This category contains insults and offensive remarks, which can be considered a form of humor. Humor and the ability to laugh at our selves and society may be mankind's greatest saving attribute. But are there lines that should not be crossed?
It is interesting how people allow certain forms of expressions to “offend them.” Although some of the lyrics in this book may offend somebody, rather than taking them personally perhaps they should just be ignored, or dismissed for what they typically are, which is stupid, ugly, hateful, sick, selfish, thoughtless, and sign of pettiness. Do people who insult others diminish and demean themselves in the process?
Although insults should be ignored and recognized for the small mindedness they represent, there are three problems resulting from insults (and negative lyrics) that go beyond than simply just offending people:
The first problem with generating just one insult (and negative lyric) is that it plants the seed to inspire more material of the same and baits others to push the envelope further, giving license and challenge to provoke others. This is one of the underlying trends that becomes apparent if one was to look at a dispersion of negative lyrics on a time line. It is not just one isolated negative lyric here and there that is the problem, it is the chain reaction of negative lyrics that results. Then the cycle repeats itself with someone new who has to out-do the old threshold with something even more negative. This process has been going on for the past 20 to 30 years, regressing to the point where it has become mainstream over the past 10 years.
The second problem with generating just one negative lyric, is that children, teenagers, and young adults are at-risk of being negatively influenced because they have not developed the full mental capabilities yet to make good judgments or gained the experiences necessary to distinguish.
The third problem is that there are others in society that may be at risk and susceptible to negative influence (i.e., leadership theory). The end result is that one negative lyric may become the foundation of belief. Words are very powerful because words become thoughts. Thoughts are the seeds to belief, and with belief a person is empowered. Over time negative messages may take hold in the mind in the form of belief, particularly if it is reinforced by other means.
Regardless of the creator’s intent, the constant exposure can desensitize the mind and weaken the will to resist, eventually effecting values, beliefs, and behavior. Some of the messages in the lyrics may ultimately result in some form or shape of defeating, destructive, or negative action.
Insulting people is a negative act that creates a negative rippling effect. Can problems and situations be discussed intelligently, constructively, and in a civil manner without having to inflict insults?