Doomed II: Hell On Earth...
This is a continuation of the MTV/Discussion (one of the more interesting discussions I think we have had with all sides making very good points). I was going to put this in the comments section but I want to add a few links and I wasn't sure anyone would read it and I want to ask a serious question at the end.
The big deal with the marketing thing is that rather than creating our own culture we are having our culture created for us to make money (I say we because technically we are in the same generation, that is anyone born after 1977 but before 1992, as all current teenagers). Think about it. Of all the music made popular created by someone of our age (I mean really popular) would you pick any one of them as the cultural statement of our generation?
Check out this article for a good article on our generation (horribly named generation y but I think that will change eventually) . The description of our generation seems to fit all of us in one way or another. Also the article has a list of famous people from our generation ( a good way to pick your answer to my question, if you have one).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y
EDIT: I forgot to put the link up last night but there it is.
The big deal with the marketing thing is that rather than creating our own culture we are having our culture created for us to make money (I say we because technically we are in the same generation, that is anyone born after 1977 but before 1992, as all current teenagers). Think about it. Of all the music made popular created by someone of our age (I mean really popular) would you pick any one of them as the cultural statement of our generation?
Check out this article for a good article on our generation (horribly named generation y but I think that will change eventually) . The description of our generation seems to fit all of us in one way or another. Also the article has a list of famous people from our generation ( a good way to pick your answer to my question, if you have one).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y
EDIT: I forgot to put the link up last night but there it is.
posted by Oscar at 1:41 AM
7 Comments:
Poke Poke... wheres the article?
Are we under the assumption that music defines culture?
Hmm, Culture is defined as
1) A particular society at a particular time and place; "early Mayan civilization". 2) The tastes in art and manners that are favored by a social group. 3) Acculturation: all the knowledge and values shared by a society. Ok so of those three I like the second two best.
So I will expand on my thoughts on that #2 states … “art and manners that are favored by a social group”… So what social group are we talking about? Is this what Neto stated as anyone born within years 1977 - 1992. Or are we talking about our social group…. As in like us the writers in this blog? Basically what I’m getting to is I am not understanding why this is bothering people…do people feel that they have lost the choice to decide what they like and what they don’t? Or are they concerned with what people 100 years from now will think about our “generation”. Personally I do not feel that music defines who I am, I believe everybody has a different set of core values and ethics to which they live by, personally mine are ‘when there is a will there is a way”, “who cares what a complete stranger thinks, I only care about the opinions and thoughts of my friends”, “learn as much as possible (about anything within my spectrum of interests), and ‘never let go of anything you love”. There might be more but that’s a really hard thing to think about on the spot. Deep down inside I feel people are good by nature. I feel everybody is capable of reasoning; most are just lazy and incapable of breaking that habit. I also feel we are all creatures of habit, and thus that defines much of what we do NOTE not who we are. Succumbing to being human is inevitable. The point of all these statements is that, in my opinion I feel I am defined by these simple principles. The fact that right now I am really bored driving to and from work (1 and ½ hours for 20 miles) and listening to Eminem b/c I think it is funny really should have no say so in whom I am.
Neto I am interested o see that article you were talking about, I can’t find the link. Maybe I am being careless and missed it. Point me in the right direction I would be pleased. Rennie you should put that picture of you at work on the blog. Checo are you sure you don’t want a red clown nose? Fredo eat. Joey I’m working on your laptop. Diego Feliz Cumple. Danyela, I want a burger pleaseeee. Mariela…. Why bother she wont read this. Tamara enjoy Lucy. MiMi thx for being a fan of Dianosis. I know im gonna forget someone… hmmm ahhhh Angel (insert fart joke here). Gtg bye
Well that's all fine and dandy when you put all those cute phrases that have been used many times in middle and high school. But what about when your culture is no longer being decided by you? Instead, this culture is being given to you by people who's only intent is to make a profit? If that doesn't sway you, just think about the times you went to english class. Go back to Senior year with Binra, Did you enjoy Emma, Mrs. Dalloway, and that other gay book that we had to read? If you think about it, the only good books that we read in high school were the ones in Junior year. So really, when we are forced culture down our throats, it isn't really something we rather enjoy. The teenagers of this generation are only going with what they are being given on television or the radio because that's all they can afford to have, there is much more entertainment out there, but they wouldn't know where to begin. And the radio isn't going to help them either, it's owned by only four corporations who only want their music played on it as well.
As for MTV, MTV wants to make money too, they are only going to show the videos that are going to make the most profit. And we all know you and checo have nothing against "making a profit" But this isn't about making a profit anymore. This is about a culture, this is much bigger than money.
The thing is that music, literature, film, and art is how our generation is going to be seen by future generations. For example, by reading wuthering heights and listening to their music we know that the victorians were very boring. We know that our parents' generation was one of idealists who eventually lost their ideals because of woodstock, disco and 80's music. It doesn't define our parents, true, but it helps us see them in a different light, maybe one that you wouldn't have seen otherwise.
And eventually when we are all dead and anyone that remembers us is dead our music, lit and art is the only way people will know us.
Thank you neto for the clarification ... See I view the world a little differently. To me what somebody thinks about me 100 years from now does not bother me in any way what so ever. Like I stated previously I only care about the opinions and thoughts of my friends. So presently we have all come to the conclusion that a problem exists. Anybody got a solution to it? I can think of one. Ill type it in later when I think it out thoroughly.
Interesting. Personally I think our generation could very well be constituted as the “lazy generation.” (Note: COULD) Think about it, as the generation Y defintion listed, yeah we do indeed have iPods, along with mini portable dvds we carry around in our car to watch movies, and cell phones most people swear they couldn’t live without.
What makes it worse are the ridiculous shows like MTV’s my sweet sixteen. “Arghh I wanted the $5,000 dress not the $4,000" And on culture, Let me reference clara’s favorite, The Maury show. Where you have teenage moms test guy after guy for a father for her baby. Or rather the girls who announce to the world their promiscuous nature to the world with no shame.“Wild Teens Run Wild With 30 year olds or some shit like that. (Ok, true they had a higher rise of pregnancy in the 1950s but it wasn’t displayed on TV for the whole world to see)Those shows are a depiction of what's makes up a lot of our society. Society and culture go hand in hand. In a way These examples taken from TV ALONE are the hard hitting stones that crack our image into pieces. (Whatever image that may be)
So yes in a sense I agree that we will be remembered by mostly media. Also, Look at the magazines they sell about what else? Celebrities and their dogs and how much they spend on gum. People buy this junk because they’re intrigued and because somehow or other they got into their head that they’re not good enough just being themselves and So they insist on buying the same junk that they do because (I honestly think this is why) they have this set mentality that if they buy the same outfit or car then they’ll be as or almost equally “cool” as the celebrity wearing it. In a sense a lot of this is because there’s no set role model out there that is considered “cool” and at the same time productive with his/her fame. The most we have are flakes like Paris Hilton who coined the phrase “That’s hot.” Is that who is going to come to mind when people think of actresses/famous people of our generation? Wow, imagine the credibility. I can’t remember the last time I heard something generally great about someone around my age...
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