At Issue: They’re Not Sexy: Pop Culture and Our Kids

English: LMFAO at the Sunset Strip Music Festival 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last week the New York Times’ Motherlode column featured The Momoir Project founder Cori Howard’s article, She’s Not Sexy, She’s Seven. In it, Cori discusses the difficulty she’s had in deciding how much is “too much” when it comes to allowing her kids to listen to music with obvious, gratuitous sexual references. After watching her daughter dancing to LMFAO‘s “I’m Sexy and I Know It“, Cori muses,

But — but — there is something very disturbing about watching your young daughter gyrating and moving her hands up and down her torso while singing, “Ah, girl, look at that body.” She isn’t sexy, she’s 7. And I resent the music that has her declaring her sexuality before she’s even old enough to have prepubescent hormones.

Difficulties ensue when the kids ask what the song’s lyrics mean. Cori’s answers give rise to even more questions from her kids– ones that she doesn’t really want to have to answer…yet.

Cori’s not the only parent having to ask how far to go in insulating kids from the messages in popular music, particularly those songs with violent or sexual lyrics. This week, 4mothers explores the world of popular music. As a parent, where is your line in the sand when it comes to letting your children listen to songs with explicit or violent content? Where is ours? Join us as we wiggle wiggle wiggle our way through this issue. As always, your thoughts and comments are welcomed.