CherryMoon57 said:

databank said:

As mentioned in past threads this is also how I feel too about Prince's influence in many aspects of my life.

Although I must admit, my question was a little in connection with how Prince was perceived and received by those Rolling Stones fans in 1981. I was trying to invite people to reflect on how they view new things, new ideas that perhaps challenge their current mindset, and see how objectively they would react to it.

For me it is hard to understand how a crowd of people going to a music concert could be so cruel to a person onstage. But I guess those were different times, and so things would probably be very different now in this very politcally correct world.

Still, to think that the incident occurred well after the 70's 'make love not war' revolution, makes you wonder if the human nature does change at all. There is perhaps a part of us that refuses to acknowledge our ugly tendencies.

Also, this kind of group phenomena and herd mentality often raises serious questions not just about us as individuals but also about how we function as a society as well, our interactions with each other, etc. He was clearly being 'bullied' at the time (all against one) and bullying is still very alive and kicking in our current world...

Thanks in turn for your replies

.

To be honest, we Prince fans weren't necessarily better than those Stones fans. And I have a little story to illustrate this.

.

In July 1992, Prince played in Paris for the D&P tour. I attended one of the 3 shows and the opening act was a dance music singer named Indra, who'd had a hit a year earlier (incidentally with a song titled Let's Go Crazy: https://www.youtube.com/w...8AKkaJHCq0 )

.

As you can imagine, it was all her singing on pre-recorded music alongside dancers, not exactly a smart choice for a Prince opening... Before you know it 17,000 people were booing at her and she even fely obliged to state that she'd "finish her show no matter what", and so she did. We didn't thow things at her, but we booed like crazy. I have to admit, and I'm not proud of it, that I booed alongside everyone else: I was 15, I didn't know better

.

Obviously, Indra didn't challenge any cultural statu-quo, her music was simply crap by our standards, and IDK what the promoter was thinking by programming her because it was pretty obvious Prince's audience would be hostile anyway. Nevertheless, we all forgot that we had a real human being, who was just trying to do her job, in front of us, and even if it didn't get physical, we hardly treated her any better than those Stones fans had treated Prince a decade earlier.

.

I wonder if Prince heard the booing from backstage, and if he did, how he felt about his audience being so disrespectful to another artist.

yes, he had an impact on me and others. for me he was there always playing the soundtrack to my life. his lyrics encouraged me and his generosity with concerts and parties was inspiring. i would be different, somehow lesser, had he not made that impact on my life. i have a lot to thank Prince for. r.i.p. dear hero. thanks for everything

BlueShakooo said:

Prince is my favourite guitar player, singer, arranger and performer. I love the way he grooved and funked! The most impressive pop-artist ever! But when it comes to his lyrics I must say that TO ME he was mostly saying nothing. But with style. I remember having read an "Around The World"-album review (from back then when it was released). The critic wrote that Prince'lyrics had a "goofy philosophing"-quality. Though I love that album I must say that this guy made a good point. To me Prince's lyrics always sounded good. But great messages? Sorry, but no...

but your missing an even broader spectrum of his quality.

databank said:

CherryMoon57 said:

As mentioned in past threads this is also how I feel too about Prince's influence in many aspects of my life.

Although I must admit, my question was a little in connection with how Prince was perceived and received by those Rolling Stones fans in 1981. I was trying to invite people to reflect on how they view new things, new ideas that perhaps challenge their current mindset, and see how objectively they would react to it.

For me it is hard to understand how a crowd of people going to a music concert could be so cruel to a person onstage. But I guess those were different times, and so things would probably be very different now in this very politcally correct world.

Still, to think that the incident occurred well after the 70's 'make love not war' revolution, makes you wonder if the human nature does change at all. There is perhaps a part of us that refuses to acknowledge our ugly tendencies.

Also, this kind of group phenomena and herd mentality often raises serious questions not just about us as individuals but also about how we function as a society as well, our interactions with each other, etc. He was clearly being 'bullied' at the time (all against one) and bullying is still very alive and kicking in our current world...

Thanks in turn for your replies

.

To be honest, we Prince fans weren't necessarily better than those Stones fans. And I have a little story to illustrate this.

.

In July 1992, Prince played in Paris for the D&P tour. I attended one of the 3 shows and the opening act was a dance music singer named Indra, who'd had a hit a year earlier (incidentally with a song titled Let's Go Crazy: https://www.youtube.com/w...8AKkaJHCq0 )

.

As you can imagine, it was all her singing on pre-recorded music alongside dancers, not exactly a smart choice for a Prince opening... Before you know it 17,000 people were booing at her and she even fely obliged to state that she'd "finish her show no matter what", and so she did. We didn't thow things at her, but we booed like crazy. I have to admit, and I'm not proud of it, that I booed alongside everyone else: I was 15, I didn't know better

.

Obviously, Indra didn't challenge any cultural statu-quo, her music was simply crap by our standards, and IDK what the promoter was thinking by programming her because it was pretty obvious Prince's audience would be hostile anyway. Nevertheless, we all forgot that we had a real human being, who was just trying to do her job, in front of us, and even if it didn't get physical, we hardly treated her any better than those Stones fans had treated Prince a decade earlier.

.

I wonder if Prince heard the booing from backstage, and if he did, how he felt about his audience being so disrespectful to another artist.

Wow, thanks for sharing that story. I actually remember the song very well as I was still in France at the time. It wasn't really my type of music but watching that little clip now is making me feel very nostalgic...

Hats off to her for continuing her performance regardless, if Prince had been watching (as he often was before coming onstage) he would have probably been impressed with her attitude and not so much with the crowd's. At least you are being honest about it plus you were still relatively young.

Apparently there was an aftershow at the IndigO2, which I couldn't attend during the 21 Nights in London, when the crowd was rather disruptive and many people were drunk and getting impatient (or so I was told) and Prince ended up not coming. Not sure if it was perhaps because he didn't like the vibe, who knows.

XxAxX said:

yes, he had an impact on me and others. for me he was there always playing the soundtrack to my life. his lyrics encouraged me and his generosity with concerts and parties was inspiring. i would be different, somehow lesser, had he not made that impact on my life. i have a lot to thank Prince for. r.i.p. dear hero. thanks for everything

Thank you XxAxX

Yes, Prince had a lasting impact on others. He really cared about his music, his concerts proved what a fabulous showman he really was and he had such a caring personality and strong faith. He most definitely left a lasting message and legacy for all to see. He will NEVER be forgotten. There will NEVER be anyone like him.

To the person who said Prince, lyrically, "ain't saying much lyrically...goofy philosophising"...yeah, right!

You must not have listened to Sign O' the Times or Annie Christian or The Love We Make. Or the Cross or even Let's Go Crazy. The brother was deep and intense. I dig the messages in those songs.

As far as his message impacting me, his music makes me look at other artists' music and see if they can be as deep as he was. As far as my life, it only changes me when I stop and think about the messages in those songs in interacting with the world around me. Most of the time, I'm walking to the beat of the drummer in my head.

Personally, Prince's is very intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking, pushing me to think deeply about the many issues he raises---love, God, sex, creation, politics, religion, family, material things, and so forth. There is so much substance to his catalogue. Many of his lyrics require careful analysis and discussion to understand, e.g., Anna Stesia, Colonized Mind, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, The Love We Make. His music and his status as a major figure in American popular culture has also impacted me by playing a role in various moments of my life, whether it be singing karaoke to "Kiss" at my best friend's 30th birthday party on May 6, 2016 (shortly after his death) or watching his Super Bowl performance or listening to "Diamonds and Pearls" for the first time in 2012 with my then-boyfriend, now-husband.

.

While the sexuality in his music hasn't been the most impactful aspect of his music for me personally, I think that one of his biggest impacts or legacies was pushing the boundaries of sexuality in music. (I have mixed feelings about the sexual content in his music.) I think that later in his life (around age 40 and onward), particularly from 2001 and onward, he was well aware of how much he contributed to pushing these sexual boundaries, and he didn't like it, which is why his music from 2001 onward (including his live performances) is much more "family friendly" than his earlier material. My interpretation of him toning down the sexuality in his music is that he became more concerned with his own salvation after the death of his son, and especially once he became a Jehovah's Witness. In spite of his efforts to tone down the sexuality from 2001 onward, his 80s material is the most impactful part of his catalogue, and it's dripping with sex, so the most that he could do was to show that he was a changed man and believed in the error of his earlier promiscuous, sexually explicit ways.

.

As a side note, I wouldn't even consider purchasing "Purple Rain" as a teenager because I had read about "Darling Nikki" and how that song motivated Tipper Gore and company to come up with the Parental Advisory label. I didn't want my parents seeing me listening to explicit music or threatening to take away albums with explicit content.

[Edited 11/18/17 21:42pm]

purplefam99 said:

I think his message did have a profound effect on fans but I don’t think some Want to fully acknowledge it. I think his message of spirituality is shoved to the remote corners of their hearts because beliefs in the spiritual world To most doesn’t coincide with their view of being intellectual. It is odd to me to be such a lover of the man and his music but able to deny the source from which the Man says it comes from. I think those inclined with faith, he deepened it in a way that we wish we could share so you could feel what it is like to joined up with Prince in music and God.

#TRUTH

Only now after his passing am I realising the Profound afffect he has on my life.

Since April 21 I have learned so much from his mantras, positive affirmtaions and new and funky pathways to meet God.

Lots of fans dont want to delve into the SPiritual Prince.

Its all too much

too deep

they arent ready yet..

he told us all.

For me, Im ready, and for everything he was

his greatest legacy may yet be

as the Funkiest Prophet we have ever seen.

My faith has increased at least 100 fold, and my understanding of what it means

to Love others, is being acted out in my daily life.

His music will have a profound affect on Humanity,

but it will take time...

Just as its changed a lot of us for the better,

echoes of Prince will do the same.

People are still talking about Malcolm X , learning from him

In 100 years Prince will be a bigger conversation than

Taylor Swift or Beyonce

No offense meant..

[Edited 11/18/17 22:33pm]

Lovejunky said:

206Michelle said:

Personally, Prince's is very intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking, pushing me to think deeply about the many issues he raises---love, God, sex, creation, politics, religion, family, material things, and so forth. There is so much substance to his catalogue. Many of his lyrics require careful analysis and discussion to understand, e.g., Anna Stesia, Colonized Mind, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, The Love We Make. His music and his status as a major figure in American popular culture has also impacted me by playing a role in various moments of my life, whether it be singing karaoke to "Kiss" at my best friend's 30th birthday party on May 6, 2016 (shortly after his death) or watching his Super Bowl performance or listening to "Diamonds and Pearls" for the first time in 2012 with my then-boyfriend, now-husband.

.

While the sexuality in his music hasn't been the most impactful aspect of his music for me personally, I think that one of his biggest impacts or legacies was pushing the boundaries of sexuality in music. (I have mixed feelings about the sexual content in his music.) I think that later in his life (around age 40 and onward), particularly from 2001 and onward, he was well aware of how much he contributed to pushing these sexual boundaries, and he didn't like it, which is why his music from 2001 onward (including his live performances) is much more "family friendly" than his earlier material. My interpretation of him toning down the sexuality in his music is that he became more concerned with his own salvation after the death of his son, and especially once he became a Jehovah's Witness. In spite of his efforts to tone down the sexuality from 2001 onward, his 80s material is the most impactful part of his catalogue, and it's dripping with sex, so the most that he could do was to show that he was a changed man and believed in the error of his earlier promiscuous, sexually explicit ways.

.

As a side note, I wouldn't even consider purchasing "Purple Rain" as a teenager because I had read about "Darling Nikki" and how that song motivated Tipper Gore and company to come up with the Parental Advisory label. I didn't want my parents seeing me listening to explicit music or threatening to take away albums with explicit content.

[Edited 11/18/17 21:42pm]

Thanks Michelle!

Many good points raised there, although I am not entirely sure if Prince ever conveyed a 'promiscuous' message at all.

As far as I know, even when he often heavily touched on the flirtatious, sensual and playful erotic aspects of love, he still seemed aware (and reminded us) of certain moral boundaries ('I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man', 'AnotherLoverHoleInYoHead', 'When 2 R In Love' - not 3 lol!, 'Tonight, we make love with only words' Lovesexy or even warning us: 'It's hard for me to say what's right when all I want to do is wrong', in 'Gett Off'). He also often created parallels between love and a spiritual connection with a higher supreme being, and he did that from the start of his career.

So, flirtatious yes, promiscuous, I don't think so.

Well, some people's mental health on this site sugggests the impact was not good

I believe I read in an interview with one of his old band members, that Prince wanted to create a "movement". That NPG wasn't just a back up band, but for Prince, it was his fans, too. We were the New Power Generation. I believe they said something like this idea was from the beginning of Prince's career, to start a movement.

As for his message having an impact on the world? If you look around, read the news, you can see there is no impact. Wars, fears of immigrants, every one so seperated from each other, people do not show love for one another (much less compassion or acceptance or even common courtesy). People are so insulated from each other, living out their lives in tiny bubbles, that do not include the people passing them on them street, that the only thing that truly matters to the general public is themselves and those things that effect them personally. Pull up to a yellow light and watch all the cars fly right through, even 2 or 3 running the red light because they don't want to stop, because their time is so much more important than the lives of those they may hit in cross traffic that jump out when their light turns green.

Impact on his fans? I think some people were touched deeply by his message, some were just there for the music, and some I haven't figured out why they were there. But for the most part, we all shared a commonality in Prince, we all shared in our collective grief at his passing, and that should have brought us together even more, but once that initial shock wore off, everyone was pretty much back at it. We still share a love of his music, but we are no more compassionate towards each other, no more common courtesy shown towards each other, and it's evident on this forum (and others) when we spend our times gossipping about each other, bad mouthing each other, being bitter and hateful towards each other, calling each other names, etc., that Prince's message was lost even amongst those that claim to love him.

For myself, the impact he had on me was tremendous. I got the internet because of Prince. Up until my first concert in 1998, I had sworn away from the internet. I only heard the horror stories about it and there was no way I was going to get the internet. When I saw him in concert for the first time, I wanted to find out more about him and my boyfriend told me, "You'll need to get the internet. He's on there, likes the medium of it, and you can find all kinds of information about him." My desire to know more about that man I saw on the stage 3 to 4 feet away from me during the entire concert, that I got the internet. Then I found Love4OneAnother and cried as I read that site, because I felt like I had discovered a kindred spirit. What he was sharing on that site was what I had always believed and no one else could understand, it seemed. Through him, through that site, I made friends that have been with me for the past 20 years, friends that shared him as a commonality, friends that grew through love for each other. Prior to Prince, I was extremely shy, quiet, soft-spoken, living in a shell. After Prince, I began to bloom, open up, become fearless in my life. I believed his message, it was always my message too, and finding someone else with the same message was an awakening for me. So, yes, he definitely had an impact on me, on my life.

benni said:

benni said:

I believe I read in an interview with one of his old band members, that Prince wanted to create a "movement". That NPG wasn't just a back up band, but for Prince, it was his fans, too. We were the New Power Generation. I believe they said something like this idea was from the beginning of Prince's career, to start a movement.

As for his message having an impact on the world? If you look around, read the news, you can see there is no impact. Wars, fears of immigrants, every one so seperated from each other, people do not show love for one another (much less compassion or acceptance or even common courtesy). People are so insulated from each other, living out their lives in tiny bubbles, that do not include the people passing them on them street, that the only thing that truly matters to the general public is themselves and those things that effect them personally. Pull up to a yellow light and watch all the cars fly right through, even 2 or 3 running the red light because they don't want to stop, because their time is so much more important than the lives of those they may hit in cross traffic that jump out when their light turns green.

Impact on his fans? I think some people were touched deeply by his message, some were just there for the music, and some I haven't figured out why they were there. But for the most part, we all shared a commonality in Prince, we all shared in our collective grief at his passing, and that should have brought us together even more, but once that initial shock wore off, everyone was pretty much back at it. We still share a love of his music, but we are no more compassionate towards each other, no more common courtesy shown towards each other, and it's evident on this forum (and others) when we spend our times gossipping about each other, bad mouthing each other, being bitter and hateful towards each other, calling each other names, etc., that Prince's message was lost even amongst those that claim to love him.

For myself, the impact he had on me was tremendous. I got the internet because of Prince. Up until my first concert in 1998, I had sworn away from the internet. I only heard the horror stories about it and there was no way I was going to get the internet. When I saw him in concert for the first time, I wanted to find out more about him and my boyfriend told me, "You'll need to get the internet. He's on there, likes the medium of it, and you can find all kinds of information about him." My desire to know more about that man I saw on the stage 3 to 4 feet away from me during the entire concert, that I got the internet. Then I found Love4OneAnother and cried as I read that site, because I felt like I had discovered a kindred spirit. What he was sharing on that site was what I had always believed and no one else could understand, it seemed. Through him, through that site, I made friends that have been with me for the past 20 years, friends that shared him as a commonality, friends that grew through love for each other. Prior to Prince, I was extremely shy, quiet, soft-spoken, living in a shell. After Prince, I began to bloom, open up, become fearless in my life. I believed his message, it was always my message too, and finding someone else with the same message was an awakening for me. So, yes, he definitely had an impact on me, on my life.

Thank you for these true words benni!

206Michelle said:

Personally, Prince's is very intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking, pushing me to think deeply about the many issues he raises---love, God, sex, creation, politics, religion, family, material things, and so forth. There is so much substance to his catalogue. Many of his lyrics require careful analysis and discussion to understand, e.g., Anna Stesia, Colonized Mind, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, The Love We Make. His music and his status as a major figure in American popular culture has also impacted me by playing a role in various moments of my life, whether it be singing karaoke to "Kiss" at my best friend's 30th birthday party on May 6, 2016 (shortly after his death) or watching his Super Bowl performance or listening to "Diamonds and Pearls" for the first time in 2012 with my then-boyfriend, now-husband.

.

While the sexuality in his music hasn't been the most impactful aspect of his music for me personally, I think that one of his biggest impacts or legacies was pushing the boundaries of sexuality in music. (I have mixed feelings about the sexual content in his music.) I think that later in his life (around age 40 and onward), particularly from 2001 and onward, he was well aware of how much he contributed to pushing these sexual boundaries, and he didn't like it, which is why his music from 2001 onward (including his live performances) is much more "family friendly" than his earlier material. My interpretation of him toning down the sexuality in his music is that he became more concerned with his own salvation after the death of his son, and especially once he became a Jehovah's Witness. In spite of his efforts to tone down the sexuality from 2001 onward, his 80s material is the most impactful part of his catalogue, and it's dripping with sex, so the most that he could do was to show that he was a changed man and believed in the error of his earlier promiscuous, sexually explicit ways.

.

As a side note, I wouldn't even consider purchasing "Purple Rain" as a teenager because I had read about "Darling Nikki" and how that song motivated Tipper Gore and company to come up with the Parental Advisory label. I didn't want my parents seeing me listening to explicit music or threatening to take away albums with explicit content.

[Edited 11/18/17 21:42pm]

Great Post Michelle....

regarding your conflict with the sexual content.....

Put into perspective, it had its place

I dont believe there was any error....

He was young and horny as most young people are

He was just more open and honest about it than most...

and since His creativity was on overdrive, creativity comes from the Sexual Urge

the base chakra in eastern philosophy

He USED SEX to get our attention ..

that worked well for him....

Darling Nikki, explicit as it is, actually honours the Power a woman can have over a man

when she owns her sexuality rather than being oppressed and embarrassed by it..

another example of the message within the message, which so many of Princes songs

invite us to explore....

benni said:

I believe I read in an interview with one of his old band members, that Prince wanted to create a "movement". That NPG wasn't just a back up band, but for Prince, it was his fans, too. We were the New Power Generation. I believe they said something like this idea was from the beginning of Prince's career, to start a movement.

As for his message having an impact on the world? If you look around, read the news, you can see there is no impact. Wars, fears of immigrants, every one so seperated from each other, people do not show love for one another (much less compassion or acceptance or even common courtesy). People are so insulated from each other, living out their lives in tiny bubbles, that do not include the people passing them on them street, that the only thing that truly matters to the general public is themselves and those things that effect them personally. Pull up to a yellow light and watch all the cars fly right through, even 2 or 3 running the red light because they don't want to stop, because their time is so much more important than the lives of those they may hit in cross traffic that jump out when their light turns green.

Impact on his fans? I think some people were touched deeply by his message, some were just there for the music, and some I haven't figured out why they were there. But for the most part, we all shared a commonality in Prince, we all shared in our collective grief at his passing, and that should have brought us together even more, but once that initial shock wore off, everyone was pretty much back at it. We still share a love of his music, but we are no more compassionate towards each other, no more common courtesy shown towards each other, and it's evident on this forum (and others) when we spend our times gossipping about each other, bad mouthing each other, being bitter and hateful towards each other, calling each other names, etc., that Prince's message was lost even amongst those that claim to love him.

For myself, the impact he had on me was tremendous. I got the internet because of Prince. Up until my first concert in 1998, I had sworn away from the internet. I only heard the horror stories about it and there was no way I was going to get the internet. When I saw him in concert for the first time, I wanted to find out more about him and my boyfriend told me, "You'll need to get the internet. He's on there, likes the medium of it, and you can find all kinds of information about him." My desire to know more about that man I saw on the stage 3 to 4 feet away from me during the entire concert, that I got the internet. Then I found Love4OneAnother and cried as I read that site, because I felt like I had discovered a kindred spirit. What he was sharing on that site was what I had always believed and no one else could understand, it seemed. Through him, through that site, I made friends that have been with me for the past 20 years, friends that shared him as a commonality, friends that grew through love for each other. Prior to Prince, I was extremely shy, quiet, soft-spoken, living in a shell. After Prince, I began to bloom, open up, become fearless in my life. I believed his message, it was always my message too, and finding someone else with the same message was an awakening for me. So, yes, he definitely had an impact on me, on my life.

Great to read about your individual experience...and I totally relate

purplefam99 said:

I think his message did have a profound effect on fans but I don’t think some Want to fully acknowledge it. I think his message of spirituality is shoved to the remote corners of their hearts because beliefs in the spiritual world To most doesn’t coincide with their view of being intellectual. It is odd to me to be such a lover of the man and his music but able to deny the source from which the Man says it comes from. I think those inclined with faith, he deepened it in a way that we wish we could share so you could feel what it is like to joined up with Prince in music and God.

well said

Lovejunky said:

206Michelle said:

Personally, Prince's is very intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking, pushing me to think deeply about the many issues he raises---love, God, sex, creation, politics, religion, family, material things, and so forth. There is so much substance to his catalogue. Many of his lyrics require careful analysis and discussion to understand, e.g., Anna Stesia, Colonized Mind, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, The Love We Make. His music and his status as a major figure in American popular culture has also impacted me by playing a role in various moments of my life, whether it be singing karaoke to "Kiss" at my best friend's 30th birthday party on May 6, 2016 (shortly after his death) or watching his Super Bowl performance or listening to "Diamonds and Pearls" for the first time in 2012 with my then-boyfriend, now-husband.

.

While the sexuality in his music hasn't been the most impactful aspect of his music for me personally, I think that one of his biggest impacts or legacies was pushing the boundaries of sexuality in music. (I have mixed feelings about the sexual content in his music.) I think that later in his life (around age 40 and onward), particularly from 2001 and onward, he was well aware of how much he contributed to pushing these sexual boundaries, and he didn't like it, which is why his music from 2001 onward (including his live performances) is much more "family friendly" than his earlier material. My interpretation of him toning down the sexuality in his music is that he became more concerned with his own salvation after the death of his son, and especially once he became a Jehovah's Witness. In spite of his efforts to tone down the sexuality from 2001 onward, his 80s material is the most impactful part of his catalogue, and it's dripping with sex, so the most that he could do was to show that he was a changed man and believed in the error of his earlier promiscuous, sexually explicit ways.

.

As a side note, I wouldn't even consider purchasing "Purple Rain" as a teenager because I had read about "Darling Nikki" and how that song motivated Tipper Gore and company to come up with the Parental Advisory label. I didn't want my parents seeing me listening to explicit music or threatening to take away albums with explicit content.

[Edited 11/18/17 21:42pm]

Great Post Michelle....

regarding your conflict with the sexual content.....

Put into perspective, it had its place

I dont believe there was any error....

He was young and horny as most young people are

He was just more open and honest about it than most...

and since His creativity was on overdrive, creativity comes from the Sexual Urge

the base chakra in eastern philosophy

He USED SEX to get our attention ..

that worked well for him....

Darling Nikki, explicit as it is, actually honours the Power a woman can have over a man

when she owns her sexuality rather than being oppressed and embarrassed by it..

another example of the message within the message, which so many of Princes songs

invite us to explore....

Lovejunky,

I have the same mixed feelings about the sexual content in the music of many other artists, not just Prince. However, he was one of the major players in pushing the boundaires of sex in music due to (a) the sexual content in his music as well as (b) his popularity/status as an iconic artist.

.

Let me elaborate on what I mean by "mixed feelings." The first amendment protects the sexual content in music which is good because people should have the right to freedom of expression (outside of hate speech, libel, slander, threats, and the like). My whole issue with the sexual content in music is the impact that the sexual content in music has had on changing sexual mores in society generally. I suppose it's a chicken versus egg issue: Which came first, sexually explicit music or normalizing sex outside of marriage? The bottom line is that it has become harder and harder to actually be celibate prior to marriage.

.

I promised myself around age 13 or 14 that I would not have sex until I was married, and I was largely successful at keeping this promise to myself; it was one of the best decisions I ever made. My motivation was both religious and practical, but was rooted in Catholic Christian teachings about abstaining from sex until marriage. I have had 1 sexual partner, my husband. And I made him wait over a year before he got my goodies, but I did give him the goodies (when I was 26, I think) before we were married. I wish I could have waited until I was married, but I think I did quite well for myself abstaining as long as I did.

.

However, my abstinence was not the norm and I feel that with sex being so pervasive in music, movies, and various media, premarital sex is the expectation, and the beauty and sacredness of sex has become trivialized.

.

So that is why I have mixed feelings about the whole sexual revolution in music in which Prince was a central figure.

[Edited 11/20/17 19:11pm]

206Michelle said: