This song again?

As a DJ, I am forced to listen to top 40 music, a lot.  As a professional, it is my job to remain objective about the music in order to please the client.  As an unprofessional, I get sick and tired of the same uninspired garbage that makes its way on the radio every month.  I often find myself criticizing every popular artist who contributes to the all-powerful top 40, and becoming so irritated that I switch to talk radio.  How does music this terrible keep reaching the top of the charts?  Perhaps that is not the right question to ask.  Perhaps I should be asking:  What is it about this kind of music that appeals to the public?

                Top 40 music is a difficult genre to identify because it is made up of every genre of music.  Also, it is difficult to elaborate on examples of individual songs because the music becomes dated so quickly.  However, the artists of top 40 music tend to make a career out of this brand of music.  I have also noticed that it is not uncommon for individuals to hate top 40 music, but groups of people to be swept away by its generic rhythms and melodies.  It would seem that inspiration and artistic integrity always take a back seat to cheap thrills and selling out. I criticize top 40 music for all these reasons, but maybe I am not looking at it the right way.

                If I look at top 40 music as a product, rather than an art form, I start to see the business behind music.  The music industry can be compared to any other industry in America.  For example, if inspiring and artistically superb music is like a five star restaurant, than top 40 music is like the fast food of music.  Fast food is cheap, easy to produce, and designed to appeal to the general public.  When I view top 40 this way, I start to see its place in our society.  Fast food prays on all the simplest wants of America.  The food is made with little regard for customer’s health, and prays on the customer’s desire to ingest food that is cooked with grease, fat, and sugar.  The music industry produces top 40 music in the same manor.  The music is written with little regard to the customer’s intelligence, and the content prays on the simplest forms of human desire such as sex, drugs, and money.

                Top 40 music is not produced for serious music listeners.  It is made with the intention of being easy to listen to, and easy to interoperate.  America will always pray on the basic desires of the population in order to sell products.  Viewing top 40 music in another light has made me realize that the problem is not in the artists.  It is the job of top 40 artists to appeal to the masses, which means that the fault lies in us.

An in depth look at bras!

A brassiere, or “bra,” in its simplest definition, is an undergarment that covers and supports the breasts.  The bra has become standard amongst females and has long since replaced the corset.  Bras are more practical than corsets, but when used as an item to identify culture, a bra is anything but practical.  A close look at this mysterious undergarment reveals many implications of cultural standards.

                It is important to first identify the purpose of the bra.  Based on the initial definition, a bra’s main purpose can be viewed as the protector of the breasts.  Breasts need to be protected so that the female can use them to nourish their young.  This is not the only reason females protect their breasts.  The support offered by a bra is used to alleviate stress created by gravity which causes breasts to eventually sag.  In present day society, sagging breasts are viewed as a telling of age.  By delaying this process, women are making an effort to uphold a young figure.  This says our culture does not wish to show old age.  The secondary protection offered by a bra is to cover the breasts.  This coverage is an instinct to protect the nipples during periods of lactation.  However, women also use the protection of a bra as a source of empowerment.  Breasts are widely revered as a sexual symbol.  The bra allows a female to hide these symbols of attraction in order to gain power over perusing males (or other females.)  However, this deduction raises a deeper philosophical question.  Are breasts covered because they are sexual symbols, or do they become sexual symbols because they are covered?  The answer to this question might be found by taking a closer look at the bra.

                Bras have a very unique shape.  In fact, the shape of the bra cannot easily be compared to any other existing objects.  With the stretch of an eye, a bra tends to have the same basic shape as a pair of goggles. Goggles are used to protect the eyes while still allowing a person to see.  The shape of a bra tends to allow a female basic protection of her breasts while still allowing her breasts to be seen.  Females use the shape of their breasts as a method of attracting a mate.  Like goggles, a bra is used to show off the shape while keeping the breasts protected.  Bras also come in a variety of colors.  Females have the ability to wear a bra that matches the rest of her outfit.  As an undergarment, a bra is not generally seen in public.  By offering a wide variety of colors, this says females view the bra as more than a tool, but also a statement of fashion.  This statement seems to advocate the mystery and sex appeal of breasts.

                In addition to color, bras offer a wide variety of styles and sizes.  Some bras offer padded cups which are meant to enhance the assumed size of the breasts.  This says that females are concerned about their breast size and use the bra as a method of deception in order to attract a mate.  Some bras are designed to push up the breasts, and force them closer together to enhance cleavage.   This reinforces the ideology that females yearn to look young.  This type of bra forces the breasts into a position that appear to make them seem perky and well proportioned.  Some bras are elaborately decorated with lace and frills.  This, again, reinforces the ideology that a bra is used as an attractor as well as a protector.

                The bra is a tool that is used by women in a variety of ways.  Its main objectives are to both protect and enhance the breasts.  With all the methods of deception a bra can provide, what does it say about our culture and our expectations?  This deception might explain that females in our culture understand that the bra is a stronger method of attraction than the breasts behind it.  There are many more mysteries that can be unraveled by taking a close look at bras, but sometimes, they are just too hard to unhook.

Living out Loud

In a world starving for good, character driven, movies, Living out Loud came and passed by like an ice cream truck that only carries vanilla.  Actually, I like vanilla.  It is genuinely satisfying, but when I know it would be better with chocolate sauce, caramel, and sprinkles it is difficult to see vanilla as anything except plain.  Living out Loud is a solid character driven story that genuinely satisfies, but lacks memorable enjoyment due to some poor story elements.

                Judith is freshly divorced and enjoying a hollow victory with half her ex-husband’s money.  She is upset because her ex-husband has already found new love and she is trying to do the same.  Pat is a middle aged man carrying a large amount of debt.  He works as a front door clerk in Judith’s building.  The two characters eventually meet up and develop a friendship.  Although they never develop a romantic relationship, they are able to help each other with the conflicts that linger.

                The ending to this movie is not what is considered a “Hollywood” ending.  It is open ended, but the characters have undergone enough change to make it acceptable.  I like the idea of leaving an ending open, but Living out Loud did not offer enough satisfaction.  At the climax of the story, Judith confronts her ex-husband and finally tells him off aggressively.  This felt satisfying, but the feeling was squandered when her ex-husband threatened an assault charge in exchange for her money.  Then, Pat offers one last chance to be with Judith.  She realizes a romantic relationship is not necessary and rejects him.  This resolution was satisfying because it showed character growth.  This growth was squandered at the very end when Judith had one last fantasy about being with Pat after she saw his success.  To summarize the character, Judith fantasized about what she wants in life; she learned to “live out loud,” and then went back to fantasizing in the end.  Even though Judith changed so much, it was a bummer to see her revert back to the fantasy.

                The characters were strong, but not strong enough to make a lasting impression.  I wish Judith and Pat would have made bigger decisions throughout the movie.  In the beginning, Judith was desperately seeking romance.  Her prayers are answered when she is grabbed and kissed by a stranger.  She finally opens up about her feelings, but I expected to see more than a kiss and a polite conversation.  All of Pat’s conflicts were resolved too easily.  His gambling problem disappeared after the first act.  His debt problem disappeared in the second act, and his business idea went off without a hitch.  When he was ultimately rejected by Judith, it did not seem to affect his plan.  This criticism is not to say the movie is all bad.  Judith did enough acting out to show a change of character; like a visit to a lesbian bar.

                A well-crafted, character driven story has the ability to leave an ever-lasting impression.  Casablanca shows us that a movie ending can be bittersweet and open ended, but every bit just as satisfying.  Like ice cream, movies come in a variety of flavors; whereas Casablanca would be a full sundae, Living out Loud is just plain vanilla. 

Collected

When it comes to art, I ordinarily prefer mine straight forward and to the point.  I was stepping out of my comfort zone when I decided to visit Columbia’s “Collected” exhibit.  This exhibit is comprised of student work that has been purchased by the Department of Exhibition and Performance Spaces.  Curator Erik Lundquist focused on presenting handcrafted two dimensional works that display a use of traditional materials and techniques in the artist’s practice.

As I entered the exhibit, I noticed a plethora of attention grabbing pieces.  The piece that I was drawn to first was what appeared to be a cardboard cutout of a man with a giant head alongside an equally large beer bottle.  The piece was titled “Drunk City” and is by an artist simply known as “Don’t Fret.”  I was sucked into this particular piece first because of its size.  The art itself looked as if it were drawn and colored by a talented eight year old with a set of Crayola markers.  Perhaps this was a little too peculiar for me to begin my exhibit trek.  I felt as if I had cannonball’d my way into the frigid waters of abstract art.

The next piece that caught my eye was a 78” x 54” canvas oil painting.  Allow me to paint the canvas on your mind a retelling of “Renunciation,” by artist Brian Willard.  A group of well-dressed but bitter looking elderly people are gathered at the dinner table, which is arranged in a “last supper” style.  The crimson walls blend well with the traditional long wooden table presenting a variety of freshly slaughtered animals such as a goose and a pig.  On the center of the table is a sad woman who appears to be filleting her own skin.  This brings our attention back to the other dinner guests who are focusing their bitter looks on this woman.  I was able to pick up on the message right away and found myself looking at the piece for several extra minutes.  The art was very well drawn and painted.  Traditional enough to please the casual art fan, but definitely unusual enough to fit in with the rest of the “Collected.”

At the end of the gallery was a small dark room playing the exhibit’s one and only video presentation.  I sat down and watched “The Living Fields” for as long as I could.  The volume was almost nonexistent.  It seemed to me that this film relied heavily on audio, so it’s a shame that I could not hear a word of it even when standing right next to the speaker.  I was unimpressed with the visuals and bored within minutes.  All I was able to see were pieces of a naked male figure laying on newspapers and a man, from the chin down, talking.  After giving this film the old college try, I escaped the dark room and ended my tour.

Despite the abstract style of most pieces, and the gut wrenching video presentation, the “Collected” was actually a fun and interesting experience.  Most of the 2D art was very well drawn and fun to look at, and some 3D models add much appreciated flare to the gallery.  I found myself walking back and forth several times to catch pieces I missed and I would recommend any fan of art to spend some time looking at art purchased by Columbia’s D.E.P.S.

The Collected is on display until October 19^th and is located on 618 S Michigan on the 2^nd floor.