New Britney?

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I also agree with Headache and BAW. Britney is a grown woman and should be allowed to make whatever 'music' she wants to. If you don't like it, don't listen. If you don't want your kids listening to it, then you've got to do what you can as a parent to keep them from listening to it.

that's the key... what ever happened to parenting? shit... my mother wouldn't let me listen/watch/play with anything she deemd unacceptable when i was younger. sure, that sparks the imagination and you try to do it anyways... but even if you do sneak around doing something, you at least KNOW it's wrong because your parents have told you so. this whole "it's out there so parents should just accept it and help their children learn from it" thing is a load of malarky. if you don't find it acceptable for your children to watch/view/read etc., do not let them. it's not the artists responsability, it's the parents responsability. blaiming the music, the movie, the video game is just a crutch that bad parents hang on. yeah the stuff is out there, and you're not going to be able to protect your kids from all of it, but you can damn sure try. people should stop trying to censor and start parenting their children.

and on a side note... is there anything in this tender love song about a girl and her fingers more "risque" than the following lyric by a band that's held in pretty high esteem around here...

and you can swallow, or you can spit. you can throw it up, or choke on it

i think not.

 

[The_Sweetest_Thing]

Well, U2 has never exactly claimed to be role models for children. Really, when has Bono said, "Kids, look up to me. Br like me. Dress up like the devil/dress in drag/sing with a falsetto/throw yourself in front of thousands of screaming fans in order to get validation," etc. Generally, I think we expect rock music to be somewhat more dangerous and explicit than pop music. Besides, coming from a band that had previously addressed such issues as war, terrorism, violence, and political expression, it's really not THAT surprising.

Britney orginally began as an idol of sorts to a lot of young children...therefore, she still carries that social stigma, and will most likely, for quite some while. Kids are going to say, 'oh Britney...mom and dad let me listen to her past two/three albums, why not this one?"

It is NOT so simple as a matter of bad parenting--ther've been actual studies done to prove that kids who watch a certain number of tv hours per day actaully grow up to be more involved in crime at age 30. Is the the parent's fault? Yes, and no. I'm sure there are other factors there, but then again, you can only shelter them so much. Eventually kids are going to go against you. Prohibiting something only makes this worse (come on. Once they prohibited a book in our high school. The next day, everyone had a copy).

That said, if she wants to put this on her album, fine go ahead. But if she tries to release it as a single...well, it just seems like some desperate plea for attention, imo.

 

[BAW]

Yes, I'm well aware that this is not an ideal world and that kids are engaging in sex, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. And I don't think parents should abdicate their responsibility and just accept it.

I didn't say anything about accepting it or liking it...parents still have the responsibility to monitor what their kids listen to and watch, however, unless you plan on hiding your child at home for 18 years or sending them outside with blinders and headphones on, they WILL hear and see things you don't want them to.

If an 8 year old girl sees someone like Britney as a role model, its up to her parents to explain that Britney is an adult and the things she sings about and the way she dresses are not appropriate for her age group. Yes, it might make her even more curious and cause her to be even more interested but at least her parents have made a stand on the issue.

The parents who buy innapropriate CD's for their kids are the ones to blame, not the artists. All it takes is one word...NO.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I also agree with Headache and BAW. Britney is a grown woman and should be allowed to make whatever 'music' she wants to. If you don't like it, don't listen. If you don't want your kids listening to it, then you've got to do what you can as a parent to keep them from listening to it.

Exactly.

Besides, by putting warning labels on these albums, or by having parents make a huge deal out of the album and saying, "You can't listen to this!", all it does is make the kids more curious. Naturally when a child's forbidden to listen to something or watch something, they're going to try and find a way to watch or listen to that thing.

Just be flat out honest with them about it.

Headache and BAW, once again, I agree with you guys.

Angela

 

[meegannie]

There seems to be a sentiment here that children's personalities are the creation of their parents. While parenting plays a huge role in child's development as a person, it can only go so far. You can't blame every negative action of a child on bad parenting. Children have their own personalities as individuals and at the end of the day will express them no matter what the parents do. I'm not saying that parents shouldn't parent at all, but I don't think it's as determinist as "If you raise your kids this way, they'll grow up to be wonderful people."

 

[joyfulgirl]

Right on HeartlandGirl, BAW and Headache. Britney should write about whatever she wants to; the parts that kids don't get they'll somehow make it fit into something they do understand. I don't see anything shocking about Britney...she's pretty white bread if you ask me but maybe I'm just old and jaded.

How many here learned about masturbation from their parents? C'mon, let's see a show of hands. I learned about it when I was 9 reading a trashy Janis Joplin biography. I was in no way damaged by the information itself nor its source, nor did I become prematurely masturbatory or a sex maniac or sexually dysfunctional. I just tucked the information away until I was ready, which was an appropriate age.

I was raised in the 60s by extremely conservative parents. But they never ever censored the music my sisters and I listened to. As an adult I wrote my mother thanking her for not censoring our music. It meant the world to me. I would study the lyric sheets and listen and I didn't understand a lot but it stretched me, helped me to think for myself, made me more aware.

 

[joyfulgirl]

There seems to be a sentiment here that children's personalities are the creation of their parents. While parenting plays a huge role in child's development as a person, it can only go so far. You can't blame every negative action of a child on bad parenting. Children have their own personalities as individuals and at the end of the day will express them no matter what the parents do. I'm not saying that parents shouldn't parent at all, but I don't think it's as determinist as "If you raise your kids this way, they'll grow up to be wonderful people."

 

[EmilyBono]

Britney Spears...the only way she can create interest in her or controversy is to sing about something sexual or act sexual. What happens 15-20 years from now? Once she loses that body she will have no talent to fall back on.

 

[NYbrowneyedgirl]

As a mother of a 15 and 10 year old daughter, I just wanted to include that neither one of them or their friends can stand Britney. I don't think they have ever liked her, in fact they make fun of her.

So I have always wondered, who buys Britney's cds?

 

[HeartlandGirl]

I'm not sure who is buying her CDs, but I did see this graphic while channel surfing the other night:

First Album - sold 13 million copies
Second Album - sold 9 million copies
Third Album - sold 4 million copies

Those figures say so much in so few words, I think.

 

[violet]

I confess, I want to hear her song w/ Moby it's on Netscape, maybe I'll listen to it I think Moby just produced it, hopefully it's not a duet

Moby'd actually improve it if he was singing on it.

 

[CrashedCarDriver]

hurry up and cover ministry's Stigmata

 

[foray]

Apparently owning a Britney cd is cool because her music is so uncool. Funny how people think. Explains why the 80's are making a comeback.

f

 

[Angela Harlem]

Add me to the Headache etc camp.

One thing which puzzles me, why is it her tarty outfits and overtly sexual behaviour considering her selling point? Some people like cheap pop. She's good at it. It is her disposable music which sells, her CD's dont come with a g string and sex appeal, it is only the music. As a genre we may not like it, but its by no means invalid.

And good point raising U2 lyrics Headache. We could post these all day, looking at not only U2 but other more 'respectable and genuine artists' who also use lyrics talking about things we should as parents teach, rather than these artistes.

Don't believe in forced entry
Don't believe in rape
But every time she passes by
Wild thoughts escape

Don't believe in cocaine
Got a speed-ball in my head
I could cut and crack you open
Do you hear what I said



Lotsa bad stuff in U2 lyrics. Lotsa bad stuff in many lyrics. If we dont teach our children before the lyrics do, we need to ask ourselves some serious questions. Its pushing shit uphill with the old proverbial one straw broom, trying to shelter our kids from all this.

Good on her. I am of course insanely jealous of her cuteness, though she is pidgeon eyed.

 

[adamswildhoney]

The parents who buy innapropriate CD's for their kids are the ones to blame, not the artists. All it takes is one word...NO.

I completely agree with this, case in point my mom and my sister went to a record store when my sister was 11. My sister asked my mom if she could get a George Michael tape and my mom thinking nothing of it said yes. Well when my sister got home she busted the tape out and put it in the tape player and the song "I want your sex" came on. My mom flipped a lid and made my sister take back the tape and the clerk wouldnt give her a refund so my mom threw the tape in the guys face My sister of course spent the next 2 days crying about.

After that incident every tape or cd that any of us kids bought until we were 16, was inspected by her.

 

[BAW]

I completely agree with this, case in point my mom and my sister went to a record store when my sister was 11. My sister asked my mom if she could get a George Michael tape and my mom thinking nothing of it said yes. Well when my sister got home she busted the tape out and put it in the tape player and the song "I want your sex" came on. My mom flipped a lid and made my sister take back the tape and the clerk wouldnt give her a refund so my mom threw the tape in the guys face My sister of course spent the next 2 days crying about.

After that incident every tape or cd that any of us kids bought until we were 16, was inspected by her.

When I was in Jr. High, the banned record was the Rocky Horror soundtrack! We all had to hide it from our parents and my best friend had hers taken away by her mom LOL!

In my own experience...last year I took my 11 year old niece shopping for her birthday with a list that was approved by her mom...I forgot what CD I was going to buy her but I knew nothing about the band. The clerk at Tower was nice enough to tell me that it was highly inappropriate for a little girl and I made her put it back. She was mad of course but I told her that if her mom wanted her to have it, she could take her back and buy it but I wasn't going let her have it just to be the "cool aunt"

My sister disagreed with me and said it wasn't that bad but I figured if a 20 year old at Tower thought it was inapropriate, it more than likely was!

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Just because someone at a record store says a CD's "inappropriate" doesn't necessarily mean that it's true, though. That's just their opinion. I'd hate it if someone who worked at a store told me I shouldn't buy an album because it might not be appropriate for my child or something. That's my decision to make, not theirs.

Also, adamswildhoney and BAW, LOL about the mishaps with music and parents! . I feel bad for your sister, adamswildhoney.

I've never had to worry about that in my household. My parents don't care what my sister and I listen to.

Angela

 

[anitram]

I can't believe 600,000 people bought the album in the first week.

Apart from that, I think this particular song is crap, but content-wise, I'm not bothered by it. I don't think that Britney's target audience has been 7-13 year olds for a LONG time. I mean, have you seen the videos from her previous album? She can sing about whatever she likes, it's not her job to monitor the morals of the world's youth.

I have to agree with joyfulgirl (I think she said this) - who learns about masturbation from their parents? Certainly not myself, my siblings, friends, cousins or anyone I know.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I just think that parents should be teaching kids about sex in general, not Britney Spears. That's all I was trying to say I don't know who her audience would be now-do older teenagers or people in their twenties buy her CDs or go to her concerts?

Yes I understand that it's not her job to monitor morals, but I do still believe she's a poor role model. She is valued for her looks and sex appeal above all other attributes (and sells that rather than emphasize other aspects of her talent, imho), and as far as I know she never went past the ninth grade. I'm not knocking her for that. Maybe she got her GED, I don't know. She is a very pretty girl and I'm sure she's a good hearted person as well.

Those are just my opinions, so shoot me

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Good to see Britney finally taking matters into her own hands... well, so to speak.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

nice to see britney's still at #1 on the completely legit and not rigged TRL

and leave me alone for watching trl... i put on the end of it waiting for the 46664 concert

 

[joyfulgirl]

Yes I understand that it's not her job to monitor morals, but I do still believe she's a poor role model.

I honestly can't imagine any good parent being concerned about whether or not Britney Spears is a good role model for their kids. I know my sister, who is a right-wing conservative Christian, lets her 9 year old daughter listen to Britney and she would laugh her butt off if I asked her whether or not she was concerned about Britney's influence. I respect your opinion but I really don't think you're giving kids enough credit. If a child is going to act out badly based on a pop singer's behavior or song lyrics, there are problems at home, not with the pop singer.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

If a child is going to act out badly based on a pop singer's behavior or song lyrics, there are problems at home, not with the pop singer.

Yes, I understand that completely

No offense to you or anyone else, but I'm not that stupid