Our Culture Is Lacking Authenticity

As sad as it is, I honestly do not think our culture has anything authentic. I don’t think our generation has anything that we can call our own. I think this is because of corporate sponsorship and the fact that the media has pretty much taken over our lives. Everywhere we look there are advertisements that are constantly telling us what is “cool” and accepted. They tell us what to buy to fit in. While I do believe that everyone is unique in their personality, I do believe that this significant role of the media has led to conformity and less individuality. We are all more alike because we all buy the same things that are shown through the media. Advertisements infiltrate our daily lives so much that it becomes hard to ignore them, and when we have to make a choice of what to buy, we buy what we have seen advertised. I think this has led to our culture becoming so brand and label conscious. I think it is sad but very realistic that our culture doesn’t have anything unique to it. Almost everything starts out as “unique” but then becomes mainstream and for everyone. For example, the clown band in the movie we watched in class was unique because it was only for people who would listen to their live concerts. The band definitely prided themselves on this, but eventually sold out to a music label. I think the fact that our generation doesn’t have anything unique matters to me because it shows how we are losing a sense of identity and we are all conforming to what the media tells us to be, which is really unfortunate.

Why do we listen to others?

I definately think the statement, "It's a shame that the people who are listening to you the most are only interested in you because they want you and your peers to buy their product" is true today. It's sad, but this statement is definitely valid. People today listen to others usually for their own personal gain. They are looking for something to get out of it that will help them, and they usually don't just listen to listen. I think this definitely shows in advertising companies. They listen to what consumers say so they know what works and what doesn't. They need to know which of their marketing techniques lure consumers to buy their products so they can ultimately use them to make more money. This is also shown in other aspects of life, such as when teenagers only listen to their parents before they tell them they want money for something or that they broke their cell phone and need a new one. We interact with others for a personal gain, not just to be nice.

A Place in This World

It's really hard to choose my favorite Taylor Swift song, but I would have to say it is "Teardrops on my Guitar."

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/taylorswift/teardropsonmyguitar.html

In this song, Taylor Swift is writing about how she is heartbroken over her ex-boyfriend. She sees him walking by with another girl and just pretends like everything is okay and she is fine, but she really sits up looking at his picture all night crying over him. She puts on a front to look like she is okay and that she is happy for him.

I had never really considered the lyrics to this song. I'm not sure why they resonate with me, maybe because something like this has never happened to me, but it might be because I've seen friends get their hearts broken by guys and they just act like they are okay even if they aren't because that's what they think he wants to see. After considering the lyrics, I think Taylor Swift is suggesting that all guys are heart breakers like this and that guys are insensitive. She says, "Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he can't see that I want and I'm needing everything we can't be." I don't really identify with these lyrics. Most of her songs are about her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and how she is so heartbroken, and that is not the position I am in, so I'm not sure why I identify with the song.

Thinking about the lyrics even more, I actually think they send a bad message to girls in a way. She talks about how she just stays up all night crying over a guy and puts on a false front around him, so she is kind of encouraging girls to do this. She isn't suggesting that girls should go out and get over their exes, or that girls don't need a guy or that girls can be independent. She's basically saying it's okay to sit home and cry and be fake around a guy, which I don't agree with. I understand this happens sometimes, but I got the impression that she cries over him a lot, because she says, "So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light, I'll put his picture down and maybe get some sleep tonight," implying that many other nights she hasn't slept because she has been up crying over him.

Taylor Swift

For my CD project, I researched Taylor Swift. She is a relatively new artist, since 2006, and has only made one CD so far. Most of her songs are about her relationship with her ex-boyfriend. She writes about her anger towards him and how he just walked right out of her life with another girl.
I think that in a way, her lyrics represent one value of our generation. I think we are starting to value short term commitments and promiscuity. I think that celebrities these days send the message to teens that it's okay to be promiscuous. It's not uncommon for people to have short relationships or casual, "no strings attached" relationships. I think Taylor Swift shows through her lyrics that she has anger towards her ex-boyfriend for leaving her for another girl. Taylor Swift's emotions show that these things are wrote and hurtful, but they still happen in today's society. Although she is talking solely about her ex-boyfriend, it is a universal appeal to all girls who have gone through that, and she's showing how girls feel in those situations. She doesn't write about any of our generation's other values, such as beauty or materialism.
I think that through her image, she represents society's "ideal" girl because she is young, pretty, and famous. She also gives off the wholesome girl image through her charity work. She started a foundation to protect kids from online predators. I think she represents our generation's value of giving to charity and safety.

How to Become Famous Hasn't Changed

The seemingly revolutionary way that Colonel Parker, Elvis' manager, used to make him a star is the same manner that most stars use to become famous today. He first decided to promote Elvis' sexuality. Elvis' infamous gyrating of the hips was considered dirty and some cities banned his dancing and performances. He was seen as a player and knew that a relationship would be detrimental to his image, and ultimately his career. Many stars today capitalize on their sexuality to become famous. For example, Paris Hilton first became famous because of her leaked sex tape. Additionally, many stars today give the impression that they do not want to settle down or have a serious relationship when they are always seen at clubs with different people and are romantically/sexually linked to many others. Many singers dance a lot more sexually than Elvis' gyrating hips-- Elvis seems modest compared to many stars today! Next, Elvis' manager started a new business/Elvis brand name. They sold different kinds of Elvis merchandise. This is still prevalent today where countless stars, including Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, etc. have made their own perfume lines. Many have also made clothing lines and sold other merchandise. The way Elvis became famous in the 1950s is still the same way that many stars today become famous. The sexuality is much more extreme today but it is based on the same idea.

Spice Up Your Life

My first favorite group was the Spice Girls. I was 9 years old and in 4th grade. I remember wanting to go to their concert really badly but we couldn't get tickets. I remember one of my friends went and I was really jealous because she said it was the best concert ever. I liked the Spice Girls' music because it is very fun, energetic, and upbeat. The songs are very catchy and easy to sing and dance to. At the time, the Spice Girls seemed like role models because they were very trendy, pretty, and famous. I think so many people liked the Spice Girls because each Spice Girl represented a different kind of person and almost everyone could relate to one. My favorite was Sporty Spice because I was very into sports and this point in my life basically revolved around playing travel soccer and basketball. I still love the song "Wannabe" and it's important to me because it brings back many memories from elementary school and camp.