"Stoner Doom Metal" (Text)

Over the past couple of days, I've been reading about Dappy from N-DUBZ and his sending of death threats to a single mother who dared to call him "Vile" in a text to Radio One - apparently not realizing that he was kind of proving her point...
This got me thinking about why we allow people such as this the publicity and exposure they receive. I had previously seen Dappy on "Never Mind the Buzzcocks", where he struck me as being a complete moron who took every opportunity he could get to insult the other panelists on the show (Phil Jupitus even walked off at one point he was so fed up - though he also no-doubt wanted to milk the comedic value a walk-off would have), and was just generally offensive to anyone who could hear his voice. A few weeks later, I read that he, and the other 2 members of N-DUBZ, had become the faces of the Government's newest anti-bullying campaign, and it just struck me as being ridiculous. Sure, they needed to find someone that todays youth could identify with, but Dappy seemed to me, having seen him on Buzzcocks, to be nothing more than an egotistical, Chavved up Bully himself, and surely was not an appropriate role model for young children? His record for assault didn't help too much with this image, either (and let's be honest, he looks like a prick dressed liked that - Call me a Bully, but you know I'm right). Now it seems to me that the Government's screwed itself, because they've actually encouraged Dappy's publicity, and now their anti-bullying campaigns will be forever tainted with this association.
This got me thinking, though - sure, I hate Dappy and N-DUBZ, and can't understand how such vile people can be popular among any group of society. But then it hit me - maybe I'm being a little Hypocritical. Afterall, whilst N-DUBZ encourage the Chav culture, and hold poor education, violence, and dressing like a pillock as badges of honour - those possibly aren't the worst things for a band to be encouraging.

In case you haven't read the title and you're wondering what exactly I'm talking about - I'm referring to the newest band to grace my Media Player, the Japanese "Stoner Doom Metal" band Church of Misery.
Church of Misery is a Metal Band, which includes in it's songs themes of murder and mutilation. More specifically, a number of their songs are written about specific serial killers, such as John Wayne Gacy, Gary Ridgeway, Ted Bundy, Aileen Wuornos, Charles Starkweather, and Peter Sutcliffe.
Like many people, I've always been fascinated by serial killers, wanting to know more about what drives a person to commit such acts. But something that's also concerned me is the effect of the Media on the creation of these people. I guess the best example to use is the movie Natural Born Killers by Oliver Stone. In the film, the killer duo Mickey and Mallory Knox (Based on Charles Starkweather and Caroll Fugate) drive across America, murdering countless people, but always leaving one person alive at each scene "to tell the story". Robert Downey, jr. plays a reporter (Wayne Gale), who is following this trail of death and destruction, and the main theme of the movie focuses on the role of the media in portraying and thereby enouraging such violent acts, and is a critique on the portrayal of violence we see on our TV screens, and hear about in the news.
Whilst many people do not acknowledge that watching a film, or listening to music can make someone kill - there is compelling evidence that such things can encourage the imitation of the behaviour they detail. For example, there was a case last year about a teenager who was murdered in the same manner as a character from the movie Severance, after the perpetrators watched the movie and decided to imitate it.
Now, I'm not saying everyone who listens to Church of Misery is going to start idolising serial killers, and decide to become one - but having said that, am I then in a position to say that anyone who listens to N-DUBZ is going to start idolising them, and turn into worthless Chavvy pricks themselves?



Regardless of what the answer is, I can still safely say this with my hand on my heart - I'd have Peter Sutcliffe round for dinner before Dappy any day.