You can buy the full article for $36 if you don't believe me.

[www.jstor.org]

Abstract
This article assesses the link between country music and metropolitan suicide rates. Country music is hypothesized to nurture a suicidal mood through its concerns with problems common in the suicidal population, such as marital discord, alcohol abuse, and alienation from work. The results of a multiple regression analysis of 49 metropolitan areas show that the greater the airtime devoted to country music, the greater the white suicide rate. The effect is independent of divorce, southernness, poverty, and gun availability. The existence of a country music subculture is thought to reinforce the link between country music and suicide. Our model explains 51% of the variance in urban white suicide rates.

Talk about a clear case of cause and effect!

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It is what it is.

I get depressed too when the only thing on the radio is country.

Rock is angry, country is sad.

In the time since that study came out 20 years ago, have country music performers tried to make their songs more cheery? Doesn't seem that way.

So if they played Country Music at Foxconn ?

I've got no use for the wretched pop-songs-with-a-fiddle-part that masquerade as "country" music these days, but I've also gotten to the point where I automatically tune out any story that begins with "Study Shows..."

EDIT: I clicked through against my better judgement, and now that I see who the authors are, I particularly don't believe it. Jim Gundlach is a conspiracy crank of the first order.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2012 01:57PM by Will Collier.

I used to think that I hated Country Music. Now I've realized that I just don't like bad country music, which is most, if not all, of what seems to be available anymore.

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MacResource User Map: [www.zeemaps.com]#

Country is fine. It's the country western that would cause me to slit my wrists if I had to listen to it.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Real country music died a long time ago.

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I sit on a man’s back, choking him and making
him carry me, and yet assure myself and others
that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his
lot by all possible means — except by getting off
his back. - Leo Tolstoy, novelist and Philosopher
(1828-1910)

Quote
ztirffritz
I used to think that I hated Country Music. Now I've realized that I just don't like bad country music, which is most, if not all, of what seems to be available anymore.

+!!!!!!!!!!1

most of the dreck on radio is so disgustingly over-produced, romanticized BS as to be unlistenable. at least to me. (and this would go for most modern soul music, although slightly less so)

It says country music fosters suicide among "people already at risk of suicide". I'll bet that if you give me a grant I can make the same association to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Charmin toilet paper, or what have you.

Anyhow, the study was done in 1992 when "Achy Breaky Heart" was released. Need I say more?

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I wonder what they might find if they repeated the study using Doom or Sludge Metal.

".... some beach, somewhere..." Yep, that's all we need.

Quote
MacArtist
Real country music died a long time ago.

Ever been to a Bluegrass festival ? It's still there.

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mikebw
I wonder what they might find if they repeated the study using Doom or Sludge Metal.

or the blues

If I wanted to mock and hate country music I could find a better way than this

"Correlation is not causation" is what comes to mind with this study.

Country Music and not The Smiths/The Cure/Depeche Mode?

Whoda thunk.

What effect does gansta rap have on people?

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Wow. A poorly controlled study finds a correlation and pretends causation. August, you are correct. I see correlation, but I don't see the causative factors they claim either. And yes, I downloaded it and I read it.

OK. I'm on my soapbox now.

There is no mention of determining how many individuals actually listened to country music, but only the proportion of radio airtime it received. Nor is there any mention of any attempt at directly correlating of suicide and country music, as in asking the families of the suicides "did he/she listen to country music?" Nope, they suicided and they fit my model and so they must have been influenced by the music. BTW, their findings only apply to "whites" and not to "blacks" -- and it's not just them! -- other people found the same "white" versus "black" distinction; they made sure to stress this several times in the paper. Even if this paper was published in 1992, I find this statement alone highly offensive. They justified it because "black people" are not consumers of country music. Suicide rates by social class? "Data not available."

Rock music, on the other hand:

"One might anticipate that rock music might also increase suicide, given the mention of suicide in its lyrics. Survey research on the psychological reactions of rock music's audience finds, however, that rock music elicits antisuicidal moods of happiness, delight, and love (Wells 1990)." Reference: Wells, Alan. 1990. "Popular Music: Emotional Use and Management." Journal of Popular Culture 24:105-17

If you're interested, PM me and I'll give you the paper.

I'm climbing down off the soapbox now. Thanks.

[www.scribd.com]

The 7 page article, if you're interested. No charge.

Come on, it's a



nice day for a



white suicide...

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New forum user map 8/2015: [www.zeemaps.com]

Quote
comaplate
Country Music and not The Smiths/The Cure/Depeche Mode?

Whoda thunk.

You left out Leonard Cohen.

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Comedy Central: Best news channel that isn't a news channel.

Fox News: Best comedy channel that isn't a comedy channel.

Depeche Mode and Leonard Cohen cheer me up.

Quote
Spock

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comaplate
Country Music and not The Smiths/The Cure/Depeche Mode?

Whoda thunk.

You left out Leonard Cohen.

And the Cowboy Junkies.

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It is what it is.

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DaviDC.
What effect does gansta rap have on people?

That study shows a higher incidence of rectal itch with an oily discharge. I'd have to choose Country over Rap/Hiphop if you put a gun to my head.

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- Jack D.




New tasteless sig coming soon!