The Grand Finale

To sum up my summer blog, here are the winners of my Protest By Genre Blog Post Superlatives:

Most Inspirational Message: Black Eyed Peas, Where is the Love?

Most Inspirational Video: Toby Keith, American Soldier

Most Entertaining Video: Ben Folds, Rockin’ the Suburbs

Most Aggravating: Tupac, Changes

Most blissfully ignorant: Brooks and Dunn, Only in America
Most pointed Political Attack: Darryl Worley, Keep the Change

Most unsettling political approach: Eminem, White America

Most relatable to my own political views: Justin Bieber, Pray

Most popular view among my generation: John Mayer, Waiting on the World to Change

At the start of the summer, I decided to attack our overwhelmingly broad topics – music and politics – by smaller, more manageable pieces. Looking at examples from within specific music genres, I gathered material to compare and contrast about diverse political opinions among corresponding social groups. Although I didn’t specifically intend to, I focused on music that is from our current era – all things that I remember from my own lifetime. In the end I was left with the lingering question, what can you do? What is the best way to make a difference? I still don’t have the answer. I don’t think any genre has a foolproof political approach. Like most things in life, each genre has it’s own political pro’s and con’s, it’s similarities and differences. And, each has its outliers as well: the ones that break the stereotype. What’s most important is that we have the freedom to do and say whatever we like, even about the government. That is a real blessing.

Brooks and Dunn - Only in America [Week 3: Country]

Alright. Here is Brooks and Dunn with Only in America. I saw this in concert, and cheered along, loud as the rest, when they had a member of each branch of the armed forces come on stage in uniform. When this comes on the radio, I sing along and think about how much I like the 4th of July, too. Is it reality? Not really.

Only in America
Dreaming in red, white and blue
Only in America
Where we dream as big as we want to
We all get a chance
Everybody gets to dance
Only in America

After that, America may seem like all sunshine and roses for a minute or two. Isn't it nice? It doesn't bring to mind any of the real, unavoidable, hard-hitting issues. It doesn't call anyone to action. I can hardly believe this song makes most people think about the word "politics" at all. As a protest song, it would be basically useless.

But someone has to point out the good left in our country. Standing alone, I would agree that this song does little to better the country. At most it may re-kindle some dwindling patriotism. But this is not the only song in the world, nor the only one about America. This summer our class has watched and read and listened to example after example of political music, and I don't think it would be a stretched to say it is more negetive than positive. Maybe it is human nature to focus on the flaws, and maybe we do have to be reminded of the issues before we will work for change - but we also need to remember why we care in the first place. Somewhere someone needed to sing about all the good things in America so that we don't all lose hope and give up. Last class I made the comment that those who were educated enough about the issues also knew enough to keep their distance from the messy political scene. I think it comes to a point where the attitudes expressed in songs like this one are the driving force that keeps the fighters in the fight.      

Darryl Worley - Keep the Change [Week 3: Country]

When it comes to country and the government, there is definitely a favorite angle: the soldiers. As shown in my last post, the position of a soldier is seen as heroic and noble in this particular genre (as well it should be) and is very often praised as such. I found songs from the point of view of the mother, father, brother, wife, girlfriend, and best friend of a soldier, not to mention the numerous songs from the soldier's point of view. There are songs about soldiers dying in duty, soldiers coming home, soldiers in the mud, and soldiers praying. In essence, I could have written an entire blog as a tribute to the military using only country songs. I love and respect the military as much as anyone, but I knew there had to be more politics than that to talk about for my week 3 blogs.

I came up with Darryl Worley's "Keep the Change" because I was looking for a country protest song. I had a million and one songs to support "America," but I went on the hunt for something quite opposite. This is as close as I got.

Now the fat cats on the hill actin' so brilliant

Ain't smart enough to notice

That we're angry

And that America's in trouble

If they don't wise-up and stop

Bustin' out the blocks that were laid

As a foundation well our nation

Could wake up in a pile of ruble

They say we're makin' progress

But it's a big old shame to me

Common sense ain't near as common

As it used to be

It's not much for specifics, but I think we all know who exactly can "keep the change." The protest song of country comes, not surprisingly, to a new president who goes against the country idea of a "true American." Country artists and fans tend to lean toward God, guns, prayer, hard work, respect, backbone (sticking to your convictions), justice, and honesty.  Though some of these traits fall on both sides of the political spectrum (remember, Mr. Political - Toby Keith - is openly a democrat!) I do not think that country sees any of these traits in Obama. Supported by bumper stickers sporting the message "I'll keep my guns, money, and freedom, you keep the change," Darryl Worley is right in saying there's a bunch of us out here that feel the same.

Still, even as a "protest" song of country, it pales in comparison to the protests in other genres. I think this is because country music never gives up on "America." They can loose faith in the president, the society, new laws, and other "changes," but they never give up on the Red White and Blue. To country, preserving true American values is a battle to be fought every day, by sticking to your guns, so to speak. 

if you see me hold my hand over my heart

Before i start the pledge of allegiance

There's a reason

It's to honor those who died

(I would like to comment that I thought the picture in the video here - of Obama NOT covering his heart -was very well placed.)

And if you see me close my eyes and bow my head

Before i break bread with my family

It ain't a habit it's important

It's my right

Country protest doesn't support the anarchy of punk and rap. They don't say "cheat the system" or "beat the system" and surely not "F*** the system" but only "hey, lets FIX the system." In that respect I think their approach to politics is the most constructive. It doesn't have the shock value, but at least it has the right idea.  

Toby Keith - American Soldier [Week 3: Country]

Well, this week we have come to my favorite genre - country. And considering my conservative southern upbringing, I may also be slightly biased to the politics of country music. I will try to remain as objective as possible. Don't hesitiate to point out if I am otherwise, though.

So, when it comes to country and politics, there is one artist that stands out before the rest, and that is Toby Keith. With a point to prove, this southern democrat has numerous political hits, including Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue, American Soldier, The Taliban Song, Beer for My Horses, and (most recently) Made in America. Throughout his music there is a common thread of true patriotism, of sticking by  America no matter what mistakes she may make. I chose the song American Soldier, because to me it speaks of a higher meaning for freedom. There is no more noble, dignified form of patriotism than a soldier in uniform. When the people of America want to argue and rant about political issues - things that should change, things that should never have changed, things that are unfair, things that the system is responsible for ruining, ... - it is the military that protects their right to do that. If each citizen were to remember that their political activism comes at the cost of a soldier's life, we would all be more careful with how we went about addressing political issues. Many artists we have been studying take small issues, blow them out of proportion, and cause a big scene. Others merely "protest for protest's sake," giving little thought to whether the issue is even worth fighting about. In this touching video, Toby reminds us all to choose carefully what we stand for. Like he says, freedom don't come free.  

Ben Folds - Rockin the Suburbs [Week 2: Pop & Alternative

This is great. I am not positive what genre Ben Folds is actually aligned with, but I figured the catchy chorus, fast tempo, and political message all fall enough within "pop alternative" to justify using it on week 2 of my blog. (As a side note, I know my "weeks" aren't actually a week long. But it doesn't matter.)

I think "Rockin' the Suburbs" is the music video equivalent of Napoleon Dynamite. Not exactly artistic genus (far from Ben Folds best work) but it also has its place in our culture. I want to use it as an axample of how rap artists aren't the only ones who have to let their anger and frustration out sometimes. Ben Folds does't get outright, in-your-face political until later in the song, but his message comes out clearly:

I pull up to the stop light
I can feel that something's not right
I can feel that someone's blasting me with hate
And bass
Sendin' dirty vibes my way
'Cause my great great great great Grandad
Made someones' great great great great Grandaddies slaves
It wasn't my idea
It wasn't my idea
Never was my idea
...

And if there is anything I would like to point out in the cheezy music video, this is it. Feel free to skip ahead to 2minutes and 56 seconds in, where Ben Folds mocks rappers/thugs and repeats, in his frustration:

Y'all don't know what it's like
Being male, middle-class and white
In class we talked about the advancement of civil rights, and how it kindof worked like an X. Rights for different races were originally far from equal and during the time of Martin Luther King Jr., activists fought for racial equality (where the two lines meet in the middle). But somewhere along the line, likely around the time of the Black Panthers and the other extremist movements of the 70's, it became a struggle for power. Minorities didn't want to be equals, they wanted to rule over the whites of society the same way whites had ruled over them in history. Besides the fact that this is utterly hippocritical, it is also a shockingly corrupt goal. Like Ben says here, the white people of the current generation didn't cause slavery. They didn't choose slavery. And as a general rule, they don't support the idea of slavery any more than modern blacks do. It is 2011 and we all know it's wrong to try to own another human being. But today we often find ourselves at the bottom of the X, where equality is a thing of the past, and now the roles are reversed.
I don't think that life is awful as a white American, and I definately don't think we have it anywhere near as bad as the slaves of previous generations. But in today's society it is the Whites - not the minorities - that share Martin Luther King's dream of equality. When artists like Young Jeezy say,

Tell him I'm doin fine, Obama for mankind
We ready for d*** change so y'all let the man shine
Stuntin on Martin Luther, feelin just like a king
Guess this is what he meant when he said that he had a dream

While in the same breath telling Obama to stay true to who you are and where you came from - ie, stand up for the black community above all others - they clearly misunderstand MLK's vision and use his name in vain. He didn't want blacks to get a leg up on the rest of the world. He wanted a level playing field. I don't think we have that today.  Affirmative action, anyone?

 

John Mayer - Waiting On The World To Change [Week 2: Pop & Alternative]

The first comment on this video on Youtube reads, "Stop waiting for the world to change, and start changing the world." Of course, that is what John Mayer's message here is all about. What I noticed instantly about the video is that he views everything in a dim gray light. The whole city, throughout the video, looks dreary and relatively empty. There isn't the normal urban bustle of cars and crowds - it seems as if the artists protrayed (including himself) are on their own. It is as if there is no one to read/listen to the messages they are painting/singing. This illustrates the feeling in his lyrics. Our generation waits for the world to change because we feel like no one would listen to us if we ever tried to take action.

During our classes this summer, we have talked a lot about previous generations. We had the hippie movement, followed by punk, disco, and hip hop. There were songs about civil rights, and the Vietnam War. For a couple of decades it seemed as though the youth were passionate about changing the world. They thought they were really going to make a difference - and they would do it (laregely) through music. I think it is funny that so many of our current artists are singing about our generation's apathy. Here, John Mayer says "we're just waiting." Green Day says we are an "idiot America... controlled by the media." To me it seems like artists are asking "What happened guys? You are supposed to have strong opinions about everything by the time you're in college! Why does no one care enough to cause a scene anymore?" I can't count the number of times I have been urged by authority figues (in school, church, and the community) to find something I am passionate about and get involved. In the 60's and 70's it seemed like no one had to make such a request - the teens and young adults jumped in to everything so whole heartedly they were often in over their heads before they realized it. Our class discussions have often analyzed whether the various movements have been appropriate and effective in their means of political expression (we decided, for instance, that punk was not constructive by any stretch of the imagination). Today the question that seems to linger in the air is is it better to fight foolishly, or to not fight at all?  

What I like about John Mayer is that he includes himself in the generalization. It is not "you keep waiting" it's "we keep waiting." He understands us, and he is with us in our modern plight. And I would have to side with John Mayer in saying I'd like to make a difference but its hard when you are standing at a distance; I care, but I know the fight isn't fair. It's hard to know what to do when most "movements" of the preceeding generations often appear to be misguided failures. Why start another?

Justin Bieber - Pray [Week 2: Pop & Alternative]

These days it is just a fact: if you're going to talk about pop, you are going to have to talk about Justin Bieber. When I saw "Pray" on the class playlist, I knew it was a perfect place to start week 2.

The song, like most pop songs, isn't complicated. It is simple, it is repetitive, and it is catchy. But, despite its simplicity I think it has a message worth talking about. In fact, Justin says the same thing the Black Eyed Peas were saying in my last post: take a step back, look at what really matters, find your faith and decide what you are going to do about it. This song, to me, is another example of how certain values can be found anywhere: in any country, race, social class, or music genre.

The video itself actually sent more of a message than the song, in my opinion. I have gained a lot of respect for Justin Bieber after watching "Pray." In the song he says "Can someone tell me how to make a change?" but in the video he shows that he is doing all he can. He is visiting kids in the hospital, he is visiting the active military... He isn't just sitting around saying "I wish things would change but I can't do anything to make a difference." In the end, Justin Bieber is just one person - no different than you or me - and from the looks of it he is making huge strides toward a better future. In a way, he takes away our excuses here. The lyrics may not urge us to take action directly (the closest it comes is "I pray for all the souls that need a break,
Can you give 'em one today?") but there is no mistaking that message by the example of JB in the video.

In the second verse he asks, "I lose my appetite, knowing kids starve tonight. Am I a sinner? Cause half my dinner, Is still there on my plate?" I think that this is where Justin really made a connection to his audience - at least to me. This is what made him seem like a real human being, not just another "popstar." When he asks about his own flaws, with sincerity, it once again reminds us that we are not that different from him.

Do you see a better day when you close your eyes? Do you pray?

Black Eyed Peas - Where is the love? [Week 1: Hip Hop & Rap]

Let me start by saying I love this song! I'm not sure if it is the catchy beat, or the fact that I can remember it's release, but I knew as my final song for the first genre I had to go with the Black Eyed Peas. They aren't my favorite, but in this particular song they have a message I can respect and support.

Where is the love? I think it is a valid question. And I don't think we are talking about a fairytale romance either. This song asks the tough questions - why are we in a war? why is society so corrupt? why are we letting children starve? Hard to answer, of course, but these questions need to be asked. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of the big picture so we can reevaluate our own attitudes and decisions.

As you have probably noticed, rap and hip hop are not my favorite types of music to listen to in my free time. And, although I try to avoid it, I sometimes find myself generalizing the message of all rap/hip hop into that of Tupac's "changes." I like "Where is the love?" because it reminds people like me that there is common values that can make their way into any genre. So, is this a hip hop song about faith and prayer?! Why yes it is. While I'm not sure how much the CIA qualifies as a terrorist group, the song is based on real issues, and suggests real solutions. Well, maybe not solutions, but good places to start. They mention, specifically: self control and meditation ("Take control of your mind and meditate") as well as fairness and kindness ("Whatever happened to the fairness in equality/ Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity"). What better action is there? No one who is "irate" can think logically enough to go about solving the issues in their own life or in the community. This song tells us to let go of all the "madness" and remember our human nature. That is to be kind, to be generous, and to seek the help of our Maker. This song breaks the stereotype that political hip hop and rap consist only of hopeless, woe-is-me, I-hate-authority, everyone-else-is-racist messages.

The video and the lyrics are both quite beautiful, please take time to watch and listen. :)

Tupac - Changes [Week 1: Hip Hop & Rap]

I googled "define:politics" and got a beautiful, overarching definition from Wikipedia: "Politics (from Greek πολιτικός, "of, for, or relating to citizens"), is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally associated with the art or science of running governmental affairs." Now, with this definition in mind, I barely consider "Changes" a political song (it has no intent of cooperating with anyone to make any kind of collective decision or change) but, it is on our class playlist. I think this is because Tupac's audience accepts it as political, and reacts likewise. In any case, its free game for my blog, so let's take a look.

My first problem with this song is that it has no factual foundation. When Billie Holiday sang "Strange Fruit," there was no doubt she sang about real events and problems. She had a plethora of haunting evidence that lynching was, in fact, an issue to be discussed. When Nina Simone sang "Mississippi Goddam," there was no mistaking the act of arson that killed innocent black schoolchildren in their own church, and the more encompassing issue of segregation that plagued the southeast. But now Tupac is saying, "It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact... the penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks." It took me 5 seconds to Google "national inmates by race" and find out from the Federal Bureau of Prisons that 58.5% of our nation's inmates are white. That is quite a majority considering the number of races that are represented in prison. The amount of black inmates is at least 20% lower, and while it may be slightly disproportionate to the percent of population that is black, it still does not support the statement "penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks." But of course, as Tupac also states in the song, he is "back with the facts."

In addition to unsupportable facts, the song also sports many logical fallacies. For example, "Instead of war on poverty, they got a war on drugs so the police can bother me." Let's think about this. If a person is living in poverty, and they spend all the money they have on drugs (instead of food, shelter, etc.) which also keep them from getting a job...  aren't the drugs acting as a catalyst of the poverty cycle? Right. So the police that are cracking down on drugs are in fact, trying to fight poverty. Alright.

Mostly I feel this is a song about trying to justify bad decisions. He says "I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do." For example,  "My stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch." In the lines after this example, he is complaining about the police. I don't think I have to point out logical fallacies in detail here, as they are obvious. My point is that by sending this song out mainstream, he is perpetuating this cycle of bad behavior by justifying it. He is misusing his power as a celebrity and becoming a detriment to the society he dislikes so much already. I feel that Eminem did much the same thing (see my last blog entry for more on him).

The common theme I am seeing in rap is that there is only complaints for the issues, and justifying the individuals part in the cycle. Saying, in essence, "I know I helped cause this problem but I had no choice. So it is still your fault." Whether they sing to a government or a personal enemy, I think the theme is much the same.   My big question though, is whether this method of expressing politics (dysfunctional though it may seem) is effective. Does it stir up enough anger/discontent/bad feeling about society to make change, or just enough to breed hate?

Eminem - White America [Week1: Hip Hop & Rap]

I decided to start with the genre that is the most blantant about politics; the artists that aren't afraid to shove it all in your face. These guys make no bones about it - they don't try and smooth anything over, and they don't hold anything back. Of course, I'm talking about Rap. Specifically, Eminem's "White America" which is, I think, the stereotypical political rap.

First, Eminem is not intimidated by the posibility of backlash for his views. In fact, I would go as far as to say he craves the controversy. The last lines of the first verse are enough to illustrate my point: They're sayin' I'm in trouble with the government, I'm lovin' it, I shoveled sh** all my life, And now I'm dumping it on... White America. In rap it is almost as if they are saying "I dare you to try to make me be quiet. I'll say what I want, I have free speech to back me up." The last lines of the song even include f*** you with the freest of speech this Divided states of embarrassment will allow me to have. (The other genre that I think makes the same dare, although in a much different way, is Country. But that will come later).

Secondly, I think Eminem's song here, like many political raps, is focused solely on the problem, and the way things are right now. It's all about him, and his personal woes. There isn't a lot of emphasis on an action or a solution. He seems to have a lot to complain about, but nothing to say about fixing the issue. In his defense, I believe sometimes if enough attention is brought to an issue the hype will force solutions to be made (especially when mass media is involved). Also, I think that the controversial way in which Eminem presents his issues would make any solutions equally controversial, and so perhaps not worth mentioning. On the other hand, he takes no responsibility for anything he raps about, he says "you caused this mess, you clean it up" to whomever he happens to be rapping to. Here, its the "White America" he is accused of demoralizing. If you listen through the very end, there can be no mistaking his message: "F*** you, _________" (various names filling the blank).   

In short, I think that he gets his political views accross with no misunderstandings, but I'm not sure how well the mode of delivery facilitates discussion or a call for action.