Robert Fryar
Prof. Santos
1stYearSem
April 26
The process of making my Poster
Making my poster for the STARS symposium was a pleasure. Although I did procrastinated I still had a lot of fun with it. I put in about 4 or so hours in total creating the poster however, I did restart. The original poster was about 20 % done when I decided to retry and put about an hours worth of work in to it. It was a good idea to restart as the final product came out nicely but if I stuck with the original the final product would have come out with many more flaws.
I started by beginning my research. I found a good amount of information on BBC.Com where I was able to do most of the paper from there. I did find some sources via the Library search engine but I did not find anything I could really use for this project. After I obtained this information I then began to write little blurbs about what i read. The facts that I were writing down mostly pertained to the history and the background of music and movies. After I got all the information written out that is when I started designing the poster. I decided to segment the poster in to three parts as I felt that . After all this I just adjusted the colors and fonts so the Poster was essentially done at this point.
In conclusion this poster taught me a lot about music and movies while also allowing me to display to the public. It will give me more experience at presenting my work. The project was relatively easy but a lot of effort was put forth.

country music

This week we learned about country music. Before this class, I only looked at country music as songs about beer, girls, summer, and love. Being a person of color and coming from a predominately white town, I would listen to only the basic fun songs to sing along to. I never really had an interest in it but I listened to some and found them catchy. "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker was the first country song I've ever listened to and I thought it was weird that a person of color was writing country music. After this class, I learned that there is a lot more to country music. There is a story behind a good majority of songs, but country artist tend to get deep and in their feelings about their songs because they are singing about things they love. There is a good mix of love songs and songs that get pretty political.

Country

Personally, country is my favorite genre of music to listen to. After this week’s classes I realized that as much as I listen to country songs, I hadn’t noticed the social issues of today’s society that are discussed in them. After looking into it I noticed that many of the songs created by my favorite artists within the past few years touch upon controversial topics. I found a few examples of songs that discussed homosexuality. In Little Big Town’s song “Girl Crush”, the female artists state “I gotta a girl crush. Hate to admit it”. This conveys the point that people who are gay or lesbian often hide their sexual orientation and feel too ashamed to come out to their family and friends due to the lack of acceptance from some people in today’s world. In “Most People Are Good”, Luke Bryan says “I believe you love who you love, ain't nothing you should ever be ashamed of”. He explains that you can’t control who you love and there is nothing wrong with being attracted to people of the same gender as you. For this reason, you shouldn’t feel embarrassed and instead should embrace who you are. He also alludes to the fact that everyone should be accepting and create a safe environment in which people can feel confident coming out. Kacey Musgraves expresses in her song, “Follow Your Arrow”, “Kiss lots of boys, or kiss lots of girls, if that’s what you’re into”. She showed that it is okay to be attracted to people of the same gender as yourself and that no matter what anyone says, you should love the person of your choosing. 

Country songs also discuss the treatment of women. In the song “Girl in a Country Song”, by Maddie and Tae, the girls state “We used to get a little respect. Now we’re lucky if we even get to climb up in your truck, keep out mouth shut and ride along”. These two female artists call attention to the way women are objectified and how they are portrayed negatively in many country songs. Keith Urban sent a similar message in his song “Female”. In the song he describes women in powerful, positive ways. Urban says “When somebody laughs and implies that she asked for it just ‘cause she was wearing a skirt, oh is that how it works? When somebody talks about how it was Adam first, does that make you second best? Or did he save the best for last?”. These lyrics discuss today’s issue of rape and how no matter what a woman is wearing, her consent is needed. It also talks about how some men may think they’re superior to women which Urban believes is not right, having nothing but respect for females.

Johnny Cash

This week in class we talked about a famous artist by the name of Johnny Cash. This musician was very unique in many ways. For one, he played concerts for people in maximum security prisons. No other artist did this which just further helped his fame. I personally think this is very clever because he is bringing music to people who don't usually get any sort of entertainment which is understandable because they are criminals. Another reason he stood out is because of his unique voice. It was very deep and distinct. To be a great musician you need something like this which helps you excel past the other artists. I personally didn't know much about Cash nor did I listen to his music but from what I've read and what i've listened to he seems like a one of a kind artist.

Country Music

This week in class we learned about country music. We discussed the stereotypes and tendencies of it's listeners. When thinking of country music, words come into my head like patriotism and "redneck." But these aren't things to be ashamed of. People act the way they want to act and express themselves through music. We listened to a few country songs with outdated views on our country. These are thing that are tough to look back on, but just because one person does something, it doesn't mean it is the opinions or actions of a whole group. The songs discussed show how far we've come as country.

Country Music

This week in class we briefly talked about country music. Country music may all sound the same to people who don’t particularly like it, but if you take the time to listen to it, you would realize that is not the case. Although they mainly all sing about the same thing, they all say it from their point of view and in different ways. For example, we listened to “Girl in a Country Song” by Maddie and Tae. The song talks about all the ways guys have viewed or stereotyped girls, which is something different than most country artist. Every artist is different and sings about their own personal experiences. In a way it is a lot like pop music. They both have a wide variety of artist that sing about mainly the same things but in their own ways. Country artist however express themselves without the explicit context and is not sexualized as pop music. That is also why some country artist are also considered pop artist, because they are similar and depending what the song is about and how upbeat it is makes it pop or not. Some country-pop artists are Carrie Underwood, Sam Hunt, Dolly Parton, (who we also discussed in class this week) Florida Georgia Line, Johnny Cash (also someone we talked about) and many more. In class we discussed how country artist try to stay out of politics and sing about “country” things instead. However, from listening to country a lot when I was younger and still now today, I can say that a few artist and songs are definitely not just country and discuss things going on in the world. For example after 9/11, a majority of songs that came out about the attacks were by country artists. Although they may not sing about politics, there messages tend to say more than what some pop songs or other political artists have. I feel like country is the genre of music where you can listen to some songs and find a way to relate them either to your life or something you know about. My mother always loved Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood, both of which are very amazing and talented artists. There are a few songs that come to mind when I think of what they have written that are relatable for many people. I think country artists tend to stick to the country image, but there is some who strain away from that and do their own type of country. It sounds the same but has more of a message. Maybe even all artists do it just with a song or two. Country music is the kind of music you can turn on in the background and sing along to and enjoy. Even if you don’t particularly like country music, if you listen to it enough, (by choice or not) you will end up humming or singing along without even realizing it. It’s like pop music in that way, even if you hate the song playing you may find yourself humming along because of how catchy it is.

Country Music

This week's blog post is about Country music. When I was younger, I never really was into Country music. I always depicted Country as slow and depressing. As I grew older, I grew more attached to genre. Although some songs seem sad and depressing, I learned that not all Country music is played that way.

Country music seems to have different themes depending on the artist. Country music mainly talks about the American south and west. Country music displays patriotism in many forms, themes about relationships, partying, staying loose, and anything the artist wants to write and sing about. All music can be interpreted the way that the artists writes it and can also be interpreted the way the listener listens to it.

Country Music

This week in class we discussed Country music, to me when I think of country music I think of a predominately white audience and male artists. Songs about America, love, drinking, summer, and trucks come to mind. When I think of country music I think of happy good vibes most of the time and sometimes sad and sappy country songs come to mind. I am not a huge fan of country music but I do like some songs and artists. I have noticed that many country songs have deep meanings and a story behind them. Country music is a very emotional genre in my opinion. I think that country artists have passions for music and use their life experience as a way of showing that. We spoke about how some country music songs have a very strong sense of politics toward them. We listened to one about building a wall and how the artist of the song portrayed his views towards politics in America to exemplify his message. We also listened to the song "a girl in a country song" I have heard this song before however I never realized the meaning behind it. The two artists in the song are calling out gender roles and are displaying to the audience that they don't want to be just another girl in a country song getting whistled at and wearing short jean shorts. I think that many country songs have deep meanings behind them whether it be about politics, gender roles or about love. Some are easier to assume the meaning with others neededing you to think deeply about the lyrics which I find really interesting about the genre of country music.

Pop Music

   Pop Music as we learned in class this week is the popular music that stands out to people, makes top charts, and is just overall popular. We focused on a couple specific artists like Madonna which was popular in the '80s and also Lady Gaga which is a more current pop artist. Madonna sang songs that expressed situations that usually weren't expressed through music. This brought her many viewers and allowed her to get popular. In her songs she expressed a girl getting pregnant and having a parent accept it. In the video, it showed the difficulties that go along with this type of situation. In another song, Madonna expressed a specific dancing style that was popular amongst gay people. She used these dancers and dancing styles in her music video which attracted viewers. lady gaga used lyrical content and physical features to become popular. wearing different style clothing and using lyrics that showed people that it is ok to be who you truly are. In her song Born this way, she shows all different types of people in the world and she expresses that everyone is beautiful in their own way. In another song we went over, lady gaga expressed a very traumatic topic of sexual harassment. this got on a documentary and got many viewers to follow gaga and her music. Both of these artists used their power of speech to express topics that usually arent and allowed people to have a voice through them.

Pop Music

Before Tuesday’s class this week, I didn’t think pop music contained important messages or discussed serious issues in our world today. I had thought of pop as appropriate music that could be played on the radio with catchy lyrics and beats, most of which was about love or having a good time. When we began looking at pop artists and their music I realized that some songs dive much deeper and draw attention to essential concepts many people, especially young girls, need to hear. Many songs have themes of individualism and building high self-esteem and self-confidence. Many girls have lower self-confidence as teenagers, constantly comparing themselves to stars and others around them which is a big issue. Many pop artists urge listeners to be themselves and be happy with the way that they are.

Lady Gaga’s song “Born This Way” is very empowering. She expresses through the lyrics that everyone was made perfect in their own way and you should embrace who you are and love yourself. No matter your skin color, if you have disabilities, or your sexual orientation, you should accept yourself. Lady Gaga expresses her support of the LGBT community, stating in the song “Don’t hide yourself in regret” alluding to the fact that people should feel comfortable approving of how they were made and coming out to those around them about their sexual orientation. 

In Selena Gomez’s song “Who Says” she also expresses that you are perfect the way you are. Throughout the song, she conveys that no one has the power or authority to determine your worth or how beautiful you are and no one has the ability to determine your potential. She states, “I’m no beauty queen, I’m just beautiful me” meaning that you don’t have to be royalty or a model to considered beautiful, each person is beautiful in their own way.

In “Beautiful”, Christina Aguilera begins by expressing the struggles of being insecure and ashamed of herself. She then goes on to state “I am beautiful” and “Words can’t bring me down”. She conveys that even with your flaws and imperfections, you are beautiful, despite the hate people might give you. The cruel things people say about you shouldn’t change the way you view yourself and you shouldn’t let them affect you.

These three artists and many more used their song to reach out to people and help those who may be struggling with self-esteem problems. Not only is their music important is sending these messages but the appearances of artists play a part as well. Artists like Lady Gaga or Pink don’t dress in traditional “girly” outfits. They dress how they want without fear of judgement or ridicule from others. This sends a message that what other people think does not matter and you should do what you love and is best for you. Many inspiring pop artists hope that young girls listening to their songs or analyzing their appearances will start to view themselves differently, beginning to be more proud of who they are and having less of a desire to change themselves to be more like others.

Hip Hop

In class this week we had watched some music videos on pop music. One of the songs that really stood out to me was “Papa Don't Preach” by Madonna. In this song a young girl meets a guy and she feels as though he is her true love. She went and told her father how she got pregnant and at first he was disappointed and was very upset. I feel as though he eventually felt bad and because of this he finally confronts her and ensures her that he is happy for her. Another powerful song that stood out to me was “ Til It Happens to You” by Lady Gaga. This song is in support of sexual abuse and in particular the college setting. The music video is semi graphic and shows a few scenarios of sexual assault and you can see the emotions it bring out in the victims. At the end of the video it shows friends and family comforting them and ensuring that it will be okay. The video ends with all the victims walking down a hallway together. This song i'm sure touched many victims and I like the powerful message it sends. It shows people that they are never alone in these situations.

Pop music

Hello class blog, this week we started one of my favorite music genres, pop music. Pop music is all I listen to really and I love it. It’s just something you can get up and dance to or have fun and just sing in the car with your friends. Pop music just brings me all these memories of summer and fun and having fun with friends.

            However pop music is everywhere on the radio and it is also overplayed. They play the same 4 songs on the radio in a loop for you hear the same song at least twice an hour. Depending on the song it can get really annoying and repeated until it is stuck in your head for an hour. 

            We were talking in class how pop music doesn’t fit that well into the class description, but I don’t find that to be the case at all, some pop music can be controversial depending on how it is put into context. 

One example that I can think of on the top of my head is the song God is a woman by Ariana Grande. This song is so empowering to the woman and help the state of the #metoo movement. It is saying how a woman has a voice and how powerful we can be. On the flip sideshow, this song to religious people and they might have a problem with it. It is changing the image of God from this male figure to a female and people probably won’t be too happy about changing what he looks like. Also, the music video for that video is kind of sexy and wouldn’t be appropriate at a church even though it is beautiful, it just not Churchie. 

That was just one present-day example of how something can be changed in the context of another thing. I am excited about this unit because I love music and I can't wait to learn more about it.  

Pop Icons

On Tuesday we discussed pop-music. We analyzed what makes it so popular and the people that played such a big role in doing so. Three female artists we looked at were Madonna, Pink, and Lady Gaga. Madonna was, in my opinion, the most important artist. She opened the door for pop-music and created the early sound that future artists would follow. We watched her music videos "Papa Don't Preach" and "Vogue." Vogue, in particular used dance and sound that music had never seen before. Madonna's success was primitive to her staying true to herself. Another artist that is similar in that way is Pink. We heard how her sound was at first R&B because her record label pushed it. But she eventually decided to go her own way. This is the main reason she is the artist she is today. Because she can comfortably be herself with confidence. Lady Gaga became a huge artist that built off the Madonna sound. She added her own tweaks and touches to her style but her ability to take risks set her apart. Throughout the class we learned of artists who went against the grain. Who put fourth a unique sound never heard before. Their ability to perform and create music knowing criticism and judgment would be cast upon them is the reason they became successful.

This week in class we discussed pop music. We talked about what pop music is certain artist in pop music and also about their influence as artists. I enjoyed talking about pop music because I feel as if many people think pop music is just "radio music" or "dance music" when really pop has a great impact on society and the music world. On Tuesday we talked about Madonna and listened to her song "vogue" I have listened to this song before however never knew the meaning. We watched a clip from a film that discussed what voguing is and how it began. Someone in the film described it as "a safe form of throwing shade". Voguing was a dance and a very popular type only when Madonna began showing it off in her video, before that it was underground. Madonna called voguing out because of her interest in the art and the gay community and made it recognized. We also talked about Lady Gaga who deals with personal issues which she calls our and shares them in her songs. Her song "Born this way" celebrates individuality and can relate to her audience on everyone being themselves. She also wrote the song "Til It happens to you" in a documentary about sexual assault on college campus. The song was in solidarity to Kesha, another artist. These two women are not only well known pop stars but are known for calling out social issues and spreading the word on what they are passionate about. I find it very empowering how both Lady Gaga and Madonna use their fame and power to create music to spread political and social awareness on ongoing issues.
Emma DaCosta

Tuesdays Class

This week in class we watched some music videos Tuesday and did another article summary on Thursday. In class Tuesday we watched the music video to “Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna. The song was about a young girl who fell in love with a guy that she was sure she wanted to be with the rest of her life, even though her friends advised against it. Although she was young, she said she knew what she wanted and ended up getting pregnant. The song is about her telling her dad and his reaction to it which is silent at first but then helpful to her knowing sometimes people make mistakes. The young women seemed to have a good relationship with her father which is important because if they had not been close, his reaction may have been different. The song title and lyrics are “papa don’t preach” which makes me think that even though her dad raised her to do the right thing and be careful she still got pregnant and she doesn’t want her dad to preach to her about how he tried to keep her from something like this happening. Another thing we watched on Tuesday was the part of a movie called “Paris is Burning.” It was about a type of dance called voguing. Voguing is a form of dance that originated when people would use dance to show their feelings and throw shade at someone instead of physically fighting with them. Dancers used it as a safe way to throw shade at someone and whoever danced the best threw the most shade. It sounds like rap battles in dance form, people have come up with new ways to fight with someone other than physically. Another thing we watched that we sort of stumbled upon and watched was Pink’s speech to her daughter after winning a VMA Award. She started by telling the story of how her daughter said she was ugly and looked like a boy and her daughter was only 6-7 when this happened. Pink was taken aback that at her age she would be told that or thinking that, she is too young to be worried about something like that. Pink went on to tell her daughter that she gets told all the time that she looks like a guy, or her clothes don’t look right but she made the point to tell her daughter that no matter what anyone has said, she hasn’t changed a thing about her. She still wears whatever she wants and cuts her hair short, she stays true to herself and told her daughter to do the same thing. People are too worried about what everyone else thinks about them that they try and change themselves to please others even if it doesn’t please them. We need to move on from this and just be who we are because that is what matters, not being or doing what others tell us to do.

Music Videos

This weeks blog post is about the music videos we watched in class. The music videos shown show how images can change the meaning of a song. In some cases the images can be disturbing, casual, bothersome, powerful, and conjointing. Music videos push the meaning of the poetry written to whole other meanings.

Two Lady Gaga songs were specifically shown in class. The songs were ‘Born this way’ and ‘Til it happens to you.’ Both music videos amplified the meaning of their lyrics. The music video for born this way was bizarre in many ways, as it contained odd sequences of many themes. The music video pushed the meaning of being yourself, and not being judged by anyone else.

The music video for ‘Til it happens to you’ is a good example of a video pushing a powerful and serious message, as it showed strong depictions of rape. On a personal note the music video bothered me emotionally. It angers me to think why any man thinks he has the right to do such a thing as rape a women. Rape is despicable and evil under any set of circumstances, and unfortunately it continues to happen everyday. The music video was used to empower victims of rape to show them to not be afraid and to take action. As well as empower everyone stand and fight back against injustice.     

StARS Work

This week in class, not too much went on. I arrived to class at 9:30 on Tuesday, only to find out that class had been cancelled. Thursday consisted of reviewing and researching for the StARS project. The due date is much sooner than I had anticipated, being the 22nd of April, as opposed to early May like I had expected. I registered for StARS late, but luckily my application still went through, so fingers crossed! For the StARS project, we have to relate a topic back to the class, and create a poster to talk about with anyone who may be interested in learning about the topic. My topic is Musicians and Politics. Though thinking back, that’s almost the entire purpose of this course…

However, my presentation will focus on how musicians have impacted / attempted to impact politics, mainly political campaigns, both big and small. I think I’m going to only talk about American politics, to keep the presentation simple, and so I’m not jumping from nation to nation with each new musician I mention. Which eliminates bands like Pussy Riot, who were a very political, revolution-based band out of Russia. The good think about this topic is that there’s so many different musicians / groups who have gone political, and many of them were very popular. Some of the musicians I can choose to discuss include Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, etc.

I’m excited to see what my peers choose to talk about, and I hope to see some of them during the same time slot as me in the StARS presentation.

Kevin Kulig

Kathleen Hannah

This week in class we watched the documentary about Kathleen Hannah and the many bands she created. She is the true definition of a social justice warrior. Although feminism today is much different then it was back then, the idea of equality remains the same. Kathleen lived the life she dreamed of. Whatever she wanted to do, she did and very few people can say they did that. She was constantly in negative spotlight and never even made it mainstream. But her passion for equality and to inspire others played as major motivation to keep going. Her career can be describe with many different terms all with contrasting meanings. Controversial because her message and behaviors were not accepted by all. Inspirational because of how she became a role model for those who never had a figure to meet those standards. And lastly persevering. She never stopped even when she was told she couldn't or when the odds were stacked against her. Kathleen didn't meet my style of music but her story and life were incredible in my eyes.

This week in class we watched a video about how these woman were very different and a lot of people hated them but they kept on doing what they loved, and although a lot of people didn't like them there were still some people that appreciated them. I thought this girl was very weird but at the same time I thought it was inspiring that she didn't let people bring her down. This reminded me of Miley Cyrus because she started being herself and not caring about what anyone else thought and some people didn't like her for that.

Kathleen Hannah

Hello again class blog, it's me again. This week is a very difficult week to write about since we didn’t do much so sorry if it is short.

            This week we watched a movie on the lead singer of Bikini Kill. That was a weird bad, but I like the message that they put out with their music. I like that in their concerts were always ladies in front and men in the back. I still find that that can be dangerous for the line of man and woman in the center of the concert but that’s beside the point.

            The way that they went about all the way they dealt with it. They gave people a voice to these girls who didn’t have any voice to give to the world. They helped them get through hard times and the members get through stuff too. 

            At the end of the movie and we showed what she was going through herself with all the things she had to do. All the things she is going through with the Illness that she showed was very powerful as well. 

            Overall I thought this was a good documentary that we watched in class. 

Kathleen Hannah

Before Tuesday’s class I had never heard of Kathleen Hannah or her music before. After watching her documentary, I had nothing but respect and admiration for her. She was fearless, never afraid to share her thoughts through her music and also very dedicated to her music. She was not in the music industry for the money, and didn’t make much for a long time, and solely cared about spreading her messages. She had strong beliefs that she wanted as many people to hear as possible.

Overall, I think that Hannah had a difficult life. She was sexual abused by her father growing up. When she became popular, she received a tremendous amount of hate by men, women, and the press. As most artists wouldn’t be able to take it, she kept moving forward and making music. She did so for all the girls out there that loved her music, were motivated by it, or felt connected to it. She also later became sick with lime disease. Through her illness she recorded herself and what she was going through which couldn’t have been easy to share with the world. She decided to make a record during this difficult time. She hated the thought of something external holding her back from what she truly wanted to do. I think that she was incredibly strong for never giving up on making music despite all the adversity she faced.

Throughout her career she really tried to be a voice for people who felt ignored or that they were not heard. She talked about sexual abuse, emotional violence, women being treated as objects, and sexism in her songs. All topics many women didn’t speak openly about. When it comes to sexual abuse, women’s accusations aren’t always believed or taken seriously. It is hard for a lot of them to get the justice they deserve. Through her music she urged people to speak their truth about sexual abuse.

I found it interesting that Hannah expressed the pressure she felt taking on the title of a hardcore feminist. She explained that she didn’t want people to know that she was or had been a stripper because you “can’t be a feminist and stripper”. She also was worried what people would think of her relationship with her husband since as a musician he often sang about women in degrading ways. I never thought that by being classified as a feminist she would have to worry about so many different choices she made in her life.

Kathleen Hanna

Hello blog. During class this week, we watched a documentary on a very original woman in the music industry named Kathleen Hanna. Kathleen wanted to become a musician and write music because she said no had listened to her all her life. Music was her gateway to releasing everything inside that was not heard. Hanna began performing music she had written in the late 1990’s with a band she was in called “Bikini Kill”. Kathleen also called herself an activist in the sense of wanting to show women that they did not have to look or act a certain way to maintain the upkeep of being in a band. The industry was filled with quirky groups and oddly great solo artists and Kathleen wanted those inspired to not be afraid to put their talent on display as well.  

Kathleen Hanna grew up in Oregon, her mother a nurse and her father, a pipefitter. Every three years, Hanna’s family moved residencies which was especially shocking to me because she wasn’t given much time to get used to one spot before moving to the next. Hanna went to college in Washington State and studied photography. After work that she’d displayed on campus was censored for its radicalness and unacceptance, Hanna decided to present her work elsewhere—in a fashion show. Kathleen used photos she had printed to make collages of pieces of clothing in the show.  

What came next was nothing but a tragedy for Hanna and those involved. A good friend of hers got assaulted which left a mark not only on the victim but Kathleen as well. The story was described like so: a man stood in the doorway to her apartment and grabbed her by the neck, presuming to drag her down the stairs. It was difficult for everyone to get back on their feet after the incident and for such a dear friend of hers to recover.  

Kathleen was the last member to join the band, “Bikini Kill” until Billy came along. Even though so many bands were popular at the time, theirs rose through and maintained popularity for a long time. Just like Hanna did not care about how a band should look and sound, her group members felt the same way. Bikini Kill took on the “valley girl” style in their music because they believed it made them sound rich and quirky. It was a feminist, rock and punk takeover. Kathleen did not hold back when it came to being on stage. She was angry and aggressive, almost like a man would be. “Bikini Kill” was a band that cared strongly for women because they were advised to move up to the front before shows would begin. The concert scene was not a safe place for women. Mosh pits would leave young girls with bruises and broken ribs which is why the band went the extra mile to make sure women stayed safe and enjoyed themselves. Men who were seen being aggressive towards women in the crowd were kicked offstage. Kathleen announced at one of her shows that they [anyone in the audience] could “go away” if they didn’t want to follow her rules.   

Hanna and the lead singer of “Nirvana”, Kirt Cobain, became good friends after him having heard about her in the public eye. Not long after the band’s spot in the business became concrete and a little less stressful, 14 women were killed in Montreal Ontario, Canada. A man was heard yelling, “I want women!” After the incident, a women only group called “Riot grrrl” was created. Invited to meetings held at certain locations, women could express themselves and feel comfortable speaking openly without the presence of men. Soon after the meetings came to be, the 19th Amendment was established which granted women the right to vote. In 1992 however, feminism was believed to be dead according to women on college campuses. 

The meaning behind “Riot grrrl” was based on girl hood and sexuality. A newspaper had written about them in a negative context after the group went public. The paper picked apart their appearances and called them “angry angsters” [those in the band “Bikini Kill”]. Kathleen decided to forget about the reporter’s jobs of twisting stories and making people look bad to continue working on music. 

“You’ve gotta hear this record” were the words of Adam, a member of a band named “The Young and the Useless”. Kathleen and her group reminded Adam of his band in the way “Bikini Kill” presented themselves. Kathleen fell in love with Adam, but their relationship became long-distance when Adam and his band had to leave once their visit ended. Adam was first introduced to Kathleen when he watched her perform at one of her shows.  

Overtime, the struggle for Hanna’s band to pay rent got worse. The band also toured in the same van they had been using as transportation since starting up. “Bikini Kill” broke up in 1997 with plenty of fans saddened to see them go. Kathleen and her band left a mark on the world that no other could have ever successfully simulated.  

Life of Kathleen Hanna

This week in class we watched a documentary on Kathleen Hanna, a punk singer. Hanna was a strong, powerful, angry, and tough as a singer. Hanna started a band with a few friends and although none of them knew how to play any instruments, the lyrics is what mattered to them. At one of Bikini Kill’s performances, Kathleen told all the women to come to the front and all of the men to the back. At a lot of performances women wouldn’t be able to get to the front or sometimes go at all because of all the fights between men. There physically wouldn’t be enough room for women at shows, men would get aggressive and start fights during shows. Women would stay away as to not get involved, or just avoid going to shows altogether. Kathleen made sure that when she made a point she was heard. For example when she told men to move to the back or when at one of her shows she told people if they didn’t like her music that was fine and that they could leave. Hanna didn’t care what other people thought of her, she just knew that she had to stand up for other women. Hannah started to gather women just to talk about everything without men present. They called themselves “riot girls,” any women, anywhere could be a part of it. The greatest achievement was the 1st wave when the 19th amendment came to be where women could vote. Kathleen was becoming a leader and reclaiming girl hood for not only her but other women. At one point in her career the media was printing incorrect statements or revealing things she didn’t want revealed. Her solution was a press blackout, they stopped answering phones and journalists questions. After Bikini Kill broke up Kathleen wasn’t done with her music so she wrote the album “Julie Ruin.” The whole album was written, performed and recorded in her bedroom and was considered a masterpiece. She wanted it to sound like it came from her bedroom because a lot of things happen in a bedroom that people don’t think about. For girls it is where everything happens, it’s where they get ready, where they break down, where the can always go back to, and where they feel the most comfortable. However years later Kathleen started having health issues and told everyone she was done performing because she no longer had anything to say. The truth was that she was too sick to perform or do things in her everyday life like she used to be able to. She didn’t want to admit to herself that she could no longer do the thing she loves, she thought if she told herself she chose to be done it wouldn’t be as bad. That wasn’t the case, in 2010 Kathleen was finally properly diagnosed for her illness that many other doctors hadn’t been able to. Kathleen was diagnosed with lyme disease that she’d had for about 5 years before being diagnosed and put on the correct medication to help it. Even though she was finally on medication, she was struggling with everyday things. It was said that things would most likely get worse before better. Kathleen started writing again because she was told she couldn’t perform and she didn’t like that. She started a new and final band called Julie Ruin and was no longer afraid of judgement because she knew the truth and others who related to her knew the truth and that was all that mattered.

Kathleen Hanna

This week in class we watched  documentary on Kathleen Hanna. Hanna was an American singer and a feminist activist. In the documentary she undergoes great tragedy in both her childhood and her adult life. She had to stop singing and didn’t tell people the actual reason why she stopped. She had Lyme disease. She had it for five years and doctors kept saying nothing was wrong or that she was just having panic attacks. She had recalled being bitten by a tic but she took antibiotics for three weeks right after so she didn’t think she still had it. The doctor in the documentary said that since she had it for so long it wasn't going to be as easy as taking antibiotics and it will go away. She had a tough journey to beat Lyme disease. She finally beat it and had a new band called Julie Ruin and she performed for the first time in years and she felt great because she could go back to doing what she loved to do. I personally admire how strong she is and although she didn’t ask for any help during her journey to defeat Lyme disease that further shows her true strength. At the end of the documentary Kathleen implied how its fine for people to have different views then her and not agree with what she says but they better stay out of her way. This is perfect for how she wants to show people that she is passionate for what she believes in and no one can tell her otherwise.

Kathleen Hanna

Robert Fryar
Prof Santos
1stYearSem
April 4 2019
The life of Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna Is the lead singer of both the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre which have put her on a pedestal of fame. However, Hanna’s seen as a female, a rebel, a feminist and a talented musician. Hannah is known for really empowering women with her music and also being credited for beginning the “riot grrrl” movement. Before her shows she would announce things such as “all women to the front” so they could enjoy her music at the forefront without having to deal with the belligerent mosh pits. Hanna was present during the nineties and truly rose to prominence because of her work done with Bikini Kill but is also well known for being the frontwomen for Le Tigre.
Kathleen is currently reunited with the original members of Bikini Kill and are touring at this moment. This was after taking a very long hiatus from touring. Hannah is also known for being married to Adam Horowitz who was one of three original beastie boys. This however clashed with her feminist based beliefs as Horowitz would often rap about women and their physiques. Hanna staunchly believes that one cannot choose who loves who and Horowitz is just the perfect person for her. All in all kathleen Hanna is an incredibly loud voice in the punk scene who popularized women in said genre.

Punk Documentary

This week in class we watched a documentary on women in punk rock. Kathleen Hanna is the lead singer of Bikini Kill. The documentary talked about her political beliefs and how she used her music to send political messages. The documentary explained how Kathleen would treat men differently at her shows. For the first time in any concert or musical event, all of the women were called to the front and the men were forced to the back.

Although I disagree with some of Kathleen's political beliefs, I respect her position as an artist. She changed the way how punk rock was portrayed, and she pulled more power into women. All music can be used in different ways to send different messages. Music is a good tool to send personal and political messages.    

Nina Simone

I was absent the whole week we discussed and watched the documentary about Nina Simone. So I took time to do some research about her life. During her lifetime she carried many titles and roles. She was best-known for her musical career. You could say it opened the door for her to be able to influence people and spread change. Which was in the end, where her best accomplishments were. She grew up in North Carolina in a big family with not a lot of money. She developed a love for music at an early age. Her hometown music teacher raised money for her schooling. Along the way multiple events of racial prejudice sparked her passion for civil rights. Once at her own concert her parents were moved from the front row to the back and she didn't play until they were changed back to the front. She publicly stated this played a major role in her passion for civil rights. All throughout her life she faced challenges and an uphill battle. But she never let that stop her. She not only used it as motivation but even to spark change throughout the country. She sacrificed her career to spread awareness and change. During her main years of civil rights focus, people began boycotting her music and her career suffered. It shows just how much she cared about the overall cause and how it was something bigger then her own self. It was no easy life for Nina Simone and her career and civil rights activist roles will forever be remembered for both the good times and the bad.

9/11 and "Star Spangled Banner"

We live in a time right now where it is very easy to find the differences and negatives that divide us as a country. The media plays a big role in reporting the bad. Rarely do we celebrate the good we do for each other and all the things we have in our favor. But sometimes it takes a tragedy to unite and put the superficial things on hold. Although I wasn't old enough to recall and truly experience the horrors of 9/11, the recounts and stories told by people during that time have enough power to express the emotions. Mass lives were lost and our freedom and way of life were attacked. But you find out what a person and society is like during the tough times, not just the good. And the people of America came together and supported each other. The needs and wants of people were put aside for the better of others and society as a whole. We rebuilt as a nation and never forgot that horrible day. But that is in danger of going to waste when politicians and people can't come together for the better of each other.

Rap Culture

As a fan of rap I sometimes find it difficult to agree morally with it's content. The lyrics over the last 30 years have gotten more and more vulgar. But being young and not having witnessed it's progression and humble beginnings, I can't solely judge it by today's standards. Rap was an outlet and popular way of expression in male African American culture. But just as any other thing in society all are accepted into it because we are all human. Looking back as far as the 70's New York was the home for early rap. DJ's would play a beat and artists would sing or speak along in unison with it. Rap has come a long away. Whether it's overall acceptance, wide range of people that engage in it, and the overall content. It's popularity right now is on top and something when we look back our generation will be remembered for. But just as all other genres have their time, rap will as well. And the present is it's overall golden age as far as popularity goes.

Punk Rock

When punk rock was brought up in class I was a little skeptical. I'm not a fan of punk or "screamo" rock. I've always thought there was an evil side to it based on the tone. But when you dive into it and examine it's content you see a deeper meaning. A lot of the people we discussed had difficult upbringings or deep feelings linked to social issues that effect them deeply. I think a common feeling  that a lot of artists and even people have is difficulty getting their message across. People have difficulty translating their message in fear of rejection. People also fear not being heard or ignored. An example is Kurt Cobain. He had a difficult upbringing due to his parents divorced and bullying in school. He didn't have many friends in school. When a person doesn't have an outlet or audience (friends) to communicate with, they find other ways. Kurt did just that through his music. In doing so he inspired and provided hope for others in the same boat as him. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is his most popular song. It put him and Nirvana into major stardom. Another artist we discussed was Marilyn Manson. He was controversial and extremely unique. Although I can't agree or like his work fully, I do respect him as I do any artist. They all put themselves in the spotlight and in a situation where criticism is likely. Marilyn Manson was aware of this and fully immersed himself in it. We watched the video of him performing at the MTV Awards 1997. That was too crazy for me but he still went out and performed something that nobody else could do.

Females in Hip Hop

History seems to always repeat itself. Just a few weeks ago when going over the history of rock it was apparent women faced a wall they had to go above and beyond to break through. It is the exact same for women in hip hop. Except this is a battle that is taking a lot more time and energy to see complete change. As a fan of hip hop, it is obvious to see how women aren't taken very seriously. Even the ones that are like Cardi B and Nikki Minaj are seen with a different attitude. It is a bit of strange to here if being honest. Rap is known for its male attitudes and aggressive sounds and content. That's why I believe its hard to for  a female to break through. Women and men are different and that's ok to say. Women have qualities of gentleness and compassion. To be successful in rap requires a hard and aggressive tone. The women in rap, in particular Missy Elliot rose above and beyond her own self. She was able to portray a unique style while staying true to herself. WHich in all music is difficult to do. She left it all out there and was proud of everything she produced and stood by. That's why the women who were successful were successful. Because they stood by something and never left it even when the going got tough. They were proud of their work and let everyone know. It's one thing to make music and sing on a stage. Its another to put your heart and soul into your work and then have the confidence and energy to display it in front of the world where criticism and rejection is more common then not.