While I was checking my emails, I was listening to one of my favorite musicals, Hairspray, which was just released last 2007. It's a nice musical and I advise everyone to watch. The songs are lively and witty, and the movie is an all-star cast which makes it a good combination. The cast includes Michelle Pfieffer (Stardust), John Travolta (Grease), Queen Latifah (Chicago), Zac Efron (High School Musical), Amanda Bynes (Big Fat Liar), Christopher Walken (Sleepy Hollow), James Marsden (X-Men) and introducing Nikki Blonsky. All stars have a singing part in the movie which is a great discovery for fans. Anyway, while researching was listening to the song The Nicest Kids in Town, which was sang by Corny Collins (Marsden) in a famous Baltimore teen TV show. The song sounds energetic and contagious that you too would like to tap you feet and move around. It shows the scene of cool kids that teens would naturally want to imitate. But as I listen closely to the lyrics, it has a disturbing message regarding how one is to deal his or her schoolwork. And so i decided to share my reaction to students, parents and actually to everyone! Here's the excerpt from the lyrics (the ones in purple are the alarming lines):

CORNY
Hey there, Teenage Baltimore!
Don't change that channel!
'Cause it's time for the Corny
Collins Show! Brought to you by
Ultra Clutch Hairspray!

CORNY (& COUNCIL MEMBERS)
Ev'ry afternoon
When the clock strikes four
(bop-bee-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba, bee-ba)

A crazy bunch of kids
Crash through that door
(bop-bee-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba, bee-ba)

They throw off their coats
And leave the squares behind
And then they shake it, shake it, shake it
Like they're losing their mind
You'll never see them frown
'Cause they're the nicest kids in town

So every afternoon
Drop everything
(bop-bee-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba, bee-ba)

Who needs to read and write
When you can dance and sing?
(bop-bee-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba, bee-ba)

Forget about your algebra
And calculus
You can always do your homework
On the morning bus
Can't tell a verb from a noun
They're the nicest kids in town

Roll Call!!

COUNCIL MEMBERS
I'm Amber!
Brad!
Tammy!
Fender!
Brenda!
Sketch!
Shelley!
I.Q!
Lou Ann!
Joey!
Mikey!
Nikki!
Beckie!
Nick!
Jesse!
Karla!
Polly!
Noreen!
Doreen!
And I'm...LINK!
(All of the girls scream.)

CORNY (& COUNCIL MEMBERS)
So, if every night you're shaking
As you lie in bed
(corny-corny, ooh, corny-corny)

And the bass and drums
Are pounding in your head
(corny-corny, ooh, corny-corny)
Who cares about sleep
When you can snooze in
School?

They'll never get to college
But they sure look cool
Don't need a cap and a gown
'Cause they're the nicest
Kids in town

They're the nicest. Nicest
They're the nicest, nicest
They're the sugar 'n' spicest,
The nicest kids in...
Kids in town!

As you can see, there are lines that seem to discourage serious learning and proper attitude towards school. I'm not saying that the song is totally bad. For me, it's good if we are critical of what we hear and don't easily make assumptions that what is sang is what is socially acceptable. As for this song, it shows an obsession on TV shows and music where there seems to be no control. Remember, too much of something is bad. So it's important to regulate one's liking for anything. Another point I want to make is that, when coming across such media dilemma we need media literacy in order to make good judgments of the messages that we receive. In IMC, we were taught about this is Communication Theory, Communication and Society, Communication Ethics and all the subjects that have the word 'communication' in them. As far as I can remember from Dr. Molo's class, the Magic Bullet theory or the Hypodermic needle explains that we absorb anything we receive in media. BUT wait! Not all should be taken in automatically, That's why we need to be media literate so that we can determine what messages are good for us and what harms us. And it does not end there. We must also be active receivers of messages in a sense that if messages that are sent to us are harmful, we must act with initiative to stop the spreading of the message. Besides, we live in a world where communication forms the foundation culture. If we allow bad messages to endure, we allow bad culture to endure.