Music has always played an integral roll in human culture and society. From the early days of string and wind instruments to the electronic sound of today there is as much importance placed on what the music sounds like as to how it is integrated into society. In the article by Schmutz and Faupel they state, “The historical importance of an album can be highlighted in several ways, such as its impact on the field, other artists or the broader society.” (Schmutz & Faupel, pg 689) This importance that they are talking about is complicated in its own way. For example, someone who thinks of the Rolling Stones as purely misogynistic may challenge the view of someone who thinks a group such as the Rolling Stones has been incredibly important to musical history. Whether the Rolling Stones are really that important is not my point, the fact that people can have a conscious and educated discussion about their impact is what matters.
As time continues to move forward society changes and cultures follow by shifting and maneuvering to fit the spontaneous manifestations of new forms of media. Music acts as a main driver for the direction of cultural change and is a major force in any area of society. The importance of music in our society helps to shape ideas and beliefs, it creates a space for communication, and it delivers messages to an extremely broad audience (or delivers the message from an extremely large audience to a select group of people). The direction of music is generally driven by the participants but is also dependent on its acceptance within society. “Just as directors became the “artists” of American cinema, rock musicians became seen as the “artists” behind their form of cultural expression.” (Schmutz & Faupel, pg 690) This exemplifies how artists of the 60’s cultural movement became drivers of the music and therefore they became leaders for society as a whole. The problem I find with this is that the majority of those “artists” were white males who had never experienced oppression on the same level as a minorities or even females had. This is important because the people who were in control of the music then are still mostly in charge of the music (pop culture specifically) now.
In Schmutz and Faupel’s article they review and analyze the Rolling Stone Magazine top 500 albums list, “Overall, 17.8 percent of reviews for male artists contain at least one reference to historical importance and influence compared to 10.5 percent of female artists. Critics, for example, invoke terms such as ‘landmark,’ ‘watershed’ and ‘monumental’ to describe albums by male artists.” (Schmutz & Faupel, pg 698) This points to the idea that the hegemony within our society is still very directed towards appealing to white male ideals. The terms used in male reviews show how this hegemony expects females to be real and emotional but not of extreme importance. By using language that refers to the femininity of female artist’s music and not using words such as ‘monumental’ they are degrading the importance of these albums produced and performed by women.
Another degrading aspect of the reviews include, “Among reviews of female artists, 65.8 percent contain at least one type of reference to social or professional networks, compared to only 44.3 percent of males reviews.” (Schmutz & Faupel, pg 701) I feel that this is showing the disregard of the importance female artist’s roll in producing the music. By stating a network connection to the women involved in the music the reviewers are implying that the women couldn’t have done it on their own. This is a way to denounce and degrade the importance of female albums. And so continues the hegemony of Western civilization, where we place an importance on liberation of the human kind but when everyone wants the same freedom it is misconstrued or melded to fit societies previously existing standards.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tracy Chapman's Position
I remember a lot of music my mom used to play when I was younger. She had such a massive collection of CDs that it would be hard to forget the variety. One artist that really sticks out in my mind from her collection is Tracy Chapman, someone my mom enjoyed playing often. I remember as a child recognizing Chapman’s vocal and narrative talents that truly allowed her to be heard. Even though I did not fully understand the social and political issues behind her music I remember vividly hearing the raw emotion behind Chapman’s music. I feel that this emotion was derived through Chapman from she stood in society. Whiteley also suggests that her background played a major role in becoming a conscious artist: “The combination of a keen musical ear, personal experience of growing up ‘poor, black, working class and female in America’, and a university education which fostered objectivity and observation would seem an ideal background for a socially conscious musician.” (Whiteley, pg 172) Chapman was able to receive an education after starting off with practically nothing therefore allowing her to objectively stand up for those who were discriminated against. Her knowledge gave her a tool to use in speaking out for those who were culturally oppressed because she could understand the disposition that society placed on minorities and females alike.
Tracy Chapman’s experience with oppression comes with the time period she was born into. Because she was from a lower-class black family and she was a girl she had every sort of hegemony working against her. This oppression probably led to her emotional outcry through her music and in turn Chapman used her talent to tell stories about herself and her life. She attempted “to make herself the subject of her narrative, to draw attention to a country shaped by racism, observing from the sidelines the anomalies, the inequalities…”( Whiteley, pg 173) As I explained earlier, Chapman’s education played an extremely vital roll in the development of her artistic persona. By placing herself in the narratives of these stories she brought a real sense of passion and connection to the issues. As a young black female Chapman embodied the spirit of freedom and understanding and through the use of her musical talents she was able to spread her message and knowledge.
I feel that although Chapman presented this emotional and raw side of herself she still fell under the spell of consumerism and the ‘American Dream’. Through her education Chapman was able to boost herself into a higher position within society and although black, she still became part of the (upper) middle-class. Whiteley discusses the difference between 70’s soul and Chapman’s visionary music. “The promotion of black pride, black unity, and self-empowerment…which offered solutions for social, economic, and political oppression through a rejection of white American goals and values, had been countered by a systematic embourgeoisement of the black middle class.” (Whiteley, pg 174) This shows that although conscious, Chapman still appealed to a greater crowd within the middle upper class and therefore the people who she was speaking about were not even a part of her listening audiences. Chapman also exemplifies the idea of consumerism through lines such as, “’everyone will look at me with envy and greed’ and ‘I’ll revel in their attention and mountains, oh mountains o’ things.’” (Whiteley, pg 280) It’s understandable that someone who started outwith nothing would want everything (or as much as they could have) but I feel it’s unfortunate that Chapman, who was such a conscious and provocative artist, would fall under the spell of this idea of consumerism.
Tracy Chapman’s experience with oppression comes with the time period she was born into. Because she was from a lower-class black family and she was a girl she had every sort of hegemony working against her. This oppression probably led to her emotional outcry through her music and in turn Chapman used her talent to tell stories about herself and her life. She attempted “to make herself the subject of her narrative, to draw attention to a country shaped by racism, observing from the sidelines the anomalies, the inequalities…”( Whiteley, pg 173) As I explained earlier, Chapman’s education played an extremely vital roll in the development of her artistic persona. By placing herself in the narratives of these stories she brought a real sense of passion and connection to the issues. As a young black female Chapman embodied the spirit of freedom and understanding and through the use of her musical talents she was able to spread her message and knowledge.
I feel that although Chapman presented this emotional and raw side of herself she still fell under the spell of consumerism and the ‘American Dream’. Through her education Chapman was able to boost herself into a higher position within society and although black, she still became part of the (upper) middle-class. Whiteley discusses the difference between 70’s soul and Chapman’s visionary music. “The promotion of black pride, black unity, and self-empowerment…which offered solutions for social, economic, and political oppression through a rejection of white American goals and values, had been countered by a systematic embourgeoisement of the black middle class.” (Whiteley, pg 174) This shows that although conscious, Chapman still appealed to a greater crowd within the middle upper class and therefore the people who she was speaking about were not even a part of her listening audiences. Chapman also exemplifies the idea of consumerism through lines such as, “’everyone will look at me with envy and greed’ and ‘I’ll revel in their attention and mountains, oh mountains o’ things.’” (Whiteley, pg 280) It’s understandable that someone who started outwith nothing would want everything (or as much as they could have) but I feel it’s unfortunate that Chapman, who was such a conscious and provocative artist, would fall under the spell of this idea of consumerism.
Friday, May 13, 2011
GlamPop
Throughout pop music culture there has always been a pattern of fluctuation. The fluctuation occurs in the form of what style of musical genre is popular at the time. For most pop cultures of the 60’s and 70’s the genre of music listened to actually originated as countercultural movements. For instance, psychedelic and jam styled music began as an alternative to the “pop” sound of bands like The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Glam Rock is another example of a countercultural movement that landed itself in the public sphere and gained immense popularity (if only for a short time). The counterculture of Glam Rock involved homosexual and campy ideals and imagery, adding to the importance and impact of this style of music. Auslander writes, “The importance of glam rock resides not only in its social effects but also in its lasting influence on later music.” (pg 230) Although I do not necessarily agree with Auslander on the importance of the actual music of glam I do think that the messages spread by the glam culture helped to break down gender barriers and rolls within society.
The ideals of self-assertion, freedom of individuality, and having a rockin good time are found in Glam rock but did not necessarily originate from glam. Glam Rock did bring about the questioning of gender identities and led to a freedom within pop culture that allowed for a larger variety of artists to contribute. “…a fictionalized account of the rise of glam rock, eloquently depicts how glam provided such models by placing queer images in the public sphere.” (Auslander, pg 228) In this quote Auslander is acknowledging the importance of countercultural idols found within pop culture. Although Glam Rock may have gained popularity during this time period, the hegemonic views of society were still very heterosexual and therefore any form of campiness or homosexuality acted as a countercultural building block.
An idea we talked about in class is the cultural war over hegemony and it’s continuous never-ending struggle. The battle over hegemony involves struggle for consent, connections to symbols/ideologies, and the defining of cultural norms. Our current hegemonic system was built upon the ideals of the people who were in power when this country (and culture) was born. This means that we gear our ideals in society towards masculine identities and heterosexual beliefs. Glam Rock challenged these systems in place and made popular the act of cross-dressing and sexual exploration (not in the same way as the Hippie movement) causing identity shifts within the public sphere. Auslander critiques the idea of identities within pop cultural: “…what is finally at stake in the interaction between musical performers and their audiences is the audience’s identity, not the performer’s” (Auslander, 233) I agree with Auslander but in turn I also feel that Glam Rock managed to pull this off. The counterculture of glam allowed for audiences to open up to new ideas and therefore caused them to analyze their own identities.
The ideals of self-assertion, freedom of individuality, and having a rockin good time are found in Glam rock but did not necessarily originate from glam. Glam Rock did bring about the questioning of gender identities and led to a freedom within pop culture that allowed for a larger variety of artists to contribute. “…a fictionalized account of the rise of glam rock, eloquently depicts how glam provided such models by placing queer images in the public sphere.” (Auslander, pg 228) In this quote Auslander is acknowledging the importance of countercultural idols found within pop culture. Although Glam Rock may have gained popularity during this time period, the hegemonic views of society were still very heterosexual and therefore any form of campiness or homosexuality acted as a countercultural building block.
An idea we talked about in class is the cultural war over hegemony and it’s continuous never-ending struggle. The battle over hegemony involves struggle for consent, connections to symbols/ideologies, and the defining of cultural norms. Our current hegemonic system was built upon the ideals of the people who were in power when this country (and culture) was born. This means that we gear our ideals in society towards masculine identities and heterosexual beliefs. Glam Rock challenged these systems in place and made popular the act of cross-dressing and sexual exploration (not in the same way as the Hippie movement) causing identity shifts within the public sphere. Auslander critiques the idea of identities within pop cultural: “…what is finally at stake in the interaction between musical performers and their audiences is the audience’s identity, not the performer’s” (Auslander, 233) I agree with Auslander but in turn I also feel that Glam Rock managed to pull this off. The counterculture of glam allowed for audiences to open up to new ideas and therefore caused them to analyze their own identities.
Quatro’s Identity
Suzi Quatro took on a very masculine roll within media and society much like how Bowie took on a feminine roll. These personas both challenged gender norms within the public sphere and pushed the boundaries of performance rock. Auslander talks about Quatro’s masculinity portrayal in media through interviews and compares her gender-roll reversal to Bowie: “Like Bowie, Quatro performed her persona offstage as well as on. In interviews, she frequently portrayed herself as tough and masculine by drawing attention to the smallness of her breasts, using salty language, and ogling voluptuous women.” (Auslander, pg 200) I feel that Quatro understood her impact she had upon pop culture and society and in turn she consciously chose to challenge the gender rolls. I believe this because she portrayed her masculine image both on and offstage, suggesting that it was part of her identity and not just a roll she played.
The choice to portray a masculine roll may also be a conscious decision on Quatro’s part because of the bias built into rock and roll’s roots. Society tends to lean in favor of male dominated ideals and this leads to gender challenges, especially for women. Auslander writes: “Because rock is culturally understood to be a male form, female rockers are automatically assumed to be inauthentic.” (Auslander, pg 204) This assumption of inauthenticity plays an important roll in how females have been treated within rock and pop culture in society. Often if a female is successful with a band or as an individual artist their success is attributed to the male in charge of the record company or management. Because of these standards found in Rock (and most pop culture) Quatro’s masculine attributes only helped authenticate her roll as a rock-n-roll performer.
Suzi was able to acknowledge how the masculine roll she played was only a persona and did not actually make up her “real” identity. She recognized that there was great appeal for a hard, badass, and masculine image, and therefore she was well aware of the tensions between gender rolls. “Quatro herself summarizes her position by saying: ‘I was enjoying the delights of beating the men at their own game and still being a woman.” (Auslander, pg 212) By utilizing masculine characteristics Suzi was able to reach out to a much larger audience, and in turn she became a very influential idol in the development of rock. Quatro was also able to utilize the aspect of gender rolls such as the way male glam rockers did before her. By taking on male characteristics she was portraying an aspect of society she probably didn’t like and used it to her benefit. In the same way camp takes on a homosexual roll to question hegemony, Quatro took something oppressing and turned it into a tool to fight back and speak her voice.
The choice to portray a masculine roll may also be a conscious decision on Quatro’s part because of the bias built into rock and roll’s roots. Society tends to lean in favor of male dominated ideals and this leads to gender challenges, especially for women. Auslander writes: “Because rock is culturally understood to be a male form, female rockers are automatically assumed to be inauthentic.” (Auslander, pg 204) This assumption of inauthenticity plays an important roll in how females have been treated within rock and pop culture in society. Often if a female is successful with a band or as an individual artist their success is attributed to the male in charge of the record company or management. Because of these standards found in Rock (and most pop culture) Quatro’s masculine attributes only helped authenticate her roll as a rock-n-roll performer.
Suzi was able to acknowledge how the masculine roll she played was only a persona and did not actually make up her “real” identity. She recognized that there was great appeal for a hard, badass, and masculine image, and therefore she was well aware of the tensions between gender rolls. “Quatro herself summarizes her position by saying: ‘I was enjoying the delights of beating the men at their own game and still being a woman.” (Auslander, pg 212) By utilizing masculine characteristics Suzi was able to reach out to a much larger audience, and in turn she became a very influential idol in the development of rock. Quatro was also able to utilize the aspect of gender rolls such as the way male glam rockers did before her. By taking on male characteristics she was portraying an aspect of society she probably didn’t like and used it to her benefit. In the same way camp takes on a homosexual roll to question hegemony, Quatro took something oppressing and turned it into a tool to fight back and speak her voice.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Bowie and Bliss
In the interview with David Bowie we watched in class on Wednesday there were several responses from Bowie that stuck out to me. I find it extremely interesting that an ecstatic and energetic young Bowie would have such a calm and collected presence “off” stage. Bowie embodies the essence of a performer because he is able to separate all three roles of performance. His real personality and identity are distinguished from his on-stage persona as Bowie because he plays a character (Ziggy at the time) that is entirely fabricated. When Bowie says, “I have a hodgepodge philosophy which really is very minimal…” I thought how interesting it was to hear this from someone who does everything but the minimal on stage. It seems as though his on stage persona almost takes on a reverse identity of his quiet and calm self (or that’s at least how I perceive him in this interview). Although Bowie’s physical look does not seem to stray to far from his on-stage image, his personality and presence appears much more timid than the cross-dressing performer who is metaphorically sexed on stage by his guitarist.
The interviewer continues to interrupt Bowie after this statement and asks, “Do you believe in god?” This comment is to be expected out of a conservative (I am assuming here purely based off his reactions to Bowie) at the time whom is most likely taken aback by someone such as Bowie. Bowie responds with enthusiasm and certainty that “I believe in an energy form.” When he said this it really struck a chord in my heart because I felt an increasingly closer attachment to Bowie as a human being. This response is pretty far “out there” within the public sphere, but the fact that Bowie can acknowledge this belief and portray his ideas openly makes his real identity seem conscious and aware. I feel that this openness to consciousness makes Bowie’s stage presence all the greater. This is because it allows the audiences to differentiate between Bowie as a person, Bowie as a performer, and Bowie’s characters that he plays. There is a yin yang balance that allows him to step back and forth between these roles. And therefore when he goes into an interview such as this he is able to present his ideas and beliefs in a clear matter that does not disguise or hide Bowie as a person.
My favorite part to this interview is that after the god conversation the interviewer is curious as to how religious or spiritual Bowie really is. He asks, “Do indulge in any form of worship?” and Bowie responds, “Life, I love life.” I was excited about this response because it represents a very similar style to life that I approach. I appreciate how Bowie as a performer is fully understanding of the position he is in (an idol) and he is still able to focus on what really matters. By saying that he worships life he is acknowledging that the time we are on this planet is special, and out of it I get that Bowie is here to have fun and enjoy himself. Whether Bowie fully understood the impact he would have is undeterminable but he sure does seem to be living in the moment at the time. Bowie appears to utilize living in the moment to it’s fullest and therefore his blissful presence in noticed not only on stage but off stage as well.
The interviewer continues to interrupt Bowie after this statement and asks, “Do you believe in god?” This comment is to be expected out of a conservative (I am assuming here purely based off his reactions to Bowie) at the time whom is most likely taken aback by someone such as Bowie. Bowie responds with enthusiasm and certainty that “I believe in an energy form.” When he said this it really struck a chord in my heart because I felt an increasingly closer attachment to Bowie as a human being. This response is pretty far “out there” within the public sphere, but the fact that Bowie can acknowledge this belief and portray his ideas openly makes his real identity seem conscious and aware. I feel that this openness to consciousness makes Bowie’s stage presence all the greater. This is because it allows the audiences to differentiate between Bowie as a person, Bowie as a performer, and Bowie’s characters that he plays. There is a yin yang balance that allows him to step back and forth between these roles. And therefore when he goes into an interview such as this he is able to present his ideas and beliefs in a clear matter that does not disguise or hide Bowie as a person.
My favorite part to this interview is that after the god conversation the interviewer is curious as to how religious or spiritual Bowie really is. He asks, “Do indulge in any form of worship?” and Bowie responds, “Life, I love life.” I was excited about this response because it represents a very similar style to life that I approach. I appreciate how Bowie as a performer is fully understanding of the position he is in (an idol) and he is still able to focus on what really matters. By saying that he worships life he is acknowledging that the time we are on this planet is special, and out of it I get that Bowie is here to have fun and enjoy himself. Whether Bowie fully understood the impact he would have is undeterminable but he sure does seem to be living in the moment at the time. Bowie appears to utilize living in the moment to it’s fullest and therefore his blissful presence in noticed not only on stage but off stage as well.
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