Thursday, September 22, 2011
Blog #2: Due 10/4, How has your identity been impacted by PC?
Applying concepts from Baudrillard, Visual Rhetoric, class discussions, observations, your WIKIS and course readings, reflect, by selecting one popular culture that has "SUCKED" you in and describe how your identity has been influenced. Consider the space(s) you inhabit when you participate in that popular culture (such as a sporting event, or a dance club...), the logos present, colors, your senses, presence, and the tools that rhetors have used to seduce and construct identity. What sociopolitical ideologies impact those spaces and how does that impact you? Please talk to each other throughout your posts. This is due by 12:00PM on 10/4.
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The popular culture that has the biggest influence on my identity is music. I enjoy many different genres of music in a variety of social spaces, each with a different effect on my identity. As I discussed in my WIKI for the country concert that we attended, Josh Thompson had many sociopolitical messages throughout his song lyrics and the messages that his songs express vary greatly from those of other singers/song writers in the music industry. For example Josh sings about the value of family, religion, and country style living which differs greatly from what Britney Spears expresses in her song lyrics which focus on sexuality and feminist values. These messages draw fans that believe in these same values because they can connect and identify with the artist. The type of tools that rhetors use in their music play on the feelings and emotions of their listeners and most often singers prey on binary uses of language to influence characters and audiences' perceptions. The performance that I am going to see influences my clothing colors (black to a rock concert / camo to country concert) and discourse used within that social space. As we discussed in class, Baudrillard would most likely say that the popular music artists of today are simulacras of previous singers and song writers of the past and their music is a copy of a copy without an original.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rachael that the type of popular culture that has the most influence on my identity is music. Music helps me restabilize whenever I feel destabilized, and allows me to express my different discourses. Like Rachael said, different types of music have different sociopolitical messages such as when we attended the Josh Thompson concert. His music seems to deal with more conservative views while it seems as though other musicians have different types of views such as the Beatles talking about revolution or Anti-Flag talking about anti-government. Musicians use all different types of tools used by rhetors such as preying upon audiences' perception as Rachael said, and also preying upon larger ideological and sociocultural/sociopoilitical identities. I also agree with Rachael that Baudrillard would say that all music is just a simulacra of eachother. Although new music comes out all the time, the ideas are still pretty much the same in each genre and each type of music is just a different mix of chords and different beats. Music definitely allows me to express the way I'm feeling, and whatever part of my identity I am focusing on depends on which type of music I listen to.
ReplyDeleteAs Rachael said music plays a huge part in my identity, I chose to listen to older music, both rock and country. I chose to avoid the "new stuff", In a conversation with my girlfriend the other day I talked about Harry Belafonte and how much I hated that some rapper (lil Wayne) took parts of his song for his new one, six foot seven foot. she responded that she had no idea about what I was talking about and that it was a brand new song. I then made her listen to Day-O and once she heard the line she then turned it off and said she "liked the original, no the new one better." To her the new song was an original and not a simulacra to an older song. I think Baudrillard would have done as I did and shake his head and put the song back on and listen to it again. Now I know that Belafonte just copied an old working song, sung in the banana field by Jamaicans but because simulation and repetition is a constant it works its way into our lives.
ReplyDeleteLike Rachel and Lee, music has been most influential on my identity. I devote many hours of my life and practically all of my recreational time to either making or enjoying music. Most, if not all, of my discourses are somehow impacted by it. While I do enjoy listening to 'mainstream' artists from time to time, I most often find myself enjoying the blues or jazz. When these genres were first "popularized," jazz and blues musicians were the archetypical scapegoats. The music originally found it's fans through post-colonial analysis, recently freed slaves that revived the music from their primitive roots found an entire culture that shared their feelings. Jazz music is responsible for perhaps the largest and most revolutionary counterculture in America. Their ideologies epitomized the concept of "challenging the dominant view." The post-colonial analysis has evolved into a critical discourse analysis. These genres 'prey' on their fans by promoting people's differences and abandoning the notion that our demographics determine the way we are perceived. While Baudrillard might disagree, I find that this type of music, while certainly influenced by other genres, maintains an integrity and originality that most songs heard on the radio today do not have. I feel as if I'm a part of an entire subculture that participates and appreciates the jazz and blues. We share our social spaces as our venues and hold our instruments as our ultimate identity artifacts. Music constantly occupies my secondspace and while the thirdspace is supposed to be a "amalgam of both the 'real-and-imagined' journeys," I find that when music is a part of my firstspace, it is often as good, or even better than my 'imagined journey.'
ReplyDeleteOne popular culture that has really sucked me in is the Pittsburgh Steelers. I started going to games when I was really young with my dad and being a Steeler fan has just become a part of my identity. I’ve devoted many hours to cheering the team on. Whenever attending one of their games, everything around you is filled with such energy and being a part of the crowd makes you feel alive. You smell different foods like french fries and pizza as you’re walking to your seats and you hear shouting in every direction from excited fans and from beer vendors trying to sell you something. There are logos everywhere, the biggest seen probably being the Steeler emblem and then the NFL logo. There is black and gold clad fans as far as your eye can see. Baudrillard would say that every sports game is a simulacra of one before with a predictable outcome of either winning or losing. I would agree that there is a similar energy but what the players are doing on the field feels new and exciting every week. The Steelers really bring their fans together and it doesn’t matter where you’re from, if you’re steeler fans, you know you’ll have something in common to chat about. There’s a real unity there.
ReplyDeleteAs all the comments have said so far, music is really the most influential type of popular culture that has formed my identity. I don’t have a particular type of music that I enjoy more than other because I listen to mostly anything. Music allows me to feel the way I wanna feel by simply putting on a song and that is one reason it has had such a huge impact. I agree with Lee when he states that music makes him feel restabilized when he feels destabilized. I know that whenever I am not comfortable or uneasy music brings me back to a familiar place. In almost every one of my social spaces music is usually in some way involved. Whether I’m working out, doing homework, or out at a friend’s house, music can usually be heard. I agree strongly with Rachael when she says each type of music has a different effect on her identity. When I play music depending on the type I instantly feel the difference in how I act. I would say that my Ipod would most likely been one of the most influential identity artifacts that I own. Although we all know that Baudrillard would frown upon all the simulacras in music, it’s hard for artist to not follow what is popular and current. Music allows artist to express themselves and most contain some sort of sociopolitical message. I feel music is one of the most effective ways to get these messages across because it allows people to hear them and decide their views on it.
ReplyDeleteA popular culture that has really drawn me in is the football team, the Baltimore Ravens. I was born and raised in Maryland and lived close to Baltimore for most of my life. When I was younger I didn’t understand the sport but as I got older I was drawn in – especially when I came to IUP and began to root against all the Steelers fans. I have yet to attend a game in person but continue to watch every game. What sucked me in the most were my social spaces: constantly being around my dad (who is a huge Ravens fan) and almost everywhere I would go there would be Ravens logos in the restaurants, people wearing jerseys, car stickers, etc. A lot of places in Maryland also center their food and drink specials around game days. Additionally, black and purple are my favorite colors – which draws me in to all the new clothing lines stores have began. For example, Victoria’s Secret just came out with an NFL line and I plan on purchasing a couple items for game days. While I am watching the games I feel most stabilized in my own house cheering them on. I feel destabilized when I go to a bar up town because most of the fans are Steelers fans and I feel uncomfortable walking in wearing Ravens jersey; feeling unwelcome. However, I become restabilized as soon as they score a touchdown and prove to be the best defensive line out there. Baudrillard would say that football teams are simulacras because they all have an assigned color, mascot, and city; making them alike and copying from every other team. I also agree with Jamie that he would also say they are simulacras because they are all predicted to either win or lose the game.
ReplyDeleteA big influence on my identity would also have to be music. Music represents different phases I have in my life. If I ever hear a Hootie and the Blowfish song I think of being a little girl and hearing it coming out of my dad's room. In middle school I listened to mostly rap music. In high school I listened to a variety of music but more pop and hip hop. Then during college I've integrated country music into it. So now I listen to about anything. However, specific songs do remind me of different times in my life. In this way, music restabilizes me. When I'm experiencing a tough time in my life I listen to a familiar song, bringing up old memories. I agree with Kelsey with Baudrillard frowning upon simulacras in music, but I actually enjoy the simulacras. I like hearing old music with a twist or remixed. An identity artifact on this subject for me would be my ipod with my ipod speakers. I listen to it loud when I'm excited or wanting to get excited and I listen to it softly when I'm trying to relax.
ReplyDeleteThe pop culture that has "sucked" me in the most would probably be movies. Obviously as a senior in college, I'm into a lot of different kinds of popular culture, but movies have always been something near and dear to my heart. I think that my identity had been influenced in that anytime I feel destabilized in any way, I can pop in a movie and (somehow) immediately feel better about myself—especially if it’s a comedy. When I watch movies, I find myself in a variety of spaces. Sometimes I’m at friend’s house or a movie theater; other times I’m cuddled in my bed at home. There are different logos present in every movie. You can see the great “Golden Arches” in the background as the main character drives down the road, or bright neon signs hanging on the bar walls as two of the characters have a beer and talk about life. Color depends on the type of movie being watched. Is it a chick-flick with bright colors and lighting? Or is it suspenseful and frightening with dark colors and almost no light? The way rhetors use presence in movies, again depends on the type of movie you’re watching. In many movies, the director will “hide” something (such as the monster or a plot twist) and only give the viewer clues to figure it out. They also expect the viewer to “just go with it” and not overanalyze what they’re seeing. For example, there is no “mist” that can just sweep in and kill people; zombies aren’t going to bust through your front door and eat your brains. However, as a pop culture nation, we thrive on the idea of things that are not real. Baudrillard would probably talk about movies as being a simulation of real life in some aspects, which they are. He would probably also say that many of the remakes today are simulcras of past movies of past movies of past movies. He would also probably say that we need movies to escape from reality—just like we use music to escape. I agree with Rachel, Lee, Kelsey and all the others that said music has sucked them in. It’s sucked me in too! However, there are always soundtracks to movies. Some of my favorite movies are my favorites because of the soundtrack. Not to sound like a broken record, but the sociopolitical ideologies in movies all depend on the movie you’re watching. For example, An Inconvenient Truth is about global warming and what society and the human race can do to slow and/or stop it. As a more popular example, one of my favorite movies, Fight Club, is about “hitting bottom” and capitalist society and self-exploitation. These impact me because each time I watch, I think to myself… “How could I ‘hit bottom’? How can I stop worrying so much about what people think about me or about what I have in my life and just be me?” Movies are definitely a popular culture that has sucked me in and I don’t see myself getting out anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteThe pop culture that has taken over my life would have to be reality tv. There are so many different shows on so many different channels and there is something out there for everyone. Baudrillard would say they are all copies of one another and there are certain shows where I think it is easier to see the copy in it then others. On reality shows, they always manage to make a character out of everyone. The archetypes that show up on these shows are hunting groups of companions,outcast, scapegoats, and platonic ideal. There are more but these ones popped into my head as most recent.The more array of archetypes that are on a show the more audience a show may reach. I am going to want to watch a show if I can relate to a character as well as finding it interesting. That being said, if there is a character like me I find that stabilizing, however when that character may be called out for something that I may do in my real life, I find that destabilizing. Often if there is a sociopolitical that happens to be addressed in the series there is usually something that offers help to the viewers which brings light on things such a domestic violence, suicide, or depression, which some people tend to not think about if it doesnt happen to them. When Rachael talks about the different types of music, there are times when I only want to listen to sad music or pop music, depending on the discourse I would use to describe myself at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe pop culture that has "sucked" me in is music. I agree with Rachael and Kelsey when they mentioned how they listen to every kind of music. Music allows me to feel relaxed in any environment and therefore agreeing with Lee that it allows my identity to become restabilized when destabilized. I listen to music every day whether it is while working out, doing homework, playing soccer, or riding in the car. Rachael I agree completely with the sociopolitical messages found in songs. However, I feel that every genre of music expresses different sociopolitical messages. For example, most country artists tend to sing from the heart about matters dealing with family or personal issues. I even enjoy watching music videos which is artists using colors that typically relate to their style. The artist seems to focus their videos based on what the fan base would like to see. Baudrillard would say that all music is a simulacra of each other. Any more a lot of songs have the same meaning, it is just spoken in a different way. Also as we discussed in class, music features artists because it is what the audience wants to hear. When this is done it is usually because the song is being performed again by another artist.
ReplyDeleteAs Tia has been influenced by movies, so have I. Movies are an overwhelming large part of my life. Equally, watching television shows from the beginning of the series to the end of the series in sequence. Not only do I quite frequently find myself taking bits and pieces of movie dialogue as my own, I also find myself stealing gestures, fashion habits, as well as facial expressions. You’ll most often find me on my bed, right next to my computer either watching Netflix or a movie on my television across my room. But my movie space doesn’t end there. Every Sunday night, me and a few friends get together at one of our houses to watch movies. We make popcorn, usually watch a featurette that includes either an anime short or something sci-fi (usually Star Trek). Then we end the night with either an absolutely ridiculous movie or one that has a lot of political and historical relevance to the movie industry. We quite frequently point out the product placement in the more mainstream logos – Pepsi, Coca-cola, Bud Light, Hilton, etc. My senses are usually captivated by the movie either through laughing, trying to figure out what exactly is happening, or even understanding the imagery. Colors can vary from movie to movie – usually focusing on the lighting of the movie. When a movie is meant to be upbeat and happy – bright colors, bright lighting, usually shot during the day time whereas darker, deeper movies are going to have dimmer lighting, neutral colors and a lot of bad weather such as raining or shot during night time. Most rhetors “prey upon our subconscious desires, needs, wants, fears that define identity” when it comes to movies. They take a life concept and then exaggerate this concept to make people wish that was their lives, wish they were actually in the movies. Girls want love – hence chick flicks. Guys want blood and gore – hence action adventure and horror. Technically all movies should be gender neutral but they’re not; they are all focused towards one gender depending on their leading characters. Hence it “preys upon sexist portrayals”. Baudrillard would just call every movie a copy of a copy, especially when it comes to modern day remakes of old movies. But even then, all movie ideas have stemmed from old writing – scribbles became words, words became sentences, sentences became books, books became movies. Most of the movies I tend to watch intellectually have a lot of sociopolitical ideas. In our movie group we tend to explore blaxsplotation, apocalyptic portrayals, and past ideas of modern day civilization. Watching such movies helps me discover new ideas, new things to research, and definitely new directors to look into. From there, Baudrillard would say that every director’s movie is just a copy of a copy, which is true in a lot of cases. But sometimes, watching absolutely stupid movies like Transformers or Cowboys and Aliens is just plain entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Tia that movies are the popular culture that has "sucked" me in and my identity has been influenced in many ways by movies. For example, movies have been the reason I have selected the major I have and continue to be the driving force in what I want to do after I graduate. When I'm watching movies I find myself in many different social spaces such as theaters, classrooms (I am taking a film study class this semester), but most of the time I am at home. With a subscription to Netflix, I have an unlimited choice in the movies I watch from online streaming to the rented out DVDs. One of the reasons I enjoy watching movies at home is that I feel most comfortable here. I can control the setting, the people that I watch the movies with, and even the lighting I want. For example, scary movies you watch with all the lights out to immerse yourself in the film. In all, I feel most stabilized at home. The sociopolitical messages in films are numerous. From the documentaries that discuss current events in society to the comedies that portray a certain lifestyle like The Hangover. Baudrillard would say that movies are all simulacra of each other and as discussed in class all the sequels and prequels that are being created are evident of that. In all, like Tia said movies can change my mood instantly and the sociopolitical messages they present are endless.
ReplyDeleteThe one popular culture that has “sucked” me in is movies. I watch movies all the time in my spare time or while I am trying to finish homework. Movies take me out of my world and into the story that I am watching. I agree with Ryan when he says he finds himself in different places. I imagine that I am with those people in the movie. I am doing whatever it is they are doing. By being in those movies and scenes in my mind I find my self and how I can relate to the story. I find it interesting how much I can relate to some movies or even TV shows. From everything I have seen on TV my life has changed. Some of the movies I have watched have Sororities and college life in them. After watching those movie and shows I feel like it impacted my life and giving me an idea about what sorority life and college is about the good and bad. Baudrillard would say I am a copy of every other college sorority girl out there. Some times in my sorority I feel like I am in a simulation that this has all happened before in a movie. The thoughts that run through my head are out there. I get out in a daze that I do not even understand usually. When I come out of the daze I feel relaxed in a way that is abnormal and only last for a minute or two. It brightens my day. Having these feelings and seeing these things happen in movies and TV shows makes me feel like I am not insane. People have many different views on sorority girls from movies and a variety of things. I do not enjoy hearing about what people think when they have not experienced it for them self. I look down upon people who judge groups and sororities and anyone before they get to know them and give them a change.
ReplyDeleteJamie and Ashley bring up an interesting point that sports can be a very influential pop culture. I am not an athlete in any sense of the word but I am definitely a fan of baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies in particular. It’s a sport which can lead grown men to cry tears from boredom, but I find every aspect of baseball exciting and it definitely sucked me in. When you become a fan of a particular team you become a member in a community; a community where people may never have met one another but have a common sense of belonging when it comes to their team and what it represents to them. My identity has been influenced in the way that I readily identify myself as a Phillies fan without hesitation and with a great deal of pride. When I watch a game either on the television or in person, many of the same elements are present. The Phillies, Major League Baseball, and Citizen’s Bank(our stadium’s sponsor) logos are constantly being flashed. The Phillies logo has red, white, and blue as its color scheme which most likely is used to promote a patriotic feel. However, using color symbolism the red could indicate strength, energy, and passion; the blue could indicate confidence, stability and unity; while the white could indicate good, precision and reverence. When you’re actually at a game your senses are on overload because of the smell of cheese steaks and hotdogs, the sounds of the crowd, and the sights of the game and the people around you. The presence is one of community and excitement, creating a mentality of us versus them, the home team versus “those other guys”. As a Phillies fan, I know that there are tools used to entice me to buy products related to the team like clothing, food and other memorabilia. I have countless Phillies shirts, two pairs of pajama pants, an umbrella, window decals, bumper stickers; all of these things I have been persuaded to buy or someone has been persuaded to buy for me because we are told that is how true fans support their team. They even convince me to buy Phillies Graham Slam ice-cream (which is fantastic by the way) and buy Hatfield Phillies Franks at the supermarket because that’s what is served in the ballpark. It gets to a point where you realize how being a fan can become tied to not just supporting your team by watching them but by purchasing things with their brand on it; it’s expected of you as a fan. Baudrillard would say that this sense of a community created by watching baseball together is nothing new, it is simply a simulacra. It is recreated every time there is a football game or a soccer match; and it has been happening forever in some way or another. When I am at the ballpark I feel that the sociopolitical message of the park and the crowd in general is to form a sense of community and pride in our team and our city while still shelling out ten bucks for a soda. You can’t be too worried about it if you really want to enjoy the game and the spirit, so it still has a positive impact on me.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started lifting weights in tenth grade, I was doing it for all of the typical reasons: to get girls and gain respect from the guys at school. I had no idea at the time how big of a part of my life it would become. As my preoccupation with the gym grew, my identity morphed. At a time in life when people desperately search for an identity, “Big John” as they called me became my identity. The muscle magazines on the shelves at the grocery began to draw me in. I learned more and more about the history of strength and how the muscle culture has evolved over the years. In short, fitness culture has influenced my identity heavily. To some the gym is a place to burn calories, but to others the gym is a social space in which fitness culture is practiced and performed; much like a stage is a social space in which music is performed. One of my weight room buddies takes pride in how old and beat up his gym shirt is. Another keeps all of his wrist straps after they break. These are the identity artifacts of two of my muscle building friends. One favorite pastime of the gym rat is to compare workouts. It has been noted that Dorian Yates used high intensity training much like his predecessor Mike Mentzer. But did Mike Mentzer invent high intensity training? Probably not. I’m sure he drew ideas from his predecessors to create his workouts… And so it goes, the copies without originals idea. I admit that I create my workouts based on what has come before me, and what has been shown to work. Many logos are present in the gym: Nike, Under Armour, Otomix. Almost all companies who try to appeal to muscle culture take one of two routes: the “old-School” route in which black and white photos seduce the viewer, or the “hardcore/underground” route. Gold’s gym is a great example of a company that takes the old-school approach. Gold’s Gym was home to Arnold, and it is the trusted standard if you want to complete your identity as a muscle-builder. Other companies claim that by using their product, you will be as hardcore and “underground” as the behemoth pictured in their advertisement. Users of these products may then identify with this particular muscle-builder resulting in a morphed, and sometimes overconfident identity. Red is a major color used by these companies, I think because it is thought of to be a fierce color. Although culture is very prevalent in places such as music and movies, it turns up just about everywhere, including the gym.
ReplyDeleteArt. As a pop culture I would have to say that it has drugged me to a point where there is no going back. Everything about it is addicting to me. I love being destabilized every chance I can, I almost love to find myself lost completely in a piece of art. My identity sometimes finds itself in an odd place in a gallery. For example, I might notice something that I can relate to in someone’s work that can either threaten me or make me feel at home. I’ve left galleries before with a mind fuck that was so severe I don’t think I could consider myself restabilized for days after, the thoughts wouldn’t stop. Recently because of the color talk in class, I looked at things different yet, I’m starting to see things in a way that I have never before. The sociopolitical stabs that art loves to make have gotten me excited as well, I’m noticing them more and more as this class unravels itself to me, I can only hope there is a pay off after all this. I just got back from a show at Lock Haven University, Ben Oddi uses color and many current trends to really destabilize but then comfort and support a viewer to restabilize. He loves using simulacras, but completely changeging an idea to make it somewhat of his own. Baudrillard would have a meltdown getting to check his paintings out. Everything is relatable and everything can be linked back.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy for me to say that I have been most influenced by film culture and criticism. This does not just include watching films for pleasure or in my leisure, but also to analyze films and to read the professional criticism. I am constantly on a search for films that challenge me, and for criticism that analyzes on multiple levels. I feel that film should destabilize the viewer, and any film that does not is a failure. The visual rhetoric involved in film, including "preying upon sexual portrayals", and “preying upon our subconscious desires, needs, wants, fears that define identity” are done so purposely, not to confirm identities upon the viewer, but to challenge and destabilize the viewer. Film criticism normally takes this same approach of identifying film rhetoric, but also identifies color and symbolism within the film. This aspect of film culture is what excites me the most. Though Baudrillard's concept of the simulacra could apply to film today, audiences need to understand that the majority of film stories have never been original. It is not an indictment of the industry or film culture, but instead another aspect of film that excites me and draws me in. It is how writers, directors, and cinematographers can tell the same stories, block the same scenes, and shoot the same shots, but still make it original and interesting to the audience. It would astound people to find out how many times Shakespeare's classics have been turned into different novels, plays, short stories, and films. The differences between the stories is what separates them from being copies, and in my mind keeps most film from being derivative, or simulacra.
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ReplyDeleteOne part of pop culture that has truly sucked me in has to be the film industry. So many others spoke about how important film is to their lives and I couldn't agree more. Yesterday instead of writing this blog, which is what a responsible person would do, I instead watched Fight Club for what seems like the thousandth time. Movies don't just preoccupy my time, they help deliver me to a place where anything is possible. Film has had a great deal of influence in teaching me a great number of different things. After watching a movie with a good idea in it, I often wonder why I had never thought about that before. After taking a History of Film class two years ago, I have gained an even bigger appreciation for cinema. The tone of a movie can be set by its setting, lighting, camera angles, casting choices, etc. Usually the social space that I feel most comfortable watching movies in is my house. My house is a place where I can feel totally stabilized while watching a movie. There I can watch movies while relaxing and whenever I need a break, there is always the pause button. When a movie looks really good, I will occasionally switch social spaces and go to the movies. However, nine dollars to watch a movie isn't usually the most appealing idea. One thing that is nice about theaters is the atmosphere they create with their big screens and loud speakers. I would say that movies and television have completely transformed my identity from when I was younger until now. When I watch the show Mad Men I can't help but thing, wow that Don Draper has a great life minus the cheating and all. I really wish that could be my life one day. Movies and television are a way that we escape the monotony of everyday life, even if its just for a few hours. Hollywood is filled with movies that hit upon a sociopolitical message as well. One movie in particular that I can think of is Thank You For Smoking. Aaron Eckhart's character represents big tobacco companies. His job is to make sure that big tobacco doesn't lose profits so he must assure people that tobacco isn't really that harmful. Each day people die from cancer from smoking and the government tries to place further warnings on tobacco but until watching Thank You For Smoking, I never realized that certain people actually had a job dedicated to defending something as terrible as smoking. One of the problems with the film industry presently, is that like Baudrillard said, most movies today are simulacra's off earlier movies. I thing this is the reason why I love movies like Fight Club and A Clockwork Orange. These are movies that stand out and aren't like other movies so they automatically have a bigger impact on me as opposed to an idea that has been beaten to death over and over again.
ReplyDeleteAs many people have said, one part popular culture that has pulled me in would be the music scene. I am a musician so I am constantly analyzing and listening to new music music. When I am not listening to music, I am usually writing music. Many of the bands I listen to have a sociopolitical message in them. Some bands have a very obvious message while some bands take an indirect route to get out their messages. Katrina said, "These genres 'prey' on their fans by promoting people's differences and abandoning the notion that our demographics determine the way we are perceived. " I had never thought about this before, but some music genres have a "scene" dedicated solely to that genre of music and I feel it creates at least some of these differences. A person could also tell the mood I was in just by listening to music I was listening to. When I go to concerts, I go through a period of destabilization and is what makes going to the concert so fun. Baudrillard would say that music is a simulacra, as everyone has said in this blog. However, I believe the important part is finding a band that takes the genre and then pushes it in a new direction, or tries to put their own variation on it.
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