Has the music industry gone too far?

The entertainment industry has a powerful influence on our society and culture. It is a yardstick of our values. Children and young adults, especially, look up to their idols and, in some cases, try to emulate them.
     The music of today has changed a lot in the past forty years. Here is a good example: England Dan & John Ford Coley "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" from 1976 vs. Katy Perry "California Gurls" from 2010.
     Popular singers were always known to dress "outrageous" in order to attract attention. Long hair, leisure suits and mustaches are tame compared to the bras that shoot out fireworks Katy Perry wears. That is mainstream entertainment now.

          Next, let us look at the lyrics: They are both supposed to be about sex in some fashion. Sex does sell. "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" is almost like a story. Words like "There's a warm wind blowing the stars around" create romantic images that people can relate to. On the other hand, "California Gurls" leaves nothing to the imagination. Metaphors and similes aren’t used anymore. You have to be as frank and offensive as possible now. "Sex on the beach. We've got white sand in our stilettos". That is barely even fit for radio. There is such a thing as free speech, but, with lyrics like that, there is no wonder why America is number one in teen pregnancies among industialized nations. There is a difference between romance and pornography.

         I debated this issue with a former Long Island radio DJ for B-103, named Bob Alfano. He said, “I'm sure back in the late 50s & early 70s there were people who made the same argument about early Rock & Roll. If they got their way, we'd have been deprived of Elvis, The Beatles, etc. As tame as that seems now, it was as radical back in the day”.
     This might be true, but where should the line be drawn? Long hair and maraijuana use is one thing, but the consequences of unprotected sex can result in AIDS or unwanted children.
    Lydia Connito, a mother from Westchester County, NY, agreed. “Have you heard Rhianna's new song "S&M"? How did that get past the sensors?”, she asked.
     It seems that society itself has turned in the opposite direction, compared to the 1950’s, when married couples were depicted on TV as sleeping in separate beds. That was extreme, but so is what our airwaves are filled with today.
     There really is a sense that improper values are now free to be promoted on our airwaves. Yes, the FCC still has rules against broadcasting indecent material, but the entertainment industry keeps trying to test what it can get away with by pushing the envelope every year a little bit further. This will not change as long as it is tolerated by parents