"Being a serious researcher and collector doesn't preclude him from being a shit stirrer as well."

Just as posting with a username doesn't preclude people being shit stirrers too.

One would think it is a no brainer to identify one who is devoted exclusively to the research of such marginal, largely offensive songs, to having some serious shit stirring proclivities, no? Especially when they get all up in the face of those whom they know to be easily offended?

The words don't bother me. I hate the sexist and often abusive content of the lyrics in question. I hate even more that no one else has drawn attention to that aspect of these songs except a handful of people. But what I hate most is the impulse to censor here.

I also think it is pretty hilarious that people still think of this website as a legitmate research resource for serious scholars.

Barbara made this excellent point when she said:

"Taboos are a crucial defining tool for any group, and who knows how they will change in the future?"

It is true that we can learn about a culture by studying the subject matters that culture has defined as taboo. But this sort of research isn't all that revealing because, as others have noted elsewhere, these sorts of sexist, machismo songs are universal. All it tells us is what we already know--that the planet has been dominated by patriarch societies that allow men to "blow off steam" legitimately by singing these sorts of offensive songs, especially in traditionally all male settings like the military.

There are probably thousands of these songs that are much more offensive to our contemporary ears being sung by the soldiers in Iraq right now. Does anyone know if the singing of those songs are negatively impacting female soldiers, including the high incidence of female soldiers reportedly being raped by their male comrades there? If the singing of racist machismo songs had anything to do with creating a climate where the abuse at Abu Ghraib occurred?

I guess nobody wants to think about the truly serious aspects of legitimate research into these kinds of songs like that, do they?