Am I a hypocrite because I like Prince but hate today's filth?

Prince had songs like Little Red Corvette, Gett Off, Erotic City, Insatiable, Darling Nikki... and the list goes on and on.

But now on the radio, you have songs like "I Fucked the Police", and all kinds of filth and flarn.

When Prince sings his "risque" songs, to me it's art, but the artists of today just put it in your face and seem to have no class, style or creativity about it. Little Red Corvette is pure genious!

Even Adore for example, has the line "I ain't fuckin' just for kicks". I LOVE his tone and "styling", but hate the lyrics to songs like like "I wish I could fuck every girl in the world" by Li'l Wayne, and the blatancy of songs like "Birthday Sex".

Where is the ART???

Is there a difference with Prince's stuff, or am I just biased, a hypocrite, and getting old at 37?

MantuaPharoah said:

When Prince did it I guess it was new, shocking & exciting but when people do it now it's boring & I think people just grow out of liking profanity in music

I was born in 1991 though so I don't know what it was like back in the 80's

MantuaPharoah said:

Prince.org is a cemetery where folks mourn Prince instead of celebrate him and his music. Last time I checked, Prince isn't dead yet.

Hell, no, you're not a hypocrite. I'd rather listen to Prince's music than the stuff that's out today, too. Sure, Prince has lyrics that are suggestive, but like you said, his aren't "in your face".[/quote]

Wait a minute! Didn't Prince want to Fu*k the taste out of someone's mouth?! If that's not in your face, I don't know what is? LOL
P
[Edited 7/27/09 9:06am]

Today's "artists" lack any style or imagination when it comes to songwriting and they basically use foul language to shock when it isn't needed or tastefully done. A line like "...the jockeys that were there before me" has no place being compared to something like this crap, "blame it on the al-al-alcohol...".

As long as you can effectively explain why you see a difference, I do not think you are a hypocrite.

First of all, I agree that Prince's stuff, while highly explicit, is not vulgar in the way that some of the newer stuff is. The question is whether or not there is a clear line between art and vulgarity. I have stated to people in the past that I find the nude pictures of women that can be found in certain magazines or even some porn, in its nature, to be appreciative of the beauty of women. Events such as wet t-shirt contests or jello wrestling, by contrast, are simply ways to turn women into sexual objects. This is simply my opinion.

people like what they like.

kewlschool said:

NO - you're not a hypocrite !! I think you are spot on ! I don't think we're viewing it through purple-tinted lenses either.
Prince manages to be very suggestive, sometimes even shocking, but it was always done with a certain style, humour (tongue literally in cheek) and flair! Behind it all, of course, was an incredible musical talent which kinda helped justify the shocking end of his lyrics.
BIG difference with most other "artists" is the lack of talent - so they hook on to the shock tactic of base, crass language and imagery. Kills me when they then claim they are "pushing the envelope" or challenging boundaries - errrr, NOPE! They think they are being bold like someone such as Prince - when they're not.
Digressing from the "filth factor" - it's a bit like Timbaland, Timberlake or Pharrell thinking they're making songs like Prince used to, but making it more current - NO, you're taking ONE or TWO key elements of a Prince song (e.g. drum beat, sparse production) and thinking you're there - missing small things such as decent lyrics, singing and good choruses, musical nuances and a killer keyboard or guitar solo! maybe Pharrell is closER (not close) to be fair to him.
I don't just think it's current stuff either. To me, Madonna's videos, songs and stage antics have always come across as crude and cheap - little style, shock for the sake of it, no cheeky humour or element of cool - backed by songs that can't begin to be mentioned in the same breath as 1999, LRC, WDC, Adore etc etc.
Digressing (again) I'm always really surprised by the number of orgers who seem to really like her - I just don't get how you can appreciate Prince and then be also/equally impressed by Madonna - she may have sold loads and successfully FOLLOWED hip trends but she can't sing, write, dance, play anywhere near P's level. Don't get me wrong there is the odd decent Madonna song (Like A Prayer, Dear Jessie, Vogue) but they don't "get you" like a P song, they're just sing-a-long fast food ! It's like comparing Prince and Kylie FFS - the comparison should stop before it starts - there is none !
[Edited 7/27/09 9:31am]

He did have a clever way of saying things, and it was often buried in the music. I often found myself going... Wait... did he just say...?
[Edited 7/27/09 9:36am]

FunkDr said:

ISF - I'm blushing - I've gone all purple !
seriously - thanks !

Teenagers get off on profanity and offensive lyrics
They purchase that stuff.....Which causes the production of more

I think that it was risque at the time. Not every1 was doing it, which made it intriguing. Sexy.

Age has something 2 do with it 2. I mean I'm not the same person I was 20 or so years ago.

However, taking that in2 account, sex has became a commodity, selling music 2 perfume 2 food...It's profanity 4 the sake of it. Nothing's off limits. This has repercussions elsewhere in society, even though the media wash their hands of social responsibilty.

Hypocrite? No way!

I wouldn't wipe my ass with some of the CD's being released today.
Funny thing is that what it sounds like a lot of these new artists did.
Wipe their ass with a CD and then decided to release it!

Yes, you're a hypocrite, because people were saying those exact same things about Prince 25-30 years ago.

The Parental Advisory Warning on CD's exist today because of Prince.

Bailorin - totally agree !
some v.good points - particularly with the repurcussions in society - so much lack of respect and consideration for other people - "it's all about me"!

this is a really good question, and one I've asked my self quite often in recent years as my life style has changed. As a 15 year old in 1984 discovering Prince's back catalogue then and being shocked by songs like let's pretend we're married or Head or Sister and so forth and did also find it cool and found him to be eceptionally cool in his delivery - cheeky and arrogant but the key was that it was backed by the best music I'd ever heard.

listening to much of today's songs I find a lot of it really offensive and the delivery of it highly dispectful in attitudes in many respects. I then try to remind myself how a 40 year old with a 3 yr old in 1984 may have reacted to a song like sister...hmmm really tough call, maybe I'm just being prudish??

But overall, I think the difference is in attitude and respect. Prince had his rude boy moments, but it was still always about the music and there was some sort of respect for the listener at least at that level. Today's alternative seem much more about being the baddest gangsta and celebrity worship and is often just crude and vulgar...(at least to me)

Strangely, I find some of P's 90s material when he was swearing and acting a little bit of a wannabe hip hop gangsta far more offensive and tiresome than any of his early naughty stuff. Actually, I think naughty is the right word for the early stuff which infers a cheekiness but not necessarily a vulgarity that you get today. Hmmmm.....

Again, good post!

i dunno. when i was a teenager, i remember there was filth and then there was filth.

i never sought stuff out just because it was vulgar, but if it was music i liked and it just happened to also be filthy, then i didn't really care. prince certainly fell into that category.

if something was shocking or vulgar to make a good point, i usually would be interested in it. if it was just something stupid that was like, "here, look at her boobs, i have a big penis, LOL" then i didn't have much time for that kind of crap.

i think you're only a hypocrite if you are making yourself like something because other people do. if you genuinely don't like today's filth but you think 'sister' is a rockin' song, then good for you. at least your tastes are sincere.

bobbyc17 said:

I think attitudes mayB blasé. If U C it from birth, do U really notice it?
Think teens R more in2 pushing the envelope themselves, as always.
Purchasing...? another can of worms right there

"The lid isn't going back on Pandora's box."

...i perfer prince music all-day and all-night...
.
..i do take time out from time 2 time to check out the radio...CAN'T STAND IT!!..
.
..i mean i only like..(chicago)
...soul..106.3 fm..#1
..V-103..102.7fm..#2
...jack..104.3fm..#3
..i mean i'm bias...if they don't play prince...i don't care WHAT SONG..i won't listen.....(HINT: HINT:)
..and the new jazz station 87.7...#4...helps me RELAX..
...mzsexybaby

...it has gotten so bad...i have no idea who anyone new is ANYMORE!!!!..
.
...this all has happend since i started hanging out in the org
.
..strictly PRINCE!!!
..mzsexybaby'CAN'T HAVE A HUG..UNLESS I HAVE A ...I WANT U ALONE IN MY "DIRTY' LIL CAGE!...I DON'T NEED A BIG-MAN..WHEN I GOT THIS MAN---> ...(INSATIABLE..MONTREUX '09)'
[Edited 7/27/09 11:15am]

ISF said:

I never found Princes music totally degrading to women. He never hated on women in the early days. Little Red Corvette to me is a guy learning that women could also leave emotions out of sex and that this girl was a bit jaded. It didn't call her a nasty disease ridden whore.

He came across as a man who loved sex, not as a man who loved to degrade and humiliate women.

dollwoman said:

Well let me add one more dynamic to this discussion.

There was a song on the radio a few months ago that I liked called "Bed" by J. Holliday. I love the music, and the chorus was kind of infectious. The lyrics aren't great or innovative by any means, but I found myself really liking this song.

Then I go to YouTube and find the video after listening to this song over and over for about 2 weeks.

On the video, this guy is onstage singing live, with his pants all down, and his boxer shorts hanging out!

Now here I thought this might be some decent new R&B singer, and the image he gave off was "nouveau thug" with that whole boxers-out look... which I DETEST with a passion!

As a 37-year old African-American male... I'm thinkin'... what the heck is wrong with this generation? How the hell did boxers hanging out become "pop culture cool". To me it's DISGUSTING to see on the streets everyday, and smacks of "prison culture" which has invaded "pop culture" and society.

How is this look a "positive"? Does this look really get chicks????

BUT...

Then I think back to Prince, prancing around in his "skivvies" ... and I'm not talking about "tighty whities".

That whole "Dirty Mind" era was before I became a Prince fan... but once again... I ask myself... am I a hypocrite for HATING this fashion trend that we have today, but then being "somewhat tolerant" of what Prince used to don.

I'm not sure if I would have become a Prince fan had my first "exposure" (no pun intended) to Prince been that Dirty Mind look, but how am I supposed to tell people that this look of today is disgusting and rediculous and obscene, when our hero ... "wished we all were nude!", and wore outfits while performing that would make Richard Simmons blush!!!

I don't know Org... I understand you all on the "music" vibe, and I agree. I still think the "boxer shorts" look is OBSCENE and rediculous... once again... making me a candidate for being a hypocrite.

Yep, I'm conflicted!

You see these people "waddling" down the street holding their pants up. It just looks stupid IMHO... and all you see sometimes is BOXER ASS in your face while you're sipping your Starbucks!

But then again... Prince... black spandex... stockings... no shirt... full frontal bulge... and I have to have a Coke and a smile, and shut the fuck up! lol

No that's GOT to be me being a hypocrite, right???
[Edited 7/27/09 13:05pm]
[Edited 7/27/09 13:06pm]

MantuaPharoah said:

HonestMan13 said:

MantuaPharoah said: