Letters to the Editor

• Music's Power to Topple Governments

  [Read the article: Beyoncé Knowles, freedom fighter]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  As someone was actually in the USSR during perestroika, I have to say, the western music was a big influence on everyone under the age of 50. First of all, it was better than the stupid patriotic songs and antiquated styles of the govrnment-approved crooners. Secondly, smuggling it in and listening to it covertly was a way of sticking it to Grandpa Lenin (yes, that's what children were taught to call him). Third, it was sexy and danceable, and it forced the soviet government to embrace it and allow russians to create that kind of music. And when Russians took the medium, they wrote protest songs, thinly veiled metaphors, etc. that they performed, and sold, and spread their ideas. It, of course, was not the only thing, but it would be a mistake to underestimate how much western music, from the beatles, to simon and garfunkel, to jesus christ superstar, david bowie, etc. shaped the perestroika generation.

  Nausheen,

  ". Yes, you’re free to shake your booty and have free sex and act on every single impulse, but what are the consequences? Exploitation of women, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, alcohol and drug abuse, rampant consumerism and environmental destruction, and so on."

  Really? I mean, really? I don't see the causality there at all. And especially the inevitability of the connection.

  " I see my female counterparts in this country torturing and mutilating themselves to look sexy and beautiful, spending extravagantly to maintain the latest trendy lifestyle (and often getting into debt), and selling their sexuality for male attention. This isn’t freedom or liberation. This is slavery – slavery to ideals that are the antithesis of dignity, humility, and temperance."

  It is indeed freedom to live how you want. I exercise that freedom, you do, so do all the men and women in this country. Dignity may be a very good value -- but i know plenty of very dignified women who get their hair colored and who wear stiletto heels. Women have a choice to do what they want -- i love really high-quality shoes and clothes, but i don't wear makeup. it's my choice. Humility, at least too much of it, i don't think is completely great. What's wrong with looking fantastic and being proud of it? And temperance -- i think we should use temperance with temperance.

  I could just as easily say that you are slave to your ideals of "dignity, humility, and temperance" as i am to my ideals of freedom to dress and shake my booty how i want to.

  " However, my point was that exporting crass, materialistic, misogynistic and low-brow American culture to the Muslim world will NOT in any way hasten the empowerment of Muslim women or the loosening of fanatic ideologies. Many other posters here have argued the vacuity of that idea. Now, that’s not to say that many more noble aspects of American culture would not be beneficial to the Muslim world: pluralism, democracy, efficient and transparent organizational structures, science and medicine, and, yes, even many types of music (classical, old style jazz, folk and bluegrass, and other great genres), film, and literature. "

  You can't have the noble ideals without their crass sides -- it's kind of the price you pay. They go together. The freedom to be classy and the freedom to be crass. Like you can't have freedom without crime. You can't sell tylenol over the counter without someone trying to use it to kill themselves.

  Permalink Thursday, August 31, 2006 12:14 PM