The Morality of Rock ‘n’ Roll
What makes Rock Moral?
Ever since 1956, when Elvis Presley “gyrated” his lower torso on the Milton Berle Show3, Rock ‘n’ Roll’s reputation has declined from a moral standpoint, according to pundits that is.1 The word moral is in itself ambiguous. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, morality refers to a code of conduct that is espoused by a group or by what a person views as correct behavior.2The definition does not include the views of people who are not part of that group. Likewise it is up to the individual to determine personal moral values. These values are molded by others, but the final result belongs to the individual and the person chooses what to consider moral. In the world of Rock ‘n’ Roll sex, drugs and debauchery are acceptable and even expected pastimes.3Rebellion and instant gratification form the essence of Rock ‘n’ Roll.1Therefore, according to these tenets, the shenanigans of the rock star are almost compulsory. It is normal for rock stars to live vicariously and it is normal when they challenge authority through their actions. In Rock ‘n’ Roll, standards and morals should not be judged according to the dictates of conventional thinking; the morality of Rock ‘n’ Roll derives itself from what people expect of the rock star as well as the decision that the rock star makes about what is moral.
The Morality of Rock ‘n’ Roll
The expected code of conduct for a rock star is far removed from that of a typical person. This expectation is what gives zest to Rock ‘n’ Roll and defines its morals.
“There’s a sense of what it means to act like a rock star,” says Rob Bowman, professor of music at York University. “You have audiences that expect rock stars to act outside the norms of social behavior… Rock stars live outside of society in a way that most of us can’t because we have a mortgage to pay or kids to take care of,” says Bowman, “but we can get a certain vicarious pleasure out of other people being able to do things that we might want to do.”3
This pleasure is derived from all the crazy stunts that rock stars pull off. Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire, Led Zeppelin’s legendary debauchery in Seattle among other places, Ozzy Osbourne biting off a bat’s head, Keith Moon driving a Cadillac into a swimming pool and Kid Rock’s sex tape all emphasize rebellion and self gratification as the morality of Rock ‘n’ Roll.3
Hendrix lights guitar on Fire
Ozzy eats bat
Rock is Moral
Rock ‘n’ Roll is comprised of people who accept the “values” of rebellion and self gratification. This thought meshes with the idea that morality is defined by what people believe and accept as rational behavior in a certain environment.2Rock stars as part of Rock ‘n’ Roll are not always rational, but people believe that being irrational and being a rock star can be analogous. Sex, drugs, debauchery and destruction all figure heavily in Rock ‘n’ Roll. These result from rebelling against the establishment and the search for self gratification. However, as these actions are accepted by the rock ‘n’ roll community this behavior is considered moral, but only in the bounds of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
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