If I Told You Brent Bozell Had a Beautiful Body, Would You Promise Not to Hold It Against Me?

If you read one pointless take on an irrelevant two-week-old news story this weekend, make it Brent Bozell's "Pop Music's Sex Education." Weep for what Ipod hath wrought:

Music is no small part of youngsters' lives. Adolescents typically listen to 1.5 to 2.5 hours of music per day, and that doesn't include the amount of time they are exposed to music through music videos. The researchers were especially concerned about sexually degrading music like the F-bombs and "ho" lyrics of the rappers.

People who want to make excuses for the music industry also argue that sexual lyrics are nothing new in popular music, from "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones to any number of songs that discuss "making love." But a lot of late 20th century music that played on the radio had a layer or two of euphemism or double entendre. It might have gone over the heads of grade-schoolers riding along in the car.

Oh, that's what "making love" means? This must be why teen pregnancy rates dropped all through the 90's—a decade-long spike in the use of cryptic euphemisms and double entendre.

I don't want to be one of those people who go around making excuses for the music industry and the way it forces small children to consume offensive lyrics at gunpoint. But not long ago, Ipods were being blamed for increased social isolation among adolescents. Shouldn't we greet their Ipod-induced social activity with enthusiasm? Then again, I certainly haven't spent as much time thinking about teen sex as the author of this column.

Now that you know the seed of destruction fits in the palm of your hand, buy an OhMiBod for someone you love.

David Weigel was on the Ipod story when it was "news." Just a few days back, Jacob Sullum hipped us to an ad campaign Brent Bozell could get behind.