1) It’s the artist’s job to create. If their content is offensive, it’s the public’s job to be offended and not support them.
2) The media’s job, let’s be honest, is to run a business first and be “serious journalists” second. This means featuring popular and controversial artists to generate page views and magazine subscriptions. This is capitalism. It is again left to the public to make decisions about supporting said artists based on this “objective” coverage.
3) Tegan and Sara are obviously well within their rights to take offense to Odd Future, but, sub-questions:
a) Shouldn’t this extend to a boycott/protest on all misogynist art/media? Why aren’t Tegan and Sara complaining about Mad Men, a show that has actually depicted rape?
b) Why should misogyny be privileged as a Bad Thing over violence against anyone, a subject that many rappers have and will continue to rap about? Or happens in half the shows on your television? Because the act of rape is particularly awful, which it is, fine, but do you really want to weigh that against lyrics about killing cops or selling coke?
4) Be offended that the Tyler album is one-note and not nearly worthy of the hype, if you’re going to bother still having this discussion.
Addendum: I don’t think anyone has discussed that Odd Future probably spend their free time playing “Call of Duty” and “Grand Theft Auto” — like nearly all of America’s youth — digitally killing people and raping prostitutes. Their music is a reflection of this, if not of youth culture; how can it not be? The real debate is: why do these things give us pleasure? And more importantly: can we do anything instead? I don’t think anyone will like the answer to that.
