JonWestfall.Com

Teenagers, one of the latest singles by alternative-rock / emo / whatever band My Chemical Romance is a pretty humorous and ironic song that I figured I’d highlight here, for really no reason other than to put my thoughts out there on it (That’s what blogs are for right?). It actually applies to the title of my blog, as the song is amazingly sarcastic. Possibly too much, as Jill Weinberger pointed out in May when she wrote this:

“The video ends with the words “VIOLENCE IS NEVER THE ANSWER” and a message urging kids to get help if they feel like acting out. Still, there’s a fine line being walked here, and when your lyrics go, “if you’re troubled and hurt, what you got under your shirt will make them pay for the things that they did,” you’re placing a lot of faith in your fans’ sense of irony.”

I suppose the message of this song is somewhat obscured by the overt lyrics, hiding their covert anti-violence message. I think this is a good thing - it forces teenagers (and others) to actually think about the music they’re listening to. Of course, does anyone think about what they listen to anymore? I do, but unfortunately I can’t be sure of others.

Anyway, it’s got a good beat, campy lyrics, a very flashy video, and things worth thinking & talking about, I suppose!

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