Country Music Wrap Analysis

Throughout the history of country music there were times it was a bigger part of popular culture more than other times.  One of its first major exposures into popular culture was when radio started broadcasting “barn dance” music shows such as the Grand Ole Opry during the Great Depression. 

 

 

Currently, country music may be in the midst of its greatest exposure and acceptance among popular culture due to musicians such as Blake Shelton and Keith Urban.  They have shown a new light on country music as a judge and coach on two of American’s most popular reality shows, The Voice and American Idol.  Not to mention that some of the most successful artists to come out of American Idol have been country music artists such as Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler and Scotty McCreery.  These shows have shown that country music isn’t just the stereotypical songs of great loss and drunkenness, but it is also of happiness and can be just as rockin’ as other popular music genres.

There have been many celebrities throughout the history that have made major contributions to the growth and changing sound of country music.  There were Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family in the 1920s.  There were Gene Autry and Roy Rogers during the western era in the 1930s.  Then there’s Patsy Cline from the early 1960s who is still influencing female artists to this day.

In my research of country music, I came to realize that country music has experienced more times a part of popular culture throughout its history than I realized.  In learning about stereotypes and paying more attention to what’s being played on the radio, I discovered there are a lot more songs with drinking in it that I had ever noticed before.  I’m not sure if it’s just because I’ve been paying more attention to it or if there really are an insane number of country songs about drinking.  I certainly hope that this heightened awareness fades with time once I have completed my popular cultures studies.   

Country Music Formulas

           Country music, and any other genre for that matter, tells a story.  There are formulas to storytelling and I believe the formulas for the types of stories told or how the stories are told changes with the times.  I believe formulas follow what is culturally acceptable for the time period, what is acceptable to the industries beliefs, or for what is happening in society at the time songs are written.

            Western and protest songs grew out of the depression and the dust bowl era.  Western songs became popular because of the Midwesterners were moving west in hopes for a better life.  Per Encyclopedia.com (January 2001)," the romantic cowboy image was a growing phenomenon" at that time.  Gene Autry and Roy Rogers were well-known western style artists at that time.  Protests songs were growing in the south due to the high unemployment rate and the rise of unions.  “The North Carolina Textile Strike” by the Martin Brothers is just one example of a protest song.

             In the 1960s Americans were dealing with social and political issues such as free love, civil rights and feminism.  Country music largely avoided most of these issues due to the industries’ conservative culture.  I believe civil rights topics were avoided given that the south, where country music typically originates, generally favored segregation.  The music of that era typically focused on innocent style love songs or heartbreak songs such as “Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger?” by Charley Pride.

            Country music today is a little more liberal in their writing styles and doesn’t necessarily stick with the conservative ideals of it’s past.  Carrie Underwood’s song “Last Name” is a perfect example of this.  The song is about a girl in Las Vegas getting drunk and waking up the next day to discover she’s married to a man she doesn’t know.  There are a lot more drinking and one night stand songs in today’s country music.  

            It’s interesting to see how the formulas have changed over the years.  It also helps me to understand why different generations of country music lovers debate about what should really be considered country music. 

 

Journal Article Analysis

     I am analyzing an article written by Anne Marie Todd.  The article’s name is Saying Goodbye to Friends: Fan Culture as Lived Experience.  It’s an article that draws a picture of the television show Friends loyal fan base and the media surrounding the series finale in 2004.  It’s written to show that fans didn’t simply watch the show for 10 years, but that they incorporated the show into their everyday life.

     Anne’s first point is about the series finale being a major media event.  The show didn’t just have a final episode.  There was an hour long retrospective program showing interviews of the cast and behind the scenes footage.  Cast members made numerous appearances on talk shows and morning shows.  There were websites, message boards, forums and chat rooms dedicated to the show’s finale.  The cast even appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno the night of the finale.

     Anne’s second point is that the TV show and characters were a huge part of fans’ lives.  She suggests that fans wanted to bring a part of the show they loved into their homes.  They did this by purchasing the show’s logoed merchandise like coffee mugs, mouse pads, etc.  I believe I even had a Friends sweatshirt at one time.  A more meaningful way they could bring the show into their home was to purchase similar articles seen on the show such as the highly profiled products from Pottery Barn.  Fans would post on message boards that they were looking for certain artifacts, or lookalikes, seen on the show.  Other fans would give them suggested websites or name a business that sold similar furniture, pillows or clothing seen on the show.

     Anne’s third main point is about how deeply fans get engrossed by tuning in each week keeping up with the plots and becoming intimately involved with the characters.  The fans don’t just follow the characters on the show; they also follow the lives of the actors as well.  They want to know all they can which makes the actors and characters more real to them.  Anne feels that fans relate as much to the characters as they do to their real friends.  She alludes that the network played on how real the shows characters were to the fans by showing advertisements asking fans to watch so they could join in on the goodbyes.  The retrospective that was aired also played to these hard core fans.  The retrospect also showed how these characters became a real part of the actors’ lives as well because of how long the show ran.

     I originally chose this journal article because I was a huge fan of the show.  I thought it would be something I enjoyed.  I think Anne makes some good points about fans being engrossed in the show.  I think that proves what a great show it was and that’s how it stayed on the air for so long.   I liked how she talked about how the show “revealed a softer side of New York.”  It portrayed it as a much friendlier and cleaner city than most any other show that takes place in New York. 

     I also felt that the article was lengthier than it needed to be and there were times I thought I had already read the page I was on because she repeated ideas.  In addition, I thought there were times she made Friends fans look obsessive.  She mentions what fans talked about on the message boards and forums more than a few times.  It was noted how some fans talked about how they got to meet some of the actors, how they discuss what’s happening on the show and how they hunt up artifacts of the show.  I do believe there are people that eat, breathe and sleep shows, characters and actors they like.  I just don’t think discussions on message boards, certain purchases that are made, and never wanting to miss an episode makes these characters and actors “real” in everyone’s mind.  Messages boards and forums were kind of up and coming at that time.  I think it was a good way for people to be able to talk about the final show as soon as if finished airing.  I was never into media devices at the time, so the first thing I did the next day at work was talk with someone I knew watched the show.  It was such a well written show and such a perfectly casted show you couldn’t help but talk about it the next day.  Men have been doing this with sports for years.  The forums and messages boards gave fans a place to interact sooner, rather than later.

     I think the article is important because it captures the love fans had for the show and how it was an end to an era of sorts.  The article also accurately captured the circus that surrounded the end of the series.  It has its place in recalling the history of a great show.

References 



Todd, A. (2011). Saying goodbye to friends: Fan culture as lived. The Journal of Popular
     Culture, 44(4), 854-871.

 Heroes & The Cult of Celebrity Analysis

 

 

There are many people that could be considered heroes in country music.  It’s usually someone that brings a new sound to the genre or attracts a greater number of new listeners.  In my opinion, Bill Monroe is one of the original heroes that comes to mind in country music. 

Bill Monroe is known as the father of Bluegrass music.  He formed a band called Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys.  They brought a new sound into the country music genre when they first appeared on The Grand Ole Opry in 1939.  As stated in Kim Ruehl’s online article, Blue Grass Music from Foggy Mountain Boys to Nickle Creek, “The original bluegrass band implemented elements of Gospel, work songs, folk music, country, and Blues music and showcased various types of vocal harmonies.”  Their popularity continued into the mid to late 1940s as they continued to top musical charts.  Their heavy use of the mandolin and their tenor voices is just a small part of what made up this unique sound.
 

 

I have long and hard thought and researched high and low to find an example of someone who represents a cult of celebrity in regards to country music and I’ve had no luck.  The closest I can come is to someone who appears to be doing some crazy things to bring attention to herself like a cult of celebrity.  Miley Cyrus is the person that comes to mind.  Her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, is a country music artist and actor, so she’s always been around the music and acting industry.  Miley has also already had her own success in music and acting as a child working on Disney Channel’s “Hanna Montana” show.  Now that she’s older, she’s trying to transition her image to a more mature one by doing outlandish things similar to unknown individuals trying to make themselves famous.  She has performed sexual looking acts with other male performers and people dressed in cartoon character costumes on awards shows.  She has also done what are nude photo ops for magazines to promote her new album.   It’s unfortunate because she is a very talented woman.

 References

Ruehl, K. (n.d) Bluegrass Music from Foggy Mountain Boys to Nickle Creek.  Retrieved December 6, 2013. http://folkmusic.about.com/od/historyoffolk/a/Blugrass_Histor.htm

Country Music Rituals and Stereotypes Analysis

When it comes to country music the ritual that stands out to me is when it comes to performing at the Grand Ole Opry.  The Grand Ole Opry began at the Ryman Auditorium, but when it became too old and small a new Opry was built.  To keep with tradition a 6 foot circle was cut from the stage at the Ryman Auditorium and installed at the new venue.  It’s a long standing ritual that performers stand in that circle when singing at the Opry.  It’s important for the performer to be reminded of all the historical country performers that have stood and performed in that same circle the decades and decades prior.  It’s also tradition to stand in that circle when a performer is invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry and most definitely on the night they become a member. 

The first thing that always comes to mind when thinking of stereotypes and country music is that old joke about what you get when you play a country song backwards.  You get your house, your dog, best friend, wife and your truck back.  People seem to think that country music is always about loss.  I think some of this may have come about because the depression and a war was going on during a time when country music was popular on the radio.  Given that country music is written to portray real life, I’m sure loss was a big part of that time period.

Many also think that country music is sung by illiterate drunks that push Christianity.  Many country musicians are conservative and members of the Republican Party, but not all.  Some think most country musicians are drunks because there are a lot of songs that talk about drinking.  Many popular country stars come from the south so they have that twang sound when they speak and sing and a lot of people associate the twang with the uneducated.  The truth is many of these artists have gone to college and have degrees.   

3 Contemporary Icons

I have chosen Aaron Spelling, the Smartphone and the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) as my three contemporary icons.  I have chosen Aaron Spelling because I believe that he is one of the greatest television producers who ever lived.  The Smartphone is a telephone with a mini portable computer.  Finally, the SUV is one of the most popular automobile choices. 

I consider Aaron Spelling an icon because he produced one of the first shows ever to showcase women as private investigators; Charlie’s Angels.  I grew up watching countless television shows he produced.  That is, when I was allowed to stay up late to watch them, which was normally during re-run season in the summer.  In his later years he began producing more teen friendly shows such as 90210 and 7th Heaven.  Due to the fact his career spanned several decades, he helped launch the careers of many actresses, such as Farrah Fawcett, Heather Locklear and most recently Jessica Biel who appeared on 7th Heaven.  

My second choice for a contemporary icon is the Smartphone.  I personally own a Smartphone: the iPhone.  It’s the first phone I’ve enjoyed since the Nokia seems to have lost the market share for cellphones.  You can download applications (apps) that let you listen to music, read the news and play games.  You can also use these phones to search the internet and send quick messages to your contacts without actually having to call them.  My favorite app is GasBuddy because I drive a long way to work and I’m always looking to find the cheapest gas possible on my way home.  Many people find themselves obsessed with their Smartphones and have a tough time focusing on the outside world because they are so busy checking it for updated emails, texts and even Facebook or Twitter notifications.

Lastly, I consider the SUV an icon because so many people can’t seem to live without them.  I happen to own a Subaru Forester, which I credit as being one of the things that kept me from being injured during a rollover accident.  I really like it because it handles great in the snow and wet weather, which is important to me given the miles I drive for work.  Many SUV owners complain about how much money they spend fueling them up, but can’t bring themselves to downsize.  They can’t live without the spaciousness of them and how well they see over most of the traffic when driving.  They also give owners an implied sense of security compared to compact cars.  I like my SUV so much, I’m on my second one.

What is Popular Culture?

Popular culture is all the material things and viewpoints you are exposed to, as you go through your daily life.  It’s the news on your TV as you ready yourself for work.  It’s listening to your favorite radio personalities that play your favorite music on your way to work.  It’s the type of computers or tools your employer provides you with to do your daily work.  It’s the food your employer chooses to provide in their cafeteria because they feel it’s what’s popular and most healthy according to the latest research.  It’s the fast food restaurant you chose to run to instead, because you’re a grownup and don’t need to be told what you should eat. 

Popular culture may also be the gas station you chose to buy your gas from, because as far as you know that company doesn’t have a history of an oil spill somewhere in the world.  It’s the detergent you use when doing dishes or laundry once you’re home, and the food you make for your family’s dinner.  It’s the television shows you watch to wind down at the end of the day.  It’s the medication you take before bed for what ails you and the toothpaste you use to keep healthy teeth.  And finally, popular culture is the sheets and blankets you have on your bed where you fall into a comfortable slumber for your next full day of pop culture surroundings.