We Use Words like Mackadocious

Words like mackadocious, said by white kids, phrases like shizzle my nizzle, said by white kids is funny. But I don't think the point is to laugh, the point is to find out why the hilarity ensues when I wear extra baggy jeans with a tall-tee and attempt to ghost ride the whip. What? I'm down! The author of "We Use Words like Mackadocious" has the same concerns. The essay walks us through his life growing up seeing black people as superior to him, and his white skin. His views of black people are different than what most people experience, because I didn't attend a rich, private elementary school in Chicago I had contact with maybe one black child, and he was completely white-washed. So, if anything, my perception wasn't of superiority, it was of rarity. The author attempted to become a part of the black community, and for the large part, was accepted. But he was still "that white kid," the anomaly. That's because it's more than the color of the skin, the way they dress and the music listened to. Black culture emerges as a swagger that is a result of dealing with enormous problems that a white suburban kid could never fathom, could never imagine, and couldn't deal with. That is where the swagger comes from. So when Ezra Koenig asks if rap is hereditary I would mostly say no, it just so unfortunately happens that many African-Americans have to deal with the types of problems that create this gangster subculture that many rap stars come out.
However, the few successful white rap stars who have had to deal with these same problems are still famous, and sometimes ridiculed for being white and trying to fit in with the rap, gangster culture. Rappers like Eminem are known primarily for being the most famous white rapper, rather than just being a talented rapper.
But it also works the other way around, the high school I went to exposed me to much more diversity, and many more "gangster" folks that I assumed lived in the surrounding not so nice neighborhoods. However, I would see these kids in their baggy clothes walking around my affluent city and I would think, "what a poser." These african-american teens tried to look like they were poor by buying clothes that fit that look, but really they had more than enough money to buy clothes that would have fit them.
For them to use words like mackadocious made no sense, they didn't emerge from a culture that gave them the same swagger mentioned in the essay, and so I guess whites aren't the only ones trying to emulate this cool culture. I have a feeling the black kids I knew would be rejected just as much as I would be trying to walk around the bad parts of Chicago.

Captain America

Music is America. In all the chapters of Starr and Waterman’s book this one most clearly showed me the connection between us and the music we listen to, while also reading close to my own biography.

            Rap music reaching its peak is not a coincidence of right time and place. It was a youth movement, as many of these new genres are, and took off as the kids embraced it and its values. Rap music endeared itself to those with an “obsession with guns and violence, material wealth and status, symbols, and long standing traditions of racism, homophobia, and sexism” (435 Starr and Waterman). All of the things are prevalent in American culture and especially for impoverished black and suburban male teens. One trying to be rebellious because of the hate embodied in their living conditions, and one being rebellious because they didn’t live within the parameters of society to be so freely, so music became the answer. We still worship status symbols, Perez Hilton…, so it made sense that “bling” has erupted, this flaunting of wealth is so common nowadays, showing us “commoners” what we won’t have, and what they attained, and due to some sort of jealousy or trying to imagine yourself as this person America has become obsessed with celebrities, and in music especially there are always though that may try to resist that fame, only making them more spectacular in our eyes.

            When I think of musicians rejecting their huge celebrity status I think of two people off the top of my head, Kurt Cobain and Thom Yorke, both who have become status symbols for modern music, what it means to make intelligible and revolutionary music without selling out, but truth is both of these artists eventually signed with a major record label, allowing themselves to get sucked into this culture. And if they really weren’t looking for fame, why share their music? Why tour? Sufjan Stevens has recently rejected the idea of releasing the music because in his crazy mind there is no point anymore, the music he makes will be solely for him. If Yorke and Cobain truly didn’t care about their fame, would they release their music for the masses? Nirvana’s/Cobain’s press release seen on page 447 only further proves my point, trying to attract attention to themselves by showing people we don’t care, but really it just comes off as an attempt to be obnoxiously rebellious, not everyone needs to know you hate “rock celebrity,” Kurt.

            The genres seen in chapter 14 represent America, as well as my life growing up, put simply, I’m a cliché. Before entering middle school I would listen to the likes of my edited Limp Biscuit song as well as Smash Mouth, Backstreet Boys, N’Sync. Teenybopper stage-check. In middle school, being a suburban teen I turned to rap and rock so that in my awkward chubby stage I could objectify women, when I hated them most, and in large quantities seeing as how I had a different crush every week. I listened to emo All Time Low type bands in the first part of high school and towards senior year began listening to ‘serious’ indie rock music, which is just as stigmatized as any other genre. A genre that fulfills my need to be perceived as intelligent, to be associated with an audience it fulfills many of my needs, including the one where I want to listen to music that I love. Which continues to boggle me, because at one point I have loved all these genres of music, but many of them I scoff at and am embarrassed that I ever listened to them.

            Genres like techno fulfilled many homosexuals need to find a place to be themselves where they could use their bodies to interact with others, indie rock like Nirvana and R.E.M. let people express their emotions in an fashion that depressed male teenagers took to well. Just as I have taken to many genres over my life, hopefully sticking with this one that will last, but maybe my American dream has a couple more twists for me.

Placing Blame

Chivalry is cool, and emotions are hip. Sometimes I want to show some emotions, not be a pervert all day—it can be really exhausting!  And I’m sure women would want to try out this pervert thing once in a while, while exhausting, it can be fun. Turns out music has messed that up for everybody, and that’s not cool.  The Stones in all their glory have really messed up (or reinforced) male stereotypes.

“Numerous cock rock songs…express a deep fear of women…this fear seems pathological, which reflects the fact that the macho stance of cock rockers is as much a fantasy for men as teenybop romance is for women.” Groups like the rolling stone set up this ideal that I’m now forced to follow. TV and music have formed our ideological views of what it means to be a man and a woman.  It’s a complete misconception, but that’s what it has become.  Guys are taught that they are not supposed to feel pain, that they should rouse many women, and leave them for the next. This quotes sums up what is wrong with this stereotype, though. In a feminism class I took, we learned that women are more likely to be the cheaters, and the least happy in marriage. It seems almost that guys are more deeply positioned to be in love, but through society’s unwillingness to view men in this light we put ourselves in situation where we conform to society’s mold. Cheat on our girlfriends because that’s just what guys do. Through being hurt by women, groups like the Rolling stones have set up a fantasy for them and everyone else who can’t find a women. Because. Facing facts. Women are mostly in control, waiting for guys to approach and generally getting to pick from the lot (or at least this is true for attractive women). And with Rolling Stones and other cock-rock music music men can imagine themselves in this fantasyland as being the dominant one. They are in control, and they have grasp over women in a way never know before. Music genders us and leads us to believe things about each gender that may or may not be true. And because of the music industry being controlled by men, they created this macho man that I must live with everyday, and women pine for. Everyone wants a cliché.

Mission Accomplished?

Not to brag, but I used to work at FYE, (For Your Entertainment, a fine establishment for all your CD and DVD needs) in my hometown next to San Francisco. And it was at the time in my life that I found out who Tigres Del Norte was. Since FYE had a ticketmaster machine I’d sell many tickets to the, what seemed like monthly shows, shows that Tigres Del Norte put on (They were in San Jose so much they should have changed their name to Tigres Del Norte de California.) If it weren’t for this I would probably have never heard of them until Professor Kun brought them up in lecture last week. I bring this up because the essay Remembering Selena, Re-Membering Latinidad, the author asserts that the death of Selena brought Spanish music to the forefront of American culture, which I have to take with a grain of salt if the biggest Latino band, Tigres Del Norte, have never entered into my knowledge sphere.

            Americans still don’t take notice to the big Latino acts, not to say they necessarily should or would, because most Americans don’t speak Spanish. But I don’t understand how they sell out the Coliseum, but never even get heard of by most Americans, outside the Spanish community. Selena’s death only seemed to bring to the forefront traditionally held stereotypes of Latinos.  The grief marked their traditionally sad past, us white people had to help them out of their sorrow, darn Spanish people, always getting sad! How is being sad even a stereotype? I’ve never heard that before, but this tragedy consequently seemed to shine a light on the history of Latino culture, and what people gathered from the traditions of the grieving Latinos was not particularly different from what people had already believed. Selena’s death, instead of forming a more positive perception by outsiders, brought the Spanish community together (Unfortunately, to be ridiculed more). They came together to mourn their procession leader in their parade to equality in America that was halted by the number one fan. They had a role model, and a public figure, Latinos needed someone to look up to that people outside the community looked up to. That would bring respect for the obviously ridiculed ethnicity. Suddenly, Latinos were a market, you could brand and sell things to this emerging community, but unfortunately it was a little too early for Selena to go, because after the boom of her death it seems as if they have fallen back into marginality. As evidenced by el Tigres, the community has remained separate and the documentary we saw last Thursday shows how immigrants are reacted to in this country. Selena’s missions was cut a little short, and maybe Latinos need another tragedy to emerge out of their slandered culture, they’re sad already, right?

PS. Random Rant

People say Howard Stern is a revolutionary that he changed radio! And I don’t see it. Since when did being a misogynistic, racist become revolutionary? Oh, apparently, if you’re a racist in public then you’re a revolutionary. I’ve never heard anything as revolutionary as Howard Stern acting like we still live in the 1950’s. The past is the new future, and chivalry is so 90’s!

Analysis of The Legend

What a song it would be, the corrido of Gregorio Cortez from The Legend. The song of every man in Mexico, every man they strive to be. I gathered from the reading that Cortez was not really a man, but an embodiment of what every man wants to be. What they work to be, and emulate. Cortez was “not too dark and not too fair, not too think and not too fat, not too short and not too tall.” The average man, the man that every man could see himself in and could attribute himself to have the same qualities of this perfect Mexican. The author illustrates this idea by saying, “he looked just a little bit like me,” and he looked a little bit like every man in Mexico.

That is what corridos did, they told a story, and I can visualize this story being told by straight-faced singers, bellowing out the virtues of living a quiet and honest life, while encouraging people to turn away from a selfish, and loud life.

The corrido of Gregorio Cortez is the corrido of every honest man in Mexico, while “the north” stigmatized Mexicans as lazy, brash people the corrido of Cortez brought light to the true character of Mexicans. The songs meant to get the true story out, to dispel the myth that Mexicans were their stereotypes; they were hard working, honest, and respectful.  The music was the only medium these people had to try and stop the rumor that what was being said was in fact true. Music that was sang with vigor, and this appeals to many human emotions. Music allows for release, and this may be why corridos are still so popular, release comes fast when you are yelling lyrics you connect with deeply at the top of the lungs. The songs give you a picture of what happened, who to be and through corridos people form an identity. 

Blogs and Jokes=Better Blogs

            Chapter eight reads like a current piece on the state of indie music, other than the parts where it says rock n’ roll and refers to the 50’s.

Let’s try this: “Fats Domino, Ricky Nelson, the Everly Brothers, and Elvis Presley were all lumped together as “rock ‘n’ roll singers”—meaning simply that they all had records being listened to and purchased by large numbers of teenagers”

And make it this: “Fats Domino, Ricky Nelson, the Everly Brothers, and Elvis Presley Bon Iver, the Strokes, Passion Pit, and Wolf Parade were all lumped together as “rock ‘n’ roll singers” “indie rock”—meaning simply that they all had records being listened to and purchased by large numbers of teenagers hipsters”

I read this and felt like a 14-year-old girl in the 50’s. The new “HOT” genre, indie rock, fills all the qualities that Starr and Waterman detail. A bunch of artists that sound barely to nothing alike are being lumped into this genre that basically has come to mean different or weird. The bands had a cult following, just as small indie bands have now and they each formed their own identity (is this my midterm again?). Hipsters are seen around town (LA=town) wearing skinny jeans, flannel, carrying around their vinyl, just so people know they collect it.

The music has accumulated a following of people who are grounded by the same aesthetic and attitude.

Rock ‘n’ roll was the beginning of this audience, of us young adults being appreciated as music consumers with power. I’m no different than any other consumer, obsessed and guided by what I idealize about “hipster” culture. I completely connected with the video professor Kun (see above) showed on Tuesday with the people waiting in line to see the Beatles. I connected all right…with the screaming girls (I’m more of a John man myself). While indie rock doesn’t write songs about the trends it facilitates (it’s too cool for that) it certainly holds the same amount of clout that rock had over its audiences. And we both think we are cooler than school.  

Rock did something in the time that wouldn’t be possible now. When a generation was trying to assimilate and a group of kids were taught who to hate, who to fear, only music could “tear down that wall” (Oops, wrong historical event)! Starr and Waterman said no matter who you were, as long as you were young, “rock ‘n’ roll was your music.” Rock gave access to all audiences, it was a blend of many genres and therefore was musically accessible, but it was more than that. Kids were looking to revolt, they were finished with being frightened and they wanted to put fist pump, just like those kids in the Jersey Shore. The president talking about possible nuclear war no longer filled TV’s, Elvis was on now. Rejuvenating the generation with music that wasn’t afraid, so why should they?

Rock ‘n’ roll was the music of a new generation, just like Pepsi, or Kanye West, and it formed their listening habits as well as their ideals. Rock shredded the industry and the young minds it reached when turned up to 11. 

Radiohead + Mingus= Best. Blog. Ever.

Disclaimer: An unabashed Radiohead fanatic writes this blog.  The views expressed in this blog may be sensationalist, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Charles Mingus is still heard in the world of popular music, I can hear him recklessly going through life in Radiohead’s chaotic brass section. A section that is reminiscent of the ones seen in many of Mingus’ songs.

A book like Beneath the Underdog has so many different topics possible of covering that if I tried to do it all in one blog the Internetz would explode! Therefore, I have decided to focus on further impact in music and culture, using Radiohead as my main specimen,  this will probably only lead to the explosion of Blogspot. Before I begin I must point out that Thom inspired this. While trying to go to sleep one night I gave up and decided I would listen to Kid A maybe look over Thom Yorke’s wikipedia page (again) see if something new was added. To my pleasant surprise I saw that ol’ Thom listed Charles Mingus as one of his influences. “Great news,” I thought and from then on I’ve been mapping out the web of ideas written on this blog.

            Charles Mingus was always getting into trouble, never felt comfortable with his own skin, his own culture; he didn’t fit in anywhere. Mingus grew up feeling hated and not accepted by anyone so he had to use music to get away from it all. Mingus did so by being the best, by being the leader by controlling the only thing he felt he could control. In “Original Faubus Fables” Mingus speaks out against the government, directly addressing his adversary by name, declaring war. “Knives Out,” Thom Yorke would retort. Professor Kun stated that Mingus represents a crucial figure in the idea that politics and music have something to do with one another (He next said specifically racial politics, but that ruins the fun comparison). Racial politics or not, they were politics; Mingus was using his music to revolt, to make music and protest synonymous. He certainly wasn’t the last artist to do this: John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and Thom Yorke would follow, just to name a few. And what do those guys have in common? Oh yeah! They’re all incredibly popular. Without Mingus, popular music may have never taken that next step, the protest in music may not have been brought to the forefront, remaining a genre for small musicians and small audiences to hear. Mingus made sure this was no longer an issue, and musicians have been using music as a sound of revolt ever since.

Mingus uses music constantly as an outlet, he doesn’t know how to say what he means—but he knows how to play it.  Mingus wasn’t like most popular figures of that time, doing music for the fame and the attention. Mingus did more with his music, Mingus was his music and he certainly needed his music. Professor Kun asked what was Mingus enslaved by in class Tuesday and I was hesitant to say what was on my mind because slavery seems like a dissatisfactory word to describe the relationship Mingus shared with music. Although the relationship almost seems slave like, music was Mingus’ holder, Mingus needed music to express himself, and Mingus needed to express himself. Did Mingus control the music? Or did the music control Mingus? In the book it seems like a beautiful relationship, two forces combining to help each other. Mingus was certainly helped by the control he was able to exert over music, ironically, not knowing that he needed the music, too, and without his bass he would be devastated, lost. This has become a theme in music, the musicians need the music just as much as music needs them. Thom Yorke is crazy, probably not Mingus status, but certainly would prefer to be a recluse, just knowing it’s not viable if he wants to continue making music. As a child in Oxford his family had to move around a lot because classmates teased Thom for his droopy eyelid, only finding solace in his weekly band practices. In Radiohead’s documentary Meeting People is Easy the viewer sees Thom battle depression, watching the startling correlation of rise in fame and plunge in happiness. Most striking about this is that Thom is a charismatic performer, an excellent dancer and a master of letting loose in shows.

Mingus wrote, “I’m trying to play the truth of what I am. The difficulty is because I’m changing all the time.” Mingus didn’t even know who he was, how was music going to remain the same? It was impossible; he had 3 different personalities at any given time, probably why his songs sound schizophrenic. Many start one way, smooth or chaotic or somewhere in the middle and the next section will be a different tempo, and different theme. We see Mingus switching personalities mid-composition. Without knowing it Mingus created a successful style that every artist strives for—the mobile self. Mingus reinvented himself on every album, something artists are always looking to do in present day.  The most successful bands don’t sound the same every album, the two prime examples are the Beatles, who released a large amount of CD’s in a short amount of years and managed to reinvent themselves every time. Fans now have a short attention span and if the band can’t keep up they move to something else—the key being to keep the sound that became popular initially but change it a little to grow fans and keep it interesting. Radiohead’s Pablo Honey and The Bends sound nothing like Kid A, which sounds quite different from In Rainbows. This is what success looks like nowadays and Mingus was doing it at a time where change was risk, and people at the top weren’t willing to take that risk. But Mingus needed to take that risk, to remain sane, to try and get out of the body that he felt everyone hated.

“I’m trapped in this body and can’t get out”—Radiohead, “Bodysnatchers,” In Rainbows