Family Friendly Entertainment ... Or is it?

From the beginning, Axis has said that music, movies, and TV shows need to be analyzed for content, artistry, and quality, not just one or the other. For years now, we have tried to do just that: help students and adults think deeper about the media they consume. And we have talked about countless songs, movies, TV shows, YouTube videos, and other forms of media in the hopes that people would not just judge media by whether or not it has a “catchy beat” or “bad words.” There are too many other subversively powerful ideas that are propagated through media (without the use of bad words!) for us not to be keenly aware of them. How can we battle lies that hold us captive if we don’t even know what those lies are?

It’s a good question that brings up another: if we change the lyrics of songs, does that make them safer? If we alter the words enough, can music even been safe enough for young kids to listen to?

As always, the answer is never as simple or clear cut as we’d like it to be. Case in point: the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie, Chipwrecked. (see trailer below) 

The “Alvin and the Chipmunks” characters have always been geared toward younger kids, and recent “Chipmunks” feature films have been advertised as family-friendly, G-rated fun. And families have been frequenting theaters in flocks to watch the films. But, if you watched the trailer above, you might have noticed that something is terribly amiss.

In the movies, the Chipmunks and Chipettes sing and dance to songs from pop-culture that have been popular in the last few years, as well as a few oldies. The movies have featured songs by artists like Lady Gaga, LMFAO, Beyonce, and Katy Perry, to name a few. Since things really haven’t changed in the music industry in the last 40 years or so, you can easily guess the things that these Top 40 artists are singing about and realize that they’re not necessarily “kid friendly.” So why are these songs in the Chipmunks movies?

The words have been changed, of course! Well, at least, slightly changed. Offensive words have been removed or replaced in order to make the songs safe for kids! It’s a perfect solution, right? (Something else that does this is “Kidz Bop,” music albums in which kids sing pop songs with the words changed so that younger children will be able to listen to popular music, too.)

As much as we’d all like for that to be the answer, it’s not that simple. Whether the songs are sung by the original artists with the original words or by the Chipmunks or the “Kidz” with the changed lyrics, the songs are catchy as all get out. So when kids who have already been exposed to the tunes through a “safe” avenue hear the original songs on the radio, they most likely will think, “This is a good song! It was in the Chipmunks movie!” and be none the wiser to the difference in the lyrics. The result is that they are desensitized and never think twice about listening to and singing the song.

In addition, though “offensive” words have been removed from the songs, many of the dangerous concepts that permeate pop music are just as present as ever. One song celebrates partying until you lose your mind, another extols unhealthy and destructive relationships, and another glorifies the idea that you can’t change who you were born as. Young kids do not yet have the ability or experience to discern which concepts are God-honoring and which concepts are enslaving, so unless parents help their children to see this, they will continue to sing these words.

The Bible is clear that words are powerful. James 3, Matthew 15:18, Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 21:23,  Proverbs 15:2 & 4, Psalm 19:14, and Luke 6:45 all speak of the power of the tongue. What comes out of our mouths is what is is our hearts. Do we want these things to be in our hearts? Or our children’s hearts? Music and lyricss are dangerous if they lead us to destruction, no matter who the artist is.

Do you agree or disagree that song lyrics matter? Are there other examples of children’s media that have dangerous concepts that have been disguised? You may comment below. . .