X-rated Bob wrote:
You know, there's a greater general point here. It is possible to support that general point without specifically endorsing a particular artist. As somebody who loves and plays a form of music that is regularly under fire for being a bad influence on kids etc etc you perhaps need to give this some thought.
Bob, it pains me that I have to disagree with you because I generally find your opinions very balanced and generally in agreement with my own. In this case, however, not so.
The above is a rather scathing accusation on Hammeron (I'm sure not intended though). What exactly is it about the music that Hammeron plays that is under fire for being a bad influence on kids? Is it the fuzz effects on the guitar or the 190bpm double kick drums? Surely not? Or is it the lyrics of hatred and anger that a lot of metal (but not all) has? So what exactly is the form of music that Hammeron plays? Is there something offensive about her lyrics? I have not heard a lot of her music but I can't say that any particularly offensive lyrics come to mind. Yes, her music uses a lot of heavily overdriven guitar and hectic drum patterns which is not exactly my style but I can't fault her for that.
X-rated Bob wrote:
It's the old censorship slippery slope thing. Say we decide that Die Antwoord are undesirable because they're foul mouthed. OK. Fine, so they get banned from the airwaves, get age limit stickers on their CDs, there's a law that says that CD stores can't rack Die Antwoord CDs where young kids can reach them (as is done with porno mags in newsagents in the UK). Fine.
I don't think we're talking about cencorship. That's a whole different topic on which I have fairly strong opinions as well but that's not what this is about. I know that unsavoury material is always going to be available. You don't have to look hard if you want to find pornographic material but the fact that it isn't cencored does not make it good. That's the point that I am making in this thread (and I think Hammeron and Averatu as well). Die Antwoord is not virtuous just because they're pushing the envelope.
Personally, I applaud Hammeron for taking a strong stance on this matter. That is, as far as I'm concerned, the most effective way of weeding out sick material - people taking a stance, not through cencorship. The fact that a lot of people have taken a stance on pornography is the reason that we're not seeing more of it on television and on magazine shelves. Shops who sell pornographic material is relegated to the seedy back streets. You won't find many sex shops in Sandton shopping centre or Rosbank Mall. It's not because of cencorship, it's because the majority of people don't want that and have taught their kids not to want it, hence no real appetite for it.
I am frankly a little disappointed too that people are not willing to take that stance on Die Antwoord as well, at least not in this thread.
