Why Country Music Values are Better than Pop Music Nihilism – Independent Women’s Forum

April 13 2017

via Acculturated by Carrie L. Lukas

Even for those who dont care much about musiclike methe songs we hear are an important element of the culture that surrounds us. In recent years, most of what I have heard has been dictated by my oldest, tween-age daughter. Shes programmed all the top 40 pop music stations into our vans radio, so Ive been saturated in Adele, Pink, Taylor Swift, Katie Perry, Justin Bieber and a bunch of others whose names I dont know, but whose songs I (sadly) could easily recite.

I try to pay close attention to the lyrics. Most pop stations seem to be good about policing songs for truly inappropriate content (like swearing and explicit sexual references), but I find myself constantly having to evaluate shades of gray. Many songs seem fine, but then include throw away allusions to casual sex and substance abuse. Flo Ridas hit My House is mostly a harmless recitation of the benefits of staying at home for a party, rather than going out, but a few stanzas in, the song makes clear that this partying involves undressing:

Morning comes and you know that you wanna stay; Close the blinds, lets pretend that the time has changed; Keep our clothes on the floor, open up champagne.

Others are far more explicitly sexual, like Ed Sheerans Shape of You, which starts with The club isnt the best place to find a lover, so the bar is where I go, and gets worse from there. Or Elle Kings Exs & Ohs with its endless double entendres. I try to switch the station whenever anything seems over-the-line, but often end up just hoping that the worst of the lyrics went over my kids heads.

Now, I have a more permanent solution in mind. A few days ago, our family took a road trip and as soon as we left the Washington, D.C. area we found that our radio choices had shifted. Gone were the multitude of pop stations, and country music dominated instead. We listened. My oldest was pleasantly surprised by how much she liked the country songs (which she had assumed would be lame), but I was mostly struck by the complete difference in content and imagery the songs relied upon. Over several hours, there wasnt one song that had me cringing or worrying about whether my kids were hearing something they shouldnt.

In fact, most of the songs had explicitly positive messages: The singers sang about being grateful for what they have, appreciating their partners and aging together. There was a song about the need to treat women (including your mother) with respect; another Carrie Underwood song about a man who had hoped for a son, but had a daughter who became the center of his world. There were mentions of holding hands, husbands and wives, backyards, driveways, and prayers. Im sure beer was in there too, but in the context of barbecues and good times in a way that seemed perfectly wholesome and reminiscent of an America that too much of pop culture scorns as fundamentally uncool.

Most of the country singers we heard on the radio were men, but their songs were overwhelmingly respectful and pro-woman. They didnt fixate on womens looks or evoke either over-the-top sexiness or antiquated ideas of femininity, but rather painted pictures of women as strong, full-of-life, complicated individuals. Take Dylan Scotts My Girl, which could earn applause from womens studies professors:

She looks so pretty with no makeup on You should hear her talkin to her momma on phone I love it when she raps to an Eminem song Thats my girl Man her eyes really drive me crazy You should see her smile when she holds a baby I can honestly say that she saved me My girl, yeah

Urban feminists often assume that rural and southern areas are hotbeds of sexism, where women are treated with less respect than women in the enlightened north and coasts enjoy. Yet if the songs they produce are any indication, women receive far more respect in country music than is typical in rap, pop or house music.

Im sure true aficionados of country can come up with counter examples of raunchy country songs that rival pop and rock in terms of kid-unfriendliness and mistreatment of women. Yet the impression left by a casual listener is that country music tends to highlight values youd actually hope seep into your kids mind, rather than desperately hoping theyll tune out.

Country music certainly isnt perfect: I dont think I heard a song that used the construction It doesnt, rather consistently reinforcing the incorrect it dont usage. But Ill take bad grammar in a song about loving your wife over pop cultures nihilism any day.

Originally posted here:

Why Country Music Values are Better than Pop Music Nihilism - Independent Women's Forum