# If you were a Guantanamo detainee, what kind of music would it take to break you?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-guantanamo-detainee-what-kind-of-music-would-it-take-to-break-you/516070>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 2, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-guantanamo-detainee-what-kind-of-music-would-it-take-to-break-you/516070 "2009-11-02T17:44:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-guantanamo-detainee-what-kind-of-music-would-it-take-to-break-you/516070/61 "2009-11-04T20:30:40Z")

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Country, or rap.

If you’re looking for a “makes waterboarding look easy…” Christmas music. In mono. On a loop. Just grab one of the tapes they used to send to the supermarkets in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Working retail ruined Christmas for me forever. If I never hear a Christmas song again, it’ll be a slice of heaven.

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**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-guantanamo-detainee-what-kind-of-music-would-it-take-to-break-you/516070/62 "2009-11-04T20:41:52Z")

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How is it possible I’m the first to mention **Lou Reed** ’s _Metal Machine Music_? Although I bet it would break my captor’s spirits before mine. I actually listen to it of my own free will on occasion.

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**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-guantanamo-detainee-what-kind-of-music-would-it-take-to-break-you/516070/63 "2009-11-04T20:47:41Z")

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Seconding those (goddamn, pestilential) Eric Violette (may he burn in hell forever) [freecreditreport.com](http://freecreditreport.com) commercials.

Oh, and I remember an NPR radio interview in which Terry Gross mentioned to James Hetfield that Metallica’s music was apparently being used for this purpose. The meathead actually thought it was cool, and that they were exposing these poor, tortured souls to good Western music. :mad:

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**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-guantanamo-detainee-what-kind-of-music-would-it-take-to-break-you/516070/64 "2009-11-05T00:19:14Z")

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The repeated sounds of a rubber hose smacking my nekid body would be the quickest.

Next anything ever played on Lawrence Welk

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