Garrett, I definitely felt what I felt about the song because of the closeness to the gay community, and the affect that teenage suicide has on gay youth. However, I don’t think that invalidates any concern I have about the flippant use of something as serious as suicide, if anything, it would strengthen it. Does this mean that I hate Sean Kingston, his song, and believe that it should be banned? Absolutely not. Do I think that any mention of suicide should warrant an all out campaign against teen suicide? Certainly no. But, I was struck by this song, and as such, voiced my opinion and concern; nothing more. I also said what I would “like” to see happen, but as we know, the world cannot be controlled by our desires, and as such, it was merely my thoughts on the situation, nothing more. I think that anyone that can flippantly use statements that are very real and personal for others, without an apparent knowledge of the potential impact of those words and their usage, really speaks to the state of media today. There is an all over lack of understanding as to what is really going on in the world, and in this case, our own country. If my concern is echoed anywhere, then I guess, his song did something right; it got people talking.

Vanessa, agreed. However, it struck me, and as you said it, blogs are for discussing, so I voiced my concern.

The point of blogs is to bring about discussion, I enjoy this!

And atlmal needs to hang out at his own blog.
You know, cause “hissy fits” there…..

This was FANTASTIC. I think it is INSANE for a song(for a particular age group) to throw around the word “suicidal” so much). It’s just another way people try to cash in.

Um, you just threw around the word insane. In ALL CAPS. Why are you so insensitive about the mentally imbalanced?

Sorry, Duane, I can’t get behind you on this one. A heavily-relied-upon metaphor in a song doesn’t warrant an inquisition into the artists sensitivity toward a mental health issue. Are you upset with Modest Mouse for The Good Times are Killing Me because that could be a reference to chronic depression or homicide?

I would hope that people like Sean Kingston, being a teenager himself, would realize that gay and lesbian youth are extremely disproportionately affected by suicide.

Sounds a bit like projection to me. The fact that he used the word “suicidal” has no relevance to his sensitivity toward gays, or lack thereof. That’s quite a stretch.

That said, I can appreciate that what you wrote is a personal opinion; I just disagree with it. Hope you have a good weekend.

And I’m familiar with depression and suicide. My father and brother both suffer from depression and my father failed in his attempted suicide back in the Summer of 1995.

Kingston is a little flip about how he tosses around suicide, but he’s young. I said it (and thought I felt it) back in my teenage years until I was confronted with real depression through the eyes of my father.

Even if Kingston’s pop song is just a catalyst for discussion like yours, I don’t think that harms discourse, I think it helps it.

Just my two cents.

And yes, it does frustrate me when the ignorant bound about so willfully so. If that constitutes a “hissy”, then, well, so be it.