Lets Talk About Sex

Raunchy music influences teens' sexual habits

The Age
August 8, 2006

TEENAGERS whose music players are full of music with raunchy, sexual lyrics start having sex sooner than those who prefer other songs, a study has found.
Whether it's hip-hop, rap, pop or rock, much of popular music aimed at teens contains sexual overtones. Its influence on their behaviour appears to depend on how the sex is portrayed, researchers found.

Songs depicting men as "sex-driven studs," women as sex objects and with explicit references to sex acts are more likely to trigger early sexual behaviour than those where sexual references are more veiled and relationships appear more committed, the US-based Rand Corporation study found. Teens who said they listened to lots of music with degrading sexual messages were almost twice as likely to start having intercourse or other sexual activities within the following two years as other teens who listened to little or no sexually degrading music.

Among heavy listeners, 51 per cent started having sex within two years, versus 29 per cent of those who said they listened to little or no sexually degrading music.

The Recording Industry Association of America declined to comment on the findings but Benjamin Chavis, chief executive of the Hip-Hip Summit Action Network, a coalition of musicians and industry executives, said explicit lyrics are a cultural expression reflecting "social and economic realities."

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What do I think? Of course sexually explicit lyrics would influence teenagers to having sex. But its one of many factors. Everything influences. It doesn't take a genuis to recognise the link. The people around you, your friends, your parents, and the people that interact with, the tv shows you watch, what you read, and what you music you listen to are just as likely to influence you. We are a product of our surroundings.

But its not logical to pinpoint one single factor like music and say "hey's that's the trigger". The article says something along the lines that "teenagers that listen to sexually explicit lyrics are twice as more likely to have more sex". C'mon, those teenagers are probably the same ones that are outgoing, that actually hang out with the opposite sex, that watch MA rated movies (shock, horror!), that are in relationships. That study proves nothing.

I will say one thing though. I believe that there is a link between people that are violent and violent movies. But you can't argue that everyone that watches violent movies is violent. However, I do think that a large proportion of violent people do watch violent movies. Is this an exception? Does this same analogy apply to listeners of sexually explicit lyrics and their sexual activities? I doubt it.

Let's look at some songs that pop up in my mind. Exhibit A, is Kelis on "Milkshake":

"My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard/
And their like/
It's better than yours/
Damn right it's better than yours/
I can teach you, But I have to charge/"

There's no doubt these are sexually explicit lyrics, but do you see some teenage girl acting like this? Of course not.

What about Fatman Scoop on Love Like This? Check the lyrics:

"To all my niggaz that hit it from the back/
Who wanna have sex with no strings attached"

That's not so bad is it? He's just saying I like the view from behind and I don't want commitment. Maybe the next couple of lines reveals his true intention:

"Lets Go! Who f*ckin' tonite Who f*ckin' tonite Who f*ckin' tonite?"

Hmmmmm.....maybe not the best example. Notorious B.I.G on the song "Big Booty Hoes" (I can hear the alarm bells ringing immediately) said the following opening lines:

"I got a bitch that suck my d*ck til I nut/
Spit it on my gut and slurp that sh*t back up/
Ain't that a slut (HELL YEA) she even take it in the butt
F*ck for bout a hour, now she want a golden shower"

Graphic, yes. Notorious was always ones to paint vivid pictures with his words whether they be violent, sexual, or deathly. Mr 50 cent on one of the biggest radio songs in the last 5 years came up with "In Da Club":

"I'm into having sex, I ain't into making love/
So come give me a hug if you into getting rubbed"

Sexually explicit lyrics are everywhere in popular songs. But does that mean people are more likely to have sex because they listen to these songs? I don't think so. Most people with a shred of reasoning and logic are not going to act on a impulse because they saw something in a movie or heard a line in a song. Yeah it might influence them, but then so do a million other things.

Perhaps Salt N Pepper said it best:

Let's talk about sex for now to the people at home or in the crowd/
It keeps coming up anyhow/
Don't decoy, avoid, or make void the topic/
Cuz that ain't gonna stop it/
Now we talk about sex on the radio and video shows..........
Those who think it's dirty have a choice/
Pick up the needle, press pause, or turn the radio off/
Will that stop us, Pep? I doubt it/
All right then, come on, Spin