Music Discussions Lost +

A timely post about from www.TheSource4yM.com about a popular current song. This follows this post about the group “Tigres Del Norte” that was in the D.C. mall amnesty rally. In the meantime, you can get more involved if you like here and read an interesting book HERE.

Music Discussions Lost +



09/20/2013



Main Point of Discussion: In this life, we should live for the approval of God, rather than for the approval from men.



The Song: Lost +

This duet features two titans of the music industry, Coldplay and Jay Z. Jay Z has sold 50 million records worldwide throughout his career and holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist. He’s been back on the airwaves recently with the new release of his album Magna Carta…Holy Grail. The title track and the album have both spent the last several weeks in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and the ITunes top downloads.



Coldplay may not have been as active within the past year or so, but they have still sold around 60 million records during their career and their 2012 Mylo Xyloto tour was the 4th highest-grossing tour that year. They are set to release a new album soon, as well as a song that will be a part of the sound track for the second Hunger Games movie. So although this song is a few years old (2009), it combines two artists who most students are probably familiar with.



Lost+ is a song that reflects on the fleeting nature and pitfalls of success as the world defines it. It shows the elusive nature of living for things like fame, fortune, or the approval of others. It comes from two artists who have seemingly achieved all those things, yet they say that once they arrive where they thought they wanted to be, “the shine wears off.” They encounter attacks and criticism from others, or someone “bigger” and better comes along.



There isn’t really much to the video, although it does provide something interesting to look at. It’s a flashy video of the duo performing the song in concert. Yet alongside the images of Chris Martin singing to thousands of adoring fans, are some surprising reflections about the trappings of fame and the criticism that success invites.



Introducing the Song:

Jay-Z has been everywhere recently, especially since he released his new album Magna Carta in July. He’s been on TV, in advertisements, on the radio, and at the top of the charts. The song is a duet featuring Jay-Z and another superstar music group, Coldplay. These two artists are two of the most successful artists of our time. Together they have sold well over 100 million records and made untold amounts of money. They are the definition of success in the way that the world defines it. In light of that though, I think this song has some interesting and surprising things to say about fame and success. Let’s watch together.



Important Note for Leaders: True to form, Jay-Z uses some profanity in his rap. He uses the word s**t and ni**a in the music video, which can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGl6KK90kbc.



Please use wise judgment in deciding whether you are comfortable showing the original to your youth or not. When I did this with our youth, I edited the two curse words out. If you would rather use the edited version, you can find it here: https://vimeo.com/72363565



Edited from bmcvideoproductions on Vimeo.







Song Lyrics:



Just because I’m losing

Doesn’t mean I’m lost!

Doesn’t mean I’ll stop

Doesn’t mean I'm across



Just because I’m hurting

Doesn’t mean I’m hurt

Doesn’t mean I don’t get what I deserved

No better and no worse



I just got lost

Every river that I tried to cross

Every door I ever tried was locked

Oh and I’m just waiting ‘til the shine wears off



You might be a big fish

In a little pond

Doesn’t mean you’ve won

‘Cause a long may come

A bigger one



And you’ll be lost

Every river that you tried to cross

Every gun you ever held went off

Oh and I’m just waiting until the firing stopped

Oh and I’m just waiting ‘til the shine wears off



[Jay-Z]

Aha, I gotcha, uh...

With the same sword they knight you, they gon' good night you with

Sh*t, That's only half if they like you

That ain't even the half what they might do

Don't believe me, ask Michael

See Martin, see Malcolm

See Biggie, see Pac, see success and its outcome

See Jesus, see Judas

See Caesar, see Brutus, see success is like suicide

Suicide, it's a suicide

If you succeed, prepare to be crucified

Media meddles, ni**az sue you, you settle

Every step you take, they remind you you're ghetto

So it's tough being Bobby Brown

To be Bobby then, you have to be Bobby now

And the question is, "Is to have had and lost

Better than not having at all?"

Because I'm...



Oh and I’m, just waiting ‘til the shine wears off

Oh and I’m, just waiting ‘til the shine wears off



Transitional Statement:

From listening to this song, it sounds like being famous and popular may not be as great as it is made out to be. In fact, if you look at the lyrics handout you have in front of you, Jay-Z even likens success to suicide. Wow! That’s probably not what you and I would have called it. But we should probably listen to him; after all, he’s had plenty of success. He should know exactly how fleeting it is to try and stay at the top. Coldplay says it’s tough; a bigger fish is always bound to come along. So, let’s not adopt the mindset of the world when it comes to success. In this life, we should live for the approval of God, rather than for the approval from men. Let’s discuss this some more in our small groups.



Divide into Small Groups:

Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.



CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format—a great resource to equip your small group leaders.



Discussion Questions:





1.AROUND THE CIRCLE: Before we dive in, tell everybody your name and a time that you were lost somewhere.





2.ASK A FEW: What were some phrases that stuck out to you from this song? What did they mean to you?





3.ASK A FEW: In particular, I found the lyrics to Jay Z’s rap to be very interesting. What do you think Jay Z was trying to say during his part?





4.ASK A FEW: Do you think this idea is true—that our society tries to tear down people who are successful? Why or why not?





5.ASK A FEW: Do you know someone who is really successful or good at what they do, for example, a doctor, a teacher, an athlete, an artist, a parent, etc.? If so, do you know if they are plagued with always trying to be better to please others?





6.ASK A FEW: Can you think of a time where you were criticized or made fun of for doing something well?



Read the following passage from the Bible:



1 Thessalonians 2:1-7



You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children among you.



NOTE: At this point, Paul had travelled to numerous cities, preaching the message of Christ and ministering to the Churches. Paul had certainly reached a lot of people for Christ and had seen a lot of success in ministry, but he had also faced a lot of opposition.





7.ASK A FEW: From reading this passage, what kinds of things did people accuse Paul of? (Leaders – He was accused of being deceitful, that his message “sprung from error,” that he was seeking praise from others, that he was using the church for his own greed, etc.)





8.ASK A FEW: How does Paul respond to these accusations? (HINT: Pay close attention to verses 4 and 6.)





9.ASK A FEW: Why does Paul say He seeks to please God rather than people?





10.ASK A FEW: What are some ways in which people seek the praise of others today?





11.ASK A FEW: What are some examples of ways we can please God?





12.AROUND THE CIRCLE: Do you think most of the decisions you make are for the approval of God or for the approval of other people? Why or why not?





13.ASK A FEW: How different would your life look if you cared more about what God thought of you than you did about what other people thought of you?





14.AROUND THE CIRCLE: How will you seek to please God more than people in the coming week?



Wrap Up:

The reality is that people can be really fickle sometimes. It’s very interesting that Jay Z, possibly one of the most popular musicians in all of history, is talking about how easily people turn against you and how you can be attacked for being successful.



Most of you probably have a few really good friends in your life who would stick by you no matter what, but there are many people who may claim to be our friends one day and then turn on us the next, and they may even tear us down for doing what’s right.



Many of you may be living for popularity above all else, you really want other people to like you at you your school. It may be that you want for a certain group to accept you, or maybe you long above all else for a certain person (maybe a particular boy or girl) to like you. It’s normal to want people to like you, so that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if we start to live for the acceptance of others above the acceptance of God, it can lead us to make some really bad choices.



This song and the Bible passage we read warn us is that if we are living for things like popularity or others’ acceptance, it’s like chasing after the wind. Even if you are successful for a moment in gaining these things, some of these people may turn on you, betray you, or hurt you.



That’s why Chris Martin, the Coldplay singer, says he’s “just waiting for the shine to wear off.” He is someone who has achieved fame, riches, and popularity, but he knows that one day the allure will wear off. He knows that eventually, people may turn against him, or attack him, or they may just forget about him altogether.



We can spend our lives chasing things like popularity, success, or money, but if we live for anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ, eventually the shine will wear off. People will come and go in our lives but the one thing that remains—the one thing that is eternal—is your relationship with God.



This doesn’t mean that it is wrong to care about other people’s opinions or that we should have no regard for others. What it means though, is that you will face criticism in this life at some point. If you are going to face it, you should face it for doing good rather than for doing evil. It also means we should never compromise our values in order to please other people.



It means we should live our life with the goal of pleasing God, who judges men’s hearts, above all else. If you need help doing that, hang around after we pray and speak with one of our adult leaders. You’ll be glad you did.



Close in Prayer



Written by Brandon McCarroll

Cover Your Ears: Rampant Vulgarity Ruling the Charts

A very interesting book from  www.thesource4ym.com  about current music that is topping the charts. This follows this post about feminism that you can read on International Women's Day.  In the meantime, you can read two very interesting books HERE.


Cover Your Ears: Rampant Vulgarity Ruling the Charts

An article from Jonathan McKee and David R. Smith at www.TheSource4YM.com




Over the years, song lyrics have often dipped into areas of controversy causing some to debate their appropriateness. But music is art… right?



Regardless where you land in that deliberation, this week’s top songs can’t help but make you wonder, “Do these artists kiss their mothers with those mouths?”



The Good, The Bad, and The Downright Disgusting

Foul language in mainstream music isn’t anything new; just ask those who remember the 2 Live Crew controversy. But a quick glance across this week’s top songs on iTunes and Billboard’s Hot 100 might lead some to think that the frequency of vulgarity has increased…along with its acceptance by our culture.



Of course, not everything in this week’s music has gone vulgar. Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble talks about the red flags she ignored in a relationship that recently ended, and she does so in a healthy way. Bruno Mars’ When I Was Your Man speaks (cleanly) about the regrets of lost love, a highly popular theme from 2012 that seems to be carrying over into this year. And since Harlem Shake, this week’s #1 song, only has 5 words in English, it’s fairly innocuous as well (even though it’s viral homemade videos might not always be so innocent).



But then there’s will.i.am’s collaboration with Britney Spears entitled Scream & Shout. In this dance hit, Britney repeatedly asks the DJ to “turn the sh*t up” and even refers to herself as a “b**ch.” If our kids happen to navigate to the extremely popular new music video remix of this song (still in the top 10 iTunes music videos as we write this), then they’ll encounter Diddy, Waka, and Lil Wayne joining in with too many vulgarities to list, including encouragement to smoke, drink, etc. (No need to go into too much detail, Jonathan unveiled more about that music video in his blog recently.) Suit and Tie, the offspring of a Justin Timberlake and Jay Z partnership, starts off with a repetition of “I be on my suit and tie sh*t, tie sh*t, tie, I be on my suit and tie sh*t, tie sh*t.”



Strange? Yes.



Unnecessary? Definitely.



But then we go shopping and it just gets worse….



THRIFT SHOP by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (featuring Wanz)

Thrift Shop, as the title implies, is a throwback to things of the past, from the gull-winged doors on the DeLorean…to the gaudy clothes from by-gone decades that the Seattle-based rapper picks up at his local secondhand store. This song, which has fallen from the top position to #2, has an almost comical sound to it, but many of its lyrics are anything but funny. See for yourself:



I'm gonna pop some tags

Only got twenty dollars in my pocket

I - I - I'm hunting, looking for a come-up

This is f**king awesome

Nah, Walk up to the club like, "What up, I got a big c*ck!"

I'm so pumped about some sh*t from the thrift shop

Ice on the fringe, it's so damn frosty

That people like, "Damn! That's a cold a** honkey."

Rollin' in, hella deep, headin' to the mezzanine,

Dressed in all pink, 'cept my gator shoes, those are green

Draped in a leopard mink, girls standin' next to me

Probably shoulda washed this, smells like R. Kelly's sheets

(Piiisssssss)



Thrift Shop is the rappers’ way of explaining their rejection of hip hop’s glam lifestyle. In an interview with MTV, Macklemore said, “Rappers talk about, oh I buy this and I buy that, and I spend this much money and I make it rain, and this type of champagne and painting the club, and this is the kind of record that’s the exact opposite. It’s the polar opposite of it. It’s kind of standing for like let’s save some money, let’s keep some money away, let’s spend as little as possible and look as fresh as possible at the same time.”



As you can see, this song is sort of messy to evaluate. I (Jonathan), blogged about this little diddy when it first went no. 1. The theme is noble, but the lyricist is a foul mouth. I talked with some teenagers about this song recently and found it beneficial to be objective in my evaluation. Let’s be honest. Teenagers are probably a little tired of adults complaining about their music. So I started by just asking questions about the song, like, “How is it musically?”



They were quick to tell me, “It’s awesome. I love the beat.”



I replied honestly. “I agree. It’s catchy and it’s funny. I can see why it’s popular.”



Then I asked, “What do you think the theme of the song is?”



They thought for a moment and then verbalized what they thought Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were saying. “We don’t need fancy clothes to feel good about ourselves. Why not buy something more affordable?”



I agreed again. Then I asked, “Is this a good message?”



They looked at each other as if it was a trick question, but asserted, “Yeah… that’s a good message.”



I agreed once again. They seemed surprised that an adult actually saw reality about this song.



“Now,” I continued. “Tell me how this guy decides to deliver this message.” And that opened the door to talk a little bit about his language and foul references. This kind of talk, while common in this world, probably isn’t the best way for a believer to communicate.



In the end, we had a healthy conversation where I challenged them to evaluate and think Biblically about the messages they were hearing… like the ones in this next song.



STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM by Drake

This is the song Macklemore just warned you about….



Young Money rapper Drake released this song last month, and so far, Started From the Bottom has done nothing but climb the charts, currently resting in the #6 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100. It’s got plenty of the elements usually associated with hip hop music: braggadocios amounts of bling, lots of alcohol, the objectification of women, and of course, plenty of vulgar lyrics. Take a look:

Started from the bottom now we’re here

Started from the bottom now my whole team f**king here

Started from the bottom now we’re here

Started from the bottom now the whole team here, nigga

Started from the bottom now we’re here

Started from the bottom now my whole team f**king here

Started from the bottom now we’re here

Started from the bottom now the whole team here, nigga

I done kept it real from the jump

Living at my mama’s house we'd argue every month

Nigga, I was trying to get it on my own

Working all night, traffic on the way home

And my uncle calling me like "Where ya at?

I gave you the keys told ya bring it right back”

Nigga, I just think it’s funny how it goes

Now I’m on the road, half a million for a show



The music video – with its foul language and scantily clad ladies – has racked up millions of views on YouTube. Started basically chronicles Drake’s rise from obscurity in a menial job to that of hip hop superstar. Instead of working the night shift at some corner store, Drake now claims he has become the intersection of wealth and fame.



When Drake released the song, he also gave an explanation for the song’s meaning. “My family and my second family (consisting of the best friends anybody could ever have) all struggled and worked extremely hard to make all this happen. I did not buy my way into this spot and it was the furthest thing from easy to achieve. I am proud of every part of my past and I’m excited for this song to find a place in your life as well.”



For way too many young people, that place in life is their playlist. This song is the antithesis of a godly and generous lifestyle, opting rather for debauchery, overt sexuality, and unchecked materialism described in shamelessly foul language.



But this isn’t even the worst song in the Top 10 this week.



LOVE ME by Lil Wayne (featuring Drake and Future)

When a song opens with “I’m on that good kush [marijuana] and alcohol, I got some down b**ches I can call,” you know it’s going to earn its explicit warning label.



Or, speaking candidly, when the artist is Lil Wayne… you know it’s going to earn its explicit warning label.



Love Me is Lil Wayne’s collaborative effort with Drake and Future that has absolutely nothing to do with love. There’s plenty about lust, but nothing about love as we’ve understood the term for centuries. But since the song has made a significant jump from #19 to #10 this week, it’s like Tina Turner said: “What’s love got to do with it?”



We’ve written about lots of foul music in our Youth Culture Window articles across the years, but this tune has to crack the top three most-vile songs we’ve ever covered. Here’s the song’s first verse:

Pu**y-a** niggas stop hatin'

Lil' Tunechi got that fire

And these hoes love me like Satan...

F**k with me and get bodied

And all she eat is d**k

She on a strict diet

That's my baby

With no makeup she a ten

And she the best with head

Even better than Corinne

She don't want money

She want the time we could spend

She said "cause I really need somebody,

So tell me you're that somebody"

And girl, I f**k who I want

And f**k who I don't

Got that A1 credit

At that Filet Mignon

She say "I never wanna you make you mad,

I just wanna make you proud"

I say "baby, just make me c*m,

Then don't make a sound"



There is no need to go into verse two; the song’s ultra-vulgar music video remains equally filthy throughout.



It’s terribly unfortunate that a person of Lil Wayne’s mass appeal and influence has chosen to produce such toxic lyrics for millions of young people to consume. The rapper was released from jail in 2011 and by the looks of this song, it seems he is making up for lost time.



I just hope his perverted definition of “love” doesn’t catch on with today’s teenagers.



Filtering the Filth

Media is a huge force in kids’ lives, but with the constant release of new music, it can be tough to keep up with all the influences competing for your teenagers’ affections. But, as you’ve seen from some of this week’s music, it’s important to know what’s out there. We can learn a lot about teenagers from iTunes and the music charts. Fortunately, there are a couple ways you can filter today’s music so that your teenagers steer clear of the filth.





1.Do your homework. When we lead parenting seminars (both Jonathan and David), one of the most frequently asked questions is, “How do you know so much about today’s music?” The answer is so simple; we use three well-known websites to stay current: Billboard, Google, and YouTube. We begin with Billboard’s Hot 100 and simply read down the list. If a new song has entered the Top 10 and I’m unfamiliar with it, I jump over to Google and search for the song’s lyrics. After perusing the lyrics, I turn to YouTube to see if the song has a music video. (Note: Some songs never become videos and some songs are released on the radio well before they’re released in video format. Thus, you may have to check back a few times. Just make sure you look for the “official” music video.) Depending on the length of the song, this entire process takes about 7 minutes to complete. This “homework” is simple, so make the small investment that will give you a big return on your kids’ lives.



Another great way to ‘do your homework’ is to let us do most of the work for you. We both are constantly writing about music, media and youth culture in these Youth Culture Window articles, our Parenting Help articles, and in Jonathan’s blog. Subscribe HERE for any of those free resources and we’ll send them to you each week.





2.Counter culture with truth. The three songs above reek of materialism, drugs, alcohol, greed, lust, sexual immorality, and more. Left unchecked, the messages embedded in these songs will soon embed themselves in teenagers’ minds and hearts. The best way to overcome these influences is with the truth of God’s Word. Fortunately for you, The Source for Youth Ministry has lots of totally free tools that can help you combat culture with the truth of Christ’s teachings. For instance, here’s a great resource about blindly seeking riches and wealth. This is another music-based resource that illustrates the pain of a party lifestyle. This YouTube Discussion Starter tackles the tough issue of lust and pornography, while this one shows that drug and alcohol addictions require the saving work of Jesus Christ.



Telling a kid to “cover your ears” stopped working when they were in preschool. As parents and youth workers, we must be far more proactive in helping our teenagers make pure choices regarding their music selections. The discernment they gain could guide them for life.



 Jonathan McKee,president of The Source for Youth Ministry, is the author of numerous books including the new Candid Confessions of an Imperfect Parent, and youth ministry books like Ministry By Teenagers, Connect: Real Relationships in a World of Isolation, and the award winning book Do They Run When They See You Coming? Jonathan speaks and trains at conferences, churches and events across North America, all while providing free resources for youth workers and parents on his websites, TheSource4YM.com and TheSource4Parents.com. You can follow Jonathan on his blog, getting a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help. Jonathan and his wife Lori, and their three teenagers Alec, Alyssa and Ashley live in California.







David R. Smith  is a 15-year youth ministry veteran who helps youth workers and parents through his writing, training, and speaking. David specializes in sharing the gospel, and equipping others do the same. He co-authored his first book this year, Ministry By Teenagers. David provides free resources to anyone who works with teenagers on his website, DavidRSmith.org. David resides with his wife and son in Tampa, Florida.

The #1 Hits of 2011 (Part Two)

Here is an interesting article from http://www.thesource4ym.com/ about some of the music that was poplular during 2011. This follows this post about a movie depicting Kim Jong Il called "Team America." This follows this post about the case for stores such as Blockbuster. This follows THIS POST about some movies that have been released over the past few years that you might have missed! This all  follows this post about guidelines to chosing good movies to watch yourself!

The #1 Hits of 2011 (Part Two)


The Biggest Names in Music Left A Big Mark

An article from Jonathan McKee and David R. Smith at http://www.thesource4ym.com/



So far, we’ve covered half of this year’s top music. Sadly, we have some of the grittiest of 2011 ahead of us yet. But understanding today’s music will help us better understand our teenagers.



We’re in the middle of our annual review of the year’s top songs that rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. We’ve got the last half of the year to go, but if you missed Part One of this Youth Culture Window article, take the time to go back and read it first. You won’t want to miss what young people heard from the first eight #1 songs of 2011.



Now let’s take a peek at the second half of 2011.





Give Me Everything (Pitbull, featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack, & Nayer)

Though this song only reigned at the top for one week, July 3 through July 9, it’s gotten plenty of play through lots of mediums since then. For example, the music video has been viewed 184 million times on YouTube. It had staying power on iTunes’ Chart Singles because of the massive amounts of downloads, and the hip hop gang also got a chance to strut their stuff in a live version of this song at the MTV VMAs.Heck, this song even got print when Lindsay Lohan sued Pitbull for the “irreparable harm” his lyrics caused her.



And what are some of those lyrics? Unfortunately, much of the same ol, same ol. Take a look:

Excuse me, but I might drink a little more than I should tonight

And I might take you home with me, if I could tonight

And, baby, Ima make you feel so good, tonight

Cause we might not get tomorrow

Tonight I want all of you tonight

Give me everything tonight

For all we know we might not get tomorrow

Let's do it tonight

Nope. You’re not excused. The irresponsible references to alcohol and the brazen – and repeated – references to sex found in the rest of the song’s lyrics make me glad this song was only at the top for one week.



Pitbull is a perennial chart topper. This wasn’t his first #1; it probably won’t be his last. But when he was dethroned, it would be by a brand new group who would set up a dynasty at the top.





Party Rock Anthem (L.M.F.A.O., featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock)

If people were to choose just one song from 2011 as the most memorable, there is little question they’d name Party Rock Anthem. This song went #1 on July 10th and stayed on top for six weeks straight. But to say that this song only stayed on top for six weeks is a misrepresentation of its appeal. This song has been at the top of iTunes song and video charts almost the entire second half of 2011. As I write this, it is still the third most downloaded iTunes video. Around Thanksgiving, the song finally exited the Top 10 on Billboard, and is in the 12th position as I write.



Who is LMFAO? The duo is comprised of two guys who go by the names Redfoo (Stefan Kendel Gordy) and SkyBlu (Skyler Husten Gordy). They are actually uncle and nephew to one another, and both are related to Motown label founder Berry Gordy.



LMFAO (which stands for “Laughing My Fu**ing A** Off”) became a household name this summer with the release of Party Rock Anthem. You may not recognize Party Rock Anthem by its title, but I know you’ll recognize it from those toe-tapping Kia Soul car commercials with the big dancing hamsters. The song still gets plenty of play time in gyms, malls, retail stores, and even schools across the country; and if you watched the American Music Awards, you got to see them perform it live, spouting these lyrics:In the club party rock, lookin' for your girl? She on my jock

Nonstop when we in the spot, booty movin' weight like she on the block

Where the drank? I gots to know, tight jeans, tattoo 'cause I'm rock 'n' roll

Half black, half white, domino, game the money, op-a-doe

Yo, I'm runnin' through these ho's like Drano…

LMFAO would rise to #2 on the charts again later in 2011 with their controversial song and music video, Sexy and I Know It (it’s actually still #2 on the charts today). If you haven’t seen the music video for this song, you might want to read our article about it, first. (I’ll leave you with two simple words: penis waggling). The song Sexy and I Know It never hit #1 on Billboard, but remained #1 on iTunes for months. Its music video is still #2 (as I write this today).





Last Friday Night (Katy Perry)

It’s sad that Katy Perry’s most irresponsible song is the song that made history. In last week’s article, I pointed out that Katy Perry made Billboard Hot 100 history with Last Friday Night, the fifth song of hers from one album to go #1, making her “the first woman, and second artist overall following Michael Jackson…to send five songs from an album to No. 1.”



The message of this song is clear; the lyrics speak for themselves.

Last Friday night

We went streaking in the park

Skinny dipping in the dark

Then had a menage a trois

Last Friday night

Yeah I think we broke the law

Always say we’re gonna stop-op

Perhaps she learned her lesson, right? Well, the next line clears up any doubt:This Friday night

Do it all again

This Friday night

Do it all again…

This is another example of a music video propelling a song up the charts. This funny, creative video, chock full of cameos, went viral shortly after its release.  Realizing its popularity, and its ability to help teach an important truth, we fashioned it into a terrific MUSIC DISCUSSION STARTER about holiness.



Will Katy deliver more irresponsible music in the future? I’m sure she’ll take her own advice and “do it all again.”





Moves Like Jagger (Maroon 5, featuring Christina Aguilera)

It’s been a little while since Maroon 5 – the band behind hits like Wake Up Call, Won’t Go Home Without You, This Love, She Will Be Loved – has been in the Top 10, let alone, the #1 spot. But on September 4th, and then again on September 18th, they captured the coveted position and held it for 4 weeks, total.



Moves Like Jagger seems to be about front man Adam Levine’s ability to impress a particular girl with his “Jagger-esque” dance moves, hence the name of the song. The song’s lyrics have a few sketchy lines here and there (“…take me by the tongue and I’ll know you, kiss me till you’re drunk and I’ll show you…”) but the music video shows the band – and a bunch of wannabees – simply channeling their inner Mick.



The song received solid reviews, and several critics really liked the pairing of Adam Levine with Christina Aguilera. Their presence on the hit NBC show, The Voice, no doubt helped launch the song (iTunes launched a version that they performed on The Voice and it quickly went #1 as well on iTunes). Interestingly, Adam Levine, the lead singer for Maroon 5, would also get a lot of hype this year for the help he gave Gym Class Heroes in their song Stereo Hearts. This catchy tune peaked at #4 on Billboards’ Hot 100, and we thought the message contained in it was worthy of making it a MUSIC DISCUSSION for you to use for free.


But Maroon 5 would be one of the first to learn that the new girl on the musical block was here to stay…and she would finally give Jagger the dagger.





Someone Like You (Adele)

On September 11th, and then October 9th because of the brief interruption by Maroon 5, Adele captured the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 with Someone Like You. Like Rolling in the Deep before it, this song was about trying to cope with, and move on after, losing at love. Again, Adele employed strong vocal ability and heavy piano sounds in her newest ballad.



Perhaps the song’s success was due (in part) to the sentimentality of a nation in remembrance, itself. The day it went #1 was also the day we celebrated the anniversary of the terror attacks of 9-11.



Someone Like You proved to be another huge hit for Adele. It’s helped seal six nominations for her at the Grammys. Saturday Night Live recently used her song in a funny sketch about people going through tough times. Hey, her music touches people deeply because of her honest assessment of pain.



That said, I’m sure 2012 will be as good for Adele as 2011 was.





We Found Love (Rihanna, featuring Calvin Harris)

On November 6th We Found Love hit #1 on the charts and hasn’t budged since. The song has been a hit since it first landed on the charts three months ago; it also graces the #1 spot on Billboard’s “Radio Songs” chart, and “Pop Songs” chart. It’s been bouncing around the first and second positions on iTunes for the last two months as well.



The song seems to be resonating with young girls especially. The chorus simply repeats the phrase, “we found love in a hopeless place”, a message that offers hope in the midst of pain. No question, most people don’t stifle thoughts of finding love and “good times” together with someone special. But the music video gives a little more insight into the theme of the song.



The music video is probably one of the most powerful videos released this year. Much like 2010’s Love the Way You Lie, Rihanna’s earlier hit with Eminem, We Found Love expresses pain, confusion, and an almost nostalgic look back at the “good times,” wondering if they justified the bad times. The video is a flashback of these good times: sex, drugs, partying, dancing, drinking, getting a tattoo, stealing, more sex, more drugs, angry sex…. Soon we see fighting, more anger, yelling, more fighting, then packing and leaving. The final scene of the video is a shot of Rihanna alone, curled up in a corner, crying.



One might think that the music video is a warning, showing the consequences of this kind of living. But pay attention to some of the opening words to the video:And when it’s over and it’s gone

You almost wish you could have all that bad stuff back

So that you could have the good.

I blogged about this song two days after it went #1, commenting that, sadly, the answers provided from this song are “temporary thrills.” The summary of the music video is basically: even though I feel hopeless, empty, and in pain, I almost would do it all over again just so I could have those good moments.



Maybe that’s why the song is still #1.





* * *



Looking Back

As I look back over many of the top songs of 2011, I see two common denominators: temporary thrills and pain.



The songs about temporary thrills are very misleading. They seem to hint that these brief moments of fun are the answer to life’s problems. Consequences are rarely seen or discussed.



The songs about pain are often genuine and authentic. They seem to convey true hurt and regret.



Sadly, no one is connecting the dots that many of these very temporary thrills lead to the very pain and regret being sung about. Since no one is making that connection, go ahead and assume that responsibility for yourself.



Looking Forward

To know where you’re going, you often have to look at where you’ve been. Hopefully, that’s what this peek at the #1’s of 2011 has helped you do. If we could stress one action plan for you to implement, it would be this: know the music your teens are listening to, and how it impacts them.



Parents, talk with your kids about their music choices before they start downloading. Ask them questions about the song’s lyrics, meaning, message, and impact on their faith. Often times, teens simply want a song because it sounds cool. You’ll have to carefully, and frequently, remind them that music is a powerful force in our lives, so we must show discretion in what we choose to listen to. I can’t emphasize having these conversations enough; done correctly, they will stick with your teenager long after the desired song has dropped off the charts.



These big time artists are driven to create music that leaves a big mark on the lives of young people. Unless you understand that music, and help your teenagers navigate it, the mark might be a painful one.







Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth Ministry, is the author of numerous books including the brand new Candid Confessions of an Imperfect Parent, Ministry By Teenagers, Connect: Real Relationships in a World of Isolation, and the award winning book Do They Run When They See You Coming? He speaks and trains at camps, conferences, and events across North America, and provides free resources for youth workers internationally on his website, TheSource4YM.com.







David R. Smith is a 15-year youth ministry veteran who helps youth workers and parents through his writing, training, and speaking. David specializes in sharing the gospel, and equipping others do the same. He co-authored his first book this year, Ministry By Teenagers. David provides free resources to anyone who works with teenagers on his website, DavidRSmith.org. David resides with his wife and son in Tampa, Florida.

4 Observations from the 2011 MTV VMA's And What They Teach Us About Pop Culture

Here is an interesting article from http://www.thesource4ym.com/ about the 2011 MTV VMA's .This follows this post  reviewing some of the movies that came out over the past weekend and  THIS POST about some movies that have been released over the past few years that you might have missed!  This all  follows this post about guidelines to chosing good movies to watch yourself!



4 Observations from the 2011 MTV VMA's



And What They Teach Us About Pop Culture

An article from Jonathan McKee and David R. Smith at TheSource4YM.com




The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards have come and gone. If you watched the annual show, you caught a glimpse of pop culture at its grittiest. But what do we do with those observations? How do they impact us as we raise and lead teenagers?



We’re glad you asked.



The Moments of Culture

Our Youth Culture Window articles have covered the MTV Video Music Awards before; we’ve dissected this annual show every year for the last several years. This show generally serves as a good reference point for the biggest moments in culture. In fact, this particular TV show often produces the biggest moments in culture! Earlier this week, Yahoo’s Music Blog did a pretty good job looking back over the past VMAs and chronicling The Wackiest VMA Moments Ever. They make the point that we’ve made for years: it’s not about “who-wins-what.” It’s about “who-does/says-what.” (But, just in case you want to know which artist took home which Moonman at the 2011 VMAs, you can find them here.)



This year’s live show was held in Los Angeles and was “sort of” hosted by Kevin Hart, standup comedian and small time actor (Fools Gold, Death at a Funeral). We say “sort of” because he was introduced as host, did an opening monologue (that BOMBED!), and then was only seen in a few short funny clips throughout the commercial breaks.



Strange.



We gotta say, for the most part – and we stress “for the most part” – this was one of the tamer VMAs in recent history. (We’ll elaborate on the few exceptions later.) Also setting this awards show apart from the past were the coolest live performances in recent memory. Lady Gaga opened the show with a strong performance of her hit song, You and I (No question, Gaga is a very talented performer). Taking the stage throughout the remainder of the night would be Pit Bull, Adele, Kanye West and Jay Z, Beyoncé, and Young the Giant. Chris Brown also did a cool dance medley, and Bruno Mars sang a tribute to the recently deceased Amy Winehouse. Finally, Lil Wayne performed at the show’s end. (Umm…he’s one of the exceptions we just mentioned.)



All in all, MTV seemed to place the emphasis on – wait for it – music. Yeah, we were surprised, too. As we watched this year’s music awards show that actually centered on music, we observed four inescapable realities about youth culture. Here they are:



1. Bleep! Bleep! Bleep!

The F-bomb made its appearance during Lady Gaga’s show opener. Dressed as her male alter ego Joe Calderone, she/he spewed expletives like the geysers of Yellowstone. In the first two minutes of the show, the F word was bleeped four times. Throughout her later appearances in the show – all as Calerdone – she continued using course language.



You’ve probably guessed that she’s one of the exceptions, too.



For example, during Gaga’s introduction of Britney Spears for The Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, she admitted that posters of Spears hanging on her bedroom walls as a teenager caused her to sexually touch herself. She then commanded the crowd: “Everybody stand the f--k up!” Later, during her reception of Best Female Video Award for Born This Way, she referenced her other award for the same song, Best Video With a Message. She nonchalantly claimed, “Every video…has a f--king message.”



But, she was only getting us warmed up for Lil Wayne.



When the tattooed rapper finally took the stage to close the show, he started off by singing a low-key, highly auto-toned version of How to Love. While it was difficult to discern the heavily automated vocals in this song, it was absolutely impossible to discern any lyrics of his next song because of the bleeping.



Lil Wayne started his second number by ripping off his shirt…and every semblance of human decency. He was bleeped for vulgarity (on average) once every three seconds. He was literally bleeped over 20 times in the first minute!



It was ridiculous, and quite honestly, silly. Perhaps the patrons sitting in the arena got a show; for the millions watching via cable TV, it just sounded like we were having continual technical difficulties.



These two were the major offenders for the night, as well as Tyler the Creator, who dropped some heavy language while accepting his award for Best New Artist. All in all, this year’s awards show proves just how important satellite delay and the bleep button truly are.



2. “I’d Like to Thank God”

Throughout the night we witnessed something we see a lot in these award shows, four of the winning artists thanked God for their award nomination and reception. Britney Spears struck first with a win in the Best Pop Video category for her hyper-sexualized Till the World Ends. After taking the mic, she said, “First, I’d like to thank God for blessing me so much.”



She wouldn’t be the last to drag the Almighty into the debacle.



Nicki Minaj (for Super Bass) followed suit in her speech for Best Hip Hop Video (a racy video where she and her dancers give lap dances of sort to male dancers), first with an excited, “Ohhhh myyyy Goooooodddddddd!” quickly followed by a blurted-out, “I wanna thank God.” She also thanked Lil Wayne, or as she calls him, “the best rapper alive.”



When Kanye West won an award for his collaborative efforts with Katy Perry on E.T. (a song many of you heard Jonathan’s 13-year-old daughter Ashley testify about in one of our recent parenting clips), he didn’t hesitate to begin his thank you speech with a confident, “Thank you to God.” Part of his lyrics for that song goes like this:Tell me what’s next

Alien sex

I want to disrobe you

Then I’m a probe you…



But Justin Bieber went several steps further in his public gratitude of God when his U Smile won Best Male Video. He began his speech by saying, “I just want to say thank you so much, not only to God, but to Jesus, because, you know, I wouldn’t be here without Him. He’s really blessed me. He’s put me in this position. So I wanna say thank you so much. Also, I wanna say thank you to all the other nominees. They’re amazing!”



In case you didn’t know it, he was talking about Bruno Mars (Grenade), Cee Lo Green (F—k You), Eminem (Love the Way You Lie), and Kanye West (All of the Lights). Bieber concluded his speech by saying, “I’m a true fan of all them, so I want to share this award with all them. You guys are amazing.”



Are these frequent nods to God surprising in a nation where only 1.6% of people are atheists? Face it; we live in a country where people don’t find it hypocritical to give God a polite nod for performances that are overtly promiscuous, hyper-sexualized, or profanity-laden. While the prolific use of God’s name might open doors to spiritual conversations, it also greatly hinders the important task of teaching young people what holiness looks like in life.



It’d be great if celebrities would get their theology correct.



3. Coming Attractions

MTV has never wasted an opportunity to self-promote. Each year, a running subtitle to this awards show could be, “Look at all the new shows we’re launching this season.” This year was no different. Here are five shows that MTV is launching immediately.



I Just Want My Pants Back. This show is probably the coarsest, most vile show MTV has ever aired. That’s saying a lot, given that MTV is known for A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila and Skins. But we can back up that description: in the first five seconds of the show, which was aired immediately following the VMAs, the main character pops a masturbation joke. The next scene shows him meeting a female friend in a bar where the two of them talk about his current “dry spell.” In other words, it’s been six weeks since he last had sex. She claims he’s a “born again virgin.” Later scenes show sex depicted, etc. MTV promised only one airing of this episode, but you can look for the series again, full time, in 2012. Can’t wait….



Ridiculousness. This show, hosted by Rob Dyrdek, is very much in line with Comedy Central’s Tosh.O with Daniel Tosh, and E!’s The Soup with Joel McHale. A guy stands up, plays videos from the internet, and cracks some jokes. It airs Monday, August 29th, at 10pm EST.



New Season of Jersey Shore. If you don’t know what this show is about, let us sum it up for you: hair gel and sex. Lots of hair gel and sex! This show airs on Thursday nights at 10pm EST.



The Real World (San Diego). This is another TV show for which simple descriptions suffice. “Mansion + a dozen twenty-somethings (hetero and homosexual) + partying = big ratings for MTV.” The constant commercial for this show featured a young girl who mentioned that she enjoys “flashing her boobs.” This “Real Word” series is older than every single teenager in your youth ministry that will watch it. The formula is still working. Sad.



Death Valley. This show puts you in a police car with the highly trained officers tasked with arresting and/or killing the vampires, zombies, and werewolves that run loose in the San Fernando Valley. This comedy premiers August 29th, at 10:30pm EST, following Ridiculousness.



But new TV shows weren’t the only forms of visual creativity released this year; several companies turned heads with the debut of brand new commercials for their products. Here are a few that caught our eye.



Pacsun said, “Dress irresponsibly.” This commercial, featuring music by Michael Buble, shows girls cutting their pants off dangerously close to their booties. It later shows the same girls taking off their tops during a car ride…top down, of course. It ends with “dress irresponsibly” written across the screen as a girl falls into her bed.



Plan B said, “Here’s emergency contraception.” This morning-after pill was touted as the reason girls can “be calm” even when they wake up the next morning after their birth control fails. After all, “Sometimes, the unexpected happens.”



I’m sorry. When was pre-marital sex “unexpected”?



These commercials teach subtle, but dangerous, messages to teenagers. Most of these TV shows will just come right out with their filth. Undoubtedly, several of these shows will be featured in upcoming Youth Culture Window articles. We’ll wade through this junk, so you don’t have to.



4. Move Over Elvis – Hip Hop is King

If the 2011 VMAs proved anything, it’s that hip hop still rules the masses. Many of you recall us noting this genre’s dominance over the years. Not only does MTV have a special category restricted to hip hop, but looking at winners from the other categories easily shows how big a factor this genre is in pop culture. Best New Artist was taken by Tyler, the Creator, a hip hop upstart. Best Choreography was snagged by Beyoncé, a hip hop icon. Best Collaboration was half pop and half hip hop, as was Best SFX (for the same song).



In fact, hip hop is so big, members of the indie pop band Foster the People noted during the pre-show that they were one of just a few rock bands there that night. They also joked that their next album probably should include some hip hop elements so their chances of winning are improved.



On the surface, this final observation doesn’t carry any spiritual significance. But buried underneath the vibes of this popular genre is a buffet of profanity and degradation of women. Here is an example. Here’s another. Our biggest advice on this is to be extra leery when it comes to this genre. We don’t want to come off as picking on one certain genre, but we’ll be happy to back down when the genre provides even a handful of examples of artists who rise above the above stigma.



Making Observations…and Plans

It does little good to make observations and then refuse to incorporate them in your life. For example, if you’re driving from Texas to Nebraska and notice mountains outside the car…that little nugget of reality should lead you to pull over and ask for (better) directions! (I’m recalling a line from Dumb and Dumber about John Denver.)



The same principle is true here, as well. We need to understand how these observations impact how we lead and love teenagers. Here are two simple action plans that scream for attention based on this year’s awards show.







1.Don’t allow culture to define teenagers. Yes, this is incredibly difficult, but actually accomplishing this has huge rewards. We know they wade through a lot of junk every single day of their lives, but they don’t have to be defined by the rants of Lady Gaga, the lyrics of Lil Wayne, or the innuendos of Katy Perry. For a moment, think about what it will look like if culture defines truth for today’s teens. For a moment, think about what it will look like if culture defines right and wrong, sexual purity, relationships, and every other important aspect of life. Yeah, we shudder, too. In Acts 17:6, we’re told that the Christians of the day had a phenomenal reputation; they were known for “turning the world upside down.” They defied the pagan, sexually immoral, and sinful influences of that era and lived lives defined by God Himself. As a result of the way they lived, culture was defined by them! This could happen again. It’s just gonna take lots of work.





2.Teach the things that please God. Granted, God, and even Jesus, might get lip service in a room filled with celebrities whose net worth tabulates into the billions, but do we really think God is pleased with sex-laden lyrics? Do we think He smiles when we turn love into lust? Do we believe He approves of filthy language today when His Word clearly denounced it 2,000 years ago (Col. 3:8)? Do we genuinely think that God is happy when His Name becomes synonymous with entertainment…and raunchy entertainment at that? No! So we have to teach the truth, no matter how counter-cultural it is. In Philippians 4:8-9, the Apostle Paul outlines a terrific set of God-pleasing criteria for our lives. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”



Watching 15 minutes of this show greatly impacts how we plan on leading our personal small groups this week. Watching just 15 minutes of this show strongly encourages us to have conversations with the kids in our own homes this week!



What will these observations cause you to do?





Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth Ministry, is the author of numerous books including the brand new Candid Confessions of an Imperfect Parent, Ministry By Teenagers, Connect: Real Relationships in a World of Isolation, and the award winning book Do They Run When They See You Coming? He speaks and trains at camps, conferences, and events across North America, and provides free resources for youth workers internationally on his website, TheSource4YM.com.







David R. Smith is a 15-year youth ministry veteran who helps youth workers and parents through his writing, training, and speaking. David specializes in sharing the gospel, and equipping others do the same. He co-authored his first book this year, Ministry By Teenagers. David provides free resources to anyone who works with teenagers on his website, DavidRSmith.org. David resides with his wife and son in Tampa, Florida.

MTV Movie Awards Pushing Limits

An interesting story from www.yaf.org about Elena Kagan. This follows this post about U.S. elections, such as the one on June 8. This follows this post about forced abortions in China. For more interesting stories like this click here to follow this blog.

MTV Movie Awards Pushing Limits

An article from Jonathan McKee at TheSource4YM.com
I don't think anyone could have said it more true than New Moon star Peter Facinelli at the close of the MTV Movie Awards last night when he joked, "I've never heard the word 'f**k' used so many times in one evening." He wasn't kidding. Joe Pesci was covering his ears! The poor guy hitting the sensor button probably developed a callus in the first half hour! The sad fact is, the rampant use of f-bombs was probably one of the least worrisome elements of the evening. MTV provided girl-on-girl action, oral sex gestures, penis jokes, testicle jokes... and probably the icing on the cake, Christina Aguilera singing a song about receiving oral sex, complete with a close up of a little red heart-light lit up on her crotch at the end of the performance. I guess we shouldn't be surprised. MTV has put themselves in a bind. Each year they try to trump the previous year, and the easiest way to do that is to push the limits even further. It's difficult to even imagine the show 10 years from today. Second Guessing My Own Recommendation For years I've been recommending that parents and youth workers watch this show to harness just a glimpse at youth culture. I've said it year after year, "I only watch three of these shows a year: The MTV Movie Awards, The Teen Choice Awards, and the MTV Video Music Awards." Those three shows alone give anyone an accurate picture of exactly what our entertainment world is marketing to today's teenagers. Unfortunately, that little "taste" is starting to make me a little bit ill. Last night my wife and I were driving home when I remembered that I had to watch the show so I could write this article. I dreaded the chore. I could think of a hundred things I'd rather do. But more than that, I am just getting tired of MTV, and the CW, and ABC trying desperately to target teenagers to watch their trash. It's heartbreaking to me that adults are pimping this kind of content to our kids for one simple reason: ratings and money. Yes... it sounds like two reasons. But I assure you, they are one and the same. Jersey Shore and Katy Perry The show really began an hour before the show with the red carpet interviews. This year's red carpet interview was basically a giant infomercial for MTV's new reality show Jersey Shore, with Shore character Snooki on the mike helping MTV regulars interview the stars. In this pre-show, we got to hear Katy Perry joke about everything from doing a threesome to rumors of her performing naked. "I'm a tease," she offered. (Hmmmmm.... I hadn't noticed. Maybe next time she'll admit that she's a sellout too.) The pre-show showed us glimpses of Katy's racy music video with Snoop Dog, and then an exclusive, the first 10 minutes of Jersey Shore-Season Two. Wow! I'm going to sound like my grandpa here, but, "I can't believe they call that entertainment." One of the characters of the show described it like this: (imagine a thick jersey accent) "Lot's of fights, lot's of hookups, lots of drama. One minute you got three girls in a Jucuzzi, the next minute someone's in jail and you have to bail them out." The dialogue was unbelievable. Snookie is making meatballs with her new boyfriend Emilio. "How many balls do you want?" Emilio asks with a smirk. Snookie pauses, then smiles. "Two, in my face." Then we're blessed with Snookies keen insight about relationships. "Me and Emilio have been together for two and a half months. I really don't want to cheat. Like seriously, I don't want to. But you know, if you're going to hand me a bottle of freaking (she named a drink), something just comes over me. Like I just go crazy!" At this point, I couldn't wait for the actual award show to begin. The LowlightsThe show opened with Tom Cruise reprising his role from the R-rated 2008 movie Tropic Thunder. Uh... did I miss something? It's 2010, isn't it? The fat, bald, and harry Tom Cruise character Les Grossman gave the sensor guy a run for his money in the first 60 seconds. His speech was probably summarized in these three sentences:
"See movies are nothing but a marriage of picture and sound. My job is to get those two things drunk-get them "f**cking. The illegitimate baby they make is called entertainment."Unfortunately that wasn't the last we saw of Cruises "Grossman" character that evening. Grossman joined us again later to dance in a traditional crotch-grabbing and hip thrusting fashion to a Ludacris song. (Yes, that's the name of the artist, and yes, pun intended!) The opening words of the song:
[Chorus](Yeek-Yeek Woop-Woop) Why you all in my ear? Talkin' a whole bunch ash** that I ain't tryin to hear.Get Back! Motherf***er You don't know me like that.Get back! Motherf***er You don't know me like that!Then "Grossman" began dancing with J-lo, holding a walking cane up to his crotch like a penis pointed at J-lo. The host of the evening, Aziz Ansari, is a talented comedian. Unfortunately, like many talented comedians today, Aziz constantly grabs for the low hanging fruit of sexual humor and vulgarity. It was hard to watch Aziz cracking jokes about Taylor Lautner's "nuts" when the cameraman was showing us 11-year-old Jaden Smith in the audience cracking up. Think about that visual for a second-adults telling raunchy jokes and showing explicit material to 11-year-olds. If Jaden was walking through a park and a stranger approached him joking about testicles, erections and vaginas... my guess is that Jaden's dad, Will Smith, might have a thing or two to say to this individual. I wonder in the same situation if a lady came up to Jaden and started singing a song about people licking her vagina (as Christina Aguilera would do to the crowd later that evening)... I wonder how long Will would allow that to happen. But as long as Jaden is sitting in the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA, and our kids are sitting in the popcorn-grease-saturated theatre seats, or on couches in front of big screen TVs... then it must be okay. It's obvious that MTV and parents all over the world just don't mind this kind of content. Because if they did, they probably wouldn't let kids watch the show. They probably wouldn't allow their kids to vote whether the R-rated movie The Hangover is the best movie of the year...
CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

Kanye Truly "Heartless"

A commentary about the Video Music Awards from http://blog.thesource4ym.com/. I hope you find it interesting. See also http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1213280/Kanye-West-ruins-Taylor-Swifts-big-MTV-acceptance-speech-storms-stage.html for more in-depth on this story!

Kanye Truly "Heartless"
Sunday night millions of teenagers watched The MTV Video Movie Awards to catch a glimpse of the best artists of the day... unfortunately the most of what they caught was the "worst of them." Kanye was sure at his worst.
If you haven't read the headlines by now, Kanye did one of his dumbest moves yet live on the show, leaving Taylor Swift in tears. As I sit here and write this blog only hours after the event, articles are already appearing like popcorn all over the internet, filled with new news of Kanye's rude antics, his removal form the awards, and now his weak apology. (Sigh.)
I was watching the show Sunday night, my annual glimpse of one of the biggest pop culture phenomenon's of the day. (As you know, ever year I encourage you to set your TIVOs and watch the show. The day after the awards, I write an article sharing my two cents on the show- ours will appear on the front page of our site late Monday in the Youth Culture Window magnifying glass.) Early in the show, shortly after Katy Perry's disgusting crotch grab (that's actually describing it mildly), Kanye West revealed his true self once again with an out of control outburst, walking on stage when Taylor Swift was awarded Best Female Video. Kanye took the mic from her during a pause in her acceptance speech and said, “Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’m gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!” Beyonce looked a little confused, and slightly flattered. Boos began echoing throughout the room, disapproving of Kanye. As West left stage, applause began again for Taylor. A stunned Taylor stood there with a horrified look on her face. She never got to finish her speech.
Kanye's name was mentioned a few times later in the show as a nominee for other awards-- a majority of the crowd booed whenever Kanye’s name was mentioned (actually flustering Diddy to stumble over his words).
My heart broke for Taylor Swift. Kanye's actions were, dare I say, "Heartless." As this MTV.com article put it,
"But his verbal attack against Swift had a more vicious tone. According to a tweet from Jay-Z's DJ, Neil Armstrong, Swift and her mother were seen backstage crying afterward; Beyoncé brought Swift onstage for another chance at her acceptance speech later in the show. Various celebs have lashed out against West on Twitter, including Pink, who had to be escorted away from the rapper by security. "
For those of you read our Youth Culture Window article about Kanye last year, his actions Sunday night might not have surprised you. His "apology" wasn't much of a band aid. Kanye's blog reveals a little regret as he apologizes to Taylor. But he turns to defend himself by claiming he was just being "real."
Yeah... a real jackass! (There I go again!)
You'll hear more from me about the entire awards show late Monday-- check our front page in the Youth Culture Window section.front page of our site