Loud Music as Torture? How About Trying Some CCM?

According to a news story (Click here: FOXNews.com - Music Used During U.S. Military Interrogations - Local News | News Articles | National News | US New), certain musicians are a bit offended that US military and intelligence authorities use their songs (blaring loud and played for hours at a time) to break detainees in Gitmo, and other clandestine locations.

I remember when Manuel Norriega (the erstwhile Panamanian dictator) was holed up in the Vatican's embassy in Panama City, and our soldiers blasted him out with tunes from Billy Idol and the Doors. He looked like human jello by the time he surrendered.

The current group of songs used by the intelligence community include tunes from "Barney and Friends," Sesame Street, Metallica, and AC/DC. I like some stuff from the latter two bands, but certainly not for hours on end.  If I had to listen to "Barney and Friends" even once I think I'd want to hang myself.  The interrogators also use Don Mclean's song American Pie, which every time I hear it, sticks in my head for days, even though I hate it.

I have a couple of suggestions for our interrogators.  How about Carmen's Christmas or Hip Hop albums?  How about songs from anyone who "sings" (screams) for the TBN "Praise-a-Thon", or as one well-known Reformed theologian once told described torture--anything by the Gaithers played on the accordion.

If you were a CIA interrogator, what would you play to break a terrorist?

Comments

[Kevin Jackson]

The only thing that came to mind when I read your post was this:

CCM: Unsafe at any Volume. (A/K/A CCM: the Pinto of music)

[George]

These interrogators are missing the obvious. Anything by Janis Joplin recorded at any time during her career would have even the toughest terrorist begging for someone to hear his confession after just one playing.

[Jim Vellenga]

I still think the Barney and Friends theme song would do me in. A few times through that, and I would be done.

[KC]

Veggie Tales

[Chris M.]

All the Jesus-is-my-girlfriend 'praise songs' would torture anyone. Or maybe 12 hours of Shine Jesus Shine! Maybe the interogators could use another avenue - play Kenneth Copeland sermons real loud for long periods of time. Who knows, the US may get some offerings from the detainees and have them confess at the same time.

[TW]

Coldplay

[dvopilgrim]

"My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison

[Robert Widdowson]

TV Show theme songs are typically horrible--Gilligan's Island, The Brady Buncn, Threes Company, and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air come immediately to mind as rotten apples.

Also, TV Commercial jingles.

Muzak in general and Muzak Christmas songs.

And let's not forget anything that is broadcast on AM Radio.

But surely the most powerful weapon the CIA has to break anyone's mental stability: Barbara Walters...nothing salient to psychological torture would lost in translation.

[annette]

dora the explorer...over and over and over and over and over..... :)

[Jeff]

John Denver would be the worst. If I was forced to listen to him for long periods of time, I would probably become a dispensationalist so that I could pray for an imminent rapture in good conscience.

[Tim]

I agree with the CCM thing. Or some Christian breakcore/grindcore, which amazingly is even worse than the secular equivalent.

[drewB]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYrKgrkIrg8

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=6903012

Yeesh.

[Randy]

"anything by the Gaithers played on the accordion"

Hahahaha

[Reg Schofield]

Well if its torture with music , the good thing about AC/DC you only need one song because they all sound the same !! But I think U2 would work because if I hear Bono whining anymore I will write a tell all book.

[Chris Sherman]

Juanita Bynum

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-UFuKel0SyO0/juanita_bynum_draw_me/

Jan Crouch

http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=jan%20crouch%20singing&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#q=jan%20crouch&hl=en&emb=0

[Andrew Meredith]

Pat Boone and Herb Alpert would break any terrorist. Guaranteed.

[hb]

I do not know how to spell it but the Jewish song - Hava Nagila or the Hora...

[James Paul]

Hey, I love the theme from Gilligans Island. I have 3 cd's of tv songs and I listen to them all the time. (I never said I wasnt weird though) ...and Pat Boone did a pretty good rendition of 'Smoke on the Water', believe it or not, although he did have Ritchie Blackmore backing him up on guitar, so that didnt hurt him.

I agree on alot of your others- Anything on TBN, John Denver, The Gaithers, etc.

I 'd add Yoko Ono, definitely.

I'm a long time fan of the humor of SCTV. They used to have some fictional characters that would make anybody crack. I'd give them the unfunny-ness of 'Funny Man Bobby Bittman' (and his even worse brother Skip), and the off-key singing of Lola Heatherton & Sammy Maudlin.
If that didn't bring them down, nothing would.

[James Paul]

Oh my, I just remembered something. I obviously had suppressed this because of it's sheer horror on the ears and eyes, but - -- -

-- William Shatner singing Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Rocket Man, and Mr. Tambourine Man.

If anyone reading this has had the utter misfortune of hearing or watching him sing any or all of these, I apologize now for bringing it back into your consciousness.

[Joe]

John Piper gets on my unregenerate co-worker's nerves more than anything else. So I would crank Piper's Romans series. His NCT leanings would probably torture some Reformed folks as well. But he's not all the way NCT; I would not consider him antinomian from his exposition of Romans.