Rock’n’Roll as an international language is important in the film Tokyo Pop (1988, Fran Rubel Kuzui). The importance of Rock’n’Roll, especially American popular songs, help I believe to build a bridge between western ‘rebellious’ culture and traditional eastern culture. I feel that in this film it shows also that Rock’n’Roll is also as a vehicle of escape from tradition.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Tokyo Pop
Friday, March 23, 2007
minstrelsy and a 13" wang
Or:Bamboozled and Boogie Nights
Last night my friend had to watch Bamboozeled, a Spike Lee joint, for one of her papers so we did a double feature with Boogie nights. I'm sure a lot of people have, but I hadn't, seen bamboozled. If you are planning on writing your essay on minstrelsy it is a must. The central premise of the movie is a TV writer who pitches a new millennium minstrel show to the network he works for. Around the central device of the minstrel show orbit a host of people who represent different slants on the idea of the minstrel. The TV writer who describes himself as an Oreo: brown on the outside white on the inside. His boss, a high fiving, white, male with giant photos of exclusively black sportsman behind his desk. A white rapper in Mos Def's character's militant black rights group. an Italian who, in a really uncomfortable scene, claims he is more of a nigger than niggers before doing a rap. Each of these represent a different take on the idea of the minstrel. This list is probably not exhaustive either. Grotesque minstrel memorabilia is a key feature of the visual imagery coupled with ‘blackface’ that the show’s fans start adopting making for some really unsettling viewing. The film is largely satirical and if you need a definition of that there is one in the opening scene of the movie. There is quite a bit of historical information, some really intelligent discourse about race issues, and even a kind of ‘Thank you for Smoking’ look at using critical discourse to justify racism. There is a classic scene where a spin doctor tries to defend her right to address black issues by saying she has a PHD in African studies from Princeton. The ‘Oreo’ character responds by saying something like: ‘Ah, excellent, a niggerologist’. Anyway way it’s a really good/easy way to get background to the history and resent debate about minstrelsy.
We watched Boogie Nights second and there was a scene towards the end that struck me as quite a clear reference to minstrelsy. When ‘I like to fuck’ Buck is in the doughnut store hold up, the robber shoots the store keeper through the head covering Bucks face with blood. I realize that blood is red and not black but I think the image is heightened by his bright white suit and the fact he does this weird minstrel, jazz hands, thing near his face. Buck’s character is definitely used as vehicle to address race issues and maybe this just serves as a visual cue to remind us of this. Think when Buck is applying for a bank loan and his face and hands are again in stark contrast to his suit. The bank manager wants to say your black and a porn star but only says what he can say: you’re a porn star. Bert Reynolds’s character seems to have reasonably good credit if you see my point. Also Buck seems to have a sincere like for country music, which is of course a bastion of whitedom, yet another slant on the minstrelsy.
Probably my favorite scene was when Dirk Diggler meets his sidekick (shake n bake) for the first time and the sidekick says ‘a lot of people tell me I look like Hans solo’ followed by some silence. In the silence I couldn’t help thinking – well I guess we know who Luke skywalker is, because Hans doesn’t have a saber, if you get me. All it needs is a heavy breathing drug dealer in a black helmet for the star wars metaphysics to be fully instated. Dirks special gift from ‘the force’ stops working after too much nose candy.
Digital mysticz at gelatos sat night. Braaaaap
Last night my friend had to watch Bamboozeled, a Spike Lee joint, for one of her papers so we did a double feature with Boogie nights. I'm sure a lot of people have, but I hadn't, seen bamboozled. If you are planning on writing your essay on minstrelsy it is a must. The central premise of the movie is a TV writer who pitches a new millennium minstrel show to the network he works for. Around the central device of the minstrel show orbit a host of people who represent different slants on the idea of the minstrel. The TV writer who describes himself as an Oreo: brown on the outside white on the inside. His boss, a high fiving, white, male with giant photos of exclusively black sportsman behind his desk. A white rapper in Mos Def's character's militant black rights group. an Italian who, in a really uncomfortable scene, claims he is more of a nigger than niggers before doing a rap. Each of these represent a different take on the idea of the minstrel. This list is probably not exhaustive either. Grotesque minstrel memorabilia is a key feature of the visual imagery coupled with ‘blackface’ that the show’s fans start adopting making for some really unsettling viewing. The film is largely satirical and if you need a definition of that there is one in the opening scene of the movie. There is quite a bit of historical information, some really intelligent discourse about race issues, and even a kind of ‘Thank you for Smoking’ look at using critical discourse to justify racism. There is a classic scene where a spin doctor tries to defend her right to address black issues by saying she has a PHD in African studies from Princeton. The ‘Oreo’ character responds by saying something like: ‘Ah, excellent, a niggerologist’. Anyway way it’s a really good/easy way to get background to the history and resent debate about minstrelsy.
We watched Boogie Nights second and there was a scene towards the end that struck me as quite a clear reference to minstrelsy. When ‘I like to fuck’ Buck is in the doughnut store hold up, the robber shoots the store keeper through the head covering Bucks face with blood. I realize that blood is red and not black but I think the image is heightened by his bright white suit and the fact he does this weird minstrel, jazz hands, thing near his face. Buck’s character is definitely used as vehicle to address race issues and maybe this just serves as a visual cue to remind us of this. Think when Buck is applying for a bank loan and his face and hands are again in stark contrast to his suit. The bank manager wants to say your black and a porn star but only says what he can say: you’re a porn star. Bert Reynolds’s character seems to have reasonably good credit if you see my point. Also Buck seems to have a sincere like for country music, which is of course a bastion of whitedom, yet another slant on the minstrelsy.
Probably my favorite scene was when Dirk Diggler meets his sidekick (shake n bake) for the first time and the sidekick says ‘a lot of people tell me I look like Hans solo’ followed by some silence. In the silence I couldn’t help thinking – well I guess we know who Luke skywalker is, because Hans doesn’t have a saber, if you get me. All it needs is a heavy breathing drug dealer in a black helmet for the star wars metaphysics to be fully instated. Dirks special gift from ‘the force’ stops working after too much nose candy.
Digital mysticz at gelatos sat night. Braaaaap
Music on Cell Phones.
If you buy music or songs off a website or download it to your phone, you can play the song on your cell phone quite easily and download the song to your computer. For example, you can purchase music off the Vodaphone music website, play it on your 3G phone and download it to your computer. However, if the cell phone is damaged and you need to replace your phone, even if you get the same model phone and use the same SIM card and cell phone number, you cannot play the songs that you downloaded previously.
Copying and dubbing have been common for many years with popular music and films. For example, you might have copied a CD onto tape or more recently, onto MP3 files which can be easily moved around different listening devices.
The new form of Digital Rights Management that is embedded in the new MP4 format used by cell phone music providers prevents users who buy the music directly from them to move the music files that they have purchased to other places.
I have been informed by Vodafone that the files are tied into the serial number of the cell phone handset, not the cell phone number. This prevents users from sending and swapping music between them. However, it also prevents the user from listening to music on other devices or replacing music on a damaged phone. Most people assume this is a given right because they have bought the songs already.
The shocking reality is; if you have downloaded a lot of music to your phone and the phone is damaged, you will lose all the songs you believe to be yours.
Is this new trend the end of a common practice that we thought we had a right to or will users rebel against this and buy their digital music in another place?
Mana E
Copying and dubbing have been common for many years with popular music and films. For example, you might have copied a CD onto tape or more recently, onto MP3 files which can be easily moved around different listening devices.
The new form of Digital Rights Management that is embedded in the new MP4 format used by cell phone music providers prevents users who buy the music directly from them to move the music files that they have purchased to other places.
I have been informed by Vodafone that the files are tied into the serial number of the cell phone handset, not the cell phone number. This prevents users from sending and swapping music between them. However, it also prevents the user from listening to music on other devices or replacing music on a damaged phone. Most people assume this is a given right because they have bought the songs already.
The shocking reality is; if you have downloaded a lot of music to your phone and the phone is damaged, you will lose all the songs you believe to be yours.
Is this new trend the end of a common practice that we thought we had a right to or will users rebel against this and buy their digital music in another place?
Mana E
Pot calling the kettle black?
Hi, First post and all.
This is kinda in reference to a post by Kate VN, titled 'but. but..'
I'm more interested in intellectual property (IP), and sampling when it comes to sounds, and sampling.
Joel Vietch has an amusing site called rathergood.com, in which he has all sorts of amusing songs and animations some which verge on being music videos, being made to accentuate or poke fun at established songs. Such as his viking kitten attempt of Gaybar by band Electric Six.
Joels funny animation (lots of Kittens)
http://www.rathergood.com/gaybar/
Rob Manuels faux doco of his mate getting ripped off.
http://www.robmanuel.com/2006/12/13/is-coke-ripping-off-the-little-guy/
The crux point comes as an example of a Argentinian coke ad surfaces where Coca-Cola seems to have ripped off another of Joels creations. Joels rights to his IP seem to have been circumvented. One of my friends ventured the idea that the fact that as Joel has clearly sign-posted the song in his video was written and played by the band Electric six that his animation is more legitimate, however.....does that mean if Coca-Cola Argentina had put a hastily scribed JoelVeitch@rathergood.com at the end of their ad that their use of his IP would be all right?
The main question I have, with regards to sampling of both audio and musical clips, is what are the general rules that are used to define and draw the lines between public domain and of copyright infringement?
Or more importantly, as both sites love to pull pranks on the general public have I just been the victim of another one of their hilarious scams?
Cheers
Mike-L
This is kinda in reference to a post by Kate VN, titled 'but. but..'
I'm more interested in intellectual property (IP), and sampling when it comes to sounds, and sampling.
Joel Vietch has an amusing site called rathergood.com, in which he has all sorts of amusing songs and animations some which verge on being music videos, being made to accentuate or poke fun at established songs. Such as his viking kitten attempt of Gaybar by band Electric Six.
Joels funny animation (lots of Kittens)
http://www.rathergood.com/gaybar/
Rob Manuels faux doco of his mate getting ripped off.
http://www.robmanuel.com/2006/12/13/is-coke-ripping-off-the-little-guy/
The crux point comes as an example of a Argentinian coke ad surfaces where Coca-Cola seems to have ripped off another of Joels creations. Joels rights to his IP seem to have been circumvented. One of my friends ventured the idea that the fact that as Joel has clearly sign-posted the song in his video was written and played by the band Electric six that his animation is more legitimate, however.....does that mean if Coca-Cola Argentina had put a hastily scribed JoelVeitch@rathergood.com at the end of their ad that their use of his IP would be all right?
The main question I have, with regards to sampling of both audio and musical clips, is what are the general rules that are used to define and draw the lines between public domain and of copyright infringement?
Or more importantly, as both sites love to pull pranks on the general public have I just been the victim of another one of their hilarious scams?
Cheers
Mike-L
Re-feeling through soundtrack
Hey,
This week’s lecture about the Hollywood film soundtrack reminded me the days I used to collect the soundtracks. Listening to the film soundtrack is more enjoyable than just music itself because you unconsciously get emotional effect without the real visuals or images infront of you.
In my opinion, soundtrack has been always popular especially among the film audiences because the soundtrack can evoke emotions and other associations that you had while watching the film without actually having to produce directly through the narratives. In addition, each song contains the image and atmosphere of one particular scene or character so it also can help audiences to recall the special scene or dialogue of the film. I say it is mostly the soundtrack's power that is making audiences to view the same film again and again (that is if the soundtrack is well fitted with the narrative and successful). Soundtrack can be used as a marketing tools and surely help film to achieve sensational result.
These are some of my favourite film OST (that I can remember now) and I believe they are all well known.
Shape of my heart (Sting) - Leon (1994)
Kissing You (Des'ree) - Romeo and Juliet (1996)
She (Elvis Costello) - Notting Hill (1999)
Tennessee (Hans Zimmer) - Pearl Harbour (2001)
The trouble with Love is (Kelly Clarkson) - Love Actually (2003)
Each of them produces specific emotions that audiences already have experienced through the film. Like, when listening to the Romeo and Juliet OST- Kissing You, audience can recall the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet each other since it is so memorable. Notting Hill and Leon OST that I listed appear at the end of the film and somehow the mood of the music matches with the genre of the film. I personally like Pearl Harbour's soundtrack although it is mostly orchestral music because you can feel its own special emotional characteristic by the music as the music has been well tied-in with the narrative.
This week’s lecture about the Hollywood film soundtrack reminded me the days I used to collect the soundtracks. Listening to the film soundtrack is more enjoyable than just music itself because you unconsciously get emotional effect without the real visuals or images infront of you.
In my opinion, soundtrack has been always popular especially among the film audiences because the soundtrack can evoke emotions and other associations that you had while watching the film without actually having to produce directly through the narratives. In addition, each song contains the image and atmosphere of one particular scene or character so it also can help audiences to recall the special scene or dialogue of the film. I say it is mostly the soundtrack's power that is making audiences to view the same film again and again (that is if the soundtrack is well fitted with the narrative and successful). Soundtrack can be used as a marketing tools and surely help film to achieve sensational result.
These are some of my favourite film OST (that I can remember now) and I believe they are all well known.
Shape of my heart (Sting) - Leon (1994)
Kissing You (Des'ree) - Romeo and Juliet (1996)
She (Elvis Costello) - Notting Hill (1999)
Tennessee (Hans Zimmer) - Pearl Harbour (2001)
The trouble with Love is (Kelly Clarkson) - Love Actually (2003)
Each of them produces specific emotions that audiences already have experienced through the film. Like, when listening to the Romeo and Juliet OST- Kissing You, audience can recall the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet each other since it is so memorable. Notting Hill and Leon OST that I listed appear at the end of the film and somehow the mood of the music matches with the genre of the film. I personally like Pearl Harbour's soundtrack although it is mostly orchestral music because you can feel its own special emotional characteristic by the music as the music has been well tied-in with the narrative.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Pop music on film and tv: it just makes sense!
Based on the readings for this week, the lecture and my own conclusions it just seems logical based on a marketing perspective for music and film to intertwine and unite. If combined successfully, a movie, television programme, song and/or artist can become an instantaneous hit so why would artists or directors miss this opportunity?! It may result in a loss of 'integrity' to a particular artist to appear in a main stream production however if money is on the mind (as it often is) what would hold them back? There are countless examples of music featuring on films or television which result in boosted sales and general public knowlegde of artists. A clear example is Snow Patrol, The Fray and KT Tunstall whose songs have all appeared during key moments in Grey's Anatomy and have evidently contributed to their album sales and public recognition. The Fray even depicts scenes from the show in the advertisements for their album on television. These songs have obviously been chosen for their appropriateness in the plot of the series and have fitted in with the emotion of the scenes, no doubt contributing to their success. This has also resulted in a compilation CD from music featured in Grey's Anatomy which has sold well. The 'synergy' does not stop there however. Established artists such as The Black Eyed Pea's used the recognisable riff from Pulp Fiction in a recent hit Pump It, which personally reminded me of the film every time I heard it and made me somewhat like the song which I probably would not have otherwise. The inclusion of the riff potentially widens the appeal of the song to a broader market which may attract an older demographic of listeners. When presented with evidence in the form of sales, viewings and publicity for musicians and film or television series it is evident the idea of 'synergy' is commercially viable for all involved but only when the song and accompanying scene flow seamlessly together or produces an effect on the audience.
Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film”
These days it is not common for us to see sex and nudity throughout music videos. Hip Hop artists are bathed in semi naked women and pop artists dance seductively in scantily clad clothing. When did images of sex become a tool for many artists to use to sell their music, and more importantly when did we stop being shocked at these images?
Duran Duran first released their notorious music video for “Girls on Film” in 1981. The video clip caused controversy and uproar among censors who dubbed the video pornographic and offensive with its montage of erotic and sexually explicit images, which included topless and semi naked women pouring champagne over themselves. Twenty five years later even I have to admit that this is one racy video clip. Some may find it offensive or distasteful, but no matter what opinion we may have I think that it’s easy to agree that it was genius for its time. Although it was banned on BBC TV and was heavily edited for MTV, the controversy surrounding the video created so much publicity that it boosted the success of “Girls On Film” which became the first top ten hit for Duran Duran’s musical career. Duran Duran distinguished themselves from other pop bands and caught the attention of the media, including MTV and the public. Very clever lads.
I guess this was just early days of using sexual images to sell, and “Girls on Film” was only a predecessor for music video clips to come from Madonna’s “Erotica” in 1992 and Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty” and Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction” in 2002. (I’m sure there’s worse). Images of drugs, death and violence are already appearing in music videos, shocking yet intriguing us, enticing us to buy their product.
But when did we stop being shocked? And what will come next for bands to get our attention…?
Hollywood Sound
Hey,
This might be a bit off-topic but thought I'd mention it anyway. Yesterday's lec with the Hollywood film soundtracks and the earlier lectures on Al Jolson and Bernard Herrmann kind of reminded me of Sunset Boulevard (1950). The theme in SB's opening sequence is quite similar to Psycho and Vertigo in that they are quite melodramatic with the crescendo patterns and sinister undertones.
There's an interesting scene where Norma Desmond (as the faded silent film star complete with her decadent '20s mansion) laments the advent of sound during a conversation with her then-New Hollywood 'ghostwriter' and future pimp, Joe Gillis.
JG: "You used to be in silent pictures, you used to be big."
ND: "I am big. It's the pictures that got small..."
Norma goes on to talk about how she can say anything she wants with her eyes.
Especially as a b/w film, I think the score adds to (or rather creates) the creepy decrepit mood and externalises Norma's distorted sense of self and Joe's opportunism; the music adds a colour to it, so to speak.
The special edition DVD also has a featurette on the famous composer for SB, German emigre, Franz Waxman. It concentrates on the leitmotivs (Bebop for the hip cat Joe and Valentinoesque tango melodies for old-fashioned Norma), and how Waxman and Billy Wilder 'condensed' the music to link across different scenes.
Stella
This might be a bit off-topic but thought I'd mention it anyway. Yesterday's lec with the Hollywood film soundtracks and the earlier lectures on Al Jolson and Bernard Herrmann kind of reminded me of Sunset Boulevard (1950). The theme in SB's opening sequence is quite similar to Psycho and Vertigo in that they are quite melodramatic with the crescendo patterns and sinister undertones.
There's an interesting scene where Norma Desmond (as the faded silent film star complete with her decadent '20s mansion) laments the advent of sound during a conversation with her then-New Hollywood 'ghostwriter' and future pimp, Joe Gillis.
JG: "You used to be in silent pictures, you used to be big."
ND: "I am big. It's the pictures that got small..."
Norma goes on to talk about how she can say anything she wants with her eyes.
Especially as a b/w film, I think the score adds to (or rather creates) the creepy decrepit mood and externalises Norma's distorted sense of self and Joe's opportunism; the music adds a colour to it, so to speak.
The special edition DVD also has a featurette on the famous composer for SB, German emigre, Franz Waxman. It concentrates on the leitmotivs (Bebop for the hip cat Joe and Valentinoesque tango melodies for old-fashioned Norma), and how Waxman and Billy Wilder 'condensed' the music to link across different scenes.
Stella
Contact details.
Since people have been asking, here are my contact details again.
My office is Arts 203.
Email address: kveale AT gmail.com
Office Hours: Monday 12-1 or 2
Friday 1-2 or 3.
The reasoning there is that during busier times of semester, like before essays are due, I have four hours a week and stick around till the later hour. If you need to see me outside those times, or in the extended times, send me an email and I'll be happy to sort something out for you.
- Kevin.
My office is Arts 203.
Email address: kveale AT gmail.com
Office Hours: Monday 12-1 or 2
Friday 1-2 or 3.
The reasoning there is that during busier times of semester, like before essays are due, I have four hours a week and stick around till the later hour. If you need to see me outside those times, or in the extended times, send me an email and I'll be happy to sort something out for you.
- Kevin.
Viewing for next week's class and reading
A correction to my last post. Instead of watching MTV 20 as your prescribed viewing for the week, please watch the videos mentioned in the readings that I've posted on the blog below. At least one exam question will relate to the Vernallis and Dieckmann readings. You're still welcome to view MTV 20 which provides a strong sense of the MTV video canon. You must watch Boogie Nights by next Wednesday.
Whoops. Just realized that watching the music videos might use up a lot of your net account so just watch as many music videos as you reasonably can in whatever format.
Whoops. Just realized that watching the music videos might use up a lot of your net account so just watch as many music videos as you reasonably can in whatever format.
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