the pov behind them. I tend not to go the censor route... |
Cleve Dark
Citizen
Username: Clevedark
Post Number: 182
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, January 1, 2006 - 3:23 pm: | |
Oh I feel so much better now after reading this. My eight year old daughter requested and got American Idiot, and even worse, we download music and lyrics to it so she can learn the songs on her guitar. We do black out the cuss words on the printouts....
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shoshannah
Citizen
Username: Shoshannah
Post Number: 1118
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, January 1, 2006 - 4:53 pm: | |
Thanks everyone for your input. I have a good perspective on it now. And I'm glad to know that mine isn't the only 8-yr-old asking for this album! |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 3424
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 1, 2006 - 8:31 pm: | |
If you were to see some of the videos for some of the songs kids today liked you'd have a cow. Good Charlette, Bowling for Soup, Green Day, even Simple Plan. You'd be surprised how some of the 'clean' songs from Radio Disney take on another meaning once you've seen the video.
Luckily my nephews aren't allowed to watch MTV or any of the other music stations. That's not to say they haven't seen some of the music videos, or they haven't been able to figure out what some of the lyrics mean. I remember being surprised when they told me they knew what the Simple Plan song 'untitled' was about and what the 'message' was. (not to drink and drive, for those who don't know).
I'm sure the concerns over music kids listen to today is no different then the concerns our parents had when we were kids. What's changed are the name of the bands. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 11652
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 2, 2006 - 7:30 am: | |
When they were younger, as long as my kids didn't use the words, I didn't mind them hearing them. I'd talk about the words and reflect on what they mean in various contexts. I'd talk about how cursing often shows an inability to express oneself clearly. They understood. There's a lot to protect the kids from, and I don't think exposure to curse words is that important, as long as they're framed properly. I don't curse, so they don't. Now they're older (17 and 14) so they do curse, but they usually remember not to do it at home. The lesson now is that you should not do it in mixed company, and parent-and-child is mixed company.
I figure there could be a backlash if I work too hard to censor this type of thing.
Of course, that's just MY approach, which is worth half of what you paid for it.
There was a Janet Jackson song which was too explicitly sexual when my kids were younger, and rather than taking it away, when they played the CD, I'd just say, "can we skip this song?" They said OK, and it became a habit for them when they played it. I was annoyed that it was on the album, however. There was a lot of moaning and groaning. It ended suddenly, and she yelled, "hey, I didn't get to come!"
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shoshannah
Citizen
Username: Shoshannah
Post Number: 1121
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 2, 2006 - 12:44 pm: | |
We gave her the CD last night, for the last night of Chanukah. She and I listened to it together, and quite frankly I couldn't even hear the words. At some point she'll probably read the lyrics and then we'll have a talk about it. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 11660
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 2, 2006 - 2:31 pm: | |
Perhaps you would like to read it before she does and approach her proactively. That might help her put the language into a broader perspective than she'll have when she stumbles across it.
Then again, she could be miles ahead of you. Perhaps she wanted the CD because it has curse words in it, and she knows exactly which words are in it. Even if that's true, it could be worthwhile trying to catch up with her.
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shoshannah
Citizen
Username: Shoshannah
Post Number: 1123
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 2, 2006 - 5:14 pm: | |
Knowing my daughter, her motivation is that it is a popular CD and 'everyone' is listening to it. Also, to her the word 'idiot' is naughty enough. |
dave23
Citizen
Username: Dave23
Post Number: 1213
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 3, 2006 - 12:29 pm: | |
Charles, you'll notice I wrote "reared on the likes of the Dead Kennedys." Not really a comparison. That said, I've heard interviews with Jello where he said good things about Green Day. |
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