Recently in Diversity with a Twist Category
You might think that the pan-global economy and culture would be dangerous for minority languages, but here's an interesting article that claims that some speakers are looking back to their roots as a way to resist globalization.
That is, the more the culture becomes "Standardized", the more people are looking for ways to create regional quirks, including resurrecting of regional languages like Welsh, Catalan and even Occitan, Walloon and Breton.
Even in the U.S. we see the development of new regional varieties such as a more pronounced versions of Great Lakes English, Canadian English, Hispanicized English and Californian/West Coast English. Given that the U.S. has been watching the same TV networks for 50 years now, this is unexpected.
I think there's something to this theory, because we are also seeing trends like regional foods cuisines (e.g. using regional ingredients) and an interest in indigenous crafts like knitting, woodworking and quilting.
I guess there are many ways to defy Gapification with both food and grammar.
If you're over 15 and have been awake in the past decade, you know that many people object to the content of many "rap" (or hip-hong) songs. Most adults who object are concerned about the overt violence, sex and sometimes gender discrimination. It's a concern that spans the mainstream political spectrum also - Both NPR and Fox News have had stories (many many stories) about this issue.
And I have to agree that in many cases that I do have the same gut reaction to many of these lyrics. I'm really not sure how comfortable I would be with my (hypothetical) teenagers listening to gangsta rap. Yet rap artists have defended themselves by appealing to "satire" in some cases and "lifestyle" in other cases.
For instance Nelson George defended Eminem's negative portrayal of the gay community as an expression of "the unease a lot of young men have about their sexual identity". Now, at first glance, it seems like a far stretch...but two recent songs have made me question this assumption.
Recently Carrie Underwood came up with a lovely country western ditty "Before He Cheats" (Second Life Version) about an angry girlfriend smashing the car of her cheating boyfriend. Of course this is nothing in comparison to Maroon 5's "Wakeup Call" the epic of a man killing the man who's been sleeping with his girlfriend. Interestingly, Maroon 5's singer "does not feel so bad" for his dirty deed.
Now here we have to non-rap artists describing second degree murder in one case and destruction of personal property in another (surely not a healthy way to resolve relationship differences).
BUT WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE? My god people, Maroon 5 is talking about murder here. Why aren't taking Maroon 5 and Carrie Underwood to task for these outrageous lyrics?
And so, I now believe that those rap artists who have been complaining about discrimination may actually have a point. For some reason mainstream American is willing to categorize these two songs as "dark humor" while a song like "Cop Killer" will evoke total outrage. What is the reason for this?
I doubt I will have a good answer, but let me speculate anyway.
1) One answer could be race, but I think that's too simplistic. Eminem is white and still targeted by criticism. Similarly, many African Americans like Bill Cosby are as concerned about gangsta rap as others.
2) Could it be that people associate violence with the inner city, but not with the country or the suburbs? That could be part of it - although it's a foolish error on the part of society. I have done my time in rural America, and there's plenty of crime and violence out there too (including a paid hit). It's not that far a stretch to imagine a country girl being "inspired" to slash a tire or a suburban boy to kill his rival in love. And remember that Columbine was a crime of the suburbs.
Yet America still tends to think of places beyond the inner city as "safer". This is, after all, the origin of "white flight" is citizens moving from the city to the suburbs or beyond. So though I don't think there's straightforward racial discrimination, I would go for inner city discrimination as part of the paradox.
3) Could it just be the sound? Carrie Underwood has a charmingly sassy but melodic delivery for her song, and Maroon 5 is known for being rock, but not "too hard." The lead singer still manages to croon more than growl.
I have noticed that pleasant or "off-track" musical delivery is a good way to send some seriously twisted messages through an unsuspecting audience. Few people in the 1980s realized that Springstein's "Born in the USA" was a Vietnam protest song - it sounded too much like a good patriotic rocker!
I don't think people are deceived by the lyrical content of Maroon 5 or Carrie Underwood, but at heart, they sound so melodic, that maybe we just can't take it as seriously as say...gangsta rap. In addition, the video of "Wake Up Call" shows the perpetrator dying in the electric chair - there is supposed an ironic message here. Carrie Underwood really describes "innocent" would-be tramps hanging out in bars with perfect detail. You know EXACTLY the kind of girl her boyfriend is sleeping with.
On the other hand, gangsta rap is musically constructed with techno loops and rough, staccato prose delivery. How many times have we heard "that's not music"? As a generalization, many people who listen to rap do NOT listen to Carrie Underwood and Maroon 5 (and vice-versa).
People who already hate the music will not be more tolerant of the lyrics.
So in the end, it may also be about musical discrimination. The mainstream audience may be somewhat "frightened" aurally by rap music because of its menacing style - so adding content about sex and violence just ups the ante. Instead of interpreting lyrics as black humor (or puerile humor), the lyrics are interpreted as a 100% serious manifesto on death and destruction.
Which brings us back to the original question? Are any rap lyrics society dislike really "satire"? Actually....yes in some cases. I remember when Two Live Crew came up with the raunchiest lyrics ever (up to that point). But once I listened to the album, I ended up laughing. Did he really expect he would pick up girls with those lines? No, I think he was expressing young horniness in it's most concentrated form (pee-ew). Plus, they had a great parody of the inane fraternity party song...that I bet was probably really popular at fraternities for a while.
A this pont, I have to confess that many of Eminem's and other rap videos have made me laugh...just like the Maroon 5 video, and I know Eminem does have songs of introspection. I also know Eminem has met would be "innocent" bar tramps, just like Carrie Underwood. Some "misogynist" lyrics are due to dumb girls being stupid (sorry ladies - I'm calling this like I see it).
Gangsta rap does rely on violence, but it also gave us the first inner city barbecue...with joints. It really may be a commentary on their lives. And if you don't think rappers aren't satiric, just read the ode to expensive sneakers on Nelly's Air Force Ones
So, oddly, I do think some of what we've been complaining about could actually be genuine satire (or at least some social commentary).
On the other hand, some of Eminem's lyrics about killing his wife will be VERY difficult to explain to his daughter when she grows up.
We often talk about the social divisions within America, but I do know one place where we all seem to come together...house renovation!
HGTV is the primary vehicle for the house renovation show, but there's also Discovery Home, TLC, DIY, BBC America, the Bravo Top Designer reality show, that ABC show I've never actually watched and sometimes a dream kitchen special from Food TV. There are several things that make this genre a rich, but semi-loopy vision of a diverse utopia.
For one thing, I've seen all types of house owners featured on these shows - Anglos, Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, Afro-Caribbean Americans, mixed race couples and same sex couples. If they have a decorating dream, they can be the star of their own home decor episode.
Locations are primarily in the United States, but more and more you do see shows set outside the United States. Apparently everyone in the Western World over a certain income level is united in a desire for authentic detailing, punchy wall colors and brand-new kitchen appliances. I've also learned much more about the British housing market. I didn't realize that the 99-year lease was applied to anything other than the colony of Hong Kong.
The other interesting thing is how many diverse people are latching onto a "family-friendly" genre which has practically no sex, no violence and very little politics. Who knew this was even possible? My mother and aunt listen to politically opposite talk radio channels, but both are avid watchers of home decor TV. If you run out of weather conversation, a safe bet is that a reference to house renovation or house buying will keep the conversation moving (especially once you've gotten out of college).
What's the drawback? Well there is the fact that not everyone lives with their dream kitchen and may not get one anytime soon. It is a little odd to see rich expatriate Americans searching for their dream resort homes in Central America.
On the other hand, where else can you see people of any background molding their dream homes - even their microscopic rental apartments?
Somehow though HGTV makes the American dream a little more approachable. After all, all you really need to make your housing dreams come true is sweat, good flea market finds and a fresh can paint.
