conuly

That's an exceedingly good question. As far as the "ghetto-ness" of rap music, I don't think we, as the majority group, have the right to be offended by what a minority group expresses. Well, I guess we can be offended by it, but we shouldn't feel that we have the right to do anything about it, because that comes perilously close to imposing majority rules on a minority group. What's really offensive, when you come right down to it, is that conditions exist in the US that make any group feel that a lifestyle of violence and drug-abuse is somehow glamorous.

The misogyny in those works is a trickier question, because that's one minority group expressing hostility towards another.

This issue is why, as I stated in the bookaddiction post on this topic, I think there should be two important rules to follow in editing offensive content:
1) it should only be edited when it's something for children. Adults can just deal with being offended, or choose to avoid that author/artist.
2) it should be edited when the original intent /wasn't/ to be offensive, but was simply a product of a more ignorant time.

Heck, personally I'd like to see a ban on children's books that indoctrinate kids into particular religions... but I doubt I'll convince the general public of that!