Ok. Here's how I see things. DBB, I applaud your convictions in that it's not the genre of music that is at fault, it's those who exploit it. Whatever replaces this rap/rock trend, and whatever replaces that down the line, I hope you'll remember the time when the music you liked went mainstream and everyone bashed it.
Segaszivos, I agree that every country has similar problems. I don't think that it's so much that we manufacture the 'pop' music. I think that the problem lies more with the fact that creating a 'pop' culture, of which music always was and always will be a major part, has worked so well in our country. It's all about manipulating the masses to yield to social norms, the center of which, for the marketers who control the airwaves, is measured in the purchase of material goods.
Krigloch, you've hit on a great frustration of mine. There's no variety in the mainstream. We live in the most culturally diverse country in the world while the radio and tv portray something completely different. Damn near every radio station focuses on either country, rock, or rap/r&b. It's a big deal that there's a Latino sitcom on now. The lack of variety is rediculous. We need a cultural revival as much as anyone. On the streets, you run into all kinds of people. This mass media distortion of reality is a truly serious problem.
DBB, once again, you're right about mtv and the fact that it's not even about music anymore. I don't get cable, but my friend gets the digital hookup. I like to watch mtv jams when I'm over there because sometimes they play some videos that I've never seen. I was watching the movie Bullworth on vh1 today at my parents' house. I wanted my parents to watch it, so I kept it on the same station through the commercials. From the commercials I saw, vh1 may as well change their name to E!2. It's all about fashion, celebrities, and sex. It's all about feeding the masses their daily allowance of bullshit while making them sit still through commercials so that they won't miss what's coming up next.