Journal Article Analysis

The article “The American Tune: Postwar Campaign Songs in a Changing Nation” by Jodi Larson highlights the popular use of songs for political campaigns beginning in the postwar era with such songs as Irving Berlin’s “We Like Ike”. This article explores how campaign music has evolved over time from the political songs that appealed to many to the campaigns of today that use many unmemorable songs throughout the campaign, irrelevant to all politics (Larson, 2009).

The main idea the author portrays is that campaign songs give us a glimpse into the time period they are used in. They “not only reflect important shifts in American political culture but also mark a shift from a clear dichotomy on consensus and counterculture to a blended and borderless era of cultural niches” (Larson, 2009, p.4-5.)

The campaign songs of the postwar era give much historical background to help us understand that time period. From post World War II until the mid 1960s, it was popular for show tunes to be rewritten as campaign songs and celebrities were used to reinforce a candidate’s relevancy. Campaign songs also referenced The New Deal either positively or negatively which reflected a candidate’s position on issues. During this time period, “the New Deal led to a consensus in politics, and ultimately in culture, which was formed around the Cold War and the principles of unity [and] economic growth” (Larson, 2009, p. 4). But during the late 1960s and 1970s this consensus started to become split due to escalation in the Vietnam War, The Civil Rights Movement and a recession. People either wanted songs from the past or looking ahead to the future because they were dissatisfied with the present. Counterculture became the driver for campaign songs because people took pride in their specific culture. Instead of rewritten show tunes, campaigns used folk music, country, or rock n roll to reach voters. However, they still incorporated relevant political issues into the songs. Ever since, campaigns have stayed away from the “musical traditions established during the postwar era”(Larson, 2009, p 5). The author states, “The end of this era and the subsequent changes to American politics can be heard in the evolution of campaign music from the postwar era to the present. When the nation lost direction, so did its campaign songs” (Larson, 2009, p.5).

In the 1980s a new, more emotional style of campaign songs emerged and the political references within them began to disappear. “After the Iran hostage crisis, inflation, unemployment, and a decade of what was termed ‘malaise,’ the American people did not respond to politics in campaign music but rather the lack of it” (Larson, 2009, p. 17). Since the 1980s, campaign songs have tried to elicit emotion rather than a message concerning politics. The author states, “The use of formerly countercultural music in political campaigns has become ubiquitous. The once marginalized genres are now the primary source for political music”(Larson, 2009, p. 21). Today, the multiple songs used in campaigns are chosen to target specific demographics (Larson, 2009).

This article makes it clear how the events and beliefs during specific time periods have influenced campaign songs and how an analysis of these campaign songs gives us a glimpse into the past and present. Today I find that campaign songs are much like any marketing campaign. If you want a specific audience to buy into it, you must tailor your message to their needs and wants which is basically what the multiple songs in today’s campaigns do.

References
Larson, J. (2009, February). American tune: Postwar campaign songs in a changing nation. Journal of Popular Culture, 42(1), 3-26.

Formula Analysis: Shrek vs. Up

*SPOILER ALERT*

DreamWorks’ 2001 movie, Shrek and Disney Pixar’s 2009 movie Up are both animated movies filled with adventure and comedy for families to enjoy. They both start out with the main character going on an adventure to save his home. Shrek needed to save Princess Fiona and take her to Lord Farquaad in order to regain his peaceful swamp while Carl Frederickson needed to move his house so that he would not have to live in a retirement home and could live the adventurous life he had promised his late wife. Both Shrek and Mr. Frederickson are the heroes in their respective movies. When Shrek started his adventure, Donkey tried to tag along with him and become his friend. Although Shrek was unwilling to have Donkey with him, Donkey went anyway. Likewise, in Up, When Mr. Frederickson’s house was going up, up, and away, a young boy named Russell happened to be on his porch. Russell wanted to assist Mr. Frederickson in any way to get his “assisting the elderly” badge. Mr. Frederickson was, in the beginning, not only unwilling to let Russell assist him in any meaningful way but was also unwilling to let Russell off of the flying house’s porch and into his house. Both Mr. Frederickson and Shrek tried ways to rid themselves of these tag-alongs but finally both gave into having their companionship. They both went through trials and set-back to get to their destination. Once Shrek had taken Fiona to Lord Farquaad he realized he liked her and once Mr. Frederickson had got his house to the destination he and his late wife had always dreamed of, he decided that was not where he was most needed. At the end of both movies the main character had new friends and a new life. Shrek had his friend Donkey and Princess Fiona while Mr. Frederickson devoted his life to making adventures with Russell.

The formulas in Shrek and Up are similar. In both of these movies, the main character’s familiar homeland is in trouble and they take on an adventure to save it. On their journey they are unwillingly accompanied by another and when they finally accomplish what they set out to do, they have some kind of change of heart. The story ends with them leading a new life with new friends. Both movies had an unlikely hero who was stereotyped. Shrek was stereotyped as a mean ugly ogre and Mr. Frederickson was stereotyped as an old man who couldn’t achieve anything at his old age. Because of these stereotypes both characters wanted to be left alone. However, once others showed that they cared, these characters became accepting and opened up their hearts.

Over the years some formulas change. Many movies nowadays don’t have the happy endings audiences expect them to have from past formulas. For instance, a few movies as examples are Revolutionary Road and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. These movies show the realistic end of the story, although not a happy one. Like in most previous formulas where the hero saves the day and lives to tell about it, some heroes do not make it out alive such as in Gran Torino. This does not change the entire formula, mainly just the ending. This is not true for all formulas though. The formula of yesterday is still applicable in today’s society. These formulas lack an element of surprise, but audiences still enjoy these formulas. Much of it depends on a person’s individual preference. I, for instance, like an element of surprise or the unknown. Lately, although the movies I have chosen have been very well done with great acting, a great story line, and I had no clue as to what was to come, they have sad realistic endings and for some, little hope for the characters in the movie. Among the movies I am referring to are Revolutionary Road, Changeling, The Children of Huang Shi, and The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas.

In the past, I thought many movies were redundant in their formulas. I felt that I was watching basically the same story line over and over again. Lately, writers and directors have done a great job of mixing it up. They have added some twists at the end of movies and have also made more realistic ending movies. I like that some have done this and that some have kept the traditional formula. I enjoy all types of movies and I like having to guess whether it’ll be a traditional formula or have a twist to it. I do not have the creativeness that many directors do to change the existing formula however, what they have done in recent years, I have much enjoyed.

Shrek photo copyright of Dreamworks, 2009.

Up photo copyright of Disney Pixar, 2009.

Weekly Written Analysis 5: Happily Ever After Ends in Divorce

Day after day people see the celebrities they look up to fall in love and commit their lives to each other. Some make spectacles of their love such as Tom Cruise’s spectacle on Oprah showing his deep love for Katie Holmes and other do it more discreetly. Either way, the public still watches. We also see them fall in love in the movies. Romances always make it seem like you can meet someone, fall in love at first sight, marry and live happily ever after. Unfortunately this is unrealistic for society today. With divorce rates on the rise, the happily-ever-after image portrayed in movies is improbable. “In the late 1990s, almost half of all marriages ended in divorce”(Gianoulis, 2009, p. 1). While movies emphasize romantic love, this romance many times does not go far in real life. Many people hope for the fantasy marriage shown in many movies, realize that their expectations were unrealistic and take society’s way out through divorce.

Society has down-sized the importance of marriage and made divorce a casual thing. According to an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, “since the 1960s, rapidly rising divorce rates have placed the ending of marriage among the most common rituals of modern society”(Gianoulis, 2009, p. 1). Celebrities and media help to enforce the down-play on marriage and acceptance of divorce with such coverage as Britney Spears’ marriage to her childhood friend, Jason Allen Alexander that lasted less than 3 days and ended in an annulment then later that same year she married Kevin Federline and then filed for divorce in 2006. Media also had excessive coverage on Brad Pitt’s divorce to Jenifer Aniston and his falling in love with his co-star in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Angelina Jolie.

Divorce has impacted our culture today and for years to come. In her article on divorce, Tina Gianoulis states the prevalence of divorce has changed not only the nature of marriage, but the definition of family as well” (Gianoulis, 2009, p. 1). Many families today are not the traditional families most think of as a mother, father, and their children living in the same household. Nowadays a family is more likely to consist of one’s mother, stepfather, step-siblings, father, and stepmother. Children are also likely to not see one of their parents for days at a time and they experience much conflict between their sets of parents. The relationships children experience due to divorce when they are young will impact them in their future relationships as well.

References

Elephants on the Wall (2009). Happily Ever After. Retrieved June 15, 2009 from http://www.elephantsonthewall.com/proddetail.php?prod=341.

Gianoulis, T. (2009).Divorce. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved June 15, 2009 from St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419100350/.

Weekly Written Analysis 4: Gran Torino

Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a disgruntled Korean War veteran who becomes the hero of his community in the 2008 film Gran Torino. From being in the war, Walt has held onto many prejudices which seem to be only fueled by his neighbors growing diversity. The only thing Walt seems to care about is his 1972 Gran Torino so when he catches his neighbor, Thoa who is being pressured by gangs, trying to steal his car he is determined to change things. When he sees his neighbors being bullied by gangs and mistreated he stands up for them and in the end gives his own life to put the gangs, the villains in this film, behind bars. Despite being an elderly man, Walt Kowalski is a citizen hero. He is a common older man, dealing with the recent death of his wife and health problems but takes actions to save his community from destruction.

Gran Torino illustrates many communities’ cultures today. It deals with an increasing diversity of citizens, the problems that arise from prejudices and the violence that exists in many communities. It also shows a realistic hero that does not have super powers; rather he uses his own knowledge, confidence and courage to defeat the villain.

According to The Internet Movie Database, Gran Torino brought in $271,720 in its opening weekend (December 14, 2008) in the United States and by May 31, 2009, it had grossed $148,017,037. It will be released on DVD on June 9, 2009 and is expected to gross even further.

References
The Internet Movie Database. (2009).Gran torino. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2009 from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1205489/business.

Weekly Written Analysis 3: American Idol

American Idol has become part of pop culture in the 2000s decade. American Idol is a # 1 hit series and Emmy Award winning show. Not only do tens of thousands of contestants try out each year but American idol viewership totals millions each show. Watching American Idol has become a ritual for many families. Helping to make it an evening ritual in many homes is that American Idol is a family-friendly show. Many parents want to relax and watch a show that is not a cartoon but also want the show to be appropriate for their kids to enjoy as well. Families can spend time together and create memories by watching the show and voting for their favorites.

American idol has also impacted lives away from the television. Conversations about American idol exist in many social settings whether it be discussing your pick for the winner, the big upset that happened, or Carrie Underwood’s latest big hit.American Idol has also helped to increase awareness and funds for many charities with Idol Gives Back. Charities this program has helped include the Children's Defense Fund, The Global Fund, Make It Right, Malaria No More, Save The Children, U.S. Programs and the Children's Health Fund (Americanidol.com, 2008).

Reference
Americanidol.com. (2008). American Idol: Idol Gives Back. FOX. Retrieved June 2, 2009 from http://www.americanidol.com/idolgivesback/.