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.
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