NWA inspired the gangsta rap movement, that sprung from hip hop, which gave way to a new style of not only music, but dress and language. Characterized by stories of neighborhood violence, NWA exposed an African-American reality in the ghetto that outsiders or the affluent individuals struggled to accept.
Certain films were also a product of this gangsta rap and the influences of this group still are relevant, although less practiced today.
Eminem was integrated into the African American culture of hip-hop in the early 2000’s by one of the leaders of rap, Dr. Dre. Initially as an outsider defined by his race, Eminem worked to become a part of this hip-hop culture with the strong desire to have his voice heard. He has opened the door for the integration of other races into the hip-hop culture, as well as promoting the lyrical telling of stories through his music. While sometimes regarded as a controversial figure in “stealing” hip-hop culture from the African American race through which it began, Eminem has worked to incorporate his gratitude for being accepted into the hip-hop culture into his song lyrics.
Hunter S. Thompson was one of the pioneers and founders of Gonzo Journalism. He advocated a style of journalism that did not pretend to be objective, but rather accurate. He sought out an authentic experience in his writing, involving himself in the process of the narrative. To promote a sense of authenticity in his journalism, he imbues his writing with personality, wit, and sarcasm. This was the complete opposite of how journalism had been conducted up until then. He dismissed objectivity as a myth and preferred to instead show things as he believed they were, without any pretensions at objectivity or distancing oneself from the subject.
Hunter S. Thompson's style influenced society, in that it presented the news in a different way then people were accustomed to. This approach towards authenticity brought the news down to the level of everyday people, in ways that they could relate to.
As a drag queen supermodel, notable LGBT activist, and producer and host of Rupaul's Drag Drace, Rupaul has spent his career emphasizing the freedom of expression. By building his stardom on his drag-style and gender-bending, Rupaul paved the way for greater acceptance of the LGBT community.
As the Golden Age of Comic Books came to a close, Stan Lee's influence caused a revolution in the comics industry that made "comics" synonymous with "superhero comics." He introduced interesting and flawed superheroes to Marvel Comics in collaboration with Jack Kirby and Steven Ditko, among others. He took the comic book medium away from being merely defined as funny books, and superheroes away from the idealistically perfect protagonists of the Golden Age. He revived older characters to be more believable, and became the creator of almost all of Marvel's current lineup of superheroes. Over the next few decades, comics became increasingly darker and edgier. By the Modern Age (Also known as the Dark Age; 70s-now), Superman had been killed and villains were becoming protagonists of their own spin-off series. Stan Lee wanted his heroes to be heroes, even if they were not perfect. He has mentioned many times that even anti-heroes should be more good than evil, or it would not make a good story about a "hero;" the story would be about a villain protagonist.
I chose Patti Smith as my counter-cultural figure because she is an influential symbol of the punk/rock movement. She is an American singer-songwriter and poet referred as the "Godmother of Punk" She uses poetry and music to question american materialism and culture norms. Patti Smith was inspired by William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, Robert Mapplethorpe and Michael Stripe. Patti participated in many antiwar protests and performed lyrics challenging american idealism.
Similar to the beatnik movement, the punk movement protested a restricted way of life. Punk ethics include a "radical rejection of conformity, the do it yourself ethic, direct action for political change, and not selling out to mainstream interests for personal gain". The punk movement in the 80's was largely fueled by heroin, methamphetamine, and alcohol. Punks often disassociated themselves with mainstream norms by creating an alternative lifestyle of anti-authoritarian ideologies. They were involved in political protests for local, national and/or global change.
Im going to write about Nirvana and the grunge rock movement in the early 90's. In response to the Glam rock era in the 80's the grunge movement focused less on instrumental talent and more on emotion and self expression. With Nirvana came a wave of other Seattle based bands that soon took over the rock scene. Grunge rock gave a voice to generation X which felt detached from the American norms that had been taught to them by their parents.
I plan to write about the Jerkin Movement. As an alternative to gang life dance crews were created to show another form of expression. Wearing skinny jeans and bright clothing this outsider look was a complete contrast to baggy clothing. YouTube was the main component in sharing videos where the ultimate goal was to reach 1,000,000 views. There was also a certain type of music that was by the younger generation promoting promiscuity and known for the loud base.
I have chosen to write about Hugh Hefner: Hugh Hefner is best recognized as the ultimate playboy as he transformed his vision of sex and beautiful women into a cultural fabric recognized all over the world. Through the use of the notorious Playboy magazine he has inspired a culture and is known as chief advocate of how sex sells. Hefner began a phenomenon in pop culture by producing a magazine that men lust over and women envy.
Rosa Parks transformed American society as the first noted woman to stand up for racial equality. Her seemingly simple action caused a monumental chain reaction that is now remembered as one of the biggest movements in history.
I'm interested in discussing A.C. Bhaktivedanta and the Hare Krishna movement. Originally a religious sect borrowing from Hindu scriptures, it later came under attack from anticult organizations and accusations of brainwashing.
I have chosen to discuss the music of James Brown and its influence which cross music genres as well as cultural borders.
Known as the "Godfather of Soul", the extent to which James Brown influenced American music and culture can be traced across decades of producing over ninety songs that hit spots up and down Billboard Magazine's official charts. Although the Godfather himself gave groups like The Beatles and The Beach Boys a good run on the charts, he never landed a number one spot especially since his music was not considered mainstream. As James Brown's theatrical performances and funky sound began to take off in the late fifties and on into the sixties, his influence as an African American artist took on greater significance especially since Civil Rights and the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. appeared in the backdrop.
Can you Rage Against the Machine with the machine?
Protest artists like Rage Against the Machine use corporate sponsorship to deliver their music and their message to a large audience, but those same corporations, Sony in the case of RATM, appropriate the message and use it to diffuse the rage in their audience. Social and cultural protest is diffused when it is appropriated by large corporations and used to innoculate a mass audience to their need for rage.
I plan to write about NWA.
ReplyDeleteNWA inspired the gangsta rap movement, that sprung from hip hop, which gave way to a new style of not only music, but dress and language. Characterized by stories of neighborhood violence, NWA exposed an African-American reality in the ghetto that outsiders or the affluent individuals struggled to accept.
Certain films were also a product of this gangsta rap and the influences of this group still are relevant, although less practiced today.
I'm going to write about Eminem.
ReplyDeleteEminem was integrated into the African American culture of hip-hop in the early 2000’s by one of the leaders of rap, Dr. Dre. Initially as an outsider defined by his race, Eminem worked to become a part of this hip-hop culture with the strong desire to have his voice heard. He has opened the door for the integration of other races into the hip-hop culture, as well as promoting the lyrical telling of stories through his music. While sometimes regarded as a controversial figure in “stealing” hip-hop culture from the African American race through which it began, Eminem has worked to incorporate his gratitude for being accepted into the hip-hop culture into his song lyrics.
I'm going to write about Hunter S. Thompson.
ReplyDeleteHunter S. Thompson was one of the pioneers and founders of Gonzo Journalism. He advocated a style of journalism that did not pretend to be objective, but rather accurate. He sought out an authentic experience in his writing, involving himself in the process of the narrative. To promote a sense of authenticity in his journalism, he imbues his writing with personality, wit, and sarcasm. This was the complete opposite of how journalism had been conducted up until then. He dismissed objectivity as a myth and preferred to instead show things as he believed they were, without any pretensions at objectivity or distancing oneself from the subject.
Hunter S. Thompson's style influenced society, in that it presented the news in a different way then people were accustomed to. This approach towards authenticity brought the news down to the level of everyday people, in ways that they could relate to.
I've chosen to write about Rupaul.
ReplyDeleteAs a drag queen supermodel, notable LGBT activist, and producer and host of Rupaul's Drag Drace, Rupaul has spent his career emphasizing the freedom of expression. By building his stardom on his drag-style and gender-bending, Rupaul paved the way for greater acceptance of the LGBT community.
I'm going to write about Stan Lee.
ReplyDeleteAs the Golden Age of Comic Books came to a close, Stan Lee's influence caused a revolution in the comics industry that made "comics" synonymous with "superhero comics." He introduced interesting and flawed superheroes to Marvel Comics in collaboration with Jack Kirby and Steven Ditko, among others. He took the comic book medium away from being merely defined as funny books, and superheroes away from the idealistically perfect protagonists of the Golden Age. He revived older characters to be more believable, and became the creator of almost all of Marvel's current lineup of superheroes.
Over the next few decades, comics became increasingly darker and edgier. By the Modern Age (Also known as the Dark Age; 70s-now), Superman had been killed and villains were becoming protagonists of their own spin-off series.
Stan Lee wanted his heroes to be heroes, even if they were not perfect. He has mentioned many times that even anti-heroes should be more good than evil, or it would not make a good story about a "hero;" the story would be about a villain protagonist.
I chose Patti Smith as my counter-cultural figure because she is an influential symbol of the punk/rock movement. She is an American singer-songwriter and poet referred as the "Godmother of Punk"
ReplyDeleteShe uses poetry and music to question american materialism and culture norms. Patti Smith was inspired by William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, Robert Mapplethorpe and Michael Stripe.
Patti participated in many antiwar protests and performed lyrics challenging american idealism.
Similar to the beatnik movement, the punk movement protested a restricted way of life. Punk ethics include a "radical rejection of conformity, the do it yourself ethic, direct action for political change, and not selling out to mainstream interests for personal gain". The punk movement in the 80's was largely fueled by heroin, methamphetamine, and alcohol. Punks often disassociated themselves with mainstream norms by creating an alternative lifestyle of anti-authoritarian ideologies. They were involved in political protests for local, national and/or global change.
Im going to write about Nirvana and the grunge rock movement in the early 90's. In response to the Glam rock era in the 80's the grunge movement focused less on instrumental talent and more on emotion and self expression. With Nirvana came a wave of other Seattle based bands that soon took over the rock scene. Grunge rock gave a voice to generation X which felt detached from the American norms that had been taught to them by their parents.
ReplyDeleteI plan to write about the Jerkin Movement. As an alternative to gang life dance crews were created to show another form of expression. Wearing skinny jeans and bright clothing this outsider look was a complete contrast to baggy clothing. YouTube was the main component in sharing videos where the ultimate goal was to reach 1,000,000 views. There was also a certain type of music that was by the younger generation promoting promiscuity and known for the loud base.
ReplyDeleteI have chosen to write about Hugh Hefner:
ReplyDeleteHugh Hefner is best recognized as the ultimate playboy as he transformed his vision of sex and beautiful women into a cultural fabric recognized all over the world. Through the use of the notorious Playboy magazine he has inspired a culture and is known as chief advocate of how sex sells. Hefner began a phenomenon in pop culture by producing a magazine that men lust over and women envy.
Rosa Parks transformed American society as the first noted woman to stand up for racial equality. Her seemingly simple action caused a monumental chain reaction that is now remembered as one of the biggest movements in history.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in discussing A.C. Bhaktivedanta and the Hare Krishna movement. Originally a religious sect borrowing from Hindu scriptures, it later came under attack from anticult organizations and accusations of brainwashing.
ReplyDeleteI have chosen to discuss the music of James Brown and its influence which cross music genres as well as cultural borders.
ReplyDeleteKnown as the "Godfather of Soul", the extent to which James Brown influenced American music and culture can be traced across decades of producing over ninety songs that hit spots up and down Billboard Magazine's official charts. Although the Godfather himself gave groups like The Beatles and The Beach Boys a good run on the charts, he never landed a number one spot especially since his music was not considered mainstream. As James Brown's theatrical performances and funky sound began to take off in the late fifties and on into the sixties, his influence as an African American artist took on greater significance especially since Civil Rights and the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. appeared in the backdrop.
Can you Rage Against the Machine with the machine?
ReplyDeleteProtest artists like Rage Against the Machine use corporate sponsorship to deliver their music and their message to a large audience, but those same corporations, Sony in the case of RATM, appropriate the message and use it to diffuse the rage in their audience. Social and cultural protest is diffused when it is appropriated by large corporations and used to innoculate a mass audience to their need for rage.