In the last decade it has become more acceptable for people to publicize their sexual preference. Growing up in this decade has made me more aware and accepting of people with a different sexual preference than mine and their lifestyle choice does not affect or bother me in any way. However, the arguments made in the article "Marketing androgyny: the evolution of the Backstreet Boys" written in a 2007 edition of Popular Music by Daryl Jamieson make me strongly disagree with Jamieson’s opinion. I disagree that the sexually androgynous Nick Carter was the main focus in the Backstreet Boys and that only he was particularly marketed towards the gay community. The Backstreet Boys were openly marketed to young pre-teen and teenage girls and Jamieson discusses the more demure marketing of the Backstreet Boys to the young, gay community. Jamieson’s article focuses strictly on Nick Carter and his sexual androgyny without fairly analyzing the other members of the Backstreet Boys.
Jamieson clearly states at the beginning of his article that he is gay and grew up watching the videos and listening to the music of the Backstreet Boys; he affirms that he was clearly influenced by the marketing strategies of the creators and producers of the Backstreet Boys. Jamieson defines the term “androgynous” as “embodying in roughly equal proportions traits which are traditionally perceived as masculine and feminine” (Jamieson 245). He asserts that this new type of sex symbol is “sensitive, youthful,… fashionable and possesses an above-average ability to dance” (Jamieson 245). I do not disagree that the Backstreet Boys could have been marketed towards the gay community, but Jamieson’s article could have been strengthened with proof, as opposed to only his opinion, that they had been subtly marketed to this specific community.
Thinking back to my own personal knowledge of the Backstreet Boys, their lyrics, and videos, I initially agreed with several of Jamieson’s arguments. However, after refreshing my memory by watching several videos and looking at the lyrics to some of the Backstreet Boys songs in class I began to disagree with many of Jamieson’s reasons for claiming that Nick Carter was focused on more than the other band members. Jamieson claims that Nick is the main singer in the pop group having the most solo lines in their songs. After watching several videos of the group performing, it seems that Brian Littrell has the majority of the solo lines, which would mak him the front man in the Backstreet Boys. In the class discussion on July 26, 2007 many of my classmates agreed that Jamieson may have taken a particular interest in Nick Carter because of his good looks and the fact that he was the youngest member of the band and had not fully completed puberty. These physical qualities are generally more attractive to young, pre-teen females and gay males than a rougher, more masculine character. These traits make Nick an easier choice for a young, gay boy to relate to and develop feelings for compared to the older and more masculine band members.
In the Backstreet Boys’ song "Quit Playin’ Games (With My Heart)" Jamieson claims that “Nick is clearly being set apart as the object of desire in the band” (Jamieson 250). Jamieson argues that Nick is separated from the group by being placed on a set of bleachers while the rest of the group is singing on a basketball court. To a heterosexual it appears that Nick was on the bleachers because it was a strategic place for someone to be seen clearly in the video. Jamieson views this exclusion as a gay person’s fear of “being looked down upon for being perceived as gay” (Jamieson 250). Jamieson’s comment that a shot of Nick fixing his hair after the rain is “an essentially ‘gay’ thing to do” (Jamieson 250) can also be interpreted in different ways. More men in the twenty-first century are considered ‘metrosexual’, a “heterosexual male who has a strong aesthetic sense and inordinate interest in appearance and style, similar to that of homosexual males” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/metrosexual). In this particular video it appears that the whole band is marketed to a feminine and gay audience. All of the band members have some equally gay characteristics and they are all singing about their feelings. Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson all have their ears pierced, which in the 1990’s was perceived as being more of a gay action than a masculine action. Each band member also uses their hands near their face in a ‘voguing’ action, which is “a calling card designed to be noticed and appreciated by gay men, and simply passed over as another dance-move by the twelve-year-old girls who have likely never seen Madonna’s “Vogue” video” (Jamieson 250). Although Jamieson argues some interesting points, they are not analyzed fairly or critically enough to claim that Nick Carter was singled out as the only gay marketed band member in Backstreet Boys.
Jamieson again singles Nick out in the Backstreet Boy’s music video “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” which was released after “Quit Playin’ Games (With My Heart)” and is a play on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video. Jamieson comments on Nick’s costume as he is dressed as a mummy. Jamieson says it "appears to include some sort of leather bondage gear, which is a highly anachronistic, sexually charged touch" (Jamieson 253). However, Jamieson fails to look at and analyze the other band member’s costumes. As the class discussed, Howie is dressed as a vampire and his costume can be thought of sexually as it is the vampire’s role to bite people on the neck. Jamieson also discusses that Nick is the only band member to vocalize his thoughts about the women dancing with him in the video. Jamieson views this comment as “covering up [Nick’s] desire for men – closeted gay men often talk about girls much more than is seemly, as if trying to point out just how straight they are” (Jamieson 253). It seems as though Jamieson is reading too deeply into the meaning of everything Nick does without sufficiently looking at the actions and comments of the other band members.
In the song and music video for "As Long as You Love Me" Jamieson views the video and lyrics as a love song between Brian and Nick who sing the majority of the lines. The lyrics to this particular song are very ambiguous and do not state a gender, making it open for interpretation: “I don’t care who you are / Where you’re from / What you did / As long as you love me” (http://www.loglar.com/song.php?id=9402). Jamieson even comments that Brian and Nick share the microphone: “during the first [verse] there are a few scenes where they share a tender moment – Brian adjusts Nick’s jacket, they share the microphone for a single line” (Jamieson 254). Jamieson once again fails to recognize the other band members and does not comment on the fact that Brian and Kevin also share the microphone in the next verse.
Although Jamieson has spent a significant amount of time researching the Backstreet Boys and the influence and impact they have made on the gay community, he fails to fairly analyze the other band members and their songs and videos. By failing to acknowledge other possible interpretations and meanings he weakens his argument. Every member of the Backstreet Boys was specifically created to appeal to different individuals and each member’s actions are masculine, feminine, and androgynous at some point. If one searches hard enough for a certain meaning in a song or video, one will most likely find it.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Reading Response 1 - Gender and Sexuality
Sexuality and music are two issues that are often intertwined in music in Western culture; sexuality helps create and expand different styles of music while making specific statements about masculine and feminine traits. Many bands, whether male, female, or a combination of both sexes, exude some form of sexuality or are equally defined by their lack of sexuality and ability to be androgynous. In the article "On the Expression of Sexuality" from the book Music, Culture and Society published in 2000, Simon Firth and Angela McRobbie try to define and explain the issues of sexuality in 'cock rock' and 'teenybop' music. In Norma Coates’ article “Revolution Now? Rock and the Political Potential of Gender” published in 1997 in the book Sexing the Groove: Popular Music and Gender, Coates concentrates on sexuality and gender in rock music, focusing on masculine bands like The Rolling Stones and female rock singers like Courtney Love and Liz Phair. Both articles address the issues of masculinity and femininity in rock and pop music and the effect sexuality has on these genres in the music industry.
As defined by Frith and McRobbie, cock rock is "music making in which performance is an explicit, crude and often aggressive expression of male sexuality... Cock rock performers are aggressive, dominating, boastful, and constantly seek to remind the audience of their prowess, their control" (Expression of Sexuality 65). A clear example of cock rock music is the strong, pounding beat of The Rolling Stones. They are a very phallic and aggressive rock band, making sexual innuendos in their lyrics and acting sexually on stage. The lead singer, Mick Jagger is very aggressive and controlling; his acts and gestures, such as swaggering across the stage, demonstrate the control and power he commands. Opposite to cock rock, teenybop pop music is "consumed almost exclusively by girls... [its] image is based on self-pity, vulnerability, and need,...[and is] sad, thoughtful, pretty, and puppy-like" (Expression of Sexuality 66). Pop music is focused towards female listeners although males sometimes listen to it as well. Male sexuality is still expressed in teenybop music but in a less aggressive form, making it more appealing to female fans: "If cock rock plays on conventional concepts of male sexuality as rampant, animalistic, superficial… teenybop plays on notions of female sexuality as being serious, diffuse, and implying total emotional commitments... men are soft romantic, easily hurt, loyal, and anxious to find a true love who fulfills their definitions of what female sexuality should be about” (Expressions of Sexuality 66). Although these definitions are still accurate, a wide variety of people prefer to listen to many different styles and genres of music. In Firth and McRobbie’s article, the categories of rock and pop are stereotypically male and female respectively. Masculine rock music is viewed as being authentic, real and focused on collective culture and camaraderie while female oriented pop music is seen as artificial, fake, and listened to individually: “It is boys who experience rock as a collective culture, a shared male world of fellow fans and fellow musicians” (Expression of Sexuality 67). As discussed in class on July 19, 2007, rock does not represent a collective culture listened to just by boys and pop is not just for an individual female listener. Both males and females enjoy music in groups as well as individually and both sexes listen to and enjoy rock and pop regardless of their gender.
Females are not common in rock bands and are “still marginal and unrepresented... women’s space in rock has been in the bedroom, either as groupies to male rock lovegods, or relegated there to swoon over pin-ups of teenybop idols” (Revolution Now 51). As a way to contain women in rock, their success was attributed “to their ‘tomboy’ characteristics, women [were] ‘called out’ by the discursive structures of the rock formation by being labeled ‘Angry Young Women’” (Revolution Now 54). There are a few successful females in rock bands. Liz Phair is one successful female in rock discussed in Coates’ article and in class. Phair began writing music and singing in a rock band as a hobby and not because she was an angry young woman; she sings rock music because she enjoys it. She has a masculine-like low voice and in the music video of her song “Fuck and Run”. Phair is wearing pants and a jacket, nothing overtly sexual, while singing about wanting to be an empowered woman while still having a man treat her special. According to the lyrics in this song, she wants chivalry while being a modern day woman and she does not feel that she has to dress provocatively to obtain this. Courtney Love is another very successful woman in rock music. Love is a hardcore, sexualized rock musician. In her music video ‘Miss World’ with her band Hole, Love is dressed in a skimpy and sexy outfit, wearing lots of makeup while rasping the lyrics in a loud, masculine voice which is characteristic of rock. Part of her masculine and feminine look is for the video but part of it is also who she is. Love balances her masculinity while still being able to come across as sexual and feminine in distinctive ways. Love flaunts her sexuality and femininity on stage and in music videos while still performing as elaborately as any male rock band would.
Coates article maintains that “femininity is the marker of excess in rock” (Revolution Now, 56) and some male rock bands such as Motley Crue blur the distinction between femininity and masculinity. Motley Crue’s music style is considered ‘glam rock’, a form of rock music in which the band members dress up in very tight clothes with big, teased hair and wear a lot of makeup, giving them a feminine appearance while still sounding and acting masculine. Although bands like Motley Crue are putting on these theatrics to shock their audience and fans, the femininity in their dress represents a power they have: “male rockers who literally appropriate ‘feminine markers’ do so in order to assert power over them, and over the ‘feminine’ or the female” (Revolution Now, 56). In the class discussion we watched Motley Crue’s video for their song “Live Wire” and looked at the lyrics. The band members looked very feminine but the music was loud and aggressive with a very strong beat. Motley Crue has developed their own unique style and do not care what anyone else is doing. Irregardless of how Motley Crue performs on stage, their appearance and actions do not affect their fame, change their ability to attract fans, or change the amount of money they make.
It is easier to be critical of women in rock music because women are traditionally seen as caregivers and nurturers, not as aggressive and dominate rock musicians. This view of women even extends further than rock music and into other genres of music and every day life. It is harder for women to build up their reputations and it is easier for them to lose and ruin their reputations than it is for a man because women are subjected to a double standard. This is mainly because of old fashioned views on how women are supposed to act and behave. Mick Jagger is idolized not only because of his music but because of his ability to get women and his drug and alcohol usage is overlooked. In contrast, Courtney Love is a successful female rock musician but has been harshly criticized because of her problems with drugs and alcohol. Male and female musicians have different standards to judge their successes by and sexuality is a large factor in determining these standards.
The issues of sexuality, masculinity, and femininity in music are very complex and controversial. Women have constantly struggled to break into the male dominated, masculine genre of rock music while men are equally represented in rock and pop music. Even though there are female rockers, they are not common enough to be widely accepted without critique or discussion. Each female rock musician has her own unique interpretation of rock music and portrays a particular image to the public and her fans. Sexuality takes different forms in rock and pop music, whether it is in the masculinity and aggression seen in the Rolling Stones, in the femininity, sexiness, and rebellion seen in Liz Phair and Courtney Love, or in the mixture of both masculine and feminine qualities seen in Motley Crue. Sexuality and appearance are important ways a musician represents a particular image to exhibit to his or her fans and the public.
As defined by Frith and McRobbie, cock rock is "music making in which performance is an explicit, crude and often aggressive expression of male sexuality... Cock rock performers are aggressive, dominating, boastful, and constantly seek to remind the audience of their prowess, their control" (Expression of Sexuality 65). A clear example of cock rock music is the strong, pounding beat of The Rolling Stones. They are a very phallic and aggressive rock band, making sexual innuendos in their lyrics and acting sexually on stage. The lead singer, Mick Jagger is very aggressive and controlling; his acts and gestures, such as swaggering across the stage, demonstrate the control and power he commands. Opposite to cock rock, teenybop pop music is "consumed almost exclusively by girls... [its] image is based on self-pity, vulnerability, and need,...[and is] sad, thoughtful, pretty, and puppy-like" (Expression of Sexuality 66). Pop music is focused towards female listeners although males sometimes listen to it as well. Male sexuality is still expressed in teenybop music but in a less aggressive form, making it more appealing to female fans: "If cock rock plays on conventional concepts of male sexuality as rampant, animalistic, superficial… teenybop plays on notions of female sexuality as being serious, diffuse, and implying total emotional commitments... men are soft romantic, easily hurt, loyal, and anxious to find a true love who fulfills their definitions of what female sexuality should be about” (Expressions of Sexuality 66). Although these definitions are still accurate, a wide variety of people prefer to listen to many different styles and genres of music. In Firth and McRobbie’s article, the categories of rock and pop are stereotypically male and female respectively. Masculine rock music is viewed as being authentic, real and focused on collective culture and camaraderie while female oriented pop music is seen as artificial, fake, and listened to individually: “It is boys who experience rock as a collective culture, a shared male world of fellow fans and fellow musicians” (Expression of Sexuality 67). As discussed in class on July 19, 2007, rock does not represent a collective culture listened to just by boys and pop is not just for an individual female listener. Both males and females enjoy music in groups as well as individually and both sexes listen to and enjoy rock and pop regardless of their gender.
Females are not common in rock bands and are “still marginal and unrepresented... women’s space in rock has been in the bedroom, either as groupies to male rock lovegods, or relegated there to swoon over pin-ups of teenybop idols” (Revolution Now 51). As a way to contain women in rock, their success was attributed “to their ‘tomboy’ characteristics, women [were] ‘called out’ by the discursive structures of the rock formation by being labeled ‘Angry Young Women’” (Revolution Now 54). There are a few successful females in rock bands. Liz Phair is one successful female in rock discussed in Coates’ article and in class. Phair began writing music and singing in a rock band as a hobby and not because she was an angry young woman; she sings rock music because she enjoys it. She has a masculine-like low voice and in the music video of her song “Fuck and Run”. Phair is wearing pants and a jacket, nothing overtly sexual, while singing about wanting to be an empowered woman while still having a man treat her special. According to the lyrics in this song, she wants chivalry while being a modern day woman and she does not feel that she has to dress provocatively to obtain this. Courtney Love is another very successful woman in rock music. Love is a hardcore, sexualized rock musician. In her music video ‘Miss World’ with her band Hole, Love is dressed in a skimpy and sexy outfit, wearing lots of makeup while rasping the lyrics in a loud, masculine voice which is characteristic of rock. Part of her masculine and feminine look is for the video but part of it is also who she is. Love balances her masculinity while still being able to come across as sexual and feminine in distinctive ways. Love flaunts her sexuality and femininity on stage and in music videos while still performing as elaborately as any male rock band would.
Coates article maintains that “femininity is the marker of excess in rock” (Revolution Now, 56) and some male rock bands such as Motley Crue blur the distinction between femininity and masculinity. Motley Crue’s music style is considered ‘glam rock’, a form of rock music in which the band members dress up in very tight clothes with big, teased hair and wear a lot of makeup, giving them a feminine appearance while still sounding and acting masculine. Although bands like Motley Crue are putting on these theatrics to shock their audience and fans, the femininity in their dress represents a power they have: “male rockers who literally appropriate ‘feminine markers’ do so in order to assert power over them, and over the ‘feminine’ or the female” (Revolution Now, 56). In the class discussion we watched Motley Crue’s video for their song “Live Wire” and looked at the lyrics. The band members looked very feminine but the music was loud and aggressive with a very strong beat. Motley Crue has developed their own unique style and do not care what anyone else is doing. Irregardless of how Motley Crue performs on stage, their appearance and actions do not affect their fame, change their ability to attract fans, or change the amount of money they make.
It is easier to be critical of women in rock music because women are traditionally seen as caregivers and nurturers, not as aggressive and dominate rock musicians. This view of women even extends further than rock music and into other genres of music and every day life. It is harder for women to build up their reputations and it is easier for them to lose and ruin their reputations than it is for a man because women are subjected to a double standard. This is mainly because of old fashioned views on how women are supposed to act and behave. Mick Jagger is idolized not only because of his music but because of his ability to get women and his drug and alcohol usage is overlooked. In contrast, Courtney Love is a successful female rock musician but has been harshly criticized because of her problems with drugs and alcohol. Male and female musicians have different standards to judge their successes by and sexuality is a large factor in determining these standards.
The issues of sexuality, masculinity, and femininity in music are very complex and controversial. Women have constantly struggled to break into the male dominated, masculine genre of rock music while men are equally represented in rock and pop music. Even though there are female rockers, they are not common enough to be widely accepted without critique or discussion. Each female rock musician has her own unique interpretation of rock music and portrays a particular image to the public and her fans. Sexuality takes different forms in rock and pop music, whether it is in the masculinity and aggression seen in the Rolling Stones, in the femininity, sexiness, and rebellion seen in Liz Phair and Courtney Love, or in the mixture of both masculine and feminine qualities seen in Motley Crue. Sexuality and appearance are important ways a musician represents a particular image to exhibit to his or her fans and the public.
Major Essay - A Critique of Blanket Statements Used in Susan Cole’s Article “Gender, Sex, Image, and Transformation in Popular Music”
Women have always been subjected to female stereotypes and it is hard to deal with and change these perceptions. In Susan Cole’s article “Gender, Sex, Image, and Transformation in Popular Music” in the 1993 edition of Limited Edition: Voices of Women, Voices of Feminism Cole discusses women and gender issues prevalent in the 1980’s and early 1990’s from a feminist perspective, drawing on her own personal experiences and opinions as well as her own knowledge of women and how they have been treated. It is difficult for Cole to be objective and non-biased because she is talking about her personal experiences as well as her opinions. Several topics Cole discusses in her article can directly correlate with today’s world of popular and rock music which still impact the way we view women and men in the media and the music industry. She also makes many comments in her article that are no longer true and not applicable to today’s society; some of her conclusions are outdated. Cole has made several blanket statements in her article which are statements that are true with no variation; they state facts and are best used when also using another resource to support an opinion. This analysis of Cole’s article will focus specifically on blanket statements made about several different topics relating to the sexuality of women and men and its representation in the media and music and will also comment on how their image and roles have changed in the last few decades.
Cole discusses the use and exploitation of women in the music industry and sympathizes with their situation: “the road to pop stardom is littered with women who have been used and discarded” (Cole 88). Although this statement may be true to a certain extent, Cole fails to examine the use and mistreatment of men in the music industry. Speaking from personal experiences and feelings and being told by a rock consultant, someone “whose brain is picked for suggestions as to how a rock group could find success,” (Cole 93) that in order to be a successful female rock band she must “go a little heavier on the make-up and skimpier on the costumes;” (Cole 93) Cole was offended and outraged at this demeaning comment and reality. Cole is inclined to side with exploited females who have been used in the music industry because she has been exploited as well and personally felt the pressure to change the image of her band and conform to a more accepted idea of women in music. This stereotypical image involves being more overtly sexual to help sell more records, as women are considered weak, submissive, and small-scale (Halstead 233) as described in Jill Halstead’s article “Sex, Gender and Music.” It was thought that women used their sexuality to make themselves noticed. Most pop stars today have been produced and created into big stars by creative producers. The artists have very little control over their image and the way they represent themselves to their fans. A few of these stars, such as Madonna, do eventually gain creative control over their career but the majority of pop music performers are products of the marketing team that created them. Although the music industry has become more accepting towards female artists, it is still a struggle for women to be accepted for their talent and skills and not their sexual image.
The impact of rock and pop music on young teenagers in Western culture has had a variety of positive and negative effects. The majority of these effects seem to be positive as music empowers young people to accept themselves for who they are and encourages them to express themselves honestly and creatively. In the article “Does it really matter? Young people and popular music” Christina Williams agrees that “teenagers in particular use music to build identities” (Williams 232). Williams also argues that teens understand that “‘media awareness’ is characterized by a sophisticated knowledge of the nature of the pop music industry, an understanding of the press, a perception of pop stars which recognizes the constructedness of an image, and a general cynicism towards commercialism” (Williams 230). Most teenagers realize that everything they see in the media is not necessary realistic and has been manufacture to appeal to them. Cole discusses a specific situation in the United States when the U.S. Senate Hearings were investigating the impact rock and pop music had on youth; many parents felt that rock music was having a negative influence on their children (Cole 89). Cole comments that “not a single woman musician or performer took the stand on behalf of the [rock music] industry. Women were absent not only because male voices tend to carry more weight and credibility: plainly, women in the industry could not bring themselves to say under oath to members of Congress that everything in the industry was fine” (Cole 89). Cole’s statement about the complete absence of women voicing their opinions on the influence of rock and pop music is questionable as she has not supplied any legitimate proof to back up her argument. She cannot convincingly state that in the United States not one woman voiced her opinion to Congress. Her choice of words imply that this statement is true when in reality it is more her personal opinion than a documented fact which discredits her argument.
A child’s opinion of his or her parents is influenced by gendering, which is a social process in which “members of both sexes take on prescribed sex roles though a socialization process” (Cole 89). In the 1970’s the responsibility of parents was generally more defined and specific in male and female gender roles. The father would go to work and financially support the family while the mother would be the primary care-giver and attend to the child’s needs: “women are nurturent caretakers while men are active doers” (Cole 90). However, today these clear cut lines between whose duties it is to nurture the child and financially support the family has become blurred. It is not uncommon for the mother to maintain a steady, well-paying job while the father stays at home with the child. It has also become common that both parents have steady full-time jobs and leave their child at a daycare center during the day. Over the decades women have achieved more responsibility, control, and respect in several aspects of their lives. Women have more freedom and independence in their home, career and the way they represent themselves in music. Although women are not equally represented in many aspects of the music industry it is becoming more and more common to see women taking on traditionally male focused roles whether it is on the music stage, in the home, or at the office.
Cole comments in her article that classical music is less restrictive in its expectations of what musical instruments women play even though classical music is a more conservative and traditional genre than pop or rock music (Cole 90). Cole states that “many of the world’s great concert artists are women. They play pianos, flutes, [and] cellos” (Cole 90). It is important to notice the three instruments Cole mentions in her discussion of classical music. The piano, flute, and cello are instruments that have feminine qualities according to Jill Halstead in her article “Sex, Gender and Music”. String instruments such as the violin and cello are commonly associated with feminine traits. In Beth Abelson MacCleod’s article “Whence Comes the Lady Tympanist” MacCleod discusses the struggle women had to overcome to play a wider variety of instruments. MacCleod claims that “when women played other instruments, they made themselves vulnerable to sarcasm and ridicule… it was important that women always appear delicate and decorative; to appear otherwise by playing a massive or seemingly awkward instrument challenged accepted notions of what was appropriately female” (MacCleod 10). The visual and sexual image of women performing in music should also be considered as MacCleod states that “a woman could play an instrument but only if she looked attractive” (MacCleod 21). Over time it has become more acceptable for women to perform on a wider variety of instruments. This approval is still evolving as women are now beginning to be noticed and acknowledged for their performances on typically male dominated instruments such as the acoustic guitar and drums. Cole notes that “instrumentation in rock and pop music is quite obviously gendered. Women almost never play electric guitars… they seldom play an instrument at all” (Cole 90). The evolution of women’s roles in classical music demonstrate that with perseverance and determination women can influence and change the way they are perceived in the modern world of rock and pop music.
Cole comments that bars “are not hospitable places for women, let alone feminists, and let alone feminist rock bands… Most women who venture in… are looking to be picked up” (Cole 94). Cole’s opinion of bars is influenced by a bad situation she encountered as a feminist band trying to play in a stripper bar. Most bars have become a neutral area for both men and women to hang out with their friends and meet new people rather than a place only for men. Today it is common to see as many women in a bar as men and women usually do not feel intimidated entering bars as they may have once felt. Cole inaccurately views a bar as a “sexual battleground where female submissiveness and male power are played out” (Cole 94). This opinion is not true in today’s society and Cole’s opinion is outdated.
Another significant change in the last few decades is the magazines available to men. Instead of sexually focused magazines such as Playboy and Maxim, there are magazines published for homosexuals and metrosexuals who are a “heterosexual male who has a strong aesthetic sense and inordinate interest in appearance and style, similar to that of homosexual males” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/metrosexual). Magazines such as GQ and Men’s Health offer advice to men about trendy clothing styles, how to dress, how to eat properly and stay in shape, and they advise men how to properly treat women. These magazines are not sexually demeaning to women and are focused on a man’s physical, mental, and social needs as opposed to his sexual desires. Cole’s opinion of male magazines is outdated as she comments that “men read Playboy to gain a sense that they deserve Scotch, cars, and women, or that women are there to be looked at and thus owned” (Cole 95). Although magazines like Playboy are still available to men, there is a wider variety for men to choose from that better suits their personal needs and opinions.
Just as women are objectified and sexualized, men and their bodies have become sexualized as well. It is common to see large billboards in cities displaying a male model showing off his muscular body to sell a particular brand of clothing or cologne. In many instances, a female and male model will both promote a certain fashion together and fashion shows with male models are also becoming more popular. Cole’s perception of bodies in society differently than women’s status: “in all of these cultural genres, men’s bodies are not displayed in the same way or as often” (Cole 95). Jocks as centerfolds in women magazines and the presentation of star athletes are becoming more and more sexual. David Beckham, an extremely popular British football player is known equally for his talent as a football player and his talent as a sexy male model, endorsing everything from clothing brands, to cologne and sport drinks. In the past, the concept of athletes using their bodies for something other than sports was very risky. The typical stereotype at this time was that professional athletes were admired for what their body could achieve and not made less valuable because of how their bodies were used (Cole 96). Cole comments that ex-baseball pitcher Jim Palmer had to break through this stereotype when he chose to pose in underwear ads. His associates believe he lowered himself and his status by modeling underwear (Cole 96). Although male modeling is not quite as common as female modeling, it has become acknowledged and accepted.
Growing up after this article was written, it is sometimes hard to relate to many of the ideas and concepts that Cole discusses. By the time I became aware of feminism and the exploitation of women, many things had changed to improve how women were perceived and treated. Although Cole raises some interesting points, some of her opinions are outdated and her information does not accurately state the facts. A critical reader may questions the validity of some of her points. Hopefully with time women will have even more control over their choices in life and the way people view and accept their actions. There may be several aspects of the female gender that may never change just as there may be aspects of a woman’s femininity that women do not want to change. Feminists like Cole help make people aware of gender issues and they serve to make society aware of the struggles and stereotypes that both women and men continue to overcome.
Final Exam Essay
Women in rock music have become more and more successful in being accepted as true musicians but they still battle the stereotypes that have been erected by a society controlled by hegemony. In Norma Coates’ article “Revolution Now? Rock and the political potential of gender” Coates argues that women who follow the rules of rock music alter and expose the stereotypes of gender as set by a hegemonistic society. This paper discusses how the typical stereotypes of how women are expected to behave and perform in music set by a hegemonistic culture are a way to contain and stabilize the view of authentic masculinity that is constantly reaffirmed in rock music.
In Coates’ article, she defines the term technology as “the way that power works productively to replicate and multiply itself, in order to explain how gendered social and cultural relations are reiterated and reinforced” (Coates 52). This term does not refer to the modern day meaning of technology, such as computers and cell phones, but rather the theory behind technology and how it works. ‘Technologised machinations of power’ is the theory behind how a company or person can use their power, whether it be money or the support of a majority of people to constantly keep gaining from it. Coates use of the word ‘machinate’ is negatively connotative and implies that the influence of the power in control is corrupt or immoral. Hebdige’s definition for the term hegemony is “a situation in which a provisional alliance of certain social groups can exert ‘total social authority’ over other subordinate groups, not simply by coercion of by the direct imposition of ruling ideas, but by ‘winning and shaping consent so that the power of the dominant class appears both legitimate and natural’” (Hebdige 16). Hebdige’s definition maintains that hegemony is a form of power that is gained by having the support of a majority. By subliminal coercion, hegemonistic societies make the decision or opinion they want the majority of the people to support seem as though it is the right choice. The majority does not necessarily realize that there are other views on the situation or another way for things to be done differently or better. The minority in a hegemonistic society are the subculture who do not agree with the opinions and actions of the hegemony. However, hegemony is not necessarily influencing people on purpose and the less powerful group is sometimes uninformed and does not realize all the options available to them. The term hegemony and technological machinations of power relate quite closely to each other. They are both terms used to define a way that power is used and controlled. Hebdige comments that hegemony can only be maintained as long as the dominant class can “succeed in framing all competing definitions within their range” (Hebdige 16) just as technologised machinations of power can only be maintained as long as there is money and support to help sustain the power.
Sheila Whitely describes the dichotomous terms authenticity and artifice in her article “Authenticity, Truthfulness and Community: Tori Amos, Courtney Love, P.J. Harvey and Bjork”. She describes authenticity as “‘truthfulness’ to personal experience, and community” (Whitely 106) and artifice as “largely governed by the imperatives of commercial success” (Whitely 106). Rock music is usually related to the term authenticity because of its association to masculinity while artifice is usually related to pop music because of its association with pop groups such as the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys who were manufactured to appeal to a certain group in society for profit. Pop is seen as a feminine music genre because it is more lyrical than rock music and is less rhythmic. According to Jill Halstead in her article “Sex, Gender and Music,” music is perceived to reflect gender and sex and since rock music is typically performed and written by men, rock becomes full of masculine traits and is seen as very authentic. The gender schema theory agrees with this statement as gender schemas “construe perception as a construction process in which the interaction between incoming information and an individuals’ preexisting schema determines what is perceived” (Halstead 236). In Western culture, most people are influenced by the media and obtain their opinion of gender identity from the experience they have of their parent’s roles in their life as children. The categories and stereotypes people view of the terms male and female are usually exclusive and opposing and the same is true of the associations they evoke (Halstead 237). Halstead also argues that “‘feminine’ implies weakness, submissiveness, small-scale, whilst ‘masculine’ implies strength, dominance and large-scale” (Halstead 233). In Christina Williams’s article “Does it really matter? Young people and popular music” Williams conducts interviews with students who view the rock band Oasis as authentic because they “are not scared to just say anything to the press” (Williams 231). These students also acknowledge that pop bands try to conform to what “society wants them to be for their children” (Williams 231) and they realize that pop music is “just structured to sell” (Williams, 231). The ability for these children to so easily identify rock music with authenticity and pop music with artifice reveals the deeply ingrained stereotypical views of a society influenced by hegemony.
Coates statement of women destabilizing the category of rock music by transgressing and threatening to expose the artificial gender boundaries erected by a hegemonist culture is quite accurate. Courtney Love is a very popular hardcore, sexualized rock musician surrounded by controversy because of her ability to look feminine while performing, singing, and playing music in a masculine way. Love dresses in very feminine outfits that are usually skimpy and sexy and wears a lot of makeup while rasping the lyrics to her songs in a loud, masculine voice characteristic of rock. Love flaunts her sexuality and femininity on stage and in music videos, threatening to expose the artificial boundaries erected by hegemony while still performing as elaborately as any male rock band would. Whitely also comments on Love’s music and that its success “was due largely to Love’s credibility as a rock singer… the lyrics [and] the rough and often messy sound of the guitar” (Whitely 208). Love balances her masculinity while still being able to come across as sexual and feminine in distinctive ways making her rock music controversial as it does not conform to society’s typical view of gender stereotypes in rock music. This agrees with Angela McRobbie and Simon Frith’s comment that “rock ‘n’ roll’s subsequent corruption and ‘emasculation’ are understood as a straightforward effect of the rock business’s attempt to control its market” (McRobbie and Frith 69). While belonging to the category of rock music, Love is also challenging the stereotypical ideas of what rock music is.
Gayle Wald discusses Riot Grrls, an feminist underground punk rock music movement in the mid 1990’s who were against the hegemony of the music industry in her article “Just a Girl? Rock Music, Feminism and the Cultural Construction of Female Youth.” Riot Grrls were a subculture that tried to change the stereotypical view of rock music and its preconceived notions of being masculine. Riot Grrrls played their own instruments, advertised on their own, and helped other feminist rock bands through a network of communities. Wald comments that “the ‘girlishness’ so conspicuously on display among these contemporary women rockers… conveys various assumptions about (white) women’s visibility… signposting the incorporation – indeed, the commercial preeminence – of iconic, postmodern modes of gender performance” (Wald 588). The Riot Grrls wanted to be powerful females and accomplish everything themselves. By acting this way they tried to transcend the boundary of rock music being masculine and authentic and they tried to show that it was an artificial boundary. They tried to help girls find their own way in rock music while feeling comfortable playing and listening to it.
Although attempts at changing the stereotypical view of women in music have not been extremely successful, women in rock have had some influence on how society perceives rock music. The stereotypical facets of gender in rock music are so ingrained in Western society and culture that it is just accepted without actively thinking and questioning what is being given to society through the media and government. People need to start questioning why stereotypes are so limiting to females and actively try to change the influencing aspects of hegemony in society. Thankfully, there are women in music such as Courtney Love and the Riot Grrls movement that have been working to make the general public more aware of these gender issues.
In Coates’ article, she defines the term technology as “the way that power works productively to replicate and multiply itself, in order to explain how gendered social and cultural relations are reiterated and reinforced” (Coates 52). This term does not refer to the modern day meaning of technology, such as computers and cell phones, but rather the theory behind technology and how it works. ‘Technologised machinations of power’ is the theory behind how a company or person can use their power, whether it be money or the support of a majority of people to constantly keep gaining from it. Coates use of the word ‘machinate’ is negatively connotative and implies that the influence of the power in control is corrupt or immoral. Hebdige’s definition for the term hegemony is “a situation in which a provisional alliance of certain social groups can exert ‘total social authority’ over other subordinate groups, not simply by coercion of by the direct imposition of ruling ideas, but by ‘winning and shaping consent so that the power of the dominant class appears both legitimate and natural’” (Hebdige 16). Hebdige’s definition maintains that hegemony is a form of power that is gained by having the support of a majority. By subliminal coercion, hegemonistic societies make the decision or opinion they want the majority of the people to support seem as though it is the right choice. The majority does not necessarily realize that there are other views on the situation or another way for things to be done differently or better. The minority in a hegemonistic society are the subculture who do not agree with the opinions and actions of the hegemony. However, hegemony is not necessarily influencing people on purpose and the less powerful group is sometimes uninformed and does not realize all the options available to them. The term hegemony and technological machinations of power relate quite closely to each other. They are both terms used to define a way that power is used and controlled. Hebdige comments that hegemony can only be maintained as long as the dominant class can “succeed in framing all competing definitions within their range” (Hebdige 16) just as technologised machinations of power can only be maintained as long as there is money and support to help sustain the power.
Sheila Whitely describes the dichotomous terms authenticity and artifice in her article “Authenticity, Truthfulness and Community: Tori Amos, Courtney Love, P.J. Harvey and Bjork”. She describes authenticity as “‘truthfulness’ to personal experience, and community” (Whitely 106) and artifice as “largely governed by the imperatives of commercial success” (Whitely 106). Rock music is usually related to the term authenticity because of its association to masculinity while artifice is usually related to pop music because of its association with pop groups such as the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys who were manufactured to appeal to a certain group in society for profit. Pop is seen as a feminine music genre because it is more lyrical than rock music and is less rhythmic. According to Jill Halstead in her article “Sex, Gender and Music,” music is perceived to reflect gender and sex and since rock music is typically performed and written by men, rock becomes full of masculine traits and is seen as very authentic. The gender schema theory agrees with this statement as gender schemas “construe perception as a construction process in which the interaction between incoming information and an individuals’ preexisting schema determines what is perceived” (Halstead 236). In Western culture, most people are influenced by the media and obtain their opinion of gender identity from the experience they have of their parent’s roles in their life as children. The categories and stereotypes people view of the terms male and female are usually exclusive and opposing and the same is true of the associations they evoke (Halstead 237). Halstead also argues that “‘feminine’ implies weakness, submissiveness, small-scale, whilst ‘masculine’ implies strength, dominance and large-scale” (Halstead 233). In Christina Williams’s article “Does it really matter? Young people and popular music” Williams conducts interviews with students who view the rock band Oasis as authentic because they “are not scared to just say anything to the press” (Williams 231). These students also acknowledge that pop bands try to conform to what “society wants them to be for their children” (Williams 231) and they realize that pop music is “just structured to sell” (Williams, 231). The ability for these children to so easily identify rock music with authenticity and pop music with artifice reveals the deeply ingrained stereotypical views of a society influenced by hegemony.
Coates statement of women destabilizing the category of rock music by transgressing and threatening to expose the artificial gender boundaries erected by a hegemonist culture is quite accurate. Courtney Love is a very popular hardcore, sexualized rock musician surrounded by controversy because of her ability to look feminine while performing, singing, and playing music in a masculine way. Love dresses in very feminine outfits that are usually skimpy and sexy and wears a lot of makeup while rasping the lyrics to her songs in a loud, masculine voice characteristic of rock. Love flaunts her sexuality and femininity on stage and in music videos, threatening to expose the artificial boundaries erected by hegemony while still performing as elaborately as any male rock band would. Whitely also comments on Love’s music and that its success “was due largely to Love’s credibility as a rock singer… the lyrics [and] the rough and often messy sound of the guitar” (Whitely 208). Love balances her masculinity while still being able to come across as sexual and feminine in distinctive ways making her rock music controversial as it does not conform to society’s typical view of gender stereotypes in rock music. This agrees with Angela McRobbie and Simon Frith’s comment that “rock ‘n’ roll’s subsequent corruption and ‘emasculation’ are understood as a straightforward effect of the rock business’s attempt to control its market” (McRobbie and Frith 69). While belonging to the category of rock music, Love is also challenging the stereotypical ideas of what rock music is.
Gayle Wald discusses Riot Grrls, an feminist underground punk rock music movement in the mid 1990’s who were against the hegemony of the music industry in her article “Just a Girl? Rock Music, Feminism and the Cultural Construction of Female Youth.” Riot Grrls were a subculture that tried to change the stereotypical view of rock music and its preconceived notions of being masculine. Riot Grrrls played their own instruments, advertised on their own, and helped other feminist rock bands through a network of communities. Wald comments that “the ‘girlishness’ so conspicuously on display among these contemporary women rockers… conveys various assumptions about (white) women’s visibility… signposting the incorporation – indeed, the commercial preeminence – of iconic, postmodern modes of gender performance” (Wald 588). The Riot Grrls wanted to be powerful females and accomplish everything themselves. By acting this way they tried to transcend the boundary of rock music being masculine and authentic and they tried to show that it was an artificial boundary. They tried to help girls find their own way in rock music while feeling comfortable playing and listening to it.
Although attempts at changing the stereotypical view of women in music have not been extremely successful, women in rock have had some influence on how society perceives rock music. The stereotypical facets of gender in rock music are so ingrained in Western society and culture that it is just accepted without actively thinking and questioning what is being given to society through the media and government. People need to start questioning why stereotypes are so limiting to females and actively try to change the influencing aspects of hegemony in society. Thankfully, there are women in music such as Courtney Love and the Riot Grrls movement that have been working to make the general public more aware of these gender issues.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Elvis is Gangsta Rap... Lol
August 16, 2007
Heheh.. I just saw this article on Sympatico's website and thought it showed up quite nicely right after we discusses the gangsta rap article.
I'm not going to discuss it, I'm just going to let you read what the person wrote about it and the comparisons. I thought it was pretty funny.
http://entertainment1.sympatico.msn.ca/TV_Guide/Interviews/Features/Articles/070815_elvis_or_rapper_MH
Heheh.. I just saw this article on Sympatico's website and thought it showed up quite nicely right after we discusses the gangsta rap article.
I'm not going to discuss it, I'm just going to let you read what the person wrote about it and the comparisons. I thought it was pretty funny.
http://entertainment1.sympatico.msn.ca/TV_Guide/Interviews/Features/Articles/070815_elvis_or_rapper_MH
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Azis
August 14, 2007
Chances are that you have never heard of the artist called Azis. He's not American, but he is HUGE in Bulgaria. He is very controversial because of his image but he has a large fan base. He is gay, but one of his girl friends recently had a child for him.
Here is a link to one of his videos:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AZ6pPc5LIlU&mode=related&search=
Azis has a very feminine look but still keeps it masculine. He has white blonde hair and a white moustache and goatee. He is a little overweight, definitely having a masculine body. There isn't anything feminine about his body shape. He wears a lot of make-up, lots of vivid colors as well as accessories such as fake eyelashes. He basically looks drag; his image on stage is completely different than what he looks like normally. He looks like a very 'butch' yet attractive drag queen when performing on stage and like a normal every day man behind the curtains. The video I chose for you to view is quite interesting because it shows what he uses to make up his costumes and image. He wear very feminine clothing, wearing (short) skirts, dresses, long flowy clothes, high hosiery, I've seen him wear knee high heels and lot's of the time he wears feminine colors. In this particular video he is wearing a short, purple, glittery skirt with matching purple gloves and purple make up. He has long droopy earrings as well. I even think he is very attractive in his costume. He is well made-up and pleasing to look at.
I think if someone was to listen to him they might not realize that he is a male singing his songs because his voice is more in the female range than a male. His songs have really good beats and range from slow to fast.
He is captivating, performs well and I just enjoy watching him. Even though I don't know his language I would go to a concert of his just because I would be entertained. He moves his body and arms fluidly and draws attention to himself. He is such an amazing performer and has interesting music!
This is his video Tochno sega:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3skTOyK4NU&NR=1
He really sounds like a woman in this video and is dressed like a woman. It's weird though because even though he is dressed in women's clothing I still don't quite view him as a man dressing up as a woman. I see it more as his character and how he represents himself. This kind of reflects on the Individuality/ Gender video that I posted in my blog from Youtube. The guy in that video wore make-up because he felt like it. I think Asiz dresses the way he does while performing because that's what makes him feel attractive and sexy, not necessarily because he's making a statement about gender and androgyny.
I guess this is all a performance that he puts on for his fans and the public but I also see it as who he is as well and not just some stage persona. This is totally my opinion though and I could be way off base. I don't know him, I don't know much about him and what his personal life is like, I just get this feeling from watching his videos. He is a very attractive man whether in drag or not - he just exudes sexuality.
In his video Chernite ochi posted below, Azis is dressed as a man, no hint of femininity except for some make-up he wears (which all men and women in music videos wear). It is a video with a woman in it who also sings and not knowing the words to this song it appears that he has some sort of romantic relationship with this woman.
Azis plays both sides of gender very well. Overall I love watching his videos and listening to his music. I am captivated by him and his performances.
Chances are that you have never heard of the artist called Azis. He's not American, but he is HUGE in Bulgaria. He is very controversial because of his image but he has a large fan base. He is gay, but one of his girl friends recently had a child for him.
Here is a link to one of his videos:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AZ6pPc5LIlU&mode=related&search=
Azis has a very feminine look but still keeps it masculine. He has white blonde hair and a white moustache and goatee. He is a little overweight, definitely having a masculine body. There isn't anything feminine about his body shape. He wears a lot of make-up, lots of vivid colors as well as accessories such as fake eyelashes. He basically looks drag; his image on stage is completely different than what he looks like normally. He looks like a very 'butch' yet attractive drag queen when performing on stage and like a normal every day man behind the curtains. The video I chose for you to view is quite interesting because it shows what he uses to make up his costumes and image. He wear very feminine clothing, wearing (short) skirts, dresses, long flowy clothes, high hosiery, I've seen him wear knee high heels and lot's of the time he wears feminine colors. In this particular video he is wearing a short, purple, glittery skirt with matching purple gloves and purple make up. He has long droopy earrings as well. I even think he is very attractive in his costume. He is well made-up and pleasing to look at.
I think if someone was to listen to him they might not realize that he is a male singing his songs because his voice is more in the female range than a male. His songs have really good beats and range from slow to fast.
He is captivating, performs well and I just enjoy watching him. Even though I don't know his language I would go to a concert of his just because I would be entertained. He moves his body and arms fluidly and draws attention to himself. He is such an amazing performer and has interesting music!
This is his video Tochno sega:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3skTOyK4NU&NR=1
He really sounds like a woman in this video and is dressed like a woman. It's weird though because even though he is dressed in women's clothing I still don't quite view him as a man dressing up as a woman. I see it more as his character and how he represents himself. This kind of reflects on the Individuality/ Gender video that I posted in my blog from Youtube. The guy in that video wore make-up because he felt like it. I think Asiz dresses the way he does while performing because that's what makes him feel attractive and sexy, not necessarily because he's making a statement about gender and androgyny.
I guess this is all a performance that he puts on for his fans and the public but I also see it as who he is as well and not just some stage persona. This is totally my opinion though and I could be way off base. I don't know him, I don't know much about him and what his personal life is like, I just get this feeling from watching his videos. He is a very attractive man whether in drag or not - he just exudes sexuality.
In his video Chernite ochi posted below, Azis is dressed as a man, no hint of femininity except for some make-up he wears (which all men and women in music videos wear). It is a video with a woman in it who also sings and not knowing the words to this song it appears that he has some sort of romantic relationship with this woman.
Azis plays both sides of gender very well. Overall I love watching his videos and listening to his music. I am captivated by him and his performances.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Ahhhh Youtube.com
August 14, 2007
So I was looking back at all my posts that I have made over the last month and a half and I think just about EVERY entry has at least one link to Youtube.com. One of them I just put the link up and said it speaks for itself. I could probably add more to that entry - it's not really an entry aside from the fact that I watched the video. This little blog right now is just about the fact that the Internet is soo amazing for getting your opinions out there. You can discuss ANY of your feelings about gender, race, oppression, sexuality..., the list could go on.
Youtube is an amazing website because people actually post video's of their opinions or post their music videos, or re-makes of music videos. It is such a great way to look at other peoples/cultures perspectives into music and gender. Many of the videos and articles I have on this Women's and Gender Studies blog website would not be on here without Youtube. You can learn so much about how people view the society their in by listening to their video blogs or even by watching their actions by what they choose to copy and mimic. I believe that people's actions speak better than words most of the time.
A lot of the video's I have watched on Youtube (or other websites similar to Youtube) have really made me think about a lot of things. I'd like to think I know a lot, but when you look at everything in the 'big picture' you realize there is SO much going on. I never realized there were sooo many issues with Music and the way males and females were represented in it. This course has really made me think about the media I take in and how it influences me. Instead of just listening to a song, I actually focus on what it's trying to tell me. As ridiculous as this is as well, I also listen to what kind of a beat it has and think about masculine and feminine traits like was discussed in one of the first articles we read... "Sex, Gender and Music" by Jill Halstead. It was a really tough article to get through, a lot of it went over my head, but as I am learning more about gender and stereotypes about male/female and masculinities and femininities her article is beginning to make more and more sense. The more I read over some parts the more my eyes are opened to several ideas and concepts.
So I was looking back at all my posts that I have made over the last month and a half and I think just about EVERY entry has at least one link to Youtube.com. One of them I just put the link up and said it speaks for itself. I could probably add more to that entry - it's not really an entry aside from the fact that I watched the video. This little blog right now is just about the fact that the Internet is soo amazing for getting your opinions out there. You can discuss ANY of your feelings about gender, race, oppression, sexuality..., the list could go on.
Youtube is an amazing website because people actually post video's of their opinions or post their music videos, or re-makes of music videos. It is such a great way to look at other peoples/cultures perspectives into music and gender. Many of the videos and articles I have on this Women's and Gender Studies blog website would not be on here without Youtube. You can learn so much about how people view the society their in by listening to their video blogs or even by watching their actions by what they choose to copy and mimic. I believe that people's actions speak better than words most of the time.
A lot of the video's I have watched on Youtube (or other websites similar to Youtube) have really made me think about a lot of things. I'd like to think I know a lot, but when you look at everything in the 'big picture' you realize there is SO much going on. I never realized there were sooo many issues with Music and the way males and females were represented in it. This course has really made me think about the media I take in and how it influences me. Instead of just listening to a song, I actually focus on what it's trying to tell me. As ridiculous as this is as well, I also listen to what kind of a beat it has and think about masculine and feminine traits like was discussed in one of the first articles we read... "Sex, Gender and Music" by Jill Halstead. It was a really tough article to get through, a lot of it went over my head, but as I am learning more about gender and stereotypes about male/female and masculinities and femininities her article is beginning to make more and more sense. The more I read over some parts the more my eyes are opened to several ideas and concepts.
Individuality / Gender.
August 14, 2007
I think this speaks for itself about Gender.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gdyobSzku0
I think this speaks for itself about Gender.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gdyobSzku0
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Gay Music
August 7, 2007
I came across this video by Israli singer Ivri Lider. He is Israli but this video is in English. It's a guy, singing about another guy who he is interested in. He wants this boy but the boy is hesitant to step into the realization that he is gay; the boy is trying to avoid the truth. The singer. is frustrated because he knows what the boy really wants but can't force him to see it
Here is Ivri's video to his song Jesse:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=t7oGUIsNqSA
Here are the lyrics as well. I got them off of this site:
http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858678258
I love a boy named Jesse
But Jesse doesn't love me back
He says he has a girl named Chelsea he wants so much
I love a boy named Jesse
But Jesse doesn't love me back
He says he's insecure about what he feels and what he wants
What he feels and what he wants...
But every time he smiles at me
I know we are the same
And that he'll change his world for me
If he just knew my name
There's no need for you to say you saw the life they chose for me
For me...
I love a boy named Jesse
But Jesse doesn't love me back
He wants to kiss and go to bed but he doesn't want to talk
I love a boy named Jesse
But Jesse doesn't love me back
He says he's straight and all that stuff is only in my mind
Only in my mind...
All I can hide
I'm doing fine
But every time he smiles at me i know we are the same
And that'll he'll he change his world for me
If he just knew my name
There's no need for you to say you saw the life they chose for me
For me...
I love a boy named Danny
But Danny doesn't love me back
He says he has a girl named Chelsea he wants so much
I love a boy named Danny
But Danny doesn't love me back
He says he's insecure about what he feels and what he wants
What he feels and what he wants...
It's not very often that you see a gay music video and although there is nothing explicitly sexual in the video it leaves a lot of impressions.
P.S.
Here's another video I came across about gay men in music. They are called Bearforce 1 and remind me a lot of the Village People but a little more modern and a little more sexual.
Video Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twQlpFrm5iM
I came across this video by Israli singer Ivri Lider. He is Israli but this video is in English. It's a guy, singing about another guy who he is interested in. He wants this boy but the boy is hesitant to step into the realization that he is gay; the boy is trying to avoid the truth. The singer. is frustrated because he knows what the boy really wants but can't force him to see it
Here is Ivri's video to his song Jesse:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=t7oGUIsNqSA
Here are the lyrics as well. I got them off of this site:
http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858678258
I love a boy named Jesse
But Jesse doesn't love me back
He says he has a girl named Chelsea he wants so much
I love a boy named Jesse
But Jesse doesn't love me back
He says he's insecure about what he feels and what he wants
What he feels and what he wants...
But every time he smiles at me
I know we are the same
And that he'll change his world for me
If he just knew my name
There's no need for you to say you saw the life they chose for me
For me...
I love a boy named Jesse
But Jesse doesn't love me back
He wants to kiss and go to bed but he doesn't want to talk
I love a boy named Jesse
But Jesse doesn't love me back
He says he's straight and all that stuff is only in my mind
Only in my mind...
All I can hide
I'm doing fine
But every time he smiles at me i know we are the same
And that'll he'll he change his world for me
If he just knew my name
There's no need for you to say you saw the life they chose for me
For me...
I love a boy named Danny
But Danny doesn't love me back
He says he has a girl named Chelsea he wants so much
I love a boy named Danny
But Danny doesn't love me back
He says he's insecure about what he feels and what he wants
What he feels and what he wants...
It's not very often that you see a gay music video and although there is nothing explicitly sexual in the video it leaves a lot of impressions.
P.S.
Here's another video I came across about gay men in music. They are called Bearforce 1 and remind me a lot of the Village People but a little more modern and a little more sexual.
Video Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twQlpFrm5iM
Rocker Girl Gwen!
August 7, 2007
I really like Gwen Stefani - I liked her style and music before she became a huge hit on her own without her band No Doubt.
So speaking of Gwen Stefani in class today I happened to come across this video of her at one of her recent concerts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwU4n2Npew8
She is not afraid to do what she wants and is her own person. Gwen is extremely physical in her performances - the sweat just drips off her and she is wild and fun - that's why people love her. She defines a sexual woman yet also accepts that people are going to judge her for it. She can make a very feminine girly video - and when live in concert can perform like a true rocker chick!
Cool is probably one of my favorite video's of Gwen (I also like her video for Ex-Girlfriend). She is very feminine in this video, all glammed up and sophisticated. It seems like she is being more true to her real self than the act she usually puts on.
Gwen Stefani - Cool
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2KLXVSsT2wQ
This is just a little blog of one of my favorite artists and something I saw on a website that just happened to correlate real well with our class discussion of her and her song "I'm Just a Girl" and how she is always taking differnet aspects of othe rcultures and making it her own and commenting on women rights, male/female struggle and girl vs. woman.
I really like Gwen Stefani - I liked her style and music before she became a huge hit on her own without her band No Doubt.
So speaking of Gwen Stefani in class today I happened to come across this video of her at one of her recent concerts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwU4n2Npew8
She is not afraid to do what she wants and is her own person. Gwen is extremely physical in her performances - the sweat just drips off her and she is wild and fun - that's why people love her. She defines a sexual woman yet also accepts that people are going to judge her for it. She can make a very feminine girly video - and when live in concert can perform like a true rocker chick!
Cool is probably one of my favorite video's of Gwen (I also like her video for Ex-Girlfriend). She is very feminine in this video, all glammed up and sophisticated. It seems like she is being more true to her real self than the act she usually puts on.
Gwen Stefani - Cool
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2KLXVSsT2wQ
This is just a little blog of one of my favorite artists and something I saw on a website that just happened to correlate real well with our class discussion of her and her song "I'm Just a Girl" and how she is always taking differnet aspects of othe rcultures and making it her own and commenting on women rights, male/female struggle and girl vs. woman.
Yeah... I got it from my Mama
August 7, 2007
Okay... so I came across a new song by Will-I-Am - for those of you who don't know - one of the guys from Black Eyed Peas - and I guess he's gone solo. So anyway, I watched this video, sort of listened to the lyrics - nothing really registered but the title kind of caught me. It's called 'I Got it From my Mama' - you can pretty much guess what its about. Anyway, nothing really made me think until the second time I listened to it. I liked it because of its beat and how good it is to dance to, but the second time I watched the video and listened to the song I was like - whoa! Back up there!!!!
Here are the lyrics:
http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/w/Will-I-Am/Got-It-From-My-Mama.htm
Ladies… x3
Here we go…
Chorus... x2
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
I got it from my mama... x3
I got it got it got got it…
Honey lookin’ good from her head to her toe.
Beauty overload, body out of control.
She twenty-four, she could be a model.
So beautiful, also natural.
Mommy lookin’ good from her head to her feet.
She forty-four, but she still lookin’ sweet.
And you can tell her daughter aint even at her peak.
Cause her mama lookin’ so hot, packin’ that heat.
So be a good girl and thank your mama.
She make me steamin’ like a sauna.
Look out, look out, here she come now.
Look out, look out, here she come.
Chorus x2
Girl, your beauty is a sensation.
You sittin’ in, in a temptation.
I never knew a girl could shine like a sun.
You better thank your mama, cause girl, you the one.
We should have a date of celebration.
Celebration god’s best creation.
Girl you got a beautiful vibration.
Everyday should be your birthday, Hun.
You make the guys all dumb.
Maybe cause you’re blessed with the beautiful buns.
Maybe cause your beauty keep the dudes on sprung,
Wondering just where you got that from?
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
I got it from my mama... x3
I got it got it got got it…
Chorus
Ladies... x7
Here we go…
If the girl real fine,
Nine times out of ten,
She fine just like her mama.
If the girl real pretty,
Nine times out of ten,
She pretty like her mama.
And if her mama real ugly,
I guarantee ya she gon’ be ugly like her mama... x2
If the girl real sexy,
Nine times out of ten,
She sexy like her mama.
If the girl real hot,
Nine times out of ten,
She hot just like her mama.
And if her mama real ugly,
I guarantee ya she gon’ be ugly like her mama... x2
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
You can tell all this right here,
I got all this from my mama…
All of this stuff right here,I got all this from my mama.
If you pretty, make some noise... x3
Make some noise, make some noise.
Ladies… x4
Okay, I do realize that was a lot to read through and it was preeeeettty sad. There is nothing in those lyrics deeper than what it appears and the WHOLE song is about a woman's body and the fact that she got it from her mama.
The music video is pretty demeaning to women as well. I guess kudos to the women who are in it because they do have fabulous bodies... and I'm sure good genes... but wow... pretty low, but pretty typical of current music videos.
Here is the link to watch the video if you're interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APHm8DbYkL0&mode=related&search=
Will-I-Am is on a beach, the only male in the whole video, surrounded by gorgeous scantily clad women. He even sits in a lounge chair with a woman dancing to the right of the screen and he almost directs her dancing and body actions with his hand. It looks as though the woman is his puppet. He points out different areas on her body such as her breasts and backside and she dances according to the lyrics. There is even a shot of Will-I-Am running his hands up a girls leg as she sits in a lounge chair and he oggles her.
It's pretty sad how Will-I-Am (and I'm not sure if he wrote these pathetic lyrics) comments on a woman's looks. If the girl is ugly - well of course she is ugly like her mother! *sarcasm. And of course if she is beautiful, she is beautiful JUST like her mother *sarcasm
Sigh..... what a shallow song....
How demeaning...
Okay... so I came across a new song by Will-I-Am - for those of you who don't know - one of the guys from Black Eyed Peas - and I guess he's gone solo. So anyway, I watched this video, sort of listened to the lyrics - nothing really registered but the title kind of caught me. It's called 'I Got it From my Mama' - you can pretty much guess what its about. Anyway, nothing really made me think until the second time I listened to it. I liked it because of its beat and how good it is to dance to, but the second time I watched the video and listened to the song I was like - whoa! Back up there!!!!
Here are the lyrics:
http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/w/Will-I-Am/Got-It-From-My-Mama.htm
Ladies… x3
Here we go…
Chorus... x2
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
I got it from my mama... x3
I got it got it got got it…
Honey lookin’ good from her head to her toe.
Beauty overload, body out of control.
She twenty-four, she could be a model.
So beautiful, also natural.
Mommy lookin’ good from her head to her feet.
She forty-four, but she still lookin’ sweet.
And you can tell her daughter aint even at her peak.
Cause her mama lookin’ so hot, packin’ that heat.
So be a good girl and thank your mama.
She make me steamin’ like a sauna.
Look out, look out, here she come now.
Look out, look out, here she come.
Chorus x2
Girl, your beauty is a sensation.
You sittin’ in, in a temptation.
I never knew a girl could shine like a sun.
You better thank your mama, cause girl, you the one.
We should have a date of celebration.
Celebration god’s best creation.
Girl you got a beautiful vibration.
Everyday should be your birthday, Hun.
You make the guys all dumb.
Maybe cause you’re blessed with the beautiful buns.
Maybe cause your beauty keep the dudes on sprung,
Wondering just where you got that from?
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
I got it from my mama... x3
I got it got it got got it…
Chorus
Ladies... x7
Here we go…
If the girl real fine,
Nine times out of ten,
She fine just like her mama.
If the girl real pretty,
Nine times out of ten,
She pretty like her mama.
And if her mama real ugly,
I guarantee ya she gon’ be ugly like her mama... x2
If the girl real sexy,
Nine times out of ten,
She sexy like her mama.
If the girl real hot,
Nine times out of ten,
She hot just like her mama.
And if her mama real ugly,
I guarantee ya she gon’ be ugly like her mama... x2
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
You can tell all this right here,
I got all this from my mama…
All of this stuff right here,I got all this from my mama.
If you pretty, make some noise... x3
Make some noise, make some noise.
Ladies… x4
Okay, I do realize that was a lot to read through and it was preeeeettty sad. There is nothing in those lyrics deeper than what it appears and the WHOLE song is about a woman's body and the fact that she got it from her mama.
The music video is pretty demeaning to women as well. I guess kudos to the women who are in it because they do have fabulous bodies... and I'm sure good genes... but wow... pretty low, but pretty typical of current music videos.
Here is the link to watch the video if you're interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APHm8DbYkL0&mode=related&search=
Will-I-Am is on a beach, the only male in the whole video, surrounded by gorgeous scantily clad women. He even sits in a lounge chair with a woman dancing to the right of the screen and he almost directs her dancing and body actions with his hand. It looks as though the woman is his puppet. He points out different areas on her body such as her breasts and backside and she dances according to the lyrics. There is even a shot of Will-I-Am running his hands up a girls leg as she sits in a lounge chair and he oggles her.
It's pretty sad how Will-I-Am (and I'm not sure if he wrote these pathetic lyrics) comments on a woman's looks. If the girl is ugly - well of course she is ugly like her mother! *sarcasm. And of course if she is beautiful, she is beautiful JUST like her mother *sarcasm
Sigh..... what a shallow song....
How demeaning...
Thursday, August 2, 2007
What's so great about music that it surrounds us??
August 2, 2007
I got to thinking, and why do humans love music so much? Why is it such an important part of our daily lives? Is it because it makes us feel emotions? Because it enhances our emotions? Because we can relate to the lyrics of some songs and it is a way for us to communicate with one another? There is so much music around me in my daily life that I can't imagine how quiet it would be without it. I wake up in the morning and hear the jingles of songs on commercials while I eat my breakfast. I leave my house and get into my car and listen to the radio as I go to work. When I get to work, I plug my headphones into my iPod and proceed to listen to music all day long until the end of the day. I get back in my car, listen to my radio on the way home and when I get home, chances are I'm downloading some new songs by a new, upcoming artist to add to my ever growing collection, watching TV and hearing the multitude of songs, jingles etc. on commercials, TV shows EVERYWHERE
Music is a way to grab people's attention. You can sell products easier because of music (MY opinion) I remember things easier because of the music associated with it. They even say that it's easier to remember facts to an exam a person is studying for if they can put the facts/lyrics to the tune of a song... interesting but I'm way to lazy to do stuff like that.
Music surrounds us. We dance to it, we celebrate with it, we go watch people perform music and we just sit and enjoy it. It makes us cry, it makes us laugh and it frustrates us. It sets our mood. I can't imagine what a world would be like without it. It'd be interesting to read someone's perspective of the world without music. But then you could get into the huge discussion of what is considered 'music'. Does a jackhammer clanging and grinding away constitute music? Maybe... depending on your perception of music. A birds trill and chirp is considered music... and birds even have their own specific sounds. A chick-a-dee is named for the sound it always makes... is that music?
What about deaf people? I guess they live in a world without music. It would be interesting to discuss this concept with someone who has been deaf their whole life. They have no idea really how to understand sound very well.
It is so hard to define this tricky term.... 'music'.....
It's frustrating to write about this without any definite, scientific answers. Sometimes it's hard to accept the fact that it is all your own opinion and how you perceive it....
I got to thinking, and why do humans love music so much? Why is it such an important part of our daily lives? Is it because it makes us feel emotions? Because it enhances our emotions? Because we can relate to the lyrics of some songs and it is a way for us to communicate with one another? There is so much music around me in my daily life that I can't imagine how quiet it would be without it. I wake up in the morning and hear the jingles of songs on commercials while I eat my breakfast. I leave my house and get into my car and listen to the radio as I go to work. When I get to work, I plug my headphones into my iPod and proceed to listen to music all day long until the end of the day. I get back in my car, listen to my radio on the way home and when I get home, chances are I'm downloading some new songs by a new, upcoming artist to add to my ever growing collection, watching TV and hearing the multitude of songs, jingles etc. on commercials, TV shows EVERYWHERE
Music is a way to grab people's attention. You can sell products easier because of music (MY opinion) I remember things easier because of the music associated with it. They even say that it's easier to remember facts to an exam a person is studying for if they can put the facts/lyrics to the tune of a song... interesting but I'm way to lazy to do stuff like that.
Music surrounds us. We dance to it, we celebrate with it, we go watch people perform music and we just sit and enjoy it. It makes us cry, it makes us laugh and it frustrates us. It sets our mood. I can't imagine what a world would be like without it. It'd be interesting to read someone's perspective of the world without music. But then you could get into the huge discussion of what is considered 'music'. Does a jackhammer clanging and grinding away constitute music? Maybe... depending on your perception of music. A birds trill and chirp is considered music... and birds even have their own specific sounds. A chick-a-dee is named for the sound it always makes... is that music?
What about deaf people? I guess they live in a world without music. It would be interesting to discuss this concept with someone who has been deaf their whole life. They have no idea really how to understand sound very well.
It is so hard to define this tricky term.... 'music'.....
It's frustrating to write about this without any definite, scientific answers. Sometimes it's hard to accept the fact that it is all your own opinion and how you perceive it....
Sex sells.....
July 12, 2007
The ability of women to sell music also pertains to their ability to be sexy and sell their sexiness.
Janet Jackson, now whether this is on purpose of it really was a wardrobe malfunction, exposed her breast (which just happened to have a nipple shield on it) at the Superbowl in 2004 while performing with Justin Timberlake. A little exposure of her red bra was apparently supposed to be planned but it was planned at the last minute and not everyone involved with the performance knew. However, instead of seeing her bra, the audience in the stadium and at home got a little peek of her breast. It is quite peculiar that she happened to have a nipple shield on under her clothing to cover the actual part of her breast. It is also quite peculiar that this situation occured just before an album of hers was about to be released. It is still uncertain of whether this 'accident' was planned or whether it really was a wardrobe malfunction but many people assume that Janet Jackson used her body and sexuality in such a way as to help her sales in the album she was to release in two months.
Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are current pop stars that use their sexuality to gain attention and increase sales. In one particular performance with Madonna at an awards show both Aguilera and Spears kissed Madonna. The amount of attention these actions received was enormous. Even today people still talk about it. And it wasn't just a little peck on the lips - it was a full-out French kiss.
Looking at Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears and watching their appearance as they first came out compared to how they changed over the years it is quite obvious that they've become manufactured to sell records through their sexual appeal.
Britney Spears began her career as a sexy school girl, tying the shirt to her school uniform up in a knot and has then progressed to even sexier outfits throughout her career, even dancing with a snake on her shoulders while scantily clad.
Although Spears has become somewhat of a trainwreck looking back at her performances and her outfits you can easily see that she was manufactured to sell her music greatly because of her sexuality and good looks.
Christina Aguilera became successful around the same time as Spears and also morphed into a highly sexual singer as her career progressed. However, where Spears became addicted to drugs and alcohol Aguilera has once again morphed into a Marilyn Monroe type beauty, with the white blonde hair and red-lipstick and she is often seen wearing white, flowy dresses. Aguilera has changed her sex appeal from grungy and hardcore to softer and more of a pin-up type sexiness. Aguilera also had breast implants, emphasizing her femininity. While Aguilera was in her grunge-sexy stage she came out with a song called Dirrty. The music video was very controversial and even had warnings before it for its explicit sexuality. All of the dance moves in it are very sexual with gyrating hips and sexually suggestive body movements. The lyrics are even sexually suggestive - when she sings "I need that, uh, to get me off Sweat until my clothes come off" she runs her hands down her body in the music video to her crotch area.
The ability of women to sell music also pertains to their ability to be sexy and sell their sexiness.
Janet Jackson, now whether this is on purpose of it really was a wardrobe malfunction, exposed her breast (which just happened to have a nipple shield on it) at the Superbowl in 2004 while performing with Justin Timberlake. A little exposure of her red bra was apparently supposed to be planned but it was planned at the last minute and not everyone involved with the performance knew. However, instead of seeing her bra, the audience in the stadium and at home got a little peek of her breast. It is quite peculiar that she happened to have a nipple shield on under her clothing to cover the actual part of her breast. It is also quite peculiar that this situation occured just before an album of hers was about to be released. It is still uncertain of whether this 'accident' was planned or whether it really was a wardrobe malfunction but many people assume that Janet Jackson used her body and sexuality in such a way as to help her sales in the album she was to release in two months.
Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are current pop stars that use their sexuality to gain attention and increase sales. In one particular performance with Madonna at an awards show both Aguilera and Spears kissed Madonna. The amount of attention these actions received was enormous. Even today people still talk about it. And it wasn't just a little peck on the lips - it was a full-out French kiss.
Looking at Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears and watching their appearance as they first came out compared to how they changed over the years it is quite obvious that they've become manufactured to sell records through their sexual appeal.
Britney Spears began her career as a sexy school girl, tying the shirt to her school uniform up in a knot and has then progressed to even sexier outfits throughout her career, even dancing with a snake on her shoulders while scantily clad.
Although Spears has become somewhat of a trainwreck looking back at her performances and her outfits you can easily see that she was manufactured to sell her music greatly because of her sexuality and good looks.
Christina Aguilera became successful around the same time as Spears and also morphed into a highly sexual singer as her career progressed. However, where Spears became addicted to drugs and alcohol Aguilera has once again morphed into a Marilyn Monroe type beauty, with the white blonde hair and red-lipstick and she is often seen wearing white, flowy dresses. Aguilera has changed her sex appeal from grungy and hardcore to softer and more of a pin-up type sexiness. Aguilera also had breast implants, emphasizing her femininity. While Aguilera was in her grunge-sexy stage she came out with a song called Dirrty. The music video was very controversial and even had warnings before it for its explicit sexuality. All of the dance moves in it are very sexual with gyrating hips and sexually suggestive body movements. The lyrics are even sexually suggestive - when she sings "I need that, uh, to get me off Sweat until my clothes come off" she runs her hands down her body in the music video to her crotch area.
Although Aguilera's style has changed she still uses her femininity and sexiness to sell music.
It is unfortunate that women feel that to sell their music they must sexualize their image by dressing sexually, emphasizing their curves, and wearing lot's of makeup. The majority of pop stars dress this way and it is difficult to think of current, mainstream, pop artists that do not feel the need to sexualize their music with their lyrics or their outward appearance. It is ironic how it was so unacceptable for Janet Jackson to have a wardrobe malfunction, costing the television station CBS almost a million dollars in lawsuits and fines but it is acceptable that these young pop stars allowed to dress so provocatively and sell their music through their sexuality.
The Constant Reinvention of Madonna
July 29, 2007
The majority of singers who come out and become somewhat famous eventually fade away and people forget about them. But not in Madonna Ritchie's case. Madonna is just about 50 years old and she is still making music that appeals to young people. It is not very common that you see someone so old and has been in the business so long making music for such young people. Although she was extremely popular in the 1980s Madonna has continued to influence the music industry well into the 1990s and even today. She is even working on a new album and collaborating with huge, young pop and hip hop singers like Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. Madonna is constantly reinventing her image and bringing new ideas to her music - I believe this is one thing that makes her continuously popular over the decades. Along with being so successful, Madonna is completely in control of her career and is not easily influenced by what other people think she should do. She is a music icon.
As I mentioned in my previous article about Backstreet Boys, the author Jamieson had discussed Nick Carter being the androgynous member of the band and in one particular video he "Vogue's". Voguing is seen in Madonna's video Vogue and is hand movements around the face which are representative of the gay community.
Here is a link to Madonna's video Vogue:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xRIYvfhXrdA
Madonna's ability to constantly transform herself and her producers ability to keep her music current is the major and most important reason for her ability to keep with the times and have her music always on the music charts. Madonna's creative control over her music and her money enables her to work with the best possible producers in the music industry to help make her always a hit with her audiences.
The majority of singers who come out and become somewhat famous eventually fade away and people forget about them. But not in Madonna Ritchie's case. Madonna is just about 50 years old and she is still making music that appeals to young people. It is not very common that you see someone so old and has been in the business so long making music for such young people. Although she was extremely popular in the 1980s Madonna has continued to influence the music industry well into the 1990s and even today. She is even working on a new album and collaborating with huge, young pop and hip hop singers like Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. Madonna is constantly reinventing her image and bringing new ideas to her music - I believe this is one thing that makes her continuously popular over the decades. Along with being so successful, Madonna is completely in control of her career and is not easily influenced by what other people think she should do. She is a music icon.
As I mentioned in my previous article about Backstreet Boys, the author Jamieson had discussed Nick Carter being the androgynous member of the band and in one particular video he "Vogue's". Voguing is seen in Madonna's video Vogue and is hand movements around the face which are representative of the gay community.
Here is a link to Madonna's video Vogue:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xRIYvfhXrdA
Madonna's ability to constantly transform herself and her producers ability to keep her music current is the major and most important reason for her ability to keep with the times and have her music always on the music charts. Madonna's creative control over her music and her money enables her to work with the best possible producers in the music industry to help make her always a hit with her audiences.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
What Makes it so Great??
July 31, 2007
Okay.. so I was just playing around on Youtube... surprise, surprise and came across a video that my professor had just mentioned in passing on one random digression. It was about a Philippino prison doing a re-make of Thriller by Michael Jackson... as I randomly came across this video I started thinking about certain artists, certain songs and the way people react to them. What makes their music/video/song so great?
Right after I came across the Philippino video I also came across another one that was done by a Greek Army - and they were copying Madonna's song Hung Up. They weren't quite as skilled as the 1500 Philippino inmates but it still makes me wonder... What makes it so great that you would want to organize people, videotape it, and then post it on Youtube.com. (or some other similar website)
If you want to check out the actual footage of these videos, click the link below. This link is to the Philippino Prison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o
Here is a link to watch Michael Jackson's original video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rT90keJ51bY
This link is the Greek Army:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9V1UTKkE-5Q
Although as of late Michael Jackson has had some pretty questionable actions you can't deny his ability as a singer and as a performer. Watching the video of Thriller you just can't help but be entertained by it. I grew up after Michael Jackson so I am not as familiar with his work as I'd like to be, but I do know how much of an impact he has had on the music industry. Even Backstreet Boys did a little play on the Thriller music video in their video of Everybody (Backstreet's Back). The majority of people are even quite familiar with the choreography! On a personal note - I attended a drag show where a friend of mine was performing. He had a group of people dress up in convincing zombie outfits while he played Michael Jackson. They copied the choreography of the Thriller video and performed it for the audience at the show. Everyone in the audience immediately recognized the song and dance and just loved it. Now why is it that some artists are so effective and influential with their music that they can still have an effect on people over 20 years later?
Is it their style, their willingness to try something new and different while ignoring the criticism that may come with it? Are they making a political stand? Are they breaking 'taboo' ideas like exposing skin (like Madonna)? Is it a combination of all these things that make them so memorable?
Okay.. so I was just playing around on Youtube... surprise, surprise and came across a video that my professor had just mentioned in passing on one random digression. It was about a Philippino prison doing a re-make of Thriller by Michael Jackson... as I randomly came across this video I started thinking about certain artists, certain songs and the way people react to them. What makes their music/video/song so great?
Right after I came across the Philippino video I also came across another one that was done by a Greek Army - and they were copying Madonna's song Hung Up. They weren't quite as skilled as the 1500 Philippino inmates but it still makes me wonder... What makes it so great that you would want to organize people, videotape it, and then post it on Youtube.com. (or some other similar website)
If you want to check out the actual footage of these videos, click the link below. This link is to the Philippino Prison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o
Here is a link to watch Michael Jackson's original video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rT90keJ51bY
This link is the Greek Army:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9V1UTKkE-5Q
Although as of late Michael Jackson has had some pretty questionable actions you can't deny his ability as a singer and as a performer. Watching the video of Thriller you just can't help but be entertained by it. I grew up after Michael Jackson so I am not as familiar with his work as I'd like to be, but I do know how much of an impact he has had on the music industry. Even Backstreet Boys did a little play on the Thriller music video in their video of Everybody (Backstreet's Back). The majority of people are even quite familiar with the choreography! On a personal note - I attended a drag show where a friend of mine was performing. He had a group of people dress up in convincing zombie outfits while he played Michael Jackson. They copied the choreography of the Thriller video and performed it for the audience at the show. Everyone in the audience immediately recognized the song and dance and just loved it. Now why is it that some artists are so effective and influential with their music that they can still have an effect on people over 20 years later?
Is it their style, their willingness to try something new and different while ignoring the criticism that may come with it? Are they making a political stand? Are they breaking 'taboo' ideas like exposing skin (like Madonna)? Is it a combination of all these things that make them so memorable?
Hot Death Metal Chix
July 17, 2007
So a buddy of mine was telling me about some crazy death metal bands with girls as their frontman - or should I say frontwoman. I didn't think much of this until he sent me some Youtube links to their videos and then my jaw dropped. If I hadn't seen that it was a woman singing in Arch Enemy, I wouldn't have believed that it was a female singer. Her voice is sooo low, raspy and gutteral. This type of singing is called death growl. Very impressive. Apparently she was actually trained by someone to sing this way and also to help ensure that she doesn't ruin her vocal chords. Arch Enemy with frontwoman Angela Gossow is a swedish band. She joined this group in 2000.
Here is a link to a video of Arch Enemy playing the song Enemy Within on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NizPNmUjeDU
The other band I have heard of with a female frontwoman is in the Italian band called Lacuna Coil. They sing metal goth rock and the lead singer does not sing in the deal growl that Angela Gossow does. One of their lead vocalists is Cristina Scabbia who originally was only supposed to sing backup vocals for the band. They liked the way she sounded so much they asked her to become a permanent part of the band, singing alongside their other male, lead vocalist.
Here is a link to Lacuna Coil playing two songs on Jimmy Kimmel Live Concert Series. They are performing the songs Our Truth and Enjoy the Silence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwcIkH2GSz4
This link is to a music video of Lacuna Coil performing the song Heaven's a Lie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixxtnrWb17Y
It is pretty unusual to see women fronting heavy metal bands. These bands are similar to a more mainstream band that is more widely known: Evanescence. However, Arch Enemy and Lacuna Coil are more goth rock rather than pop rock.
Backstreet Boys... Gay??
July 27, 2007
Recently we read an article in class about the pop band Backstreet Boys and how they were marketed towards the gay community (as well as young girls). Now I don't disagree that they were possibly marketed to this certain group in society... I just have some disagreements with the way the author found the 'proof' in their videos and lyrics and felt he could write an article stating that they were. The article is "Marketing androgyny: the evolution of the Backstreet Boys" by Daryl Jamieson.
The author of this article clearly states at the beginning of his work that he is gay and grew up watching the videos and listening to the music of this particular boyband. I agree and can see Jamieson's point of view that this particular band totally affected how he felt about being gay, especially when he was a teenager who was finding himself.
At first when I read this article I agreed with Jamieson (thinking back to my own personal knowledge of the Backstreet Boys lyrics and videos) and could understand how he could make several of the conclusions he has. After re-watching these videos and looking at some of the lyrics I totally disagree with many of his reasons for claiming that Nick Carter was focused on more than the other band members because he was young, soft-skinned, and youthful - or sexually androgynous. I think that this author may have actually had a crush on Nick Carter when he was younger and now is only focusing on Nick's parts in the songs and videos and making conclusions from that without fairly looking at the other band member’s parts in the lyrics and videos.
Jamieson continues in his article saying that Nick Carter was the main singer in the band with many lines of songs devoted especially to him. After watching the video's I disagree. I believe that Brian Littrell is focused on the most out of all five members - having the most lines to sing and he is focused on quite a bit in the music videos.
Jamieson singles out Nick, saying he sings the particular line "Am I Sexual" in their song "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and claims this is important because he is the sexually androgynous person in the band. Nick is also dressed as a mummy in what Jamieson says "appears to include some sort of leather bondage gear, which is a highly anachronistic, sexually charged touch" (Backstreet Boys 253). Nick also mentions at the end of the video that there were women dancing with them which Jamieson views as Nick trying to prove to the guys he is not gay by talking about women. Is Jamieson reading way too much into this? I definitely think so.
In the song "As Long as You Love Me" Jamieson sees it as a love song between Brian and Nick who sing the majority of the lyrics with the other boys joining in on the chorus. He even comments that in the video they share the microphone and look at each other. Well Brian and Kevin also share the microphone at one point and the song's lyrics do not specify the gender of the person it is singing about.
And, finally, in Backstreet Boys song "Quit Playing Games with My Heart" Jamieson raises many different points about Nick being excluded from the group (appealing to gay people) and not showing his chest in the video as the other guys do, and wearing a white hat when no one else has a hat on. The whole band is marketed to a feminine and gay audience, not just Nick. All of the boys in this video have some equally gay characteristics and they are all singing about feelings.
Although I could have gone into much more detail I just briefly outlined some of the things Jamieson was discussing and how I disagree with it and think that he was just reading too far into Nick and not focusing fairly enough on the other band members.
Recently we read an article in class about the pop band Backstreet Boys and how they were marketed towards the gay community (as well as young girls). Now I don't disagree that they were possibly marketed to this certain group in society... I just have some disagreements with the way the author found the 'proof' in their videos and lyrics and felt he could write an article stating that they were. The article is "Marketing androgyny: the evolution of the Backstreet Boys" by Daryl Jamieson.
The author of this article clearly states at the beginning of his work that he is gay and grew up watching the videos and listening to the music of this particular boyband. I agree and can see Jamieson's point of view that this particular band totally affected how he felt about being gay, especially when he was a teenager who was finding himself.
At first when I read this article I agreed with Jamieson (thinking back to my own personal knowledge of the Backstreet Boys lyrics and videos) and could understand how he could make several of the conclusions he has. After re-watching these videos and looking at some of the lyrics I totally disagree with many of his reasons for claiming that Nick Carter was focused on more than the other band members because he was young, soft-skinned, and youthful - or sexually androgynous. I think that this author may have actually had a crush on Nick Carter when he was younger and now is only focusing on Nick's parts in the songs and videos and making conclusions from that without fairly looking at the other band member’s parts in the lyrics and videos.
Jamieson continues in his article saying that Nick Carter was the main singer in the band with many lines of songs devoted especially to him. After watching the video's I disagree. I believe that Brian Littrell is focused on the most out of all five members - having the most lines to sing and he is focused on quite a bit in the music videos.
Jamieson singles out Nick, saying he sings the particular line "Am I Sexual" in their song "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and claims this is important because he is the sexually androgynous person in the band. Nick is also dressed as a mummy in what Jamieson says "appears to include some sort of leather bondage gear, which is a highly anachronistic, sexually charged touch" (Backstreet Boys 253). Nick also mentions at the end of the video that there were women dancing with them which Jamieson views as Nick trying to prove to the guys he is not gay by talking about women. Is Jamieson reading way too much into this? I definitely think so.
In the song "As Long as You Love Me" Jamieson sees it as a love song between Brian and Nick who sing the majority of the lyrics with the other boys joining in on the chorus. He even comments that in the video they share the microphone and look at each other. Well Brian and Kevin also share the microphone at one point and the song's lyrics do not specify the gender of the person it is singing about.
And, finally, in Backstreet Boys song "Quit Playing Games with My Heart" Jamieson raises many different points about Nick being excluded from the group (appealing to gay people) and not showing his chest in the video as the other guys do, and wearing a white hat when no one else has a hat on. The whole band is marketed to a feminine and gay audience, not just Nick. All of the boys in this video have some equally gay characteristics and they are all singing about feelings.
Although I could have gone into much more detail I just briefly outlined some of the things Jamieson was discussing and how I disagree with it and think that he was just reading too far into Nick and not focusing fairly enough on the other band members.
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