We brought up some interesting points:
The texts we read do not necessarily take an authentic look at Punk. Sometimes meaning is attributed where no meaning exists
We spent a a fair amount of time talking about politics and how they relate to punks, celebrities, and people with public acclaim.
We tried to decipher the role of music in all of this. Are punks trying to enact social change?
We attempted to take on a definition of mass media, citing social media as falling under that umbrella. When discussing the media, we tried to figure out who really has control over our culture. Technology is shortening our attention spans but does that necessarily make us susceptible to mass media control?
We definitely saw how cultural changes are happening all over the world, faster than ever, and how that may have something to to do with population growth.
Oh and we watched the Gangnam Style video, which had something to do with all of this.
Dr. K gave us some clues as to how to engage with the texts and really make strong arguments regarding the authors' claims.
Here is the link to the 60 minutes video about punk from the late 70's. I find this to be a useful example of mass media portayal of subculture. Hebdige incorporation anyone?
CBGB on 60 minutes from late 70's
Also the following text from Kurt Cobain's suicide note gives us a very personal look into the grunge scene, which we did not get to talk about much.
"All the warnings from the punk rock 101 courses over the years, since my first introduction to the, shall we say, ethics involved with independence and the embracement of your community has proven to be very true. "
"The fact is, I can't fool you, any one of you. It simply isn't fair to you or me. The worst crime I can think of would be to rip people off by faking it and pretending as if I'm having 100% fun. Sometimes I feel as if I should have a punch-in time clock before I walk out on stage. I've tried everything within my power to appreciate it"
"I have it good, very good, and I'm grateful, but since the age of seven, I've become hateful towards all humans in general. Only because it seems so easy for people to get along that have empathy"
Those excerpts from the note definitely make you think about what punk, grunge, and the music is all about.
That's just about all I can think. If there was something itching you in class and you didn't have a chance to say it, we'd love to read/hear/see it.
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