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Violence in songs, poetry...

(108 Posts)
choughdancer Fri 10-Feb-23 13:03:50

Are songs like 'Delilah' and poems like 'My Last Duchess' doomed?
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hxsw

Doodledog Mon 13-Feb-23 22:10:07

I think that some songs can incite violence. The whole point of military songs and football chants is to intimidate the opposition. Some popular songs can be deeply unpleasant, and I suppose can normalise violence (and can definitely normalise dubious attitudes to women), but I don't think that a song like Delilah, which tells a story about a murder/crime of passion, rather than glamorising it, is likely to incite someone to murder.

hollysteers Mon 13-Feb-23 22:34:11

The opera ‘Carmen’ has become problematic with Don Jose knifing her at the end through jealousy and producers scratch their heads trying to make it more acceptable now as it is so popular.

Amazingly, even though I have sung the leading role many times through the years, domestic violence didn’t figure largely In my thoughts! It has taken recent uproars to make me see it more clearly.
There used to be more of a blind acceptance of these things, but one thing is for sure, Carmen will never disappear as it means bums on seats.
(I’m singing her Habanera tomorrow 🎼)

hollysteers Mon 13-Feb-23 22:36:34

The crime of passion leniency in law is interesting.
Murder is murder however it occurs.

Chestnut Mon 13-Feb-23 23:56:23

hollysteers

The crime of passion leniency in law is interesting.
Murder is murder however it occurs.

Although a crime of passion is not usually premeditated, in which case it is manslaughter not murder.

M0nica Tue 14-Feb-23 08:52:17

Doodledog The songs aimed at intimidation also bring the group singing them together in a unity of spirit and to inspire courage, but the words of songs like that do not need to incite violence, they just need to be a song where everybody knows the word and is singing together.

Liverpool fans use 'Abide with me' like that. It is aimed at intimidating the opposition and built up a group unity among the singers.

Doodledog Tue 14-Feb-23 09:09:50

M0nica

Doodledog The songs aimed at intimidation also bring the group singing them together in a unity of spirit and to inspire courage, but the words of songs like that do not need to incite violence, they just need to be a song where everybody knows the word and is singing together.

Liverpool fans use 'Abide with me' like that. It is aimed at intimidating the opposition and built up a group unity among the singers.

Yes, it’s like a tribal chant or war dance. It seems to be an instinctive thing, and goes back to primitive times.

MerylStreep Tue 14-Feb-23 09:18:51

Yammy
you can look at anything in a bad light if your so minded
How true. As evidenced here on GN.