Popular Music and Politics

As Americans, we are entitled to many different rights, the most popular being the first amendment--free speech. Anyone can say what anything they believe in is how I would sum up the first amendment. Not everyone has to agree with your statements but you have the power to say them anyways. For this final blog I choose chapter 3--Confrontations: popular music and politics. This chapter discusses censorship, political form and popular music as a campaign instrument. All three of these subjects dance around what we all take for granted, free speech.
Our text, Entertaining the Citizen by Liesbet Van Zoonen says that "the history of popular music can be easily written as a history of censorship." Music from the 50's such as jazz, rock and roll, and even Elvis's famous hip swings were all censored to the public. They became more accepted as time went on and other music seemed worse, heavy metal, rap or grunge. I wonder how Elvis would feel today if he saw some of the dancing that goes on in today's music videos.
Musicians do have to be careful of what their lyrics mean because they get blamed for drug overdoses, violent acts, suicides, and mass murders. Can a person not just listen to a song or band because they simply like the music or the talent of the band? It seems obscured to link all drug overdoses or violent acts to the music that person was listening to beforehand. There comes a time when instead of blaming everyone else, we must take a look at ourselves and claim our faults. Censoring all lyrics starts to take away our right to free speech.
This leads me to my next topic: popular music as a campaign instrument. Using music can be a great tool to connecting with people's emotions. Certain songs can amp up the message and can connect with different demographics, but can also hinder your message. When politicians and musicians combine forces they must be aware of the pros and cons that can happen. As Van Zoonen says, "Musical taste and alliances are presumed to communicate lifestyle, social milieu, personality and general capacity to understand everyday tastes of ordinary people." We generally believe that if President Obama and Jay-Z are seen together, then they must be alike. So if Jay-Z likes Obama, that can bring in many young voters or could make those who dislike Obama to dislike Jay-Z. We discussed in class the wrath that musicians and celebrities can go through when they voice their opinions and the masses do not agree.

Raps Artists Mixing Politics In Their Music

My final point popular music as a political form ties into using music to campaign. "The reason for the manifold connections between new social movements and popular music is that 'popular musicians share a cause, rather than an ideology or electoral campaign," says Van Zoonen. This is why it is extremely important for youth to educate themselves on what each politicians stands for instead of voting for the person with the coolest song or most celebrity fans. When musicians join with politicians is it because they believe in their message or because they are trying to get their face out there? This question is hard to answer beings we do not know the musician personally.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Growing up, I have always been told that I can do anything that I set my mind to. I can become anything if I work hard at it and my gender, class, and race do not matter. As I would love to believe that is true, the real world is not that equal. I recently watched the movie The Pursuit of Happyness staring Will Smith, and found many concepts that we have discussed in class; struggling with the class system, the American Dream or Horatio Alger myth and the challenging of masculine ideals.

Storyline

The Pursuit of Happyness is a true story based on the life of Chris Gardner played by Will Smith. The setting is 1981, San Francisco and Gardner is a salesman for x-ray machines but is struggling to make ends meet. Beings he spent the family's entire savings on these machines they have no money and his wife leaves him and his son Christoper, played by Will Smith's son Jayden. Gardner is set on making a life for his child and gets an internship at Dean Witter. Many have applied and only one will get the slot but even before that there is six months unpaid training. While fighting for the internship Gardner is forced to move out of his home making him and his son homeless. Gardner goes through some tough times and tribulations but the ending is nothing but heart warming.

The System

As we have learned from our class discussions, class is a term that is used to categorize people based on their economic status: income level, profession, family lineage, and social standing all play a part in class determination. Hollywood's way of putting an issue about class out to the public is to make a movie about the issue. While it is good that the issue is being talked about, the way Hollywood goes about filming the movie is not always praised.
It is safe to say that Gardner has little to no income putting him in the lower class bracket. When you see his living conditions, it is clear to see that he is living in poor conditions, amongst other poor African-Americans. Hollywood is criticized on making existing stereotypes even stronger when they make moves such as this. Benshoff and Griffin say,

Hollywood films repeatedly construct stereotypical images of American poverty as
endemic to racial/ethnic communities... ...This allows racists the chance to
rationalize poverty as being the fault of those affected by it, and not the
result of racism institutionalized in capitalist practice.

Hollywood uses the trick that if the movie is set back to a different time then now then we can understand why there is a class struggle and racism. People in today's times are struggling everyday with those issues but we are taught to believe we are all equal. If we are suppose to be taught that race and class do not matter, then why are we always shown movies that portray the fact that class does matter? Gardner had to hide the fact that him and his son were homeless and poor, no one would have believed he would be working for Dean Witter.

American Dream and Masculinity

While this movie shows the typical stereotypes, the fact that it is based on a true story of someone out shines them. Gardner has the drive to make his American Dream come true and it is truly inspirational. Benshoff and Griffin define the American Dream as the expression that encapsulates national myths about equality and the free pursuit of wealth and happiness. He radiates the idea of the Horatio Alger myth, the idea that anyone in America can rise to economic success through hard work and the aid of friendly benefactors (Benshoff and Griffin). Gardner works his butt off, not knowing if he is even going to get the job, all to make his son's life better. All he wants is for his son to have a better life than he had. What parent doesn't want that for their children?

While it is touching to see a film about someone inspiring to better themselves, I found more inspiring was that the movie showed a single father, instead of a single mother bettering themselves. The most touching scene is the subway scene where Gardner breaks down after his son goes to sleep. Gardner trying to be that strong rock for his child, but ends up breaking down when things get really bad. This could be seen as a breach in masculinity but I believe it shows that even men are human and allowed to have a moment. Hollywood is not known for showing this emotional side making some to believe that men are not emotional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLwjEtY4uas

At the end of this film, as with many Hollywood blockbusters, everything turns out good for Gardner and his son. He overcomes his struggle with class and moves into the world of Wall Street. Hollywood once again benefits from the American Dream. I am excited to see if the same will happen in the upcoming movie The Soloist starring Jamie Foxx which plays into a similar story line as The Pursuit of Happyness.

The real Chris Gardner with Will Smith and Jayden Smith.