Moral Dilemma
I have a moral dilemma.
Well, actually, I have several. Really, on any given day I may have as many as a dozen moral dilemmas at a time! Lately, what with my personal life in the state it’s in these days, thanks to poor choices on my part, it’s a wonder I don’t have more. As a side note, did you know that once upon a time, the phrase “gone to Texas” was essentially slang for “crazy”? I know why now.
But, I digress, my dilemma is this: My step-daughter is into music, specifically, loud hard-rock. Well, she’s discovered a little band called “Rammstein”. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re a cheery little German band that was a favorite of the skinheads when I was in high school. Lately, though, they’ve been repopularized because they had a song on the Matrix soundtrack. It’s their most well known and popular tune, “Du hast”. Well, the full translation of the song is basically a very sarcastic denial of eternal love and based on a mockery of the traditional German wedding vows. In a nutshell, they’re asking “Will you be faithful until death do you part?” and the response is “Nein”. So, here’s my dilemma, the rest of the songs on that CD, which I have, translate to, well, less happy themes. Now, do I rip them for her and just not tell her what the translation is? Or, do I just stop talking about it alltogether and introduce her to techno which has no lyrics to get us into trouble? I have to admit, it was pretty neat going from unhip to über-cool just by mentioning Rammstein and Du Hast off-hand, only to find them in her cheap iPod clone.
Ah, yes, the dilemmas I face. Perhaps, the lesser of two evils is the most appropriate in this case. That would be the good parental thing to do, right? Of course, she already has the boots to go with the music…. I never realized being cool was frought with such dangers!
I loved Du Hast and Rammstein for a very long time (Engel was my first due to the Mortal Kombat soundtrack). I only discovered what the words meant two years ago, and even then I realised it is just another song expressing another opinion. Rip the song for her and tell her what it means and ask what she thinks about true love?
Comment by Dominic White — 3/14/2005 @ 2:53 am
I’m with Dominic on this one. I let my kids listen to mostly anything they find interesting (except old Red Foxx comedy albums), but I insist on hearing it for myself, AND I insist on discussing the lyrics and what the songwriters might have meant. So, I do a fair bit of research into current acts, which makes me a god among my kids friends, because I know all the lastest players and their music.
sometimes being concerned about your kids welfare can have unintended benefits, like discovering that the band du jour has a really witty lyricist. And of course, that the lead singer is really hot.
And my kids think better of me for listening, really listening to their music, and trying to understand it and them. And finally, my 12 y.o. son asked me about swing-era/big band music the other day, due to a comment that Gwen Stefani made that he read. He also grooves on Cherry Poppin’ Daddies (Zoot Suit Riot) occasionally. Go figure.
L
Comment by Lucifer — 3/14/2005 @ 7:50 am
Hmm, well, I guess I can always see what her father thinks. I keep trying to adjust to the idea that I don’t have to make those kinds of decisions. The next time I talk to her dad, I’ll see what he thinks. Certainly, the English translation of Du Hast is not a big deal, though some of the other ones might be.
The real problem is that she’s so smart, she’ll figure it out eventually. She’s really Internet savy, so I have to be careful not to let her find info on her own, if I want to “guide” her a certain way. Dang smart kids! (Yes, she reads my blog occasionally ^_^ ) Anyway, we’ll see. And, frankly, encouraging her to try some of the techno is still probably not a bad idea. I think she’d like it.
Comment by Network Geek — 3/14/2005 @ 8:44 am
Well, how ’bout a contradictory opinion? That would be mine. It’s funny, I was thinking about Rammstein the other day…I used to listed to this really cool Shoutcast server with nothing but metal (but I digress). One thing that many DNA-donors (as opposed to parents) miss in this regard is the emotional impact of this kind of music. That’s really what it’s about…and why so many “normal” folks can’t stomach it. This is music for the angry, the cynical and the rebellious. If I’m feeling serene, the last thing I want to do is listen to Slipknot.
I find your stepdaughter’s being attracted to this music a blinking caution light…though I’m sure she has plenty to be pissed about. I personally wouldn’t encourage it.
Finally, there are all kinds of experiences that I could chaperone my kids into…let’s all sit down and find out what Everclear does to our perceptions, kids!! I feel that some things should be discouraged and even actively forbidden (gasp!). I would never let my 11 year-old son listen to J-zee, Snoop or Slipknot. There are few redeeming values therein aside from creative editing and the odd talented musician. It doesn’t matter how much we talk about it. “Let’s do a poetic explication of “Get Low.” Yeah, right…
There is such a firehose of media at this point, I prefer restricting it to a manageable trickle…of potable water.
Comment by Mr. StrangeFriend — 3/14/2005 @ 1:45 pm