We have a 13yo son who likes heavy metal. Sigh. I think that it is a passing phase and it is more of an intrigue thing right now (although DH listened to Jimi Hendrix at age 8 and still does!) l

We've been buying his music at Walmart or downloading edited versions off of Amazon just so that we know that the lyrics are censored. He honestly WANTS the censored versions.

Just curious what other folks do and not saying anyone is right or wrong with doing things the way that they do... We all parent the best way that we can.

It's never really come up at our house. In fact, I guess I live under a rock because I didn't know you could buy different versions! This is the sort of stuff my kids listen to: Amazon.com: The Twenty-First Time: MP3 Downloads

I remember being a middle schooler at church and having a teacher say he had some wonderful poetry to share with us. He read it aloud in a perfectly nerdy voice. lol

Sittin' here, eatin' my heart out waitin'
waitin' for some lover to call
dialed about a thousand numbers lately
almost rang the phone off the wall

Lookin' for some hot stuff baby this evenin'
I need some hot stuff baby tonight
I want some hot stuff baby this evenin'
gotta have some hot stuff
gotta have some lovin' tonight
I need hot stuff
I want some hot stuff
I need hot stuff

Lookin' for a lover who needs another
don't want another night on my own
wanna share my love with a warm blooded lover
wanna bring a wild man back home

Gotta have some hot love baby this evenin'
I need some hot stuff baby tonight
I want some hot stuff baby this evenin'
gotta have some lovin'
got to have a love tonight
I need hot stuff
hot love
lookin' for hot love

Hot, hot, hot, hot stuff
hot, hot, hot
hot, hot, hot, hot stuff
hot, hot, hot

Gotta have some hot love baby this evenin'
I need some hot stuff baby tonight
lookin' for some hot stuff baby this evenin'
I need hot stuff baby tonight
hot stuff baby this evening
I want hot stuff baby tonight
hot stuff baby this evenin'
I want some hot stuff baby tonight

my son is into rock, rap, pop. I censor right now b/c I think at 13 he's still too young to hear what the original lyrics are.

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Twenty-First Time sounds like what I personally listen to. I'm a huge Jars of Clay fan just because I like the sound... and the message is a positive one for me. I'm honestly not much of a church-goer so it strikes people as odd.

I recognize those lyrics. Was that Donna Summer? That's a funny story!

Yup - Donna Summer. My 12 yo DD just discovered Soul Train on tv this afternoon - reruns from the 70's - and we saw Donna Summer, so that was on my mind before you even asked that question!

Do you listen to Casting Crowns at all? Love them! Amazon.com: Casting Crowns: MP3 Downloads

I would have to say censored. Any music that I've heard censored is not compomised musically in any way to make it "appropriate for all audiences." I can't imagine a song losing its appeal just because the language is cleaned up, but I'm sure it does affect its marketability among some groups. Go figure.

I prefer they actually replace the words when they censor - I don't like just hearing random instances of silence where they pull out the swears or offensive language. The little silences are annoying. So that's my vote - censored music that has cleaned up lyrics rather than little blurbs of silence all over it.

I liked metal at that age and still do

I bought a tape at wal mart and then discovered it was censored, never bought music there since and rarely buy DVDs either

My kids aren't old enough to really be interested in music so I don't know what I'll do then. Depends on what the content is I guess? Just cuss words doesn't bother me, talking about sex and stuff, yeah...

I would say it depends on the age of your child(ren). When my kids were younger yes, we would censor what they listened to. As they became older (high school +) I let them decide what to listen to. We can give them the values and morals, it's up to them to use
'em.

S

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For our two youngest, censored.

When I was younger, I had a different opinion on this. Now, as I age, I prefer listening to the censored music too!

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I've actually been going through my iPod trying to figure out what's child appropriate, and what needs to be set not to play when it's on shuffle. I don't choose to purchase censored music, but I wouldn't play NWA for a toddler, even if it was bleeped. The thing that surprised me is how many reasonably innocent songs have swear words sprinkled in (Ben Folds was the worst here), and how much metal was totally clean. non-American power metal (most of it) tends to be pretty safe, so something like Nightwish or Stratovarius would probably be fine, so long as the music's appealing. And yeah, I started with my Black Sabbath cassette in early high school, and it never really went away.

Oh man. When I was younger, I HATED Tipper Gore, LOL.

__________________
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? " ~Epicurus

Since my kids are so young, I buy the censored. I bought one of the Top 25 CD's at Walmart and the Pink song You and Your Hand was on there, I love the song and the kids wouldn't understand any of it, but I don't need them singing those words anyway, not at 4 and 6, too many swear words.

I don't know what I will think at the teenage years, I listened to so many different things from The Ramones, Ozzy, Quiet Riot to Madonna and Bon Jovi and I think it was more of a time for me to figure out what I liked and what I didn't and if someone told me I couldn't listen then I would want to listen even more.

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I guess I censor. The way it works here is that the kids can listen to whatever, and thankfully they aren't into the heavy metal stuff, but, honestly, pretty much anything goes. When we are in the car, they usually leave on the country station that I have (which can have some questionable lyrics at times, too), or change to a station they like. The rule is, if I hear any profanity or inappropriate things, it goes back to country and stays there for the remainder of the trip.

The same goes for the music on the radio at home, which is usually on in the LR, so we all hear it. Anything inappropriate, BAM, it gets changed.

We expose our kids to pretty much everything and explain things to them. Just because we, as parents, find something to be inappropriate, we still want the kids to know that things like this exist, and it is our choice (and later theirs) whether or not to allow them to be exposed to it.

I, too, didn't know you could buy censored music.

For anyone with little ones, a good one is "The best of Joe Scruggs". I found this a while back, and it has really wonderful songs and things, very kid friendly.

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I would think that the concern nowadays would be with Rap & Hip-hop music (language, violence, hate-mongering, womanizing, drus, etc) and not so much heavy metal music.

cj/

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Well we listened to all kinds of music about sex and drugs and most of us are no worse for the wear. Although if you ask my mother The Rolling Stones are to blame for all of the youth problems of the 70s as they "glamourized the drug culture and encouraged kids to take that dope".
I do think that some of the mucis today is raunchy and horrendous. But if you ban it they just want it more. A more effective method of teaching is to listen it together and look at the lyrics (which you have printed out ahead of time). I think talking about why you disapprove of or feel uncomfortable with certain things and showing trust are the best way. If there is something you feel you should ban because it's totally unacceptable to your morals or sensibilities then stand firm and let them know why.
This is sure a tough time if it's any consolation it passes by quickly and someday you will even wish for these days back! No I'm not on drugs it's true LOL!

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I am completely against edited versions of songs.

If a song has content that you feel is inappropriate then the whole song is inappropriate. Bleeping out certain words doesn't change the real meaning of the song 99% of the time.

Example(only because I heard this song on the way home today so its fresh in my head): Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake. The song has the "f-word" in it which is removed in the edited version, BUT the message of the song is still the same and its all about sex. "See the shackles hanging on this slave, I'll let you whip me if I misbehave" is very suggestive even though there is no profanity in it(don't quote me on the line, I know it's very close to that if not that word for word).

Editing music focuses on the wrong things, IMHO. The themes can still be there even if the dirty words aren't.


Along a similar line, I think it's inappropriate for parents to let kids listen to/watch certain things that are too mature for them with the excuse that the kids are too young to understand the adult content. You can never to be certain just what kids are/aren't picking up on. Better safe than sorry.

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I think that you are right... I'll be glad that he's not into that type of music (yet, knock on wood).

He studies music for hours and hours and plays his guitar and bass along with the music -- I think he's quite talented, too. He plays by ear and knows only what his dad has taught him.

I feel that once he reaches high school, we won't have as much control over it but for NOW, this is honestly his personal choice since we had hesitation about him listening to the music in the first place; it really was a good compromise.

OK I HAVE TO KNOW!

I listen to bad! (for kids under 5!) music - how can I take those songs out of suffle on my I POD?

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saraedawson@yahoo.com

Mommy to Jake, Alexis, Abigail and Joshua, Wife to Matt

In answer to the oll my kids are all five and under. I rarely let them listen to anything that isn'y from a Christian CD or a cartoon. I do listen to uncesenored music though, and when I feel that my kids are mature enough, with proper values in place I will let them make those decisisons. Yes, the themes are rough and sometimes sexual - but so is the human culture. There are songs without censorship that are just as bad...ie: Sexual Healing - no bad words there...heck look at anything by George Michael or Prince for that matter. As a matter of fact I think we owe this baby to Shake That A$$ for Me

Everything of course as parents is such a science experiment until they are grown and we see how everything worked out - but honestly if it is something I would do in front of my mom and I don't feel bad about then I guess there comes a point when I am OK with my kids doing it. (Now ask me again in 10 years...)

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saraedawson@yahoo.com

Mommy to Jake, Alexis, Abigail and Joshua, Wife to Matt

There's a setting in iTunes for individual songs to 'play on shuffle,' or something of that nature. I don't have the software on this computer, and every update seems to make it more confusing, but I know the option exists.