What does The Wasteland mean (Lol)?
OK, well, let's unpack that:
1. How has it been interpreted? Use citations.
2. What are some of its key features?
3. In what ways has it been influential??
PoMo
1. What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named?
2. On what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended?
3. In what ways are Beat poetry and rap linked?
4. How was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
5. What were the links between black protest music and revolutionary political movements, such as the Black Panthers, in the 1960s and how did things play out then and into the 1970s?
6. Identity some linked themes in rap of the 1980s from the period of the previous questions.
5. What were the links between black protest music and revolutionary political movements, such as the Black Panthers, in the 1960s and how did things play out then and into the 1970s?
6. Identity some linked themes in rap of the 1980s from the period of the previous questions.
Modernism:
ReplyDeleteThe Wasteland means “The Burial of the Dead.” It takes its title from a line in the Anglican burial service and the poem compares the dead and the living. In the first part of the poem, the author takes a lot of readings from the Bible to embody knowledge from the past and to connect it with human spirit and human culture (Eliot, 1922, pg.205). The poem itself is about the celebration of culture, death of culture, and learning about the real world. This poem is very influential in modern literature because it captures real moments after the first world war.
Post-modernism:
ReplyDelete1. The Beat generation is a movement that was started by a group of authors whose work influenced American culture and politics in the post- war era. Some qualities that the authors had in common was they focused on trials that ultimately help to liberalize while also they usually show creativity among their writing. Their works expressed a lot of American culture. These authors were named the Beats because of this movement in this era.
2. Ginsberg’s work Howl is accused of being obscene for presenting a picture of a nightmare world for the readers of his poem. In his work, he protests people to cry against capitalism. An example in his text, “who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat” (Howl, 1956, pg.222). This sentence is very negative regarding the world. Ginsberg is describing that after the war, many people lived in poverty and the society became a world of depressing living. People experienced a lot of pain, suffering, and destruction after the war and his work pictures a lot of those same moments that many people faced. Ginsberg wanted society to be a peaceful place where everyone could come together and except each other so no more despair occurred in the world.
ReplyDelete3. Beat poetry and rap are linked because of American culture. Rap music is basically rhymes that are spoken at a fast beat. Many aspects of rap have been pointed out by politicians as “violence in lyrics and lifestyles of some rappers” (web. Stanford). Today, rap carries many inappropriate language and stories in which many people think that can relate to the artist. During when the world was happening many artists could have been affected by the society during that period.
ReplyDelete4. Bob Dylan’s song, Master of War, was written to protest the American government and military. It described the times of the war and what it was coming to. Dylan wanted people to read his poem and realize that war became a pointless act that was causing most of the worldly problems. As an example, in his poem he says, “you that never done nothing, but build to destroy” (Dylan, 1963, pg. 228). These two lines in the poem is Dylan’s way of criticizing the military and government that there only goal was to go to war.
ReplyDelete5. The black protest music was a great way to advertise change and allow colored people to be free of being enslaved and carry their own responsibilities. William Anderson argued in the pitchfork article that black Americans have been amongst the primary influencers of music culture (Anderson, 2015). African Americans produced music to be able to effectively communicate or protest the government. This movement led to more political movements and more genres of music.
ReplyDelete6. Some linked themes in rap of the 1980s was very much hip hop music. African-American rap lead to hip-hop music as well as breakdancing. Rap music is also closely linked to reggae music. This became well known after the drums were invented. Artists became good at expressing their feelings through the word of the songs in different genre of music.
7.
ReplyDelete- Green Day, American Idiot (2004)
- Gossip, Standing in the Way of Control (2005)
- Radiohead, Idioteque (2000)
- People today still try to find every avenue to protest the government. There are still songs being produced to arise problems to the world.
References:
Eliot, T.S. (1922) The Wasteland. London: Faber & Faber
https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/mediarace/socialsignificance.htm
Anderson, W. C., & Anderson, W. C. (2015, September 16). Sounds of Black Protest Then and Now. Retrieved from https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/898-sounds-of-black-protest-then-and-now/
MODERNISM
ReplyDelete3. In what ways has The Wasteland been influential?
T.S. Elliot's The Wasteland has been regarded as one of the most important modern poems. Its language, imagery, and structure brought about a new way of writing. Throughout the poem, he calls out the lost appreciation for high culture and fine arts. It is a criticism of the changing times and traditions in society. Its structure is very fragmented and scattered. This represents Elliot's view of the society crumbling and falling away from culture. He references many classic literature pieces which gives it an almost coded sense. Basic readers with no knowledge of classic literature would be lost as they read the poem. He also used a very complex structure to follow with imagery, character switches, and intentional fragmentation (www.humx.org). These aspects of his work are what makes it modern. It forces readers to be conscientious in order to follow the many transitions. It influenced protest movements against the modern problems such as war, industrialization, abortion, and urban life. However, all at the same time, the poem upholds literary tradition. Elliot was bold and addressed the problems he saw in culture at the time. He paved the way for many modernist artists to use their work as an outlet to express emotion and critiques.
POMO
ReplyDelete1. What qualities do the beats share? Why were they so named?
The Beat generation was named in order to represent the mindset of the post-war era. Beat was meant to represent the weariness of the post war generation. They were beat. It was a literary movement that included many young bohemian style artists. These artists advocated for nonconformity and social revolution (www.biography.com). Some of the notable names that defined the Beat generation includes Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti - just to name a few. These rebel artists alienated themselves from conventional society by what they wore, how they spoke, and how they behaved. They wore "seedy" clothing and used hip vocabulary. They each advocated for personal release and illumination through heightened sensory awareness. This could be induced by sex, drugs, jazz, or the disciplines of Buddhism (www.britannica.com). In addition, the Beat generation was known to be apolitical. Lastly, they sparked the practice of spoken word through reading poetry paired with jazz music.
3. In what ways are Beat poetry and rap linked?
ReplyDeleteThe Beatniks started the art of spoken word. They read their poems and writings with jazz music in the background. This was the first form of spoken word and paved the future road for rap music. Both Beat poetry and modern rap music follow a rhythmic beat and melody. They each express emotion and personal beliefs. Also, they both push social norms, especially Beat poetry. They criticize modern culture and push for forms of protest (www.the-artifice.com). Rap is pretty much spoken word just at a faster pace. Without the pushing of boundaries and limits that the Beatniks did through their poetry, the world might not have rap music today.
References
1. https://humx.org/modernism-and-the-waste-land-36fae9390498
2. https://www.britannica.com/art/Beat-movement
3. www.commdiginews.com
4. https://the-artifice.com/beat-generation-influence/
5. What were the links between black protest music and revolutionary political movements, such as the Black Panthers, in the 1960s and how did things play out then and into the 1970s?
ReplyDeleteThe 1960’s was an incredibly important time for Black Rights and the Civil Rights Movement of the time. With Martin Luther King Jr as the face of the Black Civil Right movements and the movements gaining worldwide attention, it was only expected that in stride with that was black protest music being created to empower black people and influence them to stand up and have their say. The two groups bounce off each other; some black protest music became anthems for Black Civil rights, others became associated with black civil rights movements and events.
Black protest music includes:
Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Web007rzSOI
Pete Seeger’s “We Shall Overcome” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhnPVP23rzo (this song has been covered by many artists since, such as Michael Jackson, Joan Baez, and Bruce Springsteen)
John Coltrane’s “Alabama” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saN1BwlxJxA
Chuck Berry’s “Promised Land” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK6MElklfvM
Bob Dylan’s “The Death of Emmett Till” and “Oxford Town” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjYD5PJVYkU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb4PsXncNV8
Mahalia Jackson’s “How I Got Over” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9iQUIwAgus
James Brown’s “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bJA6W9CqvE
The Black Civil Rights Movements in the 60’s didn’t end racism or discrimination towards black people, but it gave black people more opportunities to create protest music in the 70’s and 80’s, expressing themselves and saying their side of the story in history.
References:
https://www.axs.com/songs-of-the-civil-rights-movement-74297
6. Identity some linked themes in rap of the 1980s from the period of the previous questions.
The Civil Rights movement of the 60s gave way to the Black Power platform of the 70s; a more aggressive, less legislatively-focused shift. The Black Power generation gave voice to a frustrated generation of young African Americans who didn’t feel the need to give in to mainstream idealism about what it means to be black in America. Ten years into that collective mental shift gave way to the Hip-Hop generation; a generation of cool, politically aware, poverty stricken black people, mainly men, who turned poverty into creative outlet.
Hip-Hop in the 80s was a very aggressive, expressive, confrontational form of black voice that reached out to those oppressed by white America. Much of its contents is graphic and deals with serious issues and topics from the last few decades that shaped Hip-Hop. Raps include:
Run DMC’s “Proud To Be Black” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAeBW2EEuT0
Tupac’s “Words of Wisdom” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6mx3feZLF8
References:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hip-hop-a-child-of-the-civil-rights-movement_b_9039664
7. What kinda protest song/rap/other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
ReplyDeleteA big form of protest media that had become well known in mainstream media in the past decade is Slam poetry. Slam poetry is a form of spoken word poetry that is most impacting when you see the performance live, or at least in its entirety. Slam poetry is expressive and is visually compelling as the passion and intensity of the performers match the sensitive topic of discussion, making the messages and statistics within the poem more confronting. Both men and women can perform slam poetry, and there are a wide range of topics covered in slam poetry, including rape, inequality, body image, mental illness, and many other issues both men and women face nowadays that many deem to be less important issues.
Some examples of Slam poetry include:
“Perfect” by Maia Mayor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0HZZgxrmOU
“Rape Joke” by Belissa Escoloedo and Rhiannon McGavin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4m3AJamQYM
“The Truth About Being A Girl” by Aija Mayrock - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZM57oTu9Ng
“On Silence” by Nora Copper - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuE-D9wx-jU
“Letter To Your Flag” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJBo9jdUJiY
“Therapy Session” by Team Atlanta, 2015 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKLcwSDEix0
“Woman Card” by Jamiah Lincoln, Vanessa Tahay, Jessica Romoff, & Mila Cuda, 2016 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNAKKi43QVE
A lot of these examples are for female performers. This is not to say the there aren’t a lot of male slam poetry performers or that their content isn’t as important as female performers. I just have a personal preference for female slam poetry performers as I can relate to and empathise with their content easier. Both men and women have a lot of spirit and emotion in their performances, showing their audiences the reality of many in the same situations. These forms of protest are very confrontational in the sense that they clearly shine a light on issues in society that are swept under the rug or disregarded as important. I believe these are a very creative yet powerful form of protest and should be taken more seriously by many in society.
In what ways are Beat poetry and rap linked?
ReplyDeleteBeat poetry is the beginning of spoken word and was started by the ‘Beatniks’, “they took inspiration from jazz musicians, surrealists, metaphysical poets, visionary poets such as William Blake” (Poetry Foundation, n.d., para 2). Beat poetry is the musical antecedent of rap music, both following a rhythm. Rap can be socially and politically orientated (Cantor, 2017), very much like Beat poetry. The Beat Poet’s had something to say, not unlike rap music. They criticize modern culture and protest. Without the pushing of boundaries and limits that the Beatniks did through their new kind of poetry, the world might not have the same rap music we know today.
What qualities do the “Beats” share? Why are they so named?
Beat Poetry emerged following the conclusion of WWII. The Cold War was quickly ended and this created a cultural and political repression in America. “The Beats formed as a sort of rebellion against the cheery lifestyles of their fellow citizens and against World War II in general. They began to question conventional traditions and politics” (Chastain, 2014, para 2). They protested against conformity and the institutionalized ‘American values’. “The ‘Beatniks’ became concerned with changing perception and defying unadventurous writing, as well as battling against social conformity and working towards expressing emotions in a new and exciting way,” (Chastain, 2014, para 2). “They became known as the Beat Poets––a name that evokes weariness, down-and-outness, the beat under a piece of music, and beatific spirituality” (Poetry Foundation, n.d., para 1).
Cantor, M (2017, October 21). Bert Williams, Beat Poetry, and the Jazz Antecedents of Rap. Communities Digital News. Retrieved from https://www.commdiginews.com/
Chastain, E.(2014, May 22). A “Beat” Generation: Influence and Knowledge from the Masters. The Artifice. Retrieved from https://the-artifice.com/
Poetry Foundation. (n.d.). An Introduction to the Beat Poets. Retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/147552/an-introduction-to-the-beat-poets
How was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
ReplyDeleteWrittin in 1963 as a protest against the Cold War nuclear arms build up, Masters of War (Dylan, 1963) is arguably one of the most famous protest songs of all time (Hentoff, 1963). There was no subtlety to Bob Dylan’s lyrics as he sings “I hope you die.” "Come you masters of war, you that build the big guns," Dylan begins slowly: "You that build the death planes / You that build the big bombs." "Not even Jesus would forgive what you do," (Marcus, 2014, para 3). In November 2002, when George W. Bush made plain his intent to launch a second Iraq war, Bob Dylan appeared in Madison Square Garden and offered Masters of War (Dylan, 1963), 40 years after the song was originally released. The song re-gained a lot of traction with a new generation, and so two years later in 2004 when Bush was battling for presidency, Dylan offered the song once more, on election night (Marcus, 2014). The very next day a group of students from Boulder High School in Colorado formed a band and entered in their school’s talent show. The group, who auditioned with a rendition of Masters of War (Dylan, 1963), not only made it into the show but were also scheduled to be the last act. Another student reportedly heard the group singing “Die, Bush, Die,” (Marcus, 2014, para 18). This news got out to the media and the story was on talk show television. The Secret Service actually arrived at the school and took the lyrics for Masters of War. “It became clear that, beyond new wars, what has kept the song alive is its melody, and its vehemence: that final "I hope that you die," (Marcus, 2014, para 25).
Dylan, B. (1963). The Freewheeling Bob Dylan. US: Special Rider Music.
Hentoff, N (1963). The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (Media notes). Bob Dylan. New York: Columbia Records.
Marcus, G.(2006). Stories of a Bad Song. The Threepenny Review. Retrieved from https://www.threepennyreview.com
Modernism:
ReplyDeleteIt means “Burial of the Dead”, the text is presented in first person. The use of personal pronouns throughout the poem shows a lack of an omnipresent being thereby supporting the Modernist idea that there is no God. This point of view also glorifies the significance of the individual.
Post-Modernism
1. What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named?
Beat movement, also called Beat Generation, American social and literary movement originating in the 1950s.
2. On what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended?
Howl is a long poem split into three parts and is Ginsberg’s most controversial work. It came to be associated with the group of writers known as the Beat Generation. The poem is full of people and place, music, suicides, sex, madness, drugs and unusual language. Howl contains many references to illicit drugs and sexual practices, both heterosexual and homosexual. On the basis of one line in particular “who let themselves to be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy”. Upon the poem’s release, Ferlinghetti and the bookstore’s manager, shigeyoshi Murao, were charged with disseminating obscene literature, and both were arrested.
3. In what ways are Beat poetry and rap linked?
It rhymes, often internally between beat poetry and rap.
4.How was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
“Masters of War” was written by Bob Dylan in late 1962 and early 1963. The focus of the song is a protest against the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis that was happening during the early 1960’s.
7. What kinda protest song/rap/other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
Rap/song: “To Pimp A Butterfly”, Kendrick Lamar, 2015
“Lil Wayne”, Georgia Bush
Reference:
ReplyDeleteIvey, R., & Ivey, R. (2016, September 05). Modernism in T.S.Eliot's The Waste Land. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@LondonIvey/modernism-in-t-s-eliots-the-waste-land-4c8b56cc7f9d
Britannica, T. E. (2019, February 27). Beat movement. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/Beat-movement
Howl. (2019, May 24). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HowlAnalysis of
Masters of War, by Bob Dylan Essay. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Analysis-of-Masters-of-War-by-Bob-PKWQP2ZVJ
Leah, R. (2017, November 30). The 25 best hip-hop protest songs ever. Retrieved from https://www.salon.com/2017/10/28/the-25-best-hip-hop-protest-songs-ever/
Modernism
ReplyDelete1. How has it been interpreted? Use citations.
The definition of the ‘waste land’ word itself is ‘barren or uncultivated land’, ‘an ugly often devastated or barely inhabitable place or area’, and ‘something that is spiritually and emotionally arid and unsatisfying’ (Merriam Webster Dictionary, n.d.).
Menand (1987) stated that “All the difficulties with the late-nineteenth-century idea of style seem to be summed up in The Waste Land” (Menand, 1987, p. 214). In the late-nineteenth-century, as the United States (US)’ industrial power has emerged, the economy in the US has also rapidly grown (Irwin, 2000). However, Library of Congress (n.d.) stated that “Noise, traffic jams, slums, air pollution, and sanitation and health problems became commonplace” in the period between year 1880 to 1900 (Library of Congress, n.d.). Moreover, the immigrants from different countries have come to the US at that time. Therefore, irrational racism has leaded to conflicts between people. Since the waste land has been published in 1922, which was the few years after the World War I and few years before the Great Depression, many scholars has been interpreted that in this text, the ‘waste land’ is the window dressed US that filled with froths. In addition, as can be inferred in these lines:
“PHLEBAS the Phoenician, a fortnight dead,
Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep seas swell
And the profit and loss”
(Eliot, 1922, p. 202, L 313-315)
The body was even not buried by anyone. And the last line which expressed as “Shantih, shantih, shantih” means “inner peace” in Sanskrit. Eliot wanted to get away from the mental infertility.
This comment has been removed by the author.
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ReplyDeletePoMo
ReplyDelete1. What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named?
After the World War II, the movement started by a group of musicians and authors and they have influenced American culture and politics. “Beats” oppose the social issues such as racism, government issues, and sexism et cetera. Also they are heavily influenced by Jazz artists such as “Billy Holiday”. Moreover, most of them were used drugs. The reason why they were named as “Beats” is because Kerouac introduced the phrase "Beat Generation" in 1948 to characterize a perceived underground, anti-conformist youth movement in New York.
3. In what ways are Beat poetry and rap linked?
According to Wordup 411 (Sep 1, 2017), raps’ focus is on the rhythm, rhyme, and musicality whereas poetry is based on word flow and rhyme alone (Wordup 411, 2017). However, the similarities are overweighing the difference. As Beat poetry directly expresses the things which are not encouraged to say and the instinctive feelings, the rap does so. Also, if you try to read Beat poetry, you can feel the beat and rhythm although there isn’t any sound. The criticism on the government is the common topic for both Beat poetry and rap.
7. What kinda protest song/rap/other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
Of course the protest is happened everywhere and even more seriously because nowadays, killing somebody without suitable reason is unnecessary. You can’t kill somebody with the reason that one musician has criticized the society with slangs and bad words. Modern society is more lenient than the past. If you analyze the Childish Gambino’s “This is America” lyrics which was released last year, you can find out the people’s stereotypes of black musicians are going crazy if something is related to the money through these lines:
“We just want the money/ Money is just for you”, “Grandma told me/ Get your money black man”, “America, I just checked my following list and/ You go tell somebody/ You mother- owe me”, “You just a black man in this world/ You just a barcode ayy”
And the most impressive line is this one:
“This is a celly/ That’s a tool/ On my Kodak”
This line is interpreted as the “Stephon Clark shooting”. On March 18, 2018, a 22-year-old black American man Stephon Clark was shot and killed by the police men who were searching for the robber because they thought he was the robber and the cell phone that he held was a gun. This was the tragic incident that showed the racism towards black people is still prevalent although it has been a while since Emancipation Proclamation had happened.
References:
ReplyDeleteCantor, M. (2017, October 22). Bert Williams, Beat Poetry, and the Jazz Antecedents of Rap. Retrieved from https://www.commdiginews.com/entertainment/bert-williams-beat-poetry-jazz-antecedents-rap-95154/
Eliot, T.S. (1922). The Wasteland. London: Faber & Faber
Irwin, A.D. (2000). TARIFFS AND GROWTH IN LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY AMERICA. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w7639
Levenson, M. (1984). A Genealogy of Modernism: A study of English literary
doctrine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Menand, L. (1987). Discovering Modernism: T.S. Eliot and His Context. Oxford University Press
The Library of Congress. (n.d.). City Life in the Late 19th Century - American Memory Timeline- Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/city/
The Waste Land. (2019, June 4). Retrieved June 4, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Waste_Land
Wordup 411. (2017, September 1). What is the Difference Between Spoken Word Poetry, Rap and Poetry? Retrieved from https://wordup411ng.com/what-is-the-difference-between-spoken-word-poetry-rap-and-poetry/
1. What common qualities do the "Beats" share? Why were they so-named?
ReplyDeleteThe common qualities of the “Beats” were that they expressed their alienation from society by adopting uniform style of “seedy” dress, manners, and vocabulary borrowed from jazz musicians. The Beat culture started in the Bohemian quarters of New York Greenwich village, San Francisco’s North Beach in the 1940s/50s. It linked young people by friendship belonging to the Post-war generation. This culture went against the mainstream, with drug usage and sexual freedom that helped to characterize the Beats.
It started as a social protest right after the post-war years, and its role as an artistic revolt was important. The Beat culture embraced the term as a feeling of being vulnerable, poor, excluded, and this culture allowed them to have deeper existential insight.
Beat-artno. (2019). Beat Culture. Retrieved 28 May, 2019, from http://www.beat-art.no/en/kultur.htm
Mtholyokeedu. (n.d.). Beat Culture: A Later Manifestation of Bohemia. Retrieved 28 May, 2019, from https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255-s01/boheme/beat.html
2. On what grounds was Ginsberg's HOWL accused of being obscene, and on what grounds was it defended?
ReplyDeleteThe HOWL poem is in three sections by Allen Ginsberg, first published in 1956. A footnote was later added that was considered the first poetic expression of the Beat generation in the 1950s. HOWL explains the failings and weaknesses of American society, with a combination of lamentation and vision. It starts with “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix” (Ginsberg, Howl).
It was praised by some for having chanting rhythms and raw emotion, while also being unashamed celebration and critique of masculinity. It landed Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the publisher, in court for distributing obscene material.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2014). Howl. Retrieved 27 May 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Howl-poem-by-Ginsberg
4. How was Bob Dylan's song Master of War involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
ReplyDelete“Masters of War” was recorded in New York in 1963, and is frequently mistaken for an anti-war song because it “was speaking against what Eisenhower was calling a military industrial complex as he was making his exit from the presidency. That spirit was in the air, and I picked it up” (Gundersen 2001, USA Today). The song targets those who want create the need for war to take place, and voices his opposition to that. The song is not supposed to be against war but more of pacifistic.
Benno Schlachter. (2012). "Bob Dylan: Masters of War". Retrieved 28 May 2019, from http://benno-drums.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Bob-Dylan-Masters-of-War-----Benno-Schlachter-2012.pdf
Wikipedia. (2019). Masters of War. Retrieved 28 May, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_War
5. What were the links between black protest music and revolutionary political movements, such as the Black Panthers, in the 1960s and how did things play out then and into the 1970s?
The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 in California, by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. The original purpose of the Black Panthers was to help protect African American neighbourhoods from police brutality. African Americans living in North America suffered from social and economic inequality, where violence, joblessness, and poor living conditions were seen. James Brown was just one of many who had an impact on spreading the pride of black power, seen during his 1969 appearance on Hugh Hefner’s “Playboy After Dark.” He performed “Say it loud- I’m Black and I’m Proud,” in front of a white audience, and used his platform to create Black Panther Party influenced protest songs during the 60’s and 70’s. Nina Simone was another who joined the movement by challenging her predominantly white audiences, such as by saying, “This next song is only for the black people that are here.” Elaine Brown and the funk band Lumpen wrote songs such as “Until We’re Free” and “Free Bobby Now,” and Brown also served in the party in the 70’s.
In the 70’s the FBI starts to get involved in the Black Panther Party by forging letters to members of the Party, particularly Eldridge Cleaver, convincing him that the Party was trying to remove him from his leadership role, and the Party was eventually torn apart. Bobby Seale then resigned from the party and by the 80’s attacks on the Party caused degradation within the party.
Steve kemple. (2016). Medium. Retrieved 28 May, 2019, from https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/workers/black-panthers/
Grammys. (2019.) Inside Music & The Black Panther Party. Retrieved 28 May 2019, from https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/pride-music-soundtrack-black-panther-party
Duncan, A., Garrett. (2018). Black Panther Party. Retrieved 28 May 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Panther-Party
7. What kinda protest song/rap/other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
ReplyDeleteBeyonce had a Black Panther- inspired ensemble at the 60th Grammy Awards, to celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the Black Panther Party where her and her backup dancers wore all black and berets. Another example is Tupac Shakur’s “Panther Power” that was released in 2003 but us still popular today.
Open Mike Eagle- Happy Wasteland Day is a song that alludes to police brutality in the United States.
Jay-Z- The Story of O.J- explains what it means to be black in America and that race can separate one from success. And the music video is a cartoon style from the 30/40’s, reframing racist caricatures in the context of his ruminations on race.
Grammys. (2019.) Inside Music & The Black Panther Party. Retrieved 28 May 2019, from https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/pride-music-soundtrack-black-panther-party
Stubblebine, Allison, Kelley, Caitlin. (2017). Top 20 Protest Songs of 2017: Billboard Staff Picks . Retrieved 28 May 2019, from https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8063598/best-protest-songs-of-2017-top-20