Pop Star Protocol

Who exactly is raising our children?

What are the consequences of children learning to mimic sexuality before they’ve even hit puberty? Is it all harmless fun, or a symptom of something deeper and more damaging?

What does this mean to you?

9 Responses to “Pop Star Protocol”

  1. Miss Mandible Says:

    Are you saying that both Pink and Kelly Clarkson, who sing mostly about female independence, are bad influences on little girls?

    It seems completely unfair to take artists like Beyonce Knowles, Pink, Clarkson – artists that actually have some semblance of talent and narrative –and put them down on the same level as Paris Hilton, skanky video girls, and booty shakers washing a car. That type of mentality trivializes women much more than little girls dancing.

    For that matter, your examples of “overt sexuality” include a woman wearing a modest tank top playing a guitar, and a dance routine choreographed by Bob Fosse. Do you really think girls needed to be protected from that? Would watching “The Pajama Game” too much for them too? I mean, are you a puritan or a feminist?

    It’s almost as if you treat every woman that is open about their sexuality as a threat to girls’ fragile psyche. This isn’t the first blog post that gives out that impression, and I doubt I’m the first commenter to notice something like this.

  2. admin Says:

    The parts of the montage that feature no children are served to show the triteness and mediocrity of these formulaic videos. And we stand by our examples of the children dancing inappropriately, because that is a target age range of pop performers, and these kids were often directly mimicking what they saw on TV.

    A grown woman comfortable in her sexuality is a beautiful thing. But if that grown woman, who knows children are watching, starts stripping and faking orgasms in public, we might shield our childrens’ eyes. Well that’s exactly what these music videos are doing – subjecting young people to age-inappropriate material, and we’re all just looking the other way.

  3. Miss Mandible Says:

    As an artist myself, I would never attempt to censor myself out of fear that little kids are watching; I have no reason to do what should be the work of responsible parents. It is ridiculous, bordering on asinine, to demand the same of other artists.

    Especially for an issue that is as inconsequential as girls doing silly little dances they say on the TV.

  4. admin Says:

    So perhaps information like this is best geared toward parents, for them to become more aware of how their children are being affected. Either way, you are free to trivialize the gravity of this trend as much as you want.

  5. Dr. Bill Burgler; Ph.D in being an "artist" Says:

    Like for sure. I just injected 90 mg of prescribed adderall into my neck and am very angry with this video. The truth is so obvious. If artists are like on TV, they like, must be the most talentested people in the world. Don’t try to make me like actually critically think about what I’m watching. That’s like an invasion of my rights and junk. This video is a propaganda piece that hates freedom! The artists in mainstream media are expressing important facets of the human condition in the clips of those music videos. You know the artists I’m referring, the ones that perform the choreographed dance moves, appeal to specific demographics, endorse giant corporate products and interests, etc… Don’t think I should read up on the strategies of advertising or credible books on our culture! I don’t need to read. This isn’t school. All I need to know is what my gut is saying to me: I’m special and can be whatever I want when I grow up.

    There is no way these artists are products designed to sell. The Jonas Brothers are like so talented, that’s why they made it so big. If anyone is a fake, it’s Christina Aguilera, she can’t sing at all. She acts like she can do whatever she wants because she’s a slut. That’s right I used the S word! There’s your fake product, not Brittany. She sold more CDs, gave great concerts, and is one hell of an American. It’s not like a few faces in the spot light are actually talented, but the majority are as talented as the people you pass on the street. You’ve watched too many Michael Moore movies! But enough about them and more about me; I’ve got talent! We all do because we’re all born so smart and special without having to do anything but be American! I am going to be rich and famous! No not like Paris, she’s a total loser duh. But Beyonce, she’s super talented. I mean, her dance moves seriously almost changed the world and she is almost as good as her background dancers! Not to mention she’s got great vocals like Alicia Keys, maybe better, and a Brittany Spears microphone headset to boot. Oh, and the junk in the trunk, that’s so sexy. At least that’s what the journalistic magazines in the super market tell me. And she’s with JZ, and that’s a real business man, I mean artist, that supports her.

    The answer is really obvious; acting a certain way for money makes you an artist and everyone considered “normal” in our society’s perceived capitalistic standards is an artist! We are all artists! So pass me the karaoke mic, renowned singing icon and judge Paula Abdul, and count me present! Thanks TV, for all the responsible artists you provide through the flat screen 10,000 times a day. Don’t worry about people who think you’re wrong, I know you’ll never let me down! Oh yeah, and I’d like to thank God. Not because the majority of America will think I’m worthy of there attention and trust, but because I truly believe he made us all artists… And when I say all, I mean America.

  6. easter Says:

    As an artist myself, I always great take care with what I do when I may possibly influence others. I consider it a gift and a responsibility-not to be taken lightly. Beyonce and others maybe aren’t in the same no talent hack category as Paris Hilton etc. but–well, frankly by selling sex more than your talent aren’t they PUTTING THEMSELVES in the category of coming down to the cheapest art by just using sex? Whats creative about gratuitous sex and violence? even the ad men have caught on to that, thats not really art thats a commercial (unless you consider commercials art, then stop reading now…). They aren’t as concerned with their art as they are whoring it, they did that not us. And YES you should be concerned about what you do in public as an artist, AT LEAST THE VENUE in which you do it.

    I am so sick of artists saying, hey man i’m not your poster boy–cause here is the thing YOU ARE. When you are a famous artist (or anything) you ARE on a poster ( literally ) u have a soapbox that I and most of us don’t have, hence you in fact have more power to influence. thats what happens, like allen ginsberg said, whoever controls the media controls the culture. So either take responsibility or at least admit that you know you will influence, but you just want the attention but no responsibility.

    And you think that its a parents job to filter eVERYTHING their kid sees in this media saturated world? how very unfair, according to statistics kids are the third ranking source of influence in their child’s eyes. This is too big of a job for just the parents, if we are ALL invested in the future we should really stop just talking the talk about “it takes a village”. who would deny that it does take a village, but how serious do we really take this?

    EVEN IF a parent could actually effectively do this alone, what about those who don’t have parents? or don’t have parents that care about them and love them? Cause thats what your basically saying, to hell with those kids whose parents suck, you know those poor unfortunate kids that we pretend sometimes to fell bad for? This is discussing a base problem, we are screwing with their sexual psychology before they have a chance to appreciate it themselves. The consequences are already dire, we see if from my generation (28) and ones before already…

    why do we have to give them our warped ideas of sex? why can’t they be free to see what they think and lets stop the ever growing screwed up ideas on top of screwed up ideas of sex.

  7. easter Says:

    **i want to clear this up–i meant to say according to statistics Parents are the third influence in ranking for their children. For instance: http://www.ibtimes.com/contents/20090612/parents-healthy-eating-has-little-influence-on-children.htm

    This is a much more complicated issue than we appreciate.

  8. J-son Says:

    this is a really well edited montage. i dig that it’s circus music too, shows what a farce all of it is.

  9. Reynaldo Cutaia Says:

    This is a cool blog.

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