I used to think that if you wanted to be bad, just don't be good. But apparently, it takes more than that. You actually have to DO bad things to get a reputation as a 'bad' person. Is it worth it to go down that road?
I'm sitting here, it's 6 am, I'm listening to music. Not the Jewish Variety. I can't stand Jewish music, it is so cliche. Plus they take a lot of tunes from the non Jewish Artists, so in the end its all the same. Just, one kind sounds way better.
Chris Brown. Akon. Saun Kingston. Rhiana. Enrique Iglesias. N sync. Celine Dion. Jessie McCartney. Gwen Steffani. R. Kelly. Lady Gaga.
Glorious, heartrending, intoxicating music. Should I be listening to this? Do I really care? Am I a 'bad' girl for listening to the forbidden? But who is really the judge of that?
Sometimes I have the urge to do bad things. Anything. Everything. I want to rebel, I want to do all the things I despise, and said I would never do. I want people to look at me in disgust, and wonder what made me snap.
Yes, sometimes I really want to go down 'that' road. Play with fire. Push the limits. Feel the thrill of doing something naughty, and know there's the chance I may get caught for it. Test the waters, see how far I can go.
Experiment, see what it's like. Step back and look at everything from a different perspective. CONSIDER why I'm doing things, and not just do them because I'm told to. Throw it all away, start from scratch, and find my own route back. Or not come back at all.
So what's stopping me? Many things. But mainly, it's 7 am, and I haven't gone to sleep yet. Oh well. Guess I'll have to put off rebelling until tomorrow. Very fittingly, tomorrow is Shabbos.
Connection? I think not.
I also can't stand American Jewish music, horrible crap. A few rebel against the norm, but generally, it's the same crap that was stolen from 50 years ago EuroPop.
ReplyDeleteI'm either listening to JPop or Russian Pop. Haven't liked the new American stuff since late 1990s.
Just because your retarded teachers said it's forbidden, doesn't mean it is. Even the stuff you hear in shul and at the table on shabbat is not Jewish. It's older than 50, but it's still mostly not Jewish. Just like the clothes, so is the music.
Wanting to be bad is not too uncommon. But it's also a sign of depression. Get a job and go to college, then you'll have something to do. ;-)
It's your life. Live it how you want.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to do some nitpicking here. The terms "good" and "bad" do not mean "religious" and "not-religious". If a person is kind, loving, a good friend and honest but does not daven or keep Shabbos; he is not "bad", he is not religious. Another person who is a Rabbi yet does not respect others and cheats the system is a religious guy, but he is not "good".
It really bothers me how in our world we define a person's worth based on their religious observance. Being a mentsch is so much more important. I am frum, very frum... but that does not mean that I'm a good girl-I've done some horrible things. And someone else who is not frum and is one of the nicest people I know is a good person.
Shabbat Shalom!
Good point. Both times when wife was pregnant, including 9th month, the only people who would give her a seat were blacks and hispanics.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is what happens when you deal with a frum business
perhaps the ideal is not to listen to secular music, but when it comes right down to it, the mere act oflistening to secular music does not make one bad or otd. just because one listens to the radio does not cancel out all the other mitzvot one does... if it could judaism would be pretty weak. btw, i listen to secular music as well. it should be the least frum thing anyone does.
ReplyDeleteRAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE!!
ReplyDelete(or something like that)
i recall distantly some lectures about how nonjew music affects the neshama, and i think we can see from your post the truth in this....."yeah i like non jewish music...and now suddenly i have this urge to do bad....!!!!"
ReplyDeletelol thnks chanalia. i knew i could cound on you.
ReplyDeletec- you are right, and i agree. unfortunatly, it is a misconception in our times, and i have fallen under the spell. so if i were gonna be judgmental, like so many other ppl are today, i might call myself a 'bad' person for listening to non jewish music, even as i say my chittas. but who is to judge good or bad? if i leave it up to g-d, it could be im not bad at all. i dont know.
ok, keep an open mind, dont judge, the terms 'good' and 'bad' are broader than my narrow mind can comprehend. good, good, im learning stuff today. i'm even taking note. :P
frum- u are right, of course. it does not make me 'not frum'.
trs- ??? ok, whatver u say
i wrote this at 7 am when my eyes were slowly closing, so no, it was not objective, it was more emotional. so try not to hold me accountable.
moshe- a job AND college? ambitious i would have to be.
to me, jewish music is something sung by a jewish/frum singer. and the lyrics are mostly taken from tehillim, and tanach and stuff. but the tune, ya, those are pretty non jewish.
ReplyDeletethe only acceptable music is niggunim fun der lubavitcher rebbeim
ReplyDeleteno moshe, thats not true. If the Rabbeim composed these tunes, or adapted it and made it their own, then they become holy with the power from the Rebe.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to music: Not that I'm one to praise any of the innovations of the Jews of eastern Europe, but there are in fact some Polish/Chasidish nigunim that've got a lot more soul to them than modern popular American-Ashkenazi music..
ReplyDeleteHm. I just read the preceeding comments.
ReplyDeleteI would comment: Older music is purer than the misic of the past eighty years, which has been based on music that, according to many religious athorities of our own faith and that of the Christians, is intrinsically different than the music that preceeded it in a negative way (everything since Rag-time, Jazz, Rock, Pop, Rap, etc).
...long story..
maybe go chek up the sources:
ReplyDeletethe rebbe on the power of hearing- hakdama lsefer haniggunim
the halachos regarding the replacement of words to a non jewsih tune- heoros al birchei yosef orach chaim, siman taf kuf samech
this shouldnt be done... but if it is... one should wait at least one generation till most people have forgotten the original one.
regarding non- Jewish music in general- Shaalos uteshuvos,Sitz Eliezer chelek yud gimmel siman bais and chelkas yaakov ohr hachaim siman samech daled
songs used for avodah zara are completely ossur for all time.
If a Jewish Tune is used for avodah zorah later on, it is completely assur to listen to it.
songs expressing immorality are completely assur as well because they arouse the yetzer hara.
--
I have listened to not Jewish music b4.. and i can testify... that at that point i thought the same way as frum female... and u know wat? it only got worse from there. Thankfully (or maybe not) my friend was over and i had left the music on... I was concidered to be a very "chassidish" girl... SO when everyone found out the next day, I was kind of embarrassing and i completely stopped. Since then, Ive debated whether or not i should go back since i feel like im just faking by not listening to it, but havent actually brought myself to do so.
---from a green skirter :)
BH I missed the dumbest recurring argument on the blogosphere...Jewish music. What a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteTRS-You make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI try.
ReplyDeleteand succeed...
ReplyDeletecmbc- where do you get your sources from? do u learn abt it in school?
ReplyDeletelol youre not too bad for a green skirter.
trs- ok, but wut have to say on the topic? or u dont really care..
that wasnt the point of the post btw. i could have used a more crude example, but music seemed tame. its what it represents that i was trying to bring out.
Yes, I do :)
ReplyDeleteand should i feel flattered the same way you do when ur told that ur not a "typical" crown heightser? ;)
yup. it is a flattering thing to say. unfortunatly, it has become cliche for girls to be called a 'crown heightser'. i have many friends from out of town who use this term, and my crown heights friends dont like being dubbed that. ok fair enough. we shouldnt generalize, or insult ppl, even if they are what they are. they cant help it. :P
ReplyDeleteI TOTALLY agree... but u know wat? U cant expect the out of towners (OOTS) not to dubb us (or I, I should say) if we ourselves do it...
ReplyDeletelike... the funniest thing ive heard from my friend (who is the most typical CHer, mind you) is that she hates when shes put in a bunk full of crown Jeightsers... im like.. hon.. UR the one making it a "Crown Heights" bunk. lol
lol. thats funny. its like the pot calling the kettle black. (or something like that, not sure how it goes.)
ReplyDeleteAltie: sure I have an opinion, but since I don't care what other people think, why should they care what I think?
ReplyDeleteTruthfully, i dont care what you think, I just felt like i had to ask. either way, this topic doesnt interest me. so thanks for not sharing.
ReplyDeleteAlways a pleasure.
ReplyDeletejust typed big comment before logged in lost it
ReplyDeletepissed.
:( try again, i would love a normal comment from you. i beieve this is the first time we've met. hi i'm altie, cybershake. (or not, if ur into cybershomernegianes.)
ReplyDeleteIt's good to keep an open mind and leave room for new ways in life. It's not necessary to go to the exreme, but a little diversion, just to keep life exciting.
ReplyDeleteagreed. but wut do u consider 'exciting'?
ReplyDeletewell, I, personally, consider dancing on the roof tops of crown heights exciting, especially when the people down below can see exactly what you are doing! Ha! It's being different that's exciting. Nothing bad, or good.
ReplyDeleteand u are very different, which is one of the reasons why i like u so much!
ReplyDeletelol. roof tops of ch. only u.