Re[4]: The troubles (revisited)

["Beth Thacker"<thackerb@gvsu.edu>]

     Hi Tom,
     
     It's just that you have labeled me one of the most stupid people on 
     earth.  Maybe I am, and, like you said, am too far gone.  I also play 
     lots of sports.  I guess I am in real trouble.  So if I just change my 
     radio station and stop playing sports will my intelligence increase? 
     (by the way, does exercise count?  If I ride my bike for exercise, as 
     opposed to racing, will I be smarter?)   How are you going to measure 
     this?  Is the effect reversible or not?  Now that I am so stupid, is 
     there no hope?  Do I need classical music all day and all night for 
     years?  How are you going to determine if it is the music or the 
     sports or something else that is making me so stupid?  Has my 
     intelligence been decreasing for years?  
     
     Please help.
     
     Getting stoopider all the time...
     
     Beth
     


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Re[2]: The troubles (revisited)  
Author:  <phys-l@mailer.uwf.edu > at Internet
Date: 10/21/97 12:22 PM


     
On Mon, 20 Oct 97 16:37:10 -0500 "Beth Thacker"<thackerb@gvsu.edu> 
writes:
>     
>     I start my inquiry-based physics class with a song called "Think" 
> sung 
>     by Judy Mowatt (who sang with Bob Marley).  I start units on E&M 
> with 
>     "Electric Boogie" sung by another reggae singer.  When I get in 
> my car 
>     to go home tonight I'll put on a station with hip-hop.  I can't 
>     imagine doing aerobics or dancing to classical music.  I listen 
> to 
>     some kinds of music for the words.  There are even some rap songs 
> that 
>     make very strong social and political statments that should be 
> heard. 
>     Music reaches into our hearts and souls, not just our minds, and 
>     different beats move different people in different ways.  Its all 
>
>     music.
>     
>     Music or sports or anything else cannot make you dumb.  It 
> depends how 
>     you use it.  It depends on what you use it for... 
>
>     Beth Thacker
>        thackerb@gvsu.edu
>
>
> ______________________________ Reply Separator 
> _________________________________
     
Hi Beth,
     
   Taking a page from John, how do you know that listening to very dumb
music for long periods of time cannot make some people dumber?   I love 
that interview with Paul Simon, whose father was a bass player.  Paul 
admits that his father's criticism of his music was: "It's dumb."
     
Regards / Tom
     
P.S.  Don't you think that, if we are warned that the popular music is 
dumbing down generation after generation, someone ought to take a close 
look at the idea?   (Incidentally, I forgot, as I was writing my warning, 
that many who would read it have been damaged already.   If you know how 
Elvis sounds but not Charlie Parker, you are too far gone - probably.)