Help! I've Fallen into the Generation Gap


I wrote this rant several years ago, when the kids were still living at home. I think it still holds true today. What do you think?

©2007 By LeeZard

Okay, I know I am about to come off as a grumpy old man but, here we go. I was driving in the car with Number One Son and shaking my head at what was on the radio. “I just don’t get your music,” I said. “It all sounds the same to me and the lyrics don’t make any sense.” Omigod; I’ve become my father!

Believe me; I’ve tried to understand it. I like a lot of new music and I try to stay current. I have an iPod and at least a third of my songs are post-2000. I just don’t get Rap and Hip Hop. Sometimes it downright offends me -- and I am not easily offended.

With a few exceptions, most of today’s Rap songs cover the same material. They have the same beat and the lyrics – if you can call them that – talk of mutha bleepin’ this or that, my “ho” left me 'cause I hit her, gangstas, I got my piece and I’m gonna kill someone or let’s go somewhere and get loaded.

I am not one of those who thinks we should go around censoring art and burning books. I don’t think violence in television and film triggers violence in society. No, what I am worried about is that violence in our media is a reflection of our society.

Consider exhibit A: same Number One Son walked into a fist one night. He says -- and I believe him because he is a lover, not a fighter (or a liar) – a so-called friend, perhaps after a little too much joy juice, randomly socked him in the face during a debate over Husky basketball. I was outraged; my kid was assaulted and sent to the hospital with a concussion. To him, it was an inconvenience, even though he looked like a raccoon for awhile with TWO black eyes – yet, he seemed unconcerned that there were no consequences for his assailant.

What really gave me pause, though, was when I relayed the incident to one of my adult friends. She said, “well maybe that’s just how things get settled these days.” Have we become that accepting of random violence?

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