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Mike Cartier
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Culture through the Decades: Improving our Generation
June 17, 2003 - 10:41 AM
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When looking at the last century I see several important changes. On the one hand, I have seen an amazing amount of improvement and reform, in the areas of globalization, education, multi-nationalism, as well as gender and racial rights.
However, I have noticed some detrimental things as well. Society as a whole has begun to turn more negative, and has lost the sense of innocence and optimism that it had before. In many people, primarily youth, I have noticed a lack of courtesy, respect, manners, and hope for the future, that had been so vivid before. It is reflected in obscene movies, violent video games, and most disturbing, music. The music industry has progressively grown more negative, with constant swearing, yelling, and general anger in its songs. Even though many of these songs express what is actually going on in the world, the impact of the lyrics that many of these songs has, is devastating to a young persons view on the world. Keep in mind that when I talk about the earlier decades, I am talking pre-1960, before the Vietnam War.
The music and attitudes found in the first half of the 20th century were much more positive. Artists like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Bing Crosby, and Tony Bennett were among the most popular, and had a very positive impact on society.
Remember that young people have always seen performing artists as role models, because of their high visibility, and the character that these artists display, is often used as a blueprint for their own behavior.
My goal is not to eliminate other forms of music, but to create a more positive focus within society. However, I do think that many songs should be censored, to an extent, particularly when those songs encouraging rape, murder, and drugs. Nevertheless, my idea is about building, not destroying.
When I have spoken with older people on this subject, they have noticed a drastic change between the optimism and values of their youth, and that of today. It is evidenced by the incredible rise in drug use and suicide rates. Depression is rampant, and we need to save our generation from the apathy that affects so many.
However, all of these things, are things that we, as a new generation, have the power to change. Here are just a couple ways I think we can revive the happiness of the earlier decades, without recreating past mistakes:
1. The media is extremely powerful when it comes to social reform. By contracting with Radio, Movie, and Television companies to start airing programs that reflect common values and joy, we can help to affect millions to become happier, better people.
2. The way people live reflects their values and ideals. By contracting with stores, construction companies, and manufacturing corporations, we can help to create positive change in people's daily lives. For example, we could encourage the construction of houses and neighborhoods that are built in a way that encourages interaction with other family members and neighbors. This will create stronger ties within communities.
I would love to hear your comments and ideas, so please, feel free to post them. Thank you for your support.
Michael Cartier
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Mike Cartier
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Celebration!
June 17, 2003 - 02:17 AM
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I see what you are saying about the music being mass produced. Profits can get in the way of good music sometimes. I don't object to the songs you are quoting. I am referring to those that are promoting hate, violence, and the degrading of women. You don't have to be offensive to have a message. It's particularly concerning when you think of little 5 or 6-year-old kids hearing these messages from their older siblings rooms.
I don't romantisize the 50's because I am clear about the problems that existed at that time. I just don't think that we have to get rid of the good in the process of eliminating the bad. We tend to go from one extreme to the other in this world. I'm saying that there can be a middle ground.
By the way, there is an interesting experiment in the type of neighborhood I mentioned; it's done by Disney (of all people!). The town is called Celebration, Florida
http://www.celebrationfl.com/index.html
There are other communities around the country trying similar projects. Apparently there is a rising group of people, who feel a need to live in and raise families in a more old-fashioned type of neighborhood.
Michael Cartier
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Luke Lieberman
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Re: Culture through the Decades: Improving our Generation
June 17, 2003 - 05:07 AM
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I agree with you there Mike.
I think the corporate take over of music was accompanied by corporate morals. The bottomline he become more important than the messege of the music.
Here we are gwtting into capatalism - so long as they can sell this stuff companies will make it.
If I can point fingers I might look to gansta rap. Some Rap is meaningful, but most of it isn't and glorifies all those points in our culture that are really weaknesses.
Ideally I would like to see a little less romantacism of being a criminal.
Heavy metal is just noise to me - I can't even understand what they are saying.
Anger is not wrong in music per-se - take Rage Against Machine - they have a political messege and are expressing their discontent through music - nothing wrong with that - but meaningless inflamitory rhetoric used as a marketing tool is not helpful.
Ultimately music in the first half of the century was very apolitical - it didn't really have a messege and I think there it missed one of the true callings for music as an artform.
The angry music you are refering to today is also apolitical - apolitical and angry - unless you can consider anarchy a political position.
That is why - in my opinion - the Renaissance of music in this country was actually during the Vietnam war - when it was brilliantly written - often as a peaceful form of political protest.
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Ha Thi Lan Anh
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for now
June 17, 2003 - 11:30 AM
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Just wanna make one point that is when you talk about music or any kind of arts, you should keep in mind that arts reflect not only its author inspirations/thoughts/messages but also life and society during the periods in which they lived.
So i think when you compare or judge, you should keep in mind the social backgrounds and historical contexts.
I agree that musical messages can influence society significantly. But i think it is more obvious that music, like you said, reflect reality of whats going in the world, in another world musical messages are result of a society and system before they influence back to that society and system.
Hence i dont think we should criticize music,artist if they had more yelling,swearing,negatives messages.But we should rather analyse the systems and societies that dont make them feel positive enough to create positive messages.
Some music are about stars,romance, hope and life. Others are about hell,anger, depression,death.They are all faces of life. Emotions are not something that can be forced.
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Ha Thi Lan Anh
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correction
June 17, 2003 - 11:33 AM
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*in another word*
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asdf
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Re: Culture through the Decades: Improving our Generation
June 17, 2003 - 11:38 AM
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I think, crudely, that all things are as they are for definite reasons, however obscure or understandable, and that our societies progress through waves of change.
Though I have not been on this planet for long, I have a rather engaged and vivid recollection of the pop-culture days of the early 90s, 80s to an extent, and of course today as a nineteen year old male in the midst of this apathetic cultural 'revolution'.
I do agree that people's attitudes may have shifted, in a very general and overarching sense, but not to the point that people are really so different than at other points in time.
Maybe it's my political science background, but I believe the cynicism and absense of optimism characterised through many youth is directly related to political realities, to a very large extent. The amazing improvements and reforms you cited, in globalization, education, multi-nationalism and gender and racial rights are overshadowed by injustice and legitimized powerlessness never before attainable had such changes not taken place. Prosperity has increased, but only for those in urban centers, connected to those receiving the wealth.
I think that what's reflected in the media has shifted, but by and large the music scene, club to club, bar to bar, has not changed nearly as greately, though it certainly has adapted to new realities.
Depression is rampant, but I don't think statistics support increased suicide and drug use. Maybe I'm wrong here though. In Canada rates have dropped (I believe) and I thought I heard similar realities in the US. In the least developed parts of the world, we can be sure, drug use has and will not increase in our immediate future:|
Change is needed, I agree. But I believe that the best route to the change the majority of common folk would like to see sooner than later depends upon a sustained effort to restore the integrity, honesty and accountability to our political processes, where elected representative truely act in people's interests, coupled with greater investment in social infrastructure and communities, and support for those leading the change we'd all like.
With the degree of complacency and lack of understanding most people have in North America, it will be intesting to see just how our social climate shapes up.
Of course, recently the FCC voted to loosen up laws restricting air-wave ownership, meaning the big few owning the media landscape will soon merge and exert greater control of what America sees and hears. Assuming this is used for the best, affording air-time for socially 'benefical and cohesive' programming as was suggested, it will be difficult to tell what's worse: a heavily restricted and monopolistic information and media landscape (which is integral to both democracy and people's daily lives beyond democracy) or a state-run national 'morale-boosting' hour keeping people grounded in the principles and attitudes we believe they should embody.
In Canada things are not quite at that point and there is significant opposition, at least now. I wonder, though, what the rest of world faces with respect to issues like the ones in these few posts...?
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Ha Thi Lan Anh
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one question
June 17, 2003 - 12:01 PM
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Originally posted by Cartier2028
By contracting with stores, construction companies, and manufacturing corporations, we can help to create positive change in people's daily lives. For example, we could encourage the construction of houses and neighborhoods that are built in a way that encourages interaction with other family members and neighbors.
it sounds nice to me.
However, i'm wondering how practical is it? Have you thought of how you can make this idea possible in your country? I may be wrong but as far as i experience in US, people just go and find closed apartments in buidlings and they rarely communicate with their neighbours.They even find this convenient, except for the old people who live alone.Their busy life may not make them feel like living in sort of village-like departments with too surrounded neighbours.
SO im just wondering how practical it is.
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Ha Thi Lan Anh
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Re: Culture through the Decades: Improving our Generation
June 17, 2003 - 12:57 PM
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moreover, ur idea reminds me of my childhood time. I lived in a department for 10 years and its quite similar to what you said. People share same lobbies,same gardens and becuz of that there are loz of interactions.We have something like umm 35 families in one building and everyone, kids and adults know one another so well.All special occasions, holidays are celebrated together.Its really awesome.
But on the other hand, there are a lot of troubles too. As always, conflicts are inevitable. And a lot of headaches too after offices.You wouldnt believe it, but meeting people for 24 hours could make you really close to those people but also sometimes make you feel bored and tired.
so im particularly interested in ur plan on building new kind of houses and neighbourhoods that allow community interaction but also dont make people feel more stress after office hours.
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Luke Lieberman
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Re: Culture through the Decades: Improving our Generation
June 17, 2003 - 12:58 PM
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Mike - you obviously have a romantacism about the 50's.
The problem with art in the first half of the century is that it was so often anti-septic - bubble-gum bands playing "When Jonny met Sally" ect. It was totally inoffensive so it was about nothing.
To see the progress in music the Beatles are a wonderful example - they started off wearing sweaters and ties, with close-cropped, well combed hair - then by the 70's were full fledged hippies.
Their music was better in the latter half. "Imagine" and "Hey Jude" and "Revolution" were better songs than "I say Hello and you say Goodbye" or "I love you yeah, yeah, yeah"
Their early stuff was boring and repetative. I love Sinatra but the 60's was a much stronger, more expressive decade musically speaking - Rock and Roll was born, Elvis, The Beatles, Hendrix and Zepplin and Flyod and The Rolling Stones, Dylan, Jopplin, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Aritha Franklin, Dizzy Gelespie, Astrud Gilberto, Stan Getz, Grover Cleveland, Muddy Waters - Many of the greatest Rock and Roll AND Jazz and Blues mucisians are from the 60's and early 70's.
When Music really went down hill - in my opinion, wasthe late 70's and the 80's when corporations discovered that popular music could be manufactured like a clothing line.
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Mr Abacus
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Re: The Past, The Present, The Future
June 18, 2003 - 06:48 AM
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Originally posted by Cartier2028
My goal is not to eliminate other forms of music, but to create a more positive focus within society. However, I do think that many songs should be censored, to an extent, particularly when those songs encouraging rape, murder, and drugs. Nevertheless, my idea is about building, not destroying.
You say that songs now days promote these things and i ask you what songs you are refering to?
If you say Rape Me by Nirvana i would have to say thats just wrong because Kurt Cobain wrote that about girls being raped and its was made to be sarcastic not to say hey kids go rape some one.
And i have heard songs about drugs but most are about how they f**ck up your life. Listen to some of the stuff by the chili peppers who sing about how drugs turn your life to crap.
And honestly i havent heard any songs that encourage murder and if there are songs like that its probably just a commercial pop punk band trying to become instantly rich.
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Mila
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Re: Culture through the Decades: Improving our Generation
July 4, 2003 - 09:48 AM
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Hi! Micheal - you have interesting ideas...however, I would venture to say that violent movies, video games and music are created and distributed all over the world. Perhaps I'm drawing a bit from Bowling for Columbine, but it's true that many other countries have much less violence and other destructive incidents even though their kids drink, play violent video games and watch bloody movies.
I have immigrated to this country a while ago, but I can say that my perspective has greatly changed from thinking that this is the idealistic land of the free to...well...perhaps not. However, problems exist anywhere and we tend to want what we can't or don't have. So while yes, the media has been a little over the top with the explicit content, but that includes even the news!!! And I agree that optimism and innocence has been lost , although that phrase deserves a seperate discussion post altogether!
I think there are much more fundamental issues that we , as the next generation(s), have to face and try to change. It goes much deeper than music and even in some ways, activism.
Anyway, I look forward to your replies and I salute you for all the work that you've done.
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Polly Withington
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Re: Culture through the Decades: Improving our Generation
July 22, 2003 - 11:20 AM
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Cultural Diversity
Wow, cartier2028
How old are you?? Well done. It is very refreshing to see young people such as yourself with such a strong and clear vision about what they believe. Keep up the great work!!
I agree with you about how our society today is influenced by role models, whether these be sport, music or acting. Our children today seem to be caught up in some kind of idolatry, which is really what it is. Parents, teachers, families don't matter anymore simply because that is not the trends run. We are all influenced by them. Just look at the post-war generations. The teachers were dressing like the boogies and woodgies so as get on the same wave length if you like, in order to teach...(sigh)
I don't believe that there are any cut and dry answers for anything, but It would be wrong to sit back and do nothing. I hear what you say; if only it was that simple. So you just keep on keeping on....all the best in spreading the good news!!
Polly (Bookmark- New Zealand)
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