Everybody

is weighing in on dirty and naughty lyrics these days

and, since this column provides a venue for me to express

my opinion, I want to weigh in too.

The person

that has been associated with the brunt of the nasty

lyrics charges is Eminem, and the critics are right. His

album, "The Marshall Mathers LP," is very

graphic and explicit. Every song has a slew of curse

words and insults and the themes are not what one could

consider wholesome.

But that's

not the point.

The point

is that Eminem (a.k.a. Marshall Mathers) chooses to

express himself that way. Some of you may like it and

some of you may not, so you either buy the album or you

don't.

All of the

uproar recently centers on the fact that younger people

are the core of Eminem's fans and they should not be

subjected to the material. I agree. That is why there is

a big, ugly sticker on the album, which states:

"Parental Advisory."

It is time

to stop complaining to the newspapers and other forms of

the media and discuss the material with your kids. If

they have purchased an adult-themed album, like Eminem or

Dr. Dre, discuss the content, state your concerns,

confiscate the material and listen to it yourself. You

may not find anything you like on there, but you might

understand why your kids do.

When I was

12 years old, I purchased George Michael's album

"Faith." That album, in case you don't

remember, contained the hit song, "I Want Your

Sex." Needless to say, when my parents heard me

playing the album while I tried to defeat Super Mario

Brothers, there was a discussion.

My parents

asked why I liked the album: did I understand the lyrics,

did I have any questions? They let me know that the

material was a little racy and that there were certain

things they wouldn't want me to do. I think the fact that

they took the time and discussed the album with me made a

big difference. It allowed me to talk with them about

other music I started to listen to in the future.

I want to

make it clear to those who might not know: the fact that

there is a sticker on the album doesn't automatically

make it as raunchy as Eminem's album. Your child might

own a Rage Against The Machine album, which also bears

the Parental Advisory sticker. The difference, though, is

Rage's albums do not deal with violence towards women or

drug usage; they try to raise a political awareness about

situations around the world.

The same

goes for the Beastie Boys, whose involvement with certain

social causes has launched the Tibetan Freedom Concert.

There may be some naughty lyrics on their albums, but

your children might start thinking for themselves and

developing opinions on something other than their

favorite flavor of Pizza.

I also want

to make it clear that I am not saying that because of

dirty lyrics these artists are doing something

worthwhile. Many bands don't use curse words and remain

popular and entertaining. I am merely saying that bands

that do use alternative vocabulary should not be

demonized.

Here's an

example using another medium. A coworker once said to me,

"I'd never let my grandkids watch South Park."

(South Park is a show on Comedy Central that often uses

adult content and graphic language). I told her,

"Good. You're not supposed to let kids watch South

Park." The show clearly states before each episode

that the material is not meant for young viewers and does

contain adult material. It is never shown before 10 p.m.

and more often than not is on after midnight.

The same

rule should apply for music. If you see a sticker, don't

let your younger children listen to it. If you say that

you can't control everything they bring in the house,

sneak around in their room when they are out some night.

You are entitled, and you might be surprised.

But before

you sneak around, try having a discussion. State your

opinions and your concerns, lay down your ground rules

and explain why they are what they are. You won't be able

to prevent them from everything, but they will know that

you care.

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