Is pop corrupting kids?
Over the last 20 years, pop has grown up. The genre has sealed its place amongst the most lucrative fields in global entertainment, dominating media headlines and captivating the imaginations of countless teenagers. But in doing so, has it gone overboard, compromising innocent thrills in a haze of raunch and sensationalism?
That's the claim of one of the 80s' most significant producers, Mike Stock, one third of Stock Aitken Waterman, who helped launch the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Rick Astley, masterminding numerous chart hits during the trio's golden era. But he is not impressed with where pop is at in 2011.
Stock blames the genre's current stars for "sexualising" youngsters everywhere. "The music industry has gone too far. It's not about me being old-fashioned. It's about keeping values that are important in the modern world. These days you can't watch modern stars - like Britney Spears or Lady Gaga - with a two-year-old.
"Kids are being forced to grow up too young. Look at the videos. I wouldn't necessarily want my young kids to watch them. I would certainly be embarrassed to sit there with my mum," he explained. But does Stock have a point? Certainly, this year has seen a procession of semi-naked, sexed-up singles and videos from the likes of Beyonce, Gaga, Katy Perry and Kylie.
But many of these have a more mature audience, particularly in the example of Kylie, who have grown up with the star. Better examples can be seen in the work of Britney, who launched her pop career as a Catholic schoolgirl on heat in the ‘...Baby One More Time' promo and has gone on to base her entire career on 24/7 sleaze, both in pop and her real life.
More recently, Miley Cyrus has been transformed from the wholesome, all-American good girl star of ‘Hannah Montana' into the man-eating, leather-clad Lolita bad girl of recent single ‘Can't Be Tamed'. All this in just two years. It's a dramatic change. But is it the same one we expect or want from our own children? Or is the pop world simply setting a terrible example to its biggest fans?
Is Mike Stock right? Are the music stars of today guilty of "sexualising" the world's youth? Or is it just harmless pop fun? Have your say below...
