Let me start off by saying that no, this thread does not belong in Non-Prince. I'm simply using famous musicians to illustrate my point, so bare with me. I know what I'm about to say is nothing new or shocking or relevatory, but I thought I'd post and get your opinions on the topic regardless. I know it's long, but I'd appreciate it if you guys gave it a look.








As some of you might know, after procrastinating a few years I've been heavily debating what I'm going to do with my time here on Earth. Trying to narrow down a general path for college life, at the very least. I've been looking into Anthropology and Psychology mostly. But it struck me the other day that the thing I find most fascinating in terms of modern human behaviour are the so-called unimportant things in life, like fashion and living spaces and transportation and pop culture and how and why we relate to it the way we do, and what that says about the bigger topics of sex and religion and war.

And, being the musicly-obsessed dork that I am, these two displays of societal change sprung to mind:


1. In the early 1970's, what did David Bowie have to do to shock people? Say he liked dick. In the tail-end of this first decade of the newest millenium, what does he have to do? Admit that he's getting old, and that he's comfortable with it.

That shows such an interesting change in people's thoughts and attitudes of what is and is not acceptable. Acceptable not just to be proud of, but to even admit in the first place. The Ziggy years may have just followed up the supposed free love era, but for all the mythology that's built up over time of '60's permissiveness, nothing had really changed all that much in terms of what western society was saying men were and women were.

Nowadays, we live in such an utterly youth-and-beauty obsessed society, that to admit one's true birthday or go without a few "touch-ups" now and then is a sin in some circles. A celebrity will be forgiven for being arrested, usually even if for a serious crime, but God forbid they be caught without full makeup, a bit of cellulite, or -horrors! -a few lines around the eyes.


and I realize I lack a proper segue, but here we go on to

2. When John Lennon was protesting war and throwing love-ins and be-ins and writing Imagine, people would say, "Who the fuck does he think he is, Jesus Christ?" Now when Bono is out speaking at the UN, and trying to make a serious call for attention to the world's problems, people say, "Who the fuck does he think he is, John Lennon?"


That, to me, represents a HUGE change in western society. That we can go in what's really a very short amount of time from our main frame of reference being religion and a Higher Power, to now with our main frame of reference being pop culture and celebrities.


There are plenty of other examples like this. I'm not interested in saying one's good or bad, or better or worse. I just want to know why things changed, and how. What was the catalyst for these huge shifts? Where did it come from? What would have we been like now if the X factor hadn't happened, or happened at a different place or time?



Thoughts?

The world it seems has gone from heart and soul to plastic fantastic in just a matter of decades. I'd say the first step was the decade of 'greed'...the fascination and want of the material. This inturn over the years slowly has infiltrated even through music. We see ppl with little talent getting loads of recognition...the 'world' becomes infatuated by glossyness. The big production companies see big $$$ in putting songs with no emotion with sexy imagery and the pop culture wheel keeps churning...turning more and more monotonous... with refreshing faces and sounds only here and there- but not as readily accessable! But yet if we commercialised it...i don't know if the initial lovers of the refreshing sort would like it so much any more. Catch 22 you see.

As with the Bowie thing...i think it's all about getting the audience used to something and turning the dial around 360degrees for a head-turning reaction. It's about defying people's ideas i think. And upkeeping intrigue so they don't get all boring. Fair enough.

And as with the Lennon thing...dare i say it but i reckon ppl may feel it is less cool to say "Jesus like" anymore- at least when making a comparison to a mass of many people. The world is becoming multi-facated in its opinions on religion. And let's not forget the 'Greed' factor i mentioned before! Think stardom, celebrity...we are lookin at ppl with millions of dollars here...whether 'deserved' on 'undeserved' whether or whether not they deserve it...ppl still admire if not worship them 2 a certain degree because they have it! Nevermind an ordinary Joe Blow...but u know what the next phase is right? What with reality tv...the average Joe Blow gets his/her turn at it.

I for one can't wait for animals to start talking to us. They'd tell us to stop piss farting around, stop obsessing about money and follow ur gawdamn hearts.

Maybe one day we'll live in vast lush jungles ...real ones...not the tall building assortment.






Cool thread!

Thanks!



Clearly Bowie's moves were to shock or get attention, but I'm really curious as to why those certain things were what would best shock the audiences at their times; what was in their minds to make them do a double-take.

And I think you may have a point, with coolness not exactly being associated with religious figures, and the almost literal worship of money and fame.


I'm not sure I have anything else to say on it right now, but I wanted to throw this out there for people to mull over.

meow85 said:

People were shocked by anything sexually outrageous- it was the 70s...the subsequent decade after the sexual revolution. The youth- the more rebellious variety were more open to it, but people on a whole were still getting used to it and tv and radio were still reasonably wholesome and not too explicit.

By this point in time, on a whole- what was once considered sexually outrageous has now become normalised. So to shock, they reverse things...they come across softer...some start singing in old crooners style ...they recycle themselves and re-invent!

These things happen i reckon because there is an invisible turning point in the way the audience views certain things. It's usually when tv/radio/print content becomes crazy or ludicrous or stupid- to save themselves- the people who want to make a statement-choose those times or instances to do so...

I think it takes a period of approximately 20 years between each 'shock' or statement...the initial ten years is introduction and getting used to...the next ten years is living it...by the end of that ten years, its kinda old...so BANG they do something shocking to refresh themselves before they are forgotten about or become somewhat invisible...and re-invent and claim back their 'throne'.

lilmissmissy said:

A bit like Prince transitioning from speedos and thigh-highs to being a Vegas act....

People get so used to a star behaving in a certain way, that it becomes increasingly harder to shock an audience. Some performers couldn't have made it to the levels they did without the element of surprise. An entertainer has to do a complete 180 to surprise people after a while.