Assignment 1-5, Culture and Society: Interactions

1920 - 1930 Music

Let's begin the decade with Igor Stravinsky, who was born in Russia in 1882 and deemed one of the most important and significant composers of the twentieth century.  He spent the early part of the 1900’s composing sonatas, symphonies and ballets.  Critics claimed his music was largely influenced by Russian folk music.  When he was exiled from Russia after World War I, he started to incorporate some Western influences into his compositions by using more percussion.  This melding of styles started his neo-classical period, a blend of styles from the classical period with the newer trends of more rhythms.  Some of his pieces were thought to either invoke the conflicts of war or the breaking away from it with celebration.  Stravinsky's music was a huge change from the Romantic style of the time.  It was often described as having the “ability to express physical gestures and movements (and the psychological states that prompts them) in purely musical terms” (Hamilton, 2011).

This music was definitely more for the elite taste.  In order to enjoy this music I believe an educated appreciation or extensive exposure to this type of music would be required. It is said though that there were hints of ragtime and jazz in his work.  Here is a sample of a very famous ballet of his (Les Noces) that premiered in 1923– please listen...if you dare.  

Something else was happening in the music world between 1920 and 1930.  It was often called the "Roaring Twenties" or the "Jazz Age", a "time when young, uninhibited people, fueled by a new permissiveness, sought illegal booze, unregulated revelry and hot music" (Rolf, 2007).   Jazz broke all the rules as a black American experience over the conventional white sensibilities.  Jazz music was a blend of African and African American, religious, brass and blues styles. It began in the brothels and bars of New Orleans, also called the red light district.  As jazz music became more popular, the censors also came out and called it the “Devil’s Music”.   Believe it or not, because of its suggestive lyrics and rhythms, a request to build a jazz club next to a home for expectant mothers was denied saying the music was “dangerous to the fetuses”.  When the red light district was closed down,  jazz musicians were forced to migrate to new cities like Memphis and Chicago.  The end of WW I  returned the soldiers to their homes and to their jobs, which forced many African American musicians to move north.  By 1923, Chicago became the new center of jazz.  The "easy-going attitude underlying the New Orleans sound was slowly being replaced with a more energetic, fast-paced and competitive edge that surviving in the big city required" (Rolf, 2007).

Prohibition of the 1920's brought jazz into gangster-run nightclubs where whites and blacks mixed socially for the first time. White youth was drawn to jazz and the seductive dances of the monkey glide, turkey trot and Charleston.  There was an area on State Street in Chicago known as "The Stroll".  Jazz lovers from all neighborhoods came to hear the early years of King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band featuring Louis Armstrong. 

The twenties also saw the emergence of the "blues".  In 1920, Mamie Smith, a Harlem nightclub singer, became the first African-American singer to cut a record that was specifically labeled, the "blues".  The song was Crazy Blues and it sold more than one million copies in its first six months in circulation.  This was the beginning of the blues genre.  Jazz and blues were played, recorded and broadcast over radios everywhere.  

Assignment 1-3, Journal Article Analysis

Ralph and Alice Kramden lived in a sparse, Brooklyn apartment and struggled to achieve the American Dream.   The Kramden’s were a very famous television couple from the “Honeymooners” television show, created by Jackie Gleason, who were always arguing about money and trying to make a better life for themselves.  He wanted to become a part of what was then referred to as post-war America.   This was a time where America “found that national and personal identities were increasingly defined by the ability to produce, purchase, and accumulate consumer pleasures” (Sheehan, 2010).   Audiences related well to Ralph Kramden and Jackie Gleason since they all shared the frustrations as a working class man and the different masculinities that arose from it.

            Post-war America saw the materialization of a masculinity where the man had a job, made the money and then spent it on pricey items i.e. appliances, televisions and cars.    This was a way for the man to assert his role as “head of the household” (Sheehan, 2010).  Consumption played a large role in one’s masculinity.  Of course, all this spending helped fuel the economy through the cycle of production and consumption too. 

            Jackie Gleason was a comedian and entertainer who started in the 1950’s.  When he created Ralph Kramden, he used himself and his Brooklyn borough upbringing as his model.  Jackie saw himself as a working-class guy who worked hard to make money to give his family nice things.    Gleason also loved physical comedy and approached it rather roughly.  He had a “theory that the public likes a guy better when they can see him taking a beating to earn a buck” (Sheehan, 2010).  Ralph Kramden became this persona, which made him very relatable to the working class guy.

            Interestingly enough, Jackie Gleason always seemed to be relatable to the working class guy as well.  Even after he gained fame and fortune, Gleason still was embraced as that guy from Brooklyn.  He not only worked hard and made money to buy his family nice things, he was well-known for another form of masculinity that developed in post war America – male-centered recreation. Ralph Kramden would go bowling or to the bar with the guys.  Jackie Gleason spent lavish amounts of money for pleasure and still made enough to provide for his family.  For a long time, people still embraced Jackie Gleason as a working-class guy because that is what a working man does.  He makes the money, spends it on durable goods for his family and then spends some on himself too. 

            Ralph Kramden always liked to think he was “king of the castle” (Sheehan, 2010).  It is what helped him keep his manhood alive, believing he made the final decisions since he made the money.  However, there were always arguments about Ralph’s inability to provide for those durable goods for his family.  Many post-war American families were having the same arguments, especially when it came to spending money on the man’s leisure activities before spending on the family.  This same situation contributed to what caused Jackie Gleason’s own divorce.  He spent lavish amounts of money on his friends, going to the bar and other activities.  It was reported he was having extramarital affairs as well.  His soon-to-be ex-wife indicated she took care of him, he took care of himself, but failed to take care of his family in the end.  This goes against the ideology of the consumer’s republic. 

            The Kramden household on the Honeymooners was often full of marital tension due to Ralph’s inability to provide for the family.  There seemed to always be the threat of some possible domestic aggression.  There is a line that Ralph always used on Alice that is still a part of pop culture today.  Even though Alice really seemed to always have the upper hand, he would let her know he was in charge with sayings like, “Pow! right in the kisser” (Sheehan, 2010).  Men achieved a sort of satisfaction watching a man exert such control over the wife, since post-war America saw the female start to achieve some marital equality. Although Ralph and Alice Kramden had bitter fights over their lack of consumption, they always made up.  Ralph always felt inadequate and Alice always reminded him of his inadequacies, but they loved each other and another famous line came out of that love – “Baby, You’re the greatest!” (Sheehan, 2010).   Jackie Gleason, on the other hand, had all the money he could need to consume durable goods and provide for his family.  He always made sure to spend a lot of money on himself too.  However, although his marital problems often resembled the Kramden’s, they rarely ended with the same humor or warm embrace. 

            The domestic problems in the post-war American home were often about the family’s financial state and the husband’s ability to provide for the family.  The man’s frustrations over not being able to meet his family’s wants often left them frustrated and worried.  It was hard for men to handle their feelings of failure without possibly falling into more destructive behaviors i.e. drinking or withdrawal or even violence.  “The Honeymooners confronted these areas of tension within the working-class home and provided and identifiable, humorous, and cathartic outlet in Ralph Kramden’s anger” (Sheehan, 2010). 

            Jackie Gleason and Ralph Kramden demonstrated what it was like to be a working-class man in America in the 1950’s - angrier and more frustrated than the middle class man.  The ability to consume durable goods defined masculinity and domestic happiness.

References

SHEEHAN, S. T. (2010). “Pow! right in the kisser”: Ralph kramden, jackie gleason, and the emergence of the frustrated working-class man. The Journal of Popular Culture, 43(3), 564-582.

Assignment 5-1, Weekly Written Analysis

            My cousin is getting married in a few months.  The traditional bridal shower is this weekend.  I am sure I will be getting all the details of the bride’s and groom’s respective bachelor and bachelorette party.  I was amazed to find out that the bachelor party has been around a very long time.  It is thought to have started as far back as the 5^th century B.C.  The ancient Spartans were believed to be the first to celebrate a man’s last night as a single man with dinner and toasts on his behalf.  These celebrations were probably more fitting of a Spartan.  Things have certainly changed since then.

            Today’s bachelor parties are more of a last night of sexual freedom and may include strippers, gambling, drinking, and just plain hard partying.  These parties can get out of hand and have been known to cause the break-up of some relationships right before the wedding.  Of course, these parties are not just for men anymore.  Bachelorette parties have become more and more popular since the sexual revolution of the 1960’s.  Yes, there are usually male strippers, going to dance clubs and a lot of drinking involved.  Both the bachelor and bachelorette party now symbolize the sacrifice of sexual freedom for both the man and woman. 

            These celebrations have become very much part of the pre-wedding planning festivities and have only become more elaborate.  These days a trip to Vegas is the new bachelor/ bachelorette party.  “I-Volution Inc., which owns two of the largest bachelor-party sites on the Web, says its websites get about 4 million visitors a year – 35% of whom focus on the Las Vegas packages” (Haire, 2009).    By the way, there are numerous websites out there to help plan a bachelor/bachelorette party including food, gag gifts, games and limousines.  I am not sure, but I find it hard to believe that bachelor parties are really much like the one from the movie, The Hangover.  Even back in the 1980’s, Tom Hanks starred in the movie, Bachelor Party, which “featured beer, drugs and strippers” (Haire, 2009).   I think popular culture leads many to think they have to be that crazy in order to be memorable.      

            I know not all of these bachelor/bachelorette parties are that crazy.  Some are actually just friends getting together to relax and forget about the stresses of the wedding planning and enjoy an evening together.  Some brides and grooms even combine their parties.  Whatever your preferred style of party may be, the bachelor/bachelorette party has definitely become part of today’s popular culture.  

Reference

Haire, M. (2009). A brief history of Bachelor Parties.  Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1904885,00.html

Assignment 4-1, Weekly Written Analysis

            You probably recognize this guy, almost everyone does.  I do not know if he has a name, but we all refer to him as the "dummies guy".  Twenty years ago, we were introduced to him on the cover of the first For Dummies book, DOS for Dummies.  With all the new technologies being introduced, a reference guide that could be understood by the regular consumer was needed.  The creators of the series actually heard a frustrated customer in a computer store say he was looking for a book that could teach the basics of the DOS operating system to him, "something like DOS for dummies"  (2011, Dummies Success Story).  Knowing this same frustration was common to many users, the creators decided to try their hand at this type of reference guide.  The rest, as they say, is history. 

            Of course, a reference book that had "dummie" in the title was felt to be a bit degrading to the consumer and would probably hinder sales.  However, it was meant as more of a "term of endearment" (2011, Dummies Success Story) and they decided to run with it.  "For Dummies books tackle any topic that's complex, confusing, intimidating, or conjures up any feelings of anxiety" (2011, Dummies Success Story).   They now have these reference materials in video form, other software and a rather successful website, www.dummies.com.

            You can learn about almost anything you want.  Business, careers, computers, electronics, crafts, musical instruments, food, health, the Internet, personal finance and so much more.  Popular culture has inspired the creation of "more than 1600 For Dummies titles" (O'Leary, 2011).  Yes, there is even Sex for Dummies.  Can you imagine?  I wonder, however, if Opera for Dummies or Shakespeare for Dummies would be as widely accepted in the elite culture?

            That guy at the top of this blog (Blogging for Dummies, too) is pretty well known in the world of popular culture.  You will probably see him wherever books are sold.  He has been around for twenty years and I suspect that as long as we need to know "how to do things", he will stay around.  He does, however, have some competition with the Idiot's Guide to things, but they are not quite as popular...yet.

Recognize him now?

References

The for Dummies success story.  (2011).  Retrieved March 9, 2011 from http://www.dummies. com/Section/The-For-Dummies-Success-Story.id-323929.html

O'Leary, N. (2011). About, Dummies, and Idiots. Information Today, 28(3), 22-23. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.           

Assignment 3-1, Weekly Written Analysis

           Rolling Stone Magazine not only reports on all things pop culture in music, politics, movies and entertainment, it is a piece of American pop culture all on its own.   Jann Wenner started  Rolling Stone in 1967, which currently boasts nearly 12 million readers. It is the "ultimate source for music information and popular-culture trends" (www.jannswenner.com).  It features all the top stories on the political front including stories from today's issues regarding Mike Huckabee and his questions about Barack Obama's birth certificate and whether or not he was born in the U.S.  You can read about the recent Oscar winners and, of course, all the top music draws i.e. 50 Cent, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga.  The "Best-Ever" lists are always a favorite column in the magazine.  We can find out who America thinks are the 100 greatest singers, or guitarists, artists, best albums and best songs.

            The Rolling Stone logo is known worldwide.  Almost anybody and everybody pop-culture has been on the cover of Rolling Stone.  Throughout the years, those who have appeared on the cover include Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Mick Jaggar, Janis Joplin, the cast of Friends and Seinfeld, Kid Rock, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, the cast of LOST, Bart Simpson, Lil Wayne, Johnny Cash, Eminem, Darth Vader, Snoop Dog, a tribute to 9/11/01 and even President Obama.  One of the most "iconic shots taken for Rolling Stone are that of a naked John Lennon embracing his wife, Yoko" (2010, December 26).  These covers are all symbols of importance and significance of any person or group of people in today's popular culture.  These covers can be purchased as limited edition art, posters, calendars, and T-Shirts.  If you ever looked for the Rolling Stone magazine on the rack at the bookstore, you will find it easily as it is larger than the typical magazine. 

            There is a song titled, Cover of the Rolling Stones, by Dr. Hook that is about being rock singers loved by all the fans and enjoying fame.  One line in the song sums it up noting that nothing compares to the thrill of getting on the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine.   

 http://www.rollingstone.com/

 

 References

Biography of Jann S. Wenner. (2011).  Retrieved March 1, 2011 from http://www.jannswenner. com/Default.aspx

Thirty years on, we still love you, john lennon, yeah, yeah, yeah. (2010, December 26). The Sunday Independent (Ireland), retrieved from Lexis Nexis Academic, March 1, 2011.

Assignment 2-2, Icon Analysis

              What do the Statue of Liberty, Michael Jackson and Pac-Man all have in common?  They are all pop culture icons that have survived the test of time and remain recognizable to the masses.  Popular culture icons represent importance and value to the people who embrace their significance.

            The Statue of Liberty was gifted to the United States from France.  It symbolizes freedom and liberty.   It is visited by millions each year and is one of the most recognizable icons throughout the world.  It is one of the first things new immigrants were introduced to as they came to this country through the New York harbor.  Throughout the years, the image of the Statue of Liberty has been used in movies, on stamps, license plates, and coins just to name a few.  I do not know exactly why I am drawn to it, except that these days I find myself drawn to all things American.  I have never visited the Statue of Liberty, but have it on my "bucket list".

            Is there anyone who does not know Michael Jackson?  According to the New York Daily News.com, he is number 5 on the list of the top pop culture icons of the past 50 years.  He started out singing with his brothers as the Jackson Five and can claim holding the record for most albums sold with Thriller.  Millions of fans worldwide adored him.  They would scream and cry, just like with Elvis or the Beatles.  He moonwalked and everyone was doing it.  Let's not forget the single white glove that became a Michael Jackson symbol.  Just like Elvis, there are Michael Jackson impersonators everywhere.  I grew up listening to Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five.  My friends and I would watch his videos on MTV and VH1 over and over.  We tried to dance like him too.  Michael Jackson was known as the king of pop and will always be recognized as such.  Just like Elvis, he has left an impression on the world that will forever remain.

            Pac-Man is actually "one of the most recognizable pop-culture icons of 80s America" (2010).  It is a simple video game that was featured in its own movie, was a cartoon, breakfast cereal and a board game.  When Ms. Pac-Man was introduced to gamers, more women could be found at the arcade.  Pac-Man is also seen as the game that "helped videogames break into the mainstream awareness like no other videogame" (2010).  I have fond memories of Pac-Man tournaments with friends and family.  In fact, a good friend of mine gave me a retro Pac-Man game for Christmas.  My husband and I play it on our iPad, too.  This past Halloween, some neighborhood folks were dressed as Pac-Man and the four ghosts (Blinky, Pinky, Inkey and Clyde)  and just ran down the middle of the street.  It was awesome!