Parents, Time To Bring Your Sexy Back

Written by azhar.

Gone were days when oops-i-did-it-again and billie-jean-is-not-my-lover used to hit the airwaves. Now, there is a new set of catchy lyrics which are flowing through our eardrums. We have the i'm-bringing-sexy-back and don't-cha-wish-your girlfriend-was-RAW-like-me phrases and of course my personal 'favourite', under-my-umbrella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh. These catchy phrases, besides the beats, form the ingredients which make a song attractive and sometimes addictive.

















When my 4-year-old female cousin approached me and did the dance routine by the Pussycat Dolls for their hit song 'Don't Cha', I was taken aback by how well she was able to imitate the movements. However, what made me more appalled was when she asked at the end, 'Sexy tak?' (Is is sexy? in Malay). I laughed in the end of course, but deep in thought I was actually worried what kind of influence that is getting into her mind. She might be just imitating the moves now at this very young age, but what will happen when she starts to become curious of what it feels like to dance with such exposing clothes when puberty begins to crawl into her life. If being sexy means that you have to reveal at least 60 per cent of your body to the world, then it looks like we may lose our Asian values in the near future.

Suggestive dance moves and revealing clothes are not just the two factors which are poisoning the minds of the impressionable youngsters today. The song lyrics are getting more and more crude and sometimes absurd. The English language used is of course far from what we learn in our educational institutions - it is in hip hop slang. Let's just look at the lyrics of the hit song 'Low' by Flo Rida. Many adults do not understand what most of the lyrics mean, so I am here to help you in a way or two.



[Chorus:]
Apple Bottom Jeans [Jeans]
Boots with the fur [With the fur]
The whole club was lookin at her
She hit the flo [She hit the flo]
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

The word 'flo' means floor while the word 'shawty' basically means girl. The chorus describes a scene where a girl was enjoying herself on the dance floor of a club. Now here comes another set of the lyrics which has streamed through the ears of 13 million listeners in Youtube:

[Verse 1:]
I ain't never seen nuthin that'll make me go,
This crazy all night spendin my dough
Had a million dollar vibe and a bottle to go
Dem birthday cakes, they stole the show
So sexual, she was flexible
Professional, drinkin X and ooo
Hold up wait a minute, do I see what I think I
Whoa
Did I think I seen shorty get low
Ain't the same when it's up that close
Make it rain, I'm makin it snow
Work the pole, I got the bank roll
Imma say that I prefer them no clothes
I'm into that, I love women exposed
She threw it back at me, I gave her more
Cash ain't a problem, I know where it goes

Pretty complicated huh? The verse is also describing about a scene in a club where girls are enjoying themselves on the dance floor with the men around them. The 'dough' here means money. The 'birthday cakes' referred to here do not literally mean birthday cakes! A birthday cake in hip hop slang is a butt. You can listen or view a lot of negative influences such as drinking and nudity. And if you think you have just seen the worst, check out the next verse:

[Verse 2:]
Hey
Shawty what I gotta do to get you home
My jeans full of gwap
And they ready for Shones
Cadillacs Maybachs for the sexy grown
Patrone on the rocks that'll make you moan

The word 'gwap' means money. My jeans is full of money. Shones are girls who love to have sex with a lot of people. Therefore, the guy is trying to use money to have sex with sluttish women. A grown is simply an adult. Cardillacs Maybachs (a car) for the sexy adult. Patrone is an alcoholic drink. So yeah, there you go. It's all about sex, money and drinking. Many of the terms used are actually in slang. I think this is enough to make you realize what kind of 'garbage' teenagers are exposed to in this modern age.


























Now comes the million-dollar question. It hip hop responsible for the fall in our social ethics? Many adults are blaming rappers for the crude language that they use in their songs. Since the music industry is being fuelled by the mass media, it is almost impossible to prevent the youngsters from listening and viewing them. Censorship by the government limits a individual's freedom and they will most likely search for alternative sources such as the Internet to enjoy the 'filthy' songs. Nonetheless, are the rappers responsible for the decay of our society's morals?

In my opinion, the rappers are not accountable for the poor social behaviours present today. Parenting is key to act as a shield to protect the children from the negative influences of the songs. Parents should educate their children regarding the bad practices shown by the lyrics of the songs. Moreover, they can also play a role in making sure that their children do not listen to songs which carry a negative message by monitoring the songs uploaded in their mp3s or iPods. Teenagers are usually confused when given too much freedom; they do not know which is right or otherwise. Whatever that enters a child's head should be controlled and filtered. If the videos and songs broadcasted by the mass media are getting more appealing and attractive in the eyes and ears of teenagers today, then the parents should start thinking of bringing their sexy back (get the children's attention) and show them what a good role model really is.