Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Katie Perry or Taylor Swift? Sure.

Skanks like Miley Cyrus, nope.

I think Katy Perry's lyrics are much more "skanky" than Miley.

Katie is theatrical and whimsical.

Miley's stuff is nothing but whoring around on stage.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry. I was frustrated with the people on this thread who don't seem to know much about any of these musicians, seem to conflate them all, and yet feel free to judge parents who actually know something about it and can make educated decisions about what's a reasonable experience for their kids. Though I suppose that is pretty standard for DCUM.

Though I think it's a little overdramatic to be "horrified" that your kid has heard a top-40 hit on the radio. Horrified? Really?

I am not worried about top 40 hits but a huge crowd, noise, language, drunks, drugs etc... that go along with a concert is what my kids do not need at their young ages. Plenty of time for that. And for what it is worth, I think Eminem is a great artist. Not for my 11yr old but much better than the fluff Katy and Rhianna put out and use their bodies in the process.

The question was asked. People are leaving various opinions, but somehow only the PP's thinks hers is correct.

I'm sorry. I was frustrated with the people on this thread who don't seem to know much about any of these musicians, seem to conflate them all, and yet feel free to judge parents who actually know something about it and can make educated decisions about what's a reasonable experience for their kids. Though I suppose that is pretty standard for DCUM.

Though I think it's a little overdramatic to be "horrified" that your kid has heard a top-40 hit on the radio. Horrified? Really?

Anonymous wrote:If you don't know the difference between Eminem, Rihanna, and Katy, you should probably just hope somebody else takes your teens under their wing when they reach their first concert.

That's not a helpful response at all. I'm very familiar with the Eminem of several years ago, the one who has killed his ex wife Kim many times in his lyrics. I was horrified that my 9 year old had heard Monster (the radio version) and liked it. Then I listened to it. It's pretty good, and I'm fine with the lyrics (clean version).

Anonymous wrote:I'm taking my 11-year-old, with earplugs.

Sexy lyrics have been around for-EVER. I remember happily singing "Squeeze Box" by the Who with my little friends ("she goes in and out and in and out" is repeated about a hundred times). We didn't know what the words meant and didn't care. If your DC asks, that's one thing--but if not, why even open that can of worms.

I'm in my late 40s, have sung along to the chorus of Squeezebox many times ("Momma's got a squeezebox daddy never sleeps at night")... and this thread is the FIRST time I ever realized it's not about an accordion!! LOL! To be fair though, I saw Prince and Vanity 6 on the 1999 tour and was at Studio 54 at 15 (my parents had no idea), so I'm hardly sheltered. But did not know that about Squeezebox!

As to OPs original question, I don't know Katy Perry's stuff enough, I play my 5 yr old the video for "Roar" but that's it. Tried to check out the "Last Friday Night" video because she's dressed like a nerd with braces and big glasses, but quickly had to turn that video off when she wakes up next to a nekkid jock right at the beginning... but I have a hunch it's not that bad. 9 may be a little young, but 10 or 11 seems about right for that.

Whatever you do, INSIST ON EAR PROTECTION (ear plugs or noise-cancelling headphones!).

If you don't know the difference between Eminem, Rihanna, and Katy, you should probably just hope somebody else takes your teens under their wing when they reach their first concert.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:my 9 year old went to the brownie ball recently and requested Rihanna's Monster and was told it was inappropriate. guess I should listen to the lyrics!

Um, that's not a Rihanna song. It's an Eminem song--featuring Rihanna.

And sadly I am sure parents take their young kids to see Eminem or Rihanna too
Aren't they artists too?

Anonymous wrote:my 9 year old went to the brownie ball recently and requested Rihanna's Monster and was told it was inappropriate. guess I should listen to the lyrics!

Um, that's not a Rihanna song. It's an Eminem song--featuring Rihanna.

Suit yourself.

I am sorry, I wouldn't take my child to a concert where she sings about sex, threesomes, drugs, dildos, and more. She actually sings them. They aren't subliminal or over the head. I don't care how artsy her stage looks. It is NOT a concert for elementary school aged kids.

How many of you have ever seen Katy Perry perform (or actually know much about live stadium performance in general)? I sense that not many of you have that much experience (maybe I am wrong, that's just my impression).

Katy Perry is one of a top group of performers and her shows are well-organized. Her shows are some of the most well-choreographed shows in the business. A Katy Perry show is about the dance (her dancers are uniformly excellent), lights, choreography, costumes, and stage presence. Her lyrics are indeed suggestive, but they're a small part of the show at a Katy Perry concert. Your child has a better chance of picking up the lyrics on the playground at school than she will at an actual Katy Perry concert.

I would not take a nine-year-old girl to a Taylor concert. Taylor is an anemic performer who doesn't have the stage presence of Katy. The lyrics are a core part of a Taylor show, because there's not much else going on with her show. Personally I think Taylor's lyrics are problematic themselves but YMMV here.

I would take a nine-year-old to see Katy Perry. In fact, I'd take a musically-inclined, musically-experienced or dance-performance-interested younger child, possibly as young as five or six, depending on their musical/performance talent. I wouldn't take a child to a Taylor show or a Miley show. I would take a child to see Beyonce. I wouldn't take a child to see Ke$ha. I think reasonable opinions on this can vary, but you should know something about the performance philosophy of the performers, not just what their lyrics say.

OP, here is what you can do to make it a family event: Don't bring your child's friends. Personally I like a 1:1 adult/child ratio until they're teenagers. Also, I don't know if my kids' friends have been taught about concert and crowd rules and safety and I don't want to be in charge of that. Don't use regular earplugs; invest in a pair of solid child ear protectors (earmuffs), and make sure your kid is comfortable wearing them before you buy the tickets and perhaps have a rule that if the ear protectors come off you walk out immediately. Be prepared to leave if you get there and you're wrong in your judgment (this has never happened to us, but we always go to every performance ready to leave at any point). Be okay with leaving early or even plan on leaving early (we do this). Make sure they eat a solid dinner beforehand, and put some protein bars or cheese sticks in your pockets or purse so you can choose when you want to go to concessions, if you want to go at all. If you see bad behavior, talk about it openly with your kids and how the people are making bad choices and how to avoid them. Talk about the show after you go: performances you liked, the dance numbers you liked, etc. and what didn't play as well.

I see so many teenagers at concerts who get there and just have no idea what to do. They've never been taught how to manage themselves in performances or crowds. They are unsafe, get overwhelmed with the novelty, and make terrible choices. Perhaps that's just part of being a teen, but I feel like I've also seen a lot of ignorance at work at these concerts.

I grew up in a musical family, with family members in the business, and I'm continuing that tradition (I am not in the business, but I really love live performance and go with my kids). Personally I think it's terrific to take kids to see those performers who know how to put on a good show and teach them how to enjoy big music events while they have your guidance. Their first big stadium concert experiences shouldn't be with a group of equally inexperienced friends when they're 15. You don't want your child to be the one that somebody like me has call her parents while I watch because she's been sick in the bathroom and isn't safe. I was the safe teen when I started going to performances on my own, and I think it's because my parents showed me how to be careful when I was younger by teaching me themselves. I really cherish those memories and I am so glad to build the same experiences with my kids.

I think that it too young. Give them a few more years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Katie Perry or Taylor Swift? Sure.

Skanks like Miley Cyrus, nope.

I think Katy Perry's lyrics are much more "skanky" than Miley.

Which is why patents need to take a minute to educate themselves on who these stars are and how they conduct themselves in public. Katy Perry is very much a bigger than life entertainer. Her costumes, sets are all very musical show like. Her music videos have tended to be much more suggestive than anything she does on stage but the latest videos seem to be more "artsy" than anything she has done in the past.

Miley Cyrus lyrics are fairly tame by comparison, not so suggestive. And the fact that she used to be Hanna Montana might give some parents a false sense of security. But actually watch Miley the performer, herself, along with her videos - vulgar. Sorry. No way would I take my kids anywhere near that woman.

No, you should not.

Anonymous wrote:Katie Perry or Taylor Swift? Sure.

Skanks like Miley Cyrus, nope.

I think Katy Perry's lyrics are much more "skanky" than Miley.