Representing America - American Literature AP - Blog

Support Women Artists Sunday: Whitney Houston (Response)

I have to begin by saying that Houston was an innovative artist, however she is not worthy of the amount of sadness and morning going on around the world. The fact is, she has been a train wreck for twenty years. she has struggled with addiction and has given nothing back to society.

What is truley sad is that good people who give back to society die  every day. These people are not celebrated by the world and wealthy people and world leaders almost never reach out when a not so well known activist dies.

The bottom line is that Houston was a talented singer but she has done little for the world we live in. Community activist and other good people die every day with no outreach. This is the only reason why I feel grief today.

Music Poetry Mix!

For your listening pleasure, here is our class mix of songs you would defend as poetry:

Music Poetry - American Literature

I'm planning on making it the soundtrack for the class for the rest of the year. You have no one to blame but yourself :)

If you have Spotify, you should be able to listen to most of the mix. Songs by the Beatles and the Eagles are not available through Spotify, but I do have them on the mix I'll play in class.

Enjoy!

 

Weird Al Yankovic - "Fat"

 

This is a video by "Weird Al" Yankovic called "Fat". It creates humor with parody and situational irony at the beginning of the video. The song and the video are a parody of Michael Jackson's "Bad". This video is a parody because it replaces all the words to Jackson's song but still keeps the beat and the rhythm. The reason why it is because the video focuses on the issue of obesity in America. It uses hyperbole and dramatic irony to highlight this. The hyperbole would be the fat suit suddenly inflating when there is a showdown between the two groups of fat people. The video also uses dramatic irony when the two fat guys ambush Al and ask him why he isn't eating with him and making fun of him for being on a diet.

The video is supposed to show frequent and prominent obesity is in America. It makes you think about your eating habits. For me, personally, it sends that message "if we continue to eat fast food, this is what gang showdowns are going to look like in a couple of years except without the dancing". The video force you to look at your lifestyle and think about how your eating habits are affecting your body. It criticizes the fact that, at the time, a large number of  Americans were and still are becoming more obese. This video sends the message that we should eat healthier to live longer

Satire in the Flight of The Conchords

 

This is a song by the Flight of the conchords which creates humor using situational irony. The listener if they are familiar with this type of song expects a simple love song, instead of this the lyrics are about a woman who is not the most beautiful girl in the world, and its the contrast from the expectation that creates humor. Where a normal song would say that the woman is the most beautiful woman or something along those lines they have qualifications of how beautiful the woman is like "the most beautiful girl I have ever seen with a kabab".

This song could also be seen as a parody of a typical love song. The situations which they present as romantic like doing the robot or eating kabobs are a contrast to the typical love song. It could also be said that they are using understatements to create a contrast between the descriptions of people in archetypal love songs and thier own song.

Overall the satirical point that the singers are trying to make is in my opinion mostly for humor, but they may be making a comment on the predictability of many songs in thier contrast from the usual formula.

Emerson, Thoreau, Dickinson... Steve Miller?

Fly Like An Eagle - Steve Miller Band

When the word transcendentalism comes to mind, so do names such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Emily Dickinson. While that would only be natural, many other Romanticists are thrust to the side or not even thought of at all. Apparently, after listening to "Fly Like An Eagle" by Steve Miller Band, Miller is one of those artists.

Themes of Transcendentalism are scattered throughout this song, as well as others by the group. In the chorus alone, there are many appeals to the movement:

I want to fly like an eagle 
To the sea 
Fly like an eagle 
Let my spirit carry me 
I want to fly like an eagle 
Till I'm free 
Fly through the revolution 

Eagles themselves are references to nature and flying like them essentially makes one a part of nature. When he says "Let my spirit carry me... Till I'm Free," he is talking about the spirit transcending the the physical world and escaping. Referring to a revolution is brought up again when he says:

Feed the babies 
Who don't have enough to eat 
Shoe the children 
With no shoes on their feet 
House the people 
Livin' in the street 
Oh, oh, there's a solution

"Feed[ing] the babies" and "Hous[ing] the people" is calling for a change in the way society is, very similar to the Romanticists call for a cultural revolution in the 19^th century. All in all, this song is a great representation of Transcendental ideals.

Its Okay To Be Like Me Because I'm Making The World A Better Place

The rap superstar Lil' Wayne put out a 30 minute long PSA a couple days ago ,addressing the death of Steve Jobs reminiscing on how he should be remembered and how Wayne himself, would like to be remembered if he, a global icon like Steve Jobs were to die at a young age.  He also outed the media because of their portrayal on his effect on kids  being negatively influenced because of his actions. We all know Wayne as a pop culture icon. He represents hip-hop and his patent is known worldwide. But it seems that he's become more popular for his substance abuse than his records. When you see Wayne he is almost always carrying 2 white foam cups that may contain promethazine-codine, Sprite and a Jolly Rancher. This particular Southern beverage originated in Houston TX where rappers would drink this as an alternative way of getting high. In the beginning of the announcement, he makes sure to prove that he doesn’t drink syrup by showing that he is prescribed particular medication when he's sick and he claims not to be sick anymore.  He  passionately goes on and on in this announcement about originality and how people are afraid to say,"I do it because he does it" He says,"Whatever is the reason you're doing what you're doing, and if so that reason is because Lil Wayne does it, don't be afraid to say that."I'm passionate about it, so know why you doing it." To prove he's serious, he grabs a board and jumps onto his ramps on his rooftop. He skates a little bit, but he really doesn’t to anything noteworthy, admitting, "I'm in the process of learning, but I'm trying." He said that he saw a kid at the age of 9 doing various tricks on T.V and he wanted to do some of the tricks this kid did, so he went out and bought a board because of him.  He also added by saying, "your kid is watching me skate and he wants to play outside, I'm making the world a better place because I'm helping with childhood obesity". After these remarks he goes on about other various topics but these claims above stuck to me. I noticed that his faulty logic supported circular reasoning and I found a opposite parallel in which Ralph Waldo Emerson argues in "Self Reliance". He believes that insisting on yourself , never imitate. Your own gift can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have only an extemporaneous half possession...." Emerson argues to be your own individual and try not to imitate others. I just found it interesting that someone that has such a global impact would want his fan base not to believe in Transcendentalism like Emerson does but to follow the actions of other successful people in the world.

Pocahontas Sings Romanticism

My childhood, like many other people, was filled with Disney movies.  One Disney movie that uses Romanticism is Pocahontas.  This movie demonstrates the importance of nature in Pocahontas's life.  

In the song "Colors of the Wind" Pocahontas expresses the influence of nature on her life and how John Smith should appreciate his surroundings.  Pocahontas living in nature and knowing more than John Smith about it demonstrates the Romantic thought from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Nature" that leaving society will allow people to fully understand nature.  

Pocahontas teaches John Smith how to enjoy nature nd learn from it.  In one part of the song she sings "You'll learn things you never knew you never knew."  This illustrates how much nature has an influence over people's thoughts.  

This song also demonstrates another Romantic idea that Emerson expresses in "Nature" that nature influences us when we are open to its influence.  Pocahontas sings "Come roll in all the riches all around you. And for once never wonder what they're worth."  She is trying to tell John Smith that the way he and the other colonists think about nature prevents them from learning.  Pocahontas says that if he does not think and lets nature make an impression on him he will learn incredible new things.  

Pocahontas shows a hidden Romantic message that nature when experienced without analyzing it can teach everyone great lessons and provide wonderful experiences.    

Feminization At Its Best

Before any girls play the "just jealous" card, hear me out. I as well as many other guys have been wondering what the deal is with this Justin Bieber kid, among other large name pop stars out there today. Sure, his music is just typical pop that we see around today. With lots of breakups, parties, and pimples, teenagers can "relate" to a lot of this kind of music. But why has he seemed to skyrocket above everyone else? Yeah I'll give him that he's a good-looking dude, but there have been equally attractive stars before him. Is it just me or have male celebrities, particularly those aimed at the teenage girl crowd, seemed to become more and more effeminate within the last decade?

Bieber is certainly no exception. He has truly taken the cake for most feminized male celebrity to this day. With a nail polish line, women's perfume, and even his iconic hairstyle, JB has become one of the most desired stars of all time, and I can't help to think his effeminacy gave him a little extra boost. Tabloid magazine covers on his and Selena Gomez's celebrity relationship say "Jelena: Her Promise To Never Break His Heart," and "Justin and Selena: How She Won His Heart." If I'm not mistaken, isn't it typical that the guy wins and breaks the girl's heart? Isn't the girl always the one to be made out as a prize to be won? Justin is really breaking the mold on this one. 

 

Justin Bieber is simply a tool used by the music industry to make incredible amounts of money, and that is it. Granted, he is making millions of dollars and has become an icon, but the exploitations that he is undergoing is unbelievable. I am less calling out the Biebster than I am calling out the teenage girls with "Bieber Fever" to face the facts that not everything they see on TV and not every way a celebrity is portrayed is a reality. And at the very most I give props to Justin's producers for knowing exactly what these girls will eat up.

Sadie Hawkins Dance By: Relient K

The song Sadie Hawkins Dance by Relient K reflects many American ideologies. For one it says that the jocks of the school are the football players;and they always get with the cheerleaders. In the song it says, "I found a good spot by the cheerleaders eating-The quarterback asked me if I'd like a beating." In America this is prevalent in our high schools. The football players are told to be the coolest guys in the school and not pay attention to the "unpopular" kids.

The song also supposes the role that guys have to wait on girls. The song says,"All the girls in the bathroom talking-who they gonna take to the Sadie Hawkins". Granted this song is about a girl asking a guy to a dance it still reflects the ideology that a girl has to make a move on a guy first. The song also implies that guys need to impress girls in everything they do. Matt Theisen the singer sings, "Sitting in the back of my next class napping-Got up, gave a speech, then bowed to the clapping-Told a funny joke got the whole class laughing-think I got a tan from the light which I was basking". The guy in the song wants to impress everyone with his jokes including the girls. In America guys are told to impress girls in everything they do whether its what they wear or how they act.

There are many American ideologies illustrated in the song Sadie Hawkins Dance by Relient K.  

 

Testing the Waters

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, so many music artists shared their opinions about how they viewed the government. Lil Wayne made a song called Georgia…Bush in memory of hurricane Katrina. At a first glance you would think that Lil Wayne is just dissing the president for not caring about the residents of New Orleans. When you look at the lyrics, Lil Wayne questions the fundamentals that the Unites States is said to operate off of. Lil Wayne starts off the song saying:

“This song is dedicated to the one wit the suit, Thick white skin and his eyes bright blue
So called beef wit you know who, F**k it he just let him kill all of our troops
Look at the bulls**t we been through”

He starts to call attention to the war in Iraq. He is challenging the patriotism by saying that he is letting the soldiers get killed needlessly and he does no care about the Americans that are here still here. Americans have been characterized as a community and a country that helps those that are in need. But as Lil Wayne says:

“And no he ain't gonna drop no dollars, but he do drop bombs”

Lil Wayne uses George Bush as a representation of our government, which he is since he was the president at the time. He is saying that while the U.S. government maintains the façade that they care and protect all the countries in need, they neglected a major city in the U.S. when it was in a time of crisis. He also questions the way that our media operates:

“Then they telling y'all lies on the news, The white people smiling like everything cool….They tell you what they want, show you what they want you to see,but they don't let you know what's really going on…."

The song offers the insight of Katrina form a survivor. Lil Wayne also calls attention to our media. We get all of the information about the outside world from the media. Lil Wayne points out that out media is regulated and can be skewed. He points out that there are some facts that the media does not fully acknowledge. This makes causes the audience to think about whether we were told the whole truth. This song questions our ideals.

Although the United States is seen as a country that is willing to help others, fights for freedom, and media that wants to give its people that news that way that the news happens, the song calls all of these ideals in to questions. It challenges these ideas by presenting the U.S. as a country that neglects its citizens and those that fight for it; as well as a country that shades its citizens from little truths in the politics of the world.

Here is the link for the lyrics for the entire song: http://www.metrolyrics.com/georgia-bush-lyrics-lil-wayne.html

 

 

Teenage Transformation Stereotypes

Katy Perry has been a rising start for the past 2 years in the music industry. With her quirky style, and spunky personality nothing seems to get her down. Yet some may wonder where all her confidence comes from. After listening to one of her older songs "One of the boys," she strips down her outer persona to a more delicate side of her personality. The well known story of a girls transformation ranges from Cinderella to The Princess Diaries, and now is found again in Katy Perry's song. She starts the song saying:

"I saw a spider I didn't scream, cause I can belch the alphabet just double dog dare me, and I choose guitar over ballet, and I take these suckers down cause they get in my way."

As a tomboy she is fierce, and let's nothing stand in her way. Yet with all her "confidence" she is crippled by her lack of male attention.

"So in don't wanna be one of the boys, just give me a chance to prove to you tonight, I just wanna be one of the girls, and not one of the boys."

Her transformation takes her from an undesirable girl to a hot teenager. After that she seems to dedicate her life to the artificial world where girls who read seventeen can get a boyfriend. But why does she need to change herself to become pretty. Her song may seem to be empowering by breaking free of her old ways and taking on new challenges, yet she is still weakened by forcing all attention to her male counterparts. Even though Katy Perry seems to conquer the American stereotype of being a tomboy, she portraits many more by transforming her self to realize she is beautiful.

The "Art" of Rapping

In class, we were assigned a paper about the state of American women in 2011, and to write this paper we had to bring in evidence of our argument from our lives. I can safely assume, I think, that a pretty large portion of the class used today's music as proof that today's women still have reason for "discontent, rebellion, and revolution," as Susan B. Anthony said.

I found it funny, then, that after I mentioned rap music in my paper I came across a satirical article about how to write a rap song. This witty article makes fun of the lack of meaning and intellect in most of today's rap. The article jokes that the Guiness World Record for spending time to write rap lyrics is 45 minutes - an exaggerated statement pointing out the insincere and pointless nature of rap lyrics. The article continues on to say that rap songs tell a story, usually "a precarious urban tale consisting of 'b--ches,' 'hoes,' pimped out rides, guns, the POE-lease, and of course lots and lots of BLING," in which "a contract, money,and bubble-booty women" will follow a string of tragic events in the rapper's life.

While this article is funny and entertaining, the satirical message behind it really hits home, and I think it fits well with our discussion about the state of American women today. Just about any type of music, not just rap, is degrading to women, including songs written by women themselves. And this is what kids start listening to at a relatively young age, putting ideas of male superiority into their heads. Want to know real source of sexism? The media. Anything, from music to political coverage, is to blame.

If you want a bit of funny but insightful reading, check out the article!

Let's Go Around the World, One More Time, a Bit Faster.

Due to my mom's job in the arts, I have to oppurtunity to travel around the world, well, not really, just to France and back-- but either way, it's still a journey from outside of the Good Ol' USA! Whenever I go there, it's like a completely enter a different world, and I'm not talking about the language or the crossaints, this time, I'm talking about the music. On the radio here, and there, there are rappers like Eminem, Lil' Wayne, Drake, and many others that take up the radio and spread their message throughout the world, anglophone or not. In the United States, I feel like the constant focus on music is primarily based around one thing for the most part, the lyrics. In France, I noticed that most of the best music has no lyrics, no words... why else would it be one of the Techno capitals of the world? Although lyrics seem to be pretty important here, I think we need to get into the habit of interpreting rhythm for a true meaning, feeling the music ourselves. Though we've got music like that here, I feel like we're somewhat behind in the world of music-- the world of creative understanding-- because though those artists here today try to pack a punch with their lyrics, their focus is too concentrated on something so tangible, rather than a different form of entertainment, sanctuary, escape and enlightment. Music should be something universal, comprehension shoudn't be an obstacle. 

Here's what I think is a great example of music interpretation is.  

 

I've actually had the chance to talk to these two artists once about their music, their opinions and thoughts really shocked me, totally changing my view on some things.

Music...

Is it something else America strives to be the best in by over-doing ourselves? 

I remember seeing a blog earlier this month about bubble poetry, I think it was called... Less is more, nowadays, don't you think? 

 

 

Maybe our minds deteriorate as we age.

I was talking to a friend about movies the other day. She told me that she cried during every single Pixar movie she's seen. Most people would think, "Really? Pixar movies? Aren't those for little kids?" And the answer is yes, they are made for kids. But most Disney or Pixar movies today get to the heart of real issues and present much deeper meanings than the movies teens and adults enjoy.

Most of the movies that come out today are romantic comedies like "When in Rome," or action movies like "Transformers." I watched "When in Rome" a few months ago and thought that it was actually one of the wirst movies I've ever seen. Sure, the overall idea was kind of cute: a girl picks up coins from Trevi Fountain in Rome, and all of the guys who threw in those coins immediately fall in love with her. But the "comedy" that the movie used was just corny, and the ending was completely predictable. Of course, it ends with a happily-ever-after wedding, and everyone ends up happy. And "Transformers"... well, while it is entertaining to watch cars that turn into machines smashing a bunch of buildings, Shia LaBeouf driving really fast, and things getting set on fire, what do you take from a movie like this? Absolutely nothing. I'm no movie critic, but I can safely say that a good majority of what teens and adults watch today is completely shallow, unrealistic, and unmoving.

What I've realized over the past few years is that the some of the best movies I've seen have been "kids'" movies. Not only are these movies adorable, entertaining, and funny, they also leave me thinking when I walk out of the theater. "Wall-E", for example, addressed a real problem in the world - people are ruining the environment, and someday it will lead to the downfall of mankind. "Up" deals with the difficult process of coping with the loss of a family member, and conveys the message that you can only mourn for so long before you must accept the loss and move on. And perhaps my favorite, "Toy Story 3," challenges kids' and teens' ideas of growing up. While most media that kids and teens see and hear glamorizes growing up and makes them look forward it, "Toy Story 3" illuminates the downside, the hard part about growing up. While Andy is conflicted about leaving his toys behind when he goes off to college, the toys represent his childhood, his home, and his family. College is always depicted as fun and exciting in movies and television, but this was the first time I had ever seen a movie show a teenager's hesitation to leave his childhood behind. The movie truly made me reshape my ideas of college and adulthood.

So why is it that children's movies are so much more meaningful than "adult" movies? Is it because our society is trying to teach kids morals and life lessons while they are still young? Or is it because our minds deteriorate as we age? Is it possible that we start life ready to take in new ideas and progress into mindless beings that simply consume and wish to be crudely entertained? I think - thanks to today's movies, music, television shows, and magazines - the answer may be yes.

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming

There are many ways to express ideas and emotions. Some use poetry, some use art, and some use music. Music can sometimes be considered poetry because of its use of literary devices, clever wording, and gifted ideas. Although some people protest certain songs or artists because they don’t agree with the language or message the artist is expressing, many people depend on music for comfort and encouragement. One of my favorite artists, Jack’s Mannequin, writes incredible and inspirational music.

Almost all the songs by Andrew McMahon, the lead singer of Jack’s Mannequin, are connected to his life. He was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 23 and almost died because of his disease. However, he recovered, and with his sister’s bone marrow transplant, he survived. Many of his songs are inspirational and directed towards his illness. In fact, one of his songs is titled “There, There, Katie,” is for his sister, Katie, and it praises Katie for her help and support. Another song, “Swim,” explains that it is possible to get through hard times. Therefore, some songs can be seen as more than just music; they are inspirational and beautiful pieces of art that represent many emotions.

Below is the video for "Swim" by Jack's Mannequin.

 

Today's Treasure, Tomorrow's Trash

In consideration of all the people that I have talked to, I have come to a conclusion. The conclusion is that there are as many different sentiments about today's music as I know people. There are the extremes, where people think rap has far surpassed perversion of music, to where people live and breathe Kid Cudi. The more I think about it, the supposed "problem" is less about each individual and more about today's media. Before Taio Cruz swept the nation with "Break Your Heart" or "Dynamite", the radio played his song nearly 1,000,000 times just over the weekend. Not to mention it was remixed by 74 DJs, illegally downloaded 11,376,981 times, and covered by one too many Youtube fans. You get my point. What it takes today to make it "big" no longer requires the greatest vocal range or most melodic compositions. Many artists still awe the world, with their more-remarkable-than-the-last-one voices. But a majority know how to woo the crowd and put on a show. Music videos are becoming greater evidence of talent than the actual music. Like Larkin said, they relish in having 'money to blow', drugs, power, women, more money. Did I forget fist-pumps? Maybe it is because we wish we could live a lifestyle like that. I do not blame them for wishing to be successful and influential in 2010. But the journey of popular music in today's world just seems like overkill.    

Today's Music

As I was going through the iTunes top 100 songs that are being bought, I came to realize something. Of these top charting artists, how many could we claim as poets? In today's main stream music, are there many artists whose music could be considered poetry? My answer is slim to none.

Sure there are people like Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, the Beatles. All their music seems to have some sort of poetry to it. (Poetry- as defined in class: Something that is multi-dimensional and has some sort of structure.) I find is sad that people today can't come up with good poetry. Though I must admit, there are some songs that do have good lyrics and can be considered poetry, but how many people actually listen to the the lyrics of the songs that constantly play when they wake up, walking down the halls, and before they go to bed?Do people actually realize what Ke$ha is saying in her tik tok song?

The truth of the matter is, I don't think that many people take into consideration the lyrics to songs. As I was sitting in P.E. class, I was talking to a girl who said that she really doesn't care what the lyrics are to a song, she just likes the melody and the beat.

I think that many artists today have forgotten what exactly music is. Yes, there's a melodic and harmonic sense to it, but I think it's more than that. Music is about the lyrics. What people listen to everyday is what people think about. What does it mean when a person is constantly listening to music that idolizes sex, partying, and money? Is that what they like? If they do like that stuff, which can be understandable, is that the only thing they think about?  If it's not what they like, then why do people spend a majority of their time listening to that type of music?

I must admit, I do listen to some of it. Once again, I find myslef still some what caught up in the main stream media, and I must also admit, some of the music is really good to listen to. But where is most of the substance?

What song did you choose for the poetry music assignment? Do you think it has substance? Do lyrics in a song affect your music choice?

Music: Can it be an Outlet for Female Artistic Expression?

The article "The Oxymoron of Being BOTH a Female Musician and a Feminist," written from a first-person perspective by artist and feminist Rosa Cora Perry, discusses the challenges that Perry and other female musicians have to face. While they are constantly judged by their beauty and overall sex appeal, male artists are depicted in their music videos with girls drooling over them no matter how attractive or unattractive they may be.

Although girls do discuss the relative hotness of their favorite artists, there is a number of male musicians who do not meet the typical standards of beauty. Perry cites Chad Kruger as an example. However, she claims that he has no female counterpart; the success of women in the music industry depends primarily on their looks, not their art.

Older women are thus at a great disadvantage and, as Perry states, "...you know once a woman has passed 35 in the music biz, she’s obsolete – at least among the mainstream presses, and more importantly, the mainstream crowd."

I agree with Perry's point. While scrolling through the iTunes list of the top ten most popular songs, the only female artists listed are Fergie, Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum, Ke$ha, and Lady GaGa. Although these women may be talented, they are also all young, dress scantily often, and probably appeal to men. The male artists listed, however, are not all as good looking and dress very casually, even onstage.

This aspect of the music industry needs to change now. Susan Boyle brought this to the attention of the world when her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" first appeared on Britain's Got Talent. Hopefully, her popularity is just the first step on a road to an industry where female performers are judged, as their male counterparts are, by their art only and not by their appearance.

"We Didn't Start the Fire." Therefore, it's Not Our Fault.

Released on December 9, 1989, Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” became an instant hit. This well- known song hit the number one slot on ARC weekly top 40 and the U.S. billboard hot 100. It also made it to the top ten of Germany, Australia, and UK’s top song lists. This song was released on Billy Joel’s album Storm Front.

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” became a song of not only musical pleasure, nor just a historical lesson, but it also shares the baby- boomer attitude of a passive stance on the events that effect America.

This song goes through different historical events of the Fifties and Sixties. Billy Joel said that he wanted to record all of the things he had to go through in his life, but is that all he is trying to say in this song?

This song starts with post World War II significant world events from an American perspective. The chorus begins with:

We didn’t start the fire,
It was always burning,
since the worlds been turning.

Saying that since the world began, there were crises of politics, culture, and society. Billy Joel is saying it’s not fair to blame the current generation; it is happening right now because the previous generations have made it that way. It continues with:

No we didn’t light it,
But we tried to fight it.

This is saying that we’re trying to make the problems better, but it’s not our generation’s fault that these problems exist.

Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn’s got a winning team
Davy Crockett, “Peter Pan”, Elvis Presley, Disneyland

In this verse, Billy Joel puts scientists, movies, entertainers, and baseball players all in the same sentence, not differentiating between them. We have to ask why? Is he trying to show that Americans can’t separate the differences among political, cultural and social events, or is he solely putting them together because of the time period?

The album, Storm Front, is a  self-reflective album of Billy Joel’s. It also contains other songs that reflect  his life and the things that occur around him. His message is that he has no control over these events and his songs reflect a passive acceptance  about these events because he thinks they will automatically happen no matter what he does:
• We Didn’t Start the Fire – Reflections on shared experiences that everyone went through. A passive reflection of events without any sense of responsibility or control over events.
• Leningrad – you can think foreigners have different experiences and thoughts than you but when you talk to them you realize, you’re all the same.
• And So It Goes – Another reflection of his life, the feeling that his love life is uncontrollable and it will undoubtedly end horribly. He offers the listener no sense that people can have an influence on how love relationships work or fail.
• I Don’t Know Why I Go to Extremes – Billy Joel seeing he goes to different emotional spectrums rapidly and feeling helpless about it; the thought that his emotional roller coaster will happen no matter what. There is no attempt to reflect upon his emotional ups and downs, nor any attempt to change them.

Instead, he sees these moods as something over which he has no control. This album sold over 4,000,000 copies. You must think, is the reason because people like the catchy tunes, or is it because they can relate? Because the baby-boomer generation accepts a passive view of world events and personal experiences?

Why is he sharing all of his feelings to the world? Because he just feels emotional, or because he thinks other people can relate to it too?

"I got a question, what's a rapper look like?"

The song entitled "The Lounge" by rapper Asher Roth is quite an amazing work of American culture. However, in order to understand it you will need to know some information about the rapper himself. Asher Roth is a twenty-four year old white male from Morrisville Pennsylvania, a mostly white suburb near Philadelphia. From this information alone most people would assume that this man would never be pursuing a career in rap. But he did

Asher immediately had a love for hip hop when he first started listening to it '98 and very recently he decided that he could do it himself. But he couldn't write about the same things his idol rappers were talking about because it wouldn't be authentic. He didn't have to write about girls, money, and cars to be a rapper. Because when it comes down to it, Asher has true rap skill with a laid back flow.

This is what his song "The Lounge" is about. For the majority of the song, Roth simply states rapper stereotypes and then compares himself to them afterwards and in doing this Asher shows that he can actually rap. He also poses questions for other types of rappers that are different from both the rap stereotypes and Asher himself. He asks one specific question about girl rappers when he says, "And does a bra have to be a 'C' at least, or can it be decreased, if she real upon the beat" meaning, does a girl rapper have to a have a specific body type and attractive quality to blow up in the rap industry, or can they just be a good rapper and 'make it big' on skill.

This is an amazing piece of work because not only is it skillfully written and executed but it is also an influential song to anyone who is afraid they will be judged based on their appearance if they want to rap. The lyrics themselves, that really reveal the power of the song and Asher Roth's true skill, will appear bellow. I would like to quote more lyrics from the song, but to really understand the message Asher is trying to get across you need to read the lyrics as a whole. I would also suggest downloading the song or searching for it on the internet to listen to Asher's sophisticated flow as well as the sophisticated and highly memorable sound of the piano layed over a relaxed hip-hop beat.

Breaking Girl Next Door-Itis

Taylor Swift is one of the best country-pop singers of our time. Her most recent album, Fearless sold 592,304 copies in the first week. Fearless became the first album to sell one million copies in 2009. Her songs range from finding true love, heartbreak and losing the things that matter the most.

On Fearless, my favorite song is "You Belong With Me", I listen to this song everyday. Almost everytime I turn on the radio, this song is playing. This song has a familar message, that a large majority of girls my age can relate to. "You Belong With Me" is a about a girl who is in love with a boy but they are just friends and he is with someone else. The boy she loves girlfriend is the typical popular cheerleader and she doesn't appeciate the boy the way Swift does.

In the song Swift sings:

"She wears short skirts

I wear t-shirts

She's cheer captain

And I'm on the bleachers

Dreaming the day when you wake up

And find that what you looking for has been here the whole time"

The boy she loves and his girlfriend relationship is not healthy. They fight various times and everytime they fight he ends up going to Swift for comfort. This situation that Swift sings about is called the "Girl Next Door" stereotype. This stereotype is shown in many parts of American pop culture. It's when a girl who is typically not popular is friends with the a boy she is sometimes in love with, but he is dating another girl. Ironically, in the music video, Swift actually lives next door to the boy she loves.

At the end of this song, Swift and the boy she is in love with have a chance to be with each other. This song breaks the "girl next door" stereotype because they are finally together. I commend Swift for writing this song. She uses this song to show that girls do not have to change to get a boy to like them, The song has a good message of hope for girls that are "the girl next door".

Stupid Girls

P!nk, an American singer-songwriter known for her rebelliousness and platinum blond cropped hair, has reflected negatively about pop culture in many of her songs. Her 2006 song "Stupid Girls" exemplifies this trend in her music.

P!nk's stereotypical 'stupid girl' is consumed by her appearance and her ability to attract guys. She has no real ambitions except to be rich and famous - how she reaches her goal of celebrity is unimportant.

When describing this phenomenon, P!nk mocks celebrities with no talent, such as Paris Hilton, Mary Kate Olsen, and Nicole Richie. She also states her gratitude that she has not succumbed to this "epidemic" of stupidity:

    Disease's growing, it's epidemic
    I'm scared that there ain't a cure
    The world believes it and I'm going crazy
    I cannot take any more
    I'm so glad that I'll never fit in
    That will never be me

However, the poppy beats in the background and catchy, repetitive lyrics elevated "Stupid Girls" to number 19 on U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. Does the image of Hollywood party girls dancing to the song denigrate its meaning? And should P!nk be defined by how she earns a living?

Maybe "Stupid Girls" does illustrate her true beliefs, but she seems to value her celebrity lifestyle, even if it means hearing her songs played in stores like Fred Segal, a trendy clothing she describes as the equivalent of a temple for insipid females:

    Go to Fred Segal, you'll find them there
    Laughing loud so all the little people stare
    Looking for a daddy to pay for the champagne
    (Drop a name)

Also, not all of P!nk's songs attempt to send a message to their listeners. "Get the Party Started," the lead single of her second album titled Missundaztood, contradicts "Stupid Girls" by describing the joy derived from materialism and luxury:

    Sending out the message to all of my friends
    We'll be looking flashy in my Mercedes Benz
    I got lots of style, check my gold diamond rings
    I can go for miles if you know what I mean.

P!nk also did not write "Get the Party Started"; it was penned by Linda Perry for P!nk's album. If P!nk wants to show off her genuine talent and separate herself from Hollywood socialites, she should write her own songs. After all, anyone can release an album and sing passably...even Paris Hilton.

Although P!nk may legitimately think that stupid girls are a prevalent problem in America, she does not act on her own principle. Until she stops marketing her songs as catchy beats to dance to, no one will actively listen to the lyrics and take a second to ponder the track's meaning.

A Critic's View on "Down"

One of my new favorite songs recently is "Down" by Jay Sean, which has been a popular song played on the radio. I listen to it repetitively and I realize that I have been pulled into being a part of American culture: music. Music has pretty much been a part of most cultures around the world and America is no exception.You hear it on the radio, on television, in stores, or through the headphones of the person sitting next to you. We are all surrounded by music, by songs like "Down."

This song follows a trend in recent topics that artists choose to sing about. it is a song about a guy telling his girlfriend to trust him, and believe in him and not worry about what he is doing. A mixture of a little pop and R&B, it has beat and chorus that just sticks in your mind. But not only is it because of the musical part itself, but also because of the lyrics. "Down" is probably a hit because so many people are drawn to songs about relationships. Our culture does focus on personal and emotional relationships and a way to make them better. Many artist sing about love, lost and found, and how having a good relationship is so important. I think this song follows this trend very well and relays a message as well.

Part of the lyris are,

    "Baby don't worry, you are my only, you won't be lonely, even if the sky is falling down".

He pledges his loyalty to his girl. But it could also be saying that all the unfaithful men and women out there should be following his example. The lyrics definitely strengthem the notion of loyalty and love.

People have an easier time relating to this song because everyone is in some kind of relationship, which might be a reason for its popular demand. Everyone wants someone to tell them not to worry, that they'll always be there. If not, maybe just the whole idea is appealing and makes people fall in love with the song. Either way, I believe that Down helps to reiterate the deeper meaning of loyalty and love that many people like to hear about.