Taking things too literally

I recently read a newspaper article by Australian journalist Jane Watkins that made me laugh and cringe at the same time. In it, she writes about the revelation that the late, great Tupac Shakur's fellow Outlawz rappers rolled up his cremated remains and smoked them. Why? Because apparently in his song Black Jesus he included the lyrics 'Last wishes, n***as smoke my ashes'. According to Outlawz member E.D.I Mean the group THOUGHT (that's right, emphasis on the word 'thought') he was serious about it and so they were simply honouring his request.

Watkins then goes on to note that these guys are a bunch of idiots who did something that one would only expect in children - they heard something, took it literally then did as they heard without giving it a second thought. In this case, they 'twisted up some of that great-granddaddy California kush and mixed the big homie with it' according to Outlawz member Young Noble. While I commend Mr. Noble for his eloquent description of rolling up weed and ashes I think perhaps he and his friends should have thought about it first. While it's possible that Tupac was serious about the strange request they weren't sure whether or not he was and so it's possible that they desecrated his remains for nothing. Watkins refers to the recent death of Ol' Dirty Bastard and notes that it is highly unlikely fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man made a request to not have the late rapper's body washed prior to his public vieweing because his nickname wasn't Ol' Tidy Bastard and that the hip hop industry needs to get it into their heads that people, including some of their own, still take their often-controversial lyrics literally.

And so we move onto the real issue here, which is people's tendency to take things that they see and hear too literally. Like I just said, song lyrics are infamous for this, as we have seen time and time again people getting into trouble thanks to the things they hear on the radio. 'Gangsta' rap and death metal often get the heat from this, since their lyrics often glamorise a lifestyle of hedonism, crime, excess, murder, sex crimes, drugs, substance abuse etc. I'll admit now that I am guilty as charged for enjoying these extreme musical genres but I am also smart and mature enough to realise that such music is for entertainment purposes only and not meant to be taken seriously. How people still have a tendency to take the lyrical content of these songs to heart and get into trouble as a result is just mind-boggling. You'd assume that they've already learned long ago the difference between right and wrong. But with some people, this is clearly not the case.

'Gangsta' rappers usually stress in interviews that their songs are all about stories from their often troubled past, their experiences and how it made them the people they are and as something of a warning to their listeners and people in general of what can happen if you choose to follow such a path. Death metal artists often talk about how their genre calls for dark, horror themes and that listeners should not take their lyrics too seriously other than just to unwind. A sane person would listen to these types of music and be wise enough to know that the things they hear are not meant to be taken seriously. It is strictly enterainment, nothing more nothing less.

It is the same with video games and TV. Sure, we all at one stage have watched a violent film, seen stunts performed or played gory video games but again, they are for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken literally or imitated. Sure, we've heard about action film and violent video game addicts who went on to commit mass murder and acts of terrorism, but all these people were described as sociopaths, psychopaths, unstable and insane. Likewise, we've seen people die needless deaths or suffer serious injuries due to attempting stunts they saw on TV that clearly came with a 'don't try this at home' tag attached to them. These people usually had the words 'idiot', 'moron' and 'stupid' tied to their names. Unless you fall under these categories you really have no excuse for taking these things too literally.

Here in Australia, the TV series 'Underbelly' came under fire for supposedly glamorising the seedy street life and criminal lifestyle. Apparently people started to emulate what they saw on TV and decided that such lifestyles looked 'fun'. What a joke. Anyone with a grain of sense would see that the bad guys in this film often pay for their crimes with their lives in brutal, horrible fashion and that those who survived are left scarred for life or rotting in a jail cell. Also, this show was intended to tell the story of some of Australia's most notorious criminals and show the consequences of their actions. It is not a show that you watch and model your life on. It comes with multiple warnings and an MA15+ rating for a reason.

Really, I can only think of two things that can curb such behaviour; positive influences from your parents and maturity kicking in. My parents drilled into my head when I was a child that sometimes you see and hear bad things on the radio and on TV, but that you need to be smart enough to know the difference between right and wrong as well as know that you shouldn't take everything you see and hear too literally. Most songs you hear on the radio and some antics you see on TV involve dumb and/or dangerous things that only an idiot would attempt and while it seems unimaginable that people would do them, you'd be surprised at how many people still take the bait. It's understandable if a child has such tendencies, it is part of their nature to be curious about the world around them and for that you need to keep them on the straight path. But when adults make that kind of mistake it becomes both worrying and embarrassing.

Pitbull Terriers: To ban or not to ban?

Sometime last week in Victoria, a young girl was mauled to death by her neighbour's American Pitbull Terrier. As predicted, the debate as to whether or not to ban the popular but dangerous dog breed resurfaced, with many people agreeing that it is time to take action. However, there are still people who disagree, claiming that it is the owner's fault for not training the dog more diligently and for leaving it unguarded. For these people, American Pitbull Terriers are generally loyal and friendly to their owners.

First of all, my condolences go out to the family of this little girl. Losing a child is hard enough. I can't imagine how traumatising it would be to watch them die in such a horrible, gruesome manner. As for this debate, I really don't know what to say. While I totally understand why there are calls to ban the breed, I think it would encourage illegal smuggling and trade of these dogs. That's usually what happens when you ban things nowadays right? But at the same time, these dogs are bred to hunt and fight. Not exactly the ideal traits of a family pet. While they may be useful in guarding people's properties it's in their nature to attack. So if we were to look at it in this light, the dog was just simply carrying out what nature intended it to do. I remember a line from that film 'Jurrasic Park', in which Dr. Grant (Sam Neill) shakes his head in disbelief at the sight of a goat standing in the T-Rex's cage, waiting to be eaten. He mutters to himself that it is in the T-Rex's nature to hunt down prey and so placing a goat there for it to eat will be an act of suppressing the creature's natural urge.

But at the same time, pitbulls remain a popular breed and the United Kennel Club describe them as a loyal, friendly breed, generally non-aggressive towards strangers and that any aggressive behaviour is highly uncharactersitic. However, due to their excess energy, athleticism and background as fighting dogs they require lots of exercise and proper training and socialisation at an early age. Add it all up and it becomes quite clear that only strong, experienced dog owners should own them.

In light of what I've just written here I guess I'd side with the folks who believe that banning pitbull terriers is not the solution. However, I think there needs to be some sort of screening process for potential owners of this breed, if there isn't one already. Prospective owners should have proven experience with a wide range dogs as well as the right type of personality to handle this breed. They should also be willing to make the right kind of arrangements on their properties to accomodate the dog. People are made to undergo tests and examinations before they buy guns, surely they can do the same for people who are looking to own a dangerous dog breed.