In the wake of the Littleton, Colo., disaster, publications are beginning to weigh in on whether or not "satanic death music" -- as Jefferson County Sheriff John Stone referred to it on MSNBC last week -- might have been one of the factors that caused Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris to go on their killing spree. Ann Powers, in Sunday's New York Times, has written one of the smartest pieces on the subject so far, pointing out that adults (including journalists) who aren't familiar with current rock 'n' roll "quote lyrics out of context and misinterpret jokes as threats." Powers knows that most young fans are able to pick up on those jokes, and although the music "theatricalizes rage," she points out that "most fans simply leave their frenzy at the concert hall door. But organized adult responses to this difficult music often fail to grasp the difference between metaphor and reality."

Powers isn't kidding when she talks about how detached most adults are from the music of "youth culture." For proof, all you have to do is turn to the Sunday Styles section of the same edition in which Powers' piece appeared. For the -- in this case, aptly named -- "Counterintelligence" column, Alex Witchel took a spin around New York with Derek Khan, a stylist who dresses the likes of Lauryn Hill, Puff Daddy, Salt 'n' Pepa and Monica. Witchel writes, "Now, I admit it had to be explained to me that the Monica in question was not she of the Oval Office, but a hip-hop artist Mr. Khan finds so fabulous he says, 'The minute I saw her, I dropped on the floor and kissed it.' He was so excited telling the story, I didn't have the heart to ask what hip-hop was."

Perhaps Witchel intended that last sentence to be ironic. But if she can't identify Monica as a hip-hop artist, should we be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt? When an established writer for the nation's alleged paper of record makes a blithe joke about not knowing what hip-hop is, you have to wonder if it's possible to trust anyone over 30 when it comes to pop music.

And by the way -- Paul isn't dead.