Usually when people complain about music made for children they're really saying that the thing is "NOT for ADULTS," which is a very different line in the sand taste-wise. There is very little non-specialty music made specifically (and only) with children in mind
This made me think about how interesting it is (maybe) that 'music for children' might be the ONLY specifically demographically-targeted music. Ofc all music has an audience in mind, but I imagine most at least hope to go beyond that. 'Music for children', though, does not hope to be universal.
It's the only demographic bracket that has coherence from some sense of purely external authority, I think -- what parents choose, what is deemed appropriate or even legal, what is permitted in particular public spaces, etc
There is a lot of commercial art aimed at teenagers which gets bracketed into for kids or for adults depending on whether someone approves of it (all comics discourse ends up being about this)
Yeah, the "teenager" being a pretty wonky and contested category
As a dad who’d like to have fun pop songs exist that don’t need edits with the hate speech taken out, I WISH there was more music for kids.
exacccccctly
How did “uptown funk” need the line “b—-, say my name!” when kool & the gang’s “celebration” didn’t
pornographic verisimilitude in minions movie soundtrack songs was a mistake
I finally had to acknowledge the existence of "WAP" with my eight year old because of "Weird Al." Why.
Guys, what about K-pop?
The people who make these complaints aren’t usually thinking of it but o think it’s one obvious reason it’s taken off with kids in the US
I don't think I know how to write that in proper internet slang. See, I am an adult.
I can't think of a bigger difference in my basic identity formation than me at 13 versus me at 19
I could definitely go on and on about this in books - when adults discovered teen lit, then publishers kinda started gearing their books to "adults who like teen lit" instead of actual teens, and teens abandoned it in droves and went to manga instead. That's the executive summary.
That’s really interesting! K-pop is definitely serving a similar function now I think
Watching my son find YA was interesting because he’s interested in it (he’s 11) but quickly realized he could just read adult novels instead. (I hadn’t realized how accelerated the horrorcore dystopia genre has gotten, most adult fiction is less intense than the YA)
So true! I feel this was about "teen" versions of non-fiction best sellers - if a kid is interested enough about a topic, the adult version will DEFINITELY hold their interest - and interest will allow you to challenge your "reading level." #MoneyGrab
There’s a good book about this out in September about the formal instructional rather than interest-generating reasons to get rid of the concept of the “reading level” hep.gse.harvard.edu/979889557003...
That's a FANTASTIC rec! Thank you!
This made me go googling for some data and www.theguardian.com/books/2024/a...
3 observations from this. 1. Yes, it true, its not even 21 year olds. 2. Its not lighter or fluffier just like Dave said, its often heavy, dark and LONG. 3. Guve me a minute and I'll find you the "Why is YA Fiction all so dark" from my earlier librarian days! Always judging what the teens want!
Pam Spencer Holley spent her entire year in this org fighting against Gossip Girl moralists! www.starnewsonline.com/story/news/2...
The Sarah Maas series were both a blessing and a curse. There was NOTHING YA about them but they were published that way because that's where the energy was. But they blew up so much that now romantasy is a recognized adult genre and maybe teen fiction will course correct a little.