Lost innocence
IT is entirely right the Government considers tighter regulation of music videos. The proposal for an age-rating systems, which comes from a review commissioned by David Cameron, seems sensible. The content of pop promos has been transformed over the last three decades and for many, the tipping point was Madonna’s infamous Like a Prayer video, made in 1989. In those days, however, parents had more control over children’s access to entertainment.
Since then, the way young people watch music videos has been transformed by the internet and mobile phones. As such, record labels, never the most socially responsible of organisations, have shown little restraint in the images they present to children. Lady Gaga has succeeded Madonna as pop’s enfant terrible and society has been bombarded with footage of semi-naked celebrities gyrating to a soundtrack of often explicit lyrics.
This is short-sighted and damaging. People of nearly any age should be allowed to enjoy their own taste in music but that is not an excuse for allowing the sexualisation and commercialisation of childhood.