OPINION – The Macklemore concert at Dixie State University last weekend got a lot of attention; some of it good, some not so good.
Organizers of the performance succeeded in bringing one of the hottest chart-topping hip-hop acts in the country to St. George. Despite cool temperatures and persistent rain showers, the outdoor show drew a large and enthusiastic crowd. For the student association leaders who booked the show this is tantamount to catching lightning in a bottle.
Days later, many St. George residents are still talking about the concert, though not necessarily in positive terms.
Residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the Dixie State University campus were forced to endure an excessively loud and profanity-laden show that was unavoidable even within their homes. One friend related to me how he and his wife finally had to load their small children in the car and leave their neighborhood to escape the foul language.
The fact that the hip-hop act dropped f-bombs with abandon is not surprising. But the defensive reaction of some concertgoers to neighbors’ complaints about the vulgarity is both revealing and a bit alarming.
The most revealing comments are some variation of the theme “It’s about time that this town was brought into the real world.”
Here’s how one commenter puts it, “Utah needs things like this. It’s time we get out of the stone age and actually realize there is an entire world out there. It would do you some good to open your mind and not shelter your loved ones so much.”
Are we to believe that a torrent of gutter talk has a net positive effect on our community by somehow establishing a connection with reality that we’ve been missing?
Those championing the performer’s rampant use of expletives seem to believe that a blow has been struck against what they see as the oppressive culture of Southern Utah. They don’t grasp the supreme irony of their joyously celebrating the imposition of filthy language on families who were simply minding their own business.
They carry a chip on their shoulders for the way the community allegedly imposes goodness on them and then snidely tell those who speak out against a deliberate affront to “get over it.” They’re proving the point made by Fred Reed when he noted, “It is much easier to tell people to get over what you have done to them than to get over things they have done to you.”
But what exactly has the community allegedly done to the individuals hurling these taunts to merit such irrationality and anger? Have the families of the affected neighborhood been going around imposing goodness on people against their will?
Or is this definitive proof of the old adage that misery loves company? Those who equate the public use of swear words with a sense of accomplishment seem to be saying, “If we can’t be innocent, then neither should you.”
Seeking out the good and the noble is not synonymous with a Stone Age mentality. That kind of thinking is best exemplified by primitive words and acts. Base language and behavior have been a part of human nature since the dawn of mankind. In spite of that, humanity has consistently found ways to rise above the crude to reach new heights of personal excellence. Great works of literature, music, art, and culture are not culturally inferior because they lack coarseness.
What we say is a reflection of what we think. If our thoughts remain at a level of complexity barely above that of a primate, we shouldn’t be surprised if our language follows suit.
So how do we begin to counter this societal trend of treating public profanity as some kind of great leap forward?
It starts with what we put into our minds. The great educator Mortimer Adler once wrote, “Whoever passes by what is over his head condemns his head to its present low altitude; for nothing can elevate a mind except what is over its head.”
This is not to suggest that a person shouldn’t enjoy the music of Macklemore or any other forms of entertainment they choose. But chanting curse words is hardly the pinnacle of cultural sophistication that some are making it out to be.
Let’s not pretend that St. George residents were edified or in any way enriched by the recent deluge of verbal sewage that forced its way into their homes.
Bryan Hyde is a news commentator and co-host of the Perspectives morning show on Fox News 1450 AM 93.1 FM. The opinions stated in this article are his and not representative of St. George News.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @youcancallmebry
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.
It’s OK that you don’t get it Bryan – just don’t pretend to be the voice for all of Southern Utah. Positivity and acceptance is actually a theme of Macklemore’s lyrics. You don’t agree and that is fine, but don’t stand on your soap box and compare his lyrics to “verbal sewage” and claim that we are better off as a society without personal expression if contains lyrics you don’t agree with. In order for the St. George downtown to expand and thrive, it will need to diversify its offerings and unfortunately, that diversity will offend some. Does St. George want a true downtown or simple a little bedroom district with a splash pad? Downtown living isn’t for everyone and this little town is at a crossroads. Does it build and encourage a truly diverse and vibrant downtown, or does it shackle itself to those who want it to stay the same under the banner of “think of the children!”
I have a child, I have a wife, and about every three days I shake my head and say to myself, St. George residents need to get out more.
I guess that trash is both enjoyed and defended by trash.
Rman: What are trying to say, and in what language. It appears that you failed to read what the author wrote, because nothing you said relates to his article.
I served in the army. I have lived allover the world. I choose not to hear coarse illiterate angry expressions like those described. I had my fill of it in the Army. It serves no purpose. People who enjoy or tolerate it have become coarse and numb themselves.
You are depraved.
I dont lack awareness of “what’s out there”. I reject it.
Now one group has forced that coarseness down the throats of another group. You complain about intolerance while forcing your vulgarity on everyone around you. You only tolerate what you agree with.
Yes, many people here go to church. No on makes you go. No one broadcasts it across the city.
Only a dirtbag would broadcast offensive material across the city for all to hear and be indifferent to those who object.
After reading the comments to the last article I am ashamed to say I am also a DSU student. Those who posted comments are selfish and immature people. The community members posted opinions that were open and tactful while the comments from the students were so rude and close minded. I think that it was amazing that the school brought in Macklemore, I bought a ticket. Having friends that helped orchestrate the event, I know how much work was put into getting him here. Although, I do agree with the community that by simply changing location that would have solved many problems. By having a concert outside you are removing the rights of others to make the choice to not listen to profane language. I have grown up here my whole life and its sad to my generation so trashy and disrespectful to others. I like the music but I would never expect others to HAVE to listen to it too.
Dixie Chick,
You bring up a valid point. However, I beg to differ if we call into question whether they are true students of this great university. You can tell a person’s character by the way they act. Vulgar language is never tolerated when classes are in session. If they haven’t been expelled by the college already, I don’t know what’s holding them in there – a thread?
Good Point, I do agree I have to remember that there are many great students that are part of this great University. It is just sad to see those who are disrespectful associate themselves with it. I guess that is something that is all around us with everything that we do.
I didn’t mean to step on your toes by any means. I have found it compelling that they associate themselves with the college, either that or there was a massive influx of them within the last year or two coming from somewhere … and why out of all places would they pick a place like st george thinking they can take over this entire community along with our deeply held traditions? And who are THEY to trample all over our peace and security? Most of them have come from somewhere else. I wonder aloud how they came to elect a student body president who is also an outspoken supporter of individual “rights ” at the expense of others rights. Someone once asked, why do we have a statue of liberty on the east side of the country only? Isn’t a statue of responsibility looooooong past due on the west end?
Did we really need another article on this topic? Anyway, the ‘real world’ is in the eye of the beholder. A farmer’s real world is on the farm in the country, not the city, an urban dweller’s real world is…you guessed it,, anywhere there’s pavement below his feet, street lights to light the night and places to shop and eat, a celebrity’s real world is painted in glitz and glamour centered around Hollywood and the exlusive environments….Let’s move on. The response to the last article on the ‘vulgar’ concert made it embarassing enough to admit that I’m from here, let’s not keep dragging it on and blowing it up even more…….
So espousing civil rights makes you an evil communist trying to create gulags but cussing is the gravest of mortal sins and should be stopped at all costs. Got it.
Let’s be honest, profanity is mostly just an arbitrary offense.
We pretend to escape the influence of profanity by socially prohibiting certain words, while we are never escaping the ideas that they suggest. By avoiding profanity, we are simply creating a vacuum, which will only be replaced by other words. Whether they are replacing the literal definition of the words (poop, butt, heck, sex) or the colloquial definitions (derogatory or exclamatory remark), we will not escape them with the obscure concept of profanity.
So I question — what is the value in the concept? What do we gain as a society, except a point of cultural aggitation? More importantly, what are you trying to save your kids from? If it’s to save them from becoming cruel and mean by removing their tool? That is not beneficial, as your kids will just find other terms to assault their peers (doodoohead, stupidface, jerk, idiot). I would suggest, rather than accepting a silly cultural concept at face value, teach your kids to be kind, to not react harshly, to not seek venegence, and most importantly, lead them by example. How many times have you spoken ill or offensively towards others, especially in your childs presence? Is that not what you are trying to avoid with profanity?
Or, conversly, is it to avoid “mature” topics? I’ll make my point again: words are merely representations of ideas. You do not avoid ideas by avoiding certain words. And I’ll argue that there is an ethical point to be made. Deliberately attempting to subject your children (from toddlers to adults) to ignorance is both ineffective, rendering them unprepared, and unfair. Your children have the right to make decisions based on those ideas. You have the right to enforce consequences and provide advice. You do not have the right to entangle them with the lack of knowledge, or to bestow upon them avoidance of ideas.
Or is the old faithful argument — that people who swear are unintelligent, or at the very least, lack a strong vocabulary. Let’s start with how untrue that is. Give me a professor, give me a linguist, give me a strong and capable writer, and I will show you someone who is both intelligent and has a plethora of words at their disposal.
I won’t deny that many people use swearwords as a crutch. I would posit though, that it is because of the concept of profanity that these words are used as crutches. Additionally, crutching is a symptom of the lack of vocabulary, not the cause. The specific words don’t matter (like, totally, like, yeah), but it’s the habit of crutching that is the problem. More accurately, it’s the lack of practicing vocabulary expansion that’s the problem. If you want your children to have a vast array of words at their disposal, give it to them. Teach them the words they should use and how they should use them. Especially practice yours. Everyone has crutch words or phrases. I certainly do. Recognize what they are, and be proactive in your vocabulary expansion.
The people do not have the right to not be offended. I’ll repeat that until I die. Especially over such a silly, pointless, arbitrary concept that is profanity. However, that is not the problem that the author should have focused on. People do have some right to silence with in their homes, moreso at night. If the Macklemoore concert broke that, then that needs to be addressed for future events.
In short, I’ll repeat your quote: “Whoever passes by what is over his head condemns his head to its present low altitude; for nothing can elevate a mind except what is over its head.” Your inability to question the traditions of your ancestors and society’s prohibitions represent a “passing over”. You assume it is right, because that is what you are taught. Instead of confronting the things you were taught with an inquisitive and skeptical mind, you hold fast to them to avoid the “evils” and pursue the “noble”.
Profanity is a symptom of an immature society, not because the words deemed profanity, but because of the idea itself. I am not a “champion” of profanity. Instead, I wish the entire concept would disappear, as it’s value to society is null.
Apparently whatever commenting system you use doesn’t like spaces. I apologize for the wall.
I find your remarks and interesting position and a half heart-ed defense of the indefensible. A perspective, whether Mr. Hyde’s or your own is just that, but I would firmly propose, that the vast majority of educated, well read, gainfully employed, morally centered, professional white and blue collar workers, would agree that it would be great if profanity were removed from our lives. Of course, as a social issue, it is seldom given direct attention, but it is carefully regulated, because our general society expects it to be very controlled. Television and public radio and most widely circulated national magazines and news papers are but a few examples of the tight restrictions that are imposed or adhered too regarding profane language.
One of the great leaders of my generation said speaking of profane language: “it is an attempt of a feeble mind to express its self.”
Expletives, when slipped into the language, music or any other venue of public discourse are not words of high thought or uplifting timber. Indeed they always degrade and demean the subject of the words, the listener and I believe those who use them.
If you have ever had the opportunity to teach a little child, who essentially is a new canvass to be educated with life experience and learning, I think if you search your heart one would agree that there are few, if any who would want a little child to incorporate into their vocabulary such degrading words as these rapper/hip hop groups use.
I recognize that millions consider this type of music as supremely entertaining. I have been to many a concert in my high school an college years as well as later on as an adult. I know that my parents would not have particularly liked the music of my generation, but frankly it was hard and or acid rock had lyrics that were offensive and laced expletives. These “artists” of the time were people that pushed the envelop of what was acceptable in music and most paid the price. Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and others did not find ultimate satisfaction in their musicality and spread of degradation. Despite their considerable talents all met their demise as a result of the paths they chose; an ever downward spiral to moral degradation.
Does such language ever elevate and lift one to a higher plane? Does one ever feel motivated to be a better person; or to make positive personal or maybe be an influence for social change? I know an honest answer is, NO.
We have a choice to find what ever form of entertainment best fulfills that need found in all of us, but should it ever be at the expense of others?
You and I have the right as adults to seek entertainment that suits our desires, but there are ALWAYS consequences for our actions; some are subtle and others are often profound. Those actions may express themselves in small ways in our lives, or may quickly affect us in either positive or negative ways, depending on one’s “perspective.”
It is my desire that all could be respectful of the vast majority of the people of our community. “When in Rome…” We can have a great time at a concert, enjoy music of a great variety that is great to dance too, listen too and be enjoyed on many levels with out having to hear guttural lyrics blasted out of immense amplifiers and sophisticated speaker systems by people who almost always have a certain degree of talent, but have chosen a direction that is leading them as well as those who subscribe to their “music” down to an even lower level of the human experience.
I knew a wise old farmer who told me once that. ” I shouldn’t go looking for a fine meal by searching open trash cans.”
I trust all of us can be entertained and enjoy a good concert that would be a great experience for any member of our family or friends. While we don’t all enjoy the same genera’s of music, we can all enjoy great talent that will stand the test of time and not offend those who listen as well as those who it is forced upon by living near a venue of an out door concert.
Think of that little brother or sister, nephew or nice who thinks you are it and loves to engage with you, and looks up to you for many good reasons. Would you want them to gain these words of he hip hop/rap “artists” to part of their vocabulary?
Life is made up of course corrections. Just as we guide our vehicles in traffic each day to avoid accidents through constant course correction, we do the same with our lives. We get distracted with pop culture and go with the masses who are blinded by the distractions around. Let us always be weary of what the pop culture thinks. “We need to get out more.” “We are closed minded” etc.
“Forcing” what we as the majority of south west Utah residents believe upon others is not what “we” are about. However, I think it a very fair question to ask; Is it fair that garbage must be delivered to our curb side and then brought into our homes? Should we have to live with the stench of it, because if we don’t we are going to be demeaned a whole litany of negative connotations, such as; intolerant and narrow minded, brain washed etc.
Be considerate…that’s it, just considerate; It is not too much to ask or expect.
Each of our freedoms end at the point where we step on our neighbors rights through invading their senses. Let us all remember this universally acknowledged fact.
Respectfully,
WDH
Saint George is what it is. If you want to act like a trendy know it all or if you want all this culture you speak of then move to southern California.
So I guess what I’m hearing from these first 3 comments is, if we embrace vulgarity in our lives we have grown up and achieved another step or two in the ladder to success? I think what many people are arguing is that it’s takes a more educated mind to express one’s self without profanity. Accepting vulgar language is to accept a dumbing down of society. That’s just not acceptable to some. There is a generation out there that needs to start educating themselves “beyond” reading and sending 300 texts everyday or updating their Facebook site.
The sad thing is, that if someone is not good enough to entertain with their music, (or their humor in many cases,) they resort to vulgarity. And there is a certain faction that believes this is “entertainment.” Now I’m not at all above uttering a few expletives now and then. If I hit my shin on the coffee table, or if I’m already late to work and I catch the traffic light at 3050 E and Telegraph just as it turns red, I can turn the air around me blue. But I sure don’t have that mixed up with “entertaining folks.”
You’re missing the point. We’re not thinking vulgar language is entertainment, it’s just part of the hip-hop culture older, reserved (sheltered) residents of St George are not accustomed to…which is ok, it’s just that. I’m sure most cities our size wished vulgar language from an outside concert was their talk of the town on media and among residents, cuz I’m sure they have bigger fish to fry.
People don’t want to get used to expressing themselves coarsely and vulgarly. They don’t want to have it blasted acros the city. Most vulgarity is about anger or crudeness. That is why it is called vulgar.
Don’t be so intolerant. If that is your culture, love it, live it, preach it. Just don’t force it on others.
It’s easy to not do it. Just go inside and be as nasty as you want to be. No one cares.
Most people are only tolerant as long as you agree with them. Open your mind. Put yourself in their shoes.
Our society is ridiculously self centered and crude. Do what you will. If you go along with this “bigger outside world” idea, you are a sheep.
You just might be surprised at how many of these “older, reserved (sheltered) residents of St. George are here, not because they were “born and raised in Dixie,” but because it is where we choose to be. And often times we made the choice, so we would not have to deal with garbage entertainment, garbage noise and unwanted intrusions into our peaceful homes. In fact, you might be shocked to learn just how many of us reserved (sheltered) folks attended Woodstock. If, of course you ever heard of Woodstock.
We aren’t at all naive, we are just “mature.”
Profanity is a weak mind attempting to express itself forcefully.
I could tell by reading the comments on the first article on this concert that another article on this subject was truly warranted. The comments were alarming and offensive. People threw insults from behind the anonymity of the Internet, when face to face that would never have happened. There is a time and a place for all things. Hopefully the university leaders will remember that the next time venue selection happens for an event like this.
Thank you for voicing my opinion for me. I couldn’t have said it better myself. I believe there are a lot of people who feel the same way, but don’t care to resort to Internet comment fighting, that often becomes the case. The belittling needs to stop.
I went to the concert – loved it. The lyrics using the f-bomb are not for everyone. I am not an F-word fan but I choose not to focus on it. I can understand that some were offended if they heard it without choosing to do so. Seems like much ado about nothing… it was one night. That being said- the first amendment protects all of us. We don’t all have to be the same or have the same ideals. What we can do is show tolerance for others-that tolerance we expect from others when it suits us or when we need it. We don’t all have to think alike…I can see how parents with young kids would be bothered- but wait until they get to middle school! I moved back here to Utah (yes, I’m LDS) and my kids have learned filthy words and things on their scout trips they never knew about living in a city of 4 million people! I try to teach my kids to live in the world- but they can rise above what’s out there.
Cassie. You said it best! Ty
Bryan, I don’t think the majority of the commenters’ reactions were directly to make St George accept bad language blaring through their streets and into their homes. I think the gravity of reactions by the one’s for the concert boils down to the city’s rep of not catering to the young adult demographic in way of entertainment options. I think a lot of youth/younger adults will agree with me when I say that after this negative reaction by the residents in the DSU neighborhood, we may not see yet another form of entertainment come in in the future. Think about it, the city already has an anti-dance, anti-fun ‘Footloose’ image, now this all just amplified it even further.
The bottom line is the city leaders have their vision of being a quiet, family-oriented, reserved retirement community, not wanting to draw nightlife, concerts and the like. They want growth but not the diversity and culture change that comes with it.
Exactly. Well said.
I recently graduated from DSU…it has bred a lot of great people, some of the most civil people I know of go to Dixie State. However, the crude and vulgar people that defend the actions of the performer and who seem to enjoy trampling over the rights of others is way beyond the average student here at Dixie. They do not represent even in the slightest all the great things the university does and will continue to do. Neither do they represent St. George’s majority of hard-working, law abiding citizens. I have noted that they have the most foul language out of any group of humans I have ever seen or heard. These outlandish “students” represent the minority. I would hardly call them students. If they are, then they are probably cheating their way through college.
By and large, the vast majority of the students who have attended school here at Dixie State are civil, decent, and respectful. They know how to put in a long day’s worth of work. This younger generation is far below that realm. They don’t even come close. If they are in college, they won’t last for much longer before they get caught and expelled. Dixie State and most of its professors hold very high standards and are hard to match in most colleges and universitites; they frequently monitor the students and their work extremely well so as to catch deviant students whenever there are any questions about their academic work. I will continue to raise my voice against the hypocrisy and rebellion of this group of intruders who seek to undermine all that is good.
Go pat yourself on the back and continue to stereotype and pretend DSU and the city are full of perfect angels! The majority of humans on planet earth like to break out and have fun once in a while, something you sheltered ones are deprived of. It’s sad and people not of your closed-mindedness actually feel bad for you…..we really do.
this is ridiculous. profanity is a joke. i agree with cason big time. profanity is only bad because people *think* its bad. i live down town. ya i heard the concert. i dont care. now what if there was a concert at the splash pad park and the mormon tabernacle was singing. well, it just so happens that i am offended by the words: angel, though, list, pizza, route, sky, thy, party. and i want them kicked out of the park if they say those words in the songs they sing. cause they offend me.
i am sure if this was a real scenario, people would tell me to grow up. why? cause our idea of profanity is different?
its funny, these goofy mormons around these parts take pride and joy in telling others that swearing offends them, and to please stop. but if we flipped the situation around….i could say something like this….”hey so and so, please dont say (enter any word here: angel, pizza, dine, fluff, cloud…), it offends me”
isnt that crazy???? telling others what words to speak and not to speak??
just dont get offended by words people. they are WORDS. like cason said, the over the top noise should be the issue here, not the words spoken at the event.
For once, I wholeheartedly agree with you, Bryan. The solution here is simply to consider the Golden Rule. Would those who are defending the right of the college to blast profanity into the homes of its neighbors appreciate someone exercising the same right to impose hymns or political anthems or even opera on them? I say have your concert but have it where it doesn’t intrude on your neighbors’ privacy . . . and your neighbors won’t object.
Wow, seems like the real issue has nothing to do with coarseness, politics, nor history. The real issue is that the concert was too loud for the community bordering Hansen Stadium. That is, if reports are true that the music was so loud people could make out profanity-laced lyrics in their homes.
I suppose the masses can agree (or disagree) to disagree about the morality of profanity, but i doubt anyone would disagree that if you’re going to stage a concert in the middle of a (typically quiet) community, you should probably not blast people’s windows out! 🙂 Personally don’t care. I’ve never heard of Macklemore but then again, I am a Gen X-er and we thought we were too cool for this stuff anyway (hiphop.) And, yes, I probably said stupid things like, “Get out of the stone-age man!” also back then. Fortunately, we all get a clearer prospective as we mature.
As for the article, it’s spot-on. I have heard my share of people trashing on the proverbial “man” for trivial and insignificant (and sometimes imagined) offenses as they trash your house and leave beer bottles all over the place (just a metaphor for the literal folks.)
I’ve said it once, now thanks to this new article keeping the fire burning, Ima say it again…Three words Concert Sold Out
So the concert sold out. SO WHAT. I just shows that there are a lot of people who are not at all caring what they listen to. Concert sold out. Who the heck cares?
Just because a lot of trash bought tickets to see and hear more trash, we should celebrate? Grow up.
Repeated til it’s burned into your lil, naive, brainwashed pinnacle head: CONCERT SOLD OUT!!!!!!!! ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS
We all are entitled to a private space and others should not infringe on it. (Such as what we chose to listen to.) I don’t want manure tracked into my home on your feet or in your mouth. Leave it in the pig sty or corral. “Limits of language are the limits of the mind. All we know is what we have words to express.” If young people insist on gutter talk, they are wasting a lot of money attending DSU. Obviously they refuse to grow and only want to reduce others to their low level. If they hope to excel in the “real world” the four letter words they need to learn are Work, Lift, Rise, Grow, Love, Hope. They can use and hear all the hip-hop ones in another four letter place: Jail.
I can see where the neighbors might be disturbed with the loud music & profanity from the concert. They might have been the same folks who were upset when the Beatles came to the United States in the 50’s.
When Elvis Presley performed on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time in 1956, the cameras only showed him from the waist up because parents everywhere were offended to see him shake his hips. Guess who loved it all the most? Teenagers.
Music is about freedom of expression and can be uplifting in ways the older population will not understand. Freedom to sing, scream, rap, yell in a song or compose in a book is a right we are all granted. The ‘F’ word can be highly offensive to some or in England it’s comparable to the word ‘Crap’. Music is really just a reflection of a current societies views on life, good or bad. Let’s keep in perspective.
Socrates complained about youth in his time:
“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for
authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place
of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their
households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They
contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties
at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”
There will always be an older generation who will complain about the youth of today and focus on the negatives activities they do. Let’s not focus on the words used in a concert but, try to understand the meaning behind them. Tolerance is a good word, acceptance is another. The outside world is already here, like it or not.
I don’t recall anyone being forced to watch Elvis or the Beatles or to listen to them either. The issue here, as others have pointed out, is the right of residents to enjoy the “sanctity” of their homes (and I don’t mean that in a religious sense).
You religious doofus
Sold out of what? It wasn’t held in a measurable venue…it was held on a football practice field. Lol
Some of you are morons. The issue isn’t whethere you should have concerts or not. The real issue is the choice of venue (if you can actually call the gootball practice field at DSU a “venue”). Bad venue chioce.
Nate: Tickets, doofus
“What we say is a reflection of what we think.”
Hm. Maybe. Or maybe sometimes what we say is a challenge to what we, and those around us, think. This entire piece, particularly that line, reek of the “whitewash your mind with good thoughts” mantra the predominant…culture…around here preaches. You know, we can all get offended, or we can buck up for the short span of time and recognize that we sometimes have to put up with stuff that isn’t really our thing. I remember twice a year living in SLC downtown that my yard and driveway were blocked or strewn with the remnants of a picnicking family on their way to the semi-annual whitewash session. I could scream at the wind, or I could suck it up, clean up their rude mess and go about my day. The choice was mine.
I disliked the choice of the outdoor venue. The whole time I was wondering why they didn’t organize the concert to be in the Burns Arena for a couple of reasons; One: this issue of residents complaining about the language – this is expected especially STG (but even if it WAS inside instead of hearing it forcibly throughout nearby homes, there would be a few complaints in STG about the community welcoming the vulgar-speaking culture). Two: the outside venue would always have a chance of weather changes — not that it didn’t work out and that it’s rare for rain here, but besides a mediocre grass field, the Burns Arena would seem more upscale for a popular artist to perform, anyways (Maybe those who set it all up expected MTVU to get some good footage of the campus and surroundings during an outdoor venue). For anyone complaining mainly about the vulgar language on it’s own and why anyone would need to use it or accept it, the vulgar language actually aids this artists lyrical message (of anti drug/anti discrimination) get to those it needs to. People who abuse drugs and others don’t really use the best language or respect the messages of those preaching from a high pedestal. Sometimes so-called “real world” experiences have more respect to the people who need to hear it, than preaching from assumption with a silver spoon in their mouth. But it should be expected that there would be complaints with an outdoor concert in the middle of town in St George, UT — They don’t like certain words coming to their homes even if they like knocking on other doors to express theirs.
The old your-rights-end-where-my-nose(or ears)-begin principle seems to apply.
Bryan,
Mortimer Adler gave the highest endorsement he could possibly give to vulgarity and crudity by including the supremely comic works of Aristophanes, Chaucer, Rabelais, Swift, Sterne, Shakespeare and Cervantes in the Great Books starter set! There’s nothing Macklemore said or did that they didn’t do better(worse) first. As a matter of fact there is a lot those rowdy, bawdy, wine-bibbing, wenching champions of common sense and the human spirit said and did that those performers probably only wish they could have thought of. Anybody who has actually read ‘Gargantua’ or ‘Don Quixote’, or Tristram Shandy’, or ‘The Clouds’, or ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ knows this. If its’ about what you put in your head, Adler doesn’t agree with you …probably not Chesterton or Solzhenitsyn either.