Ok orgers.
I have to write a paper, about 5 pages long, that is dealing with cultur in one way or another. Everything could be said to be part of culture, but in this particular case it's art, music, literature and so on. The topic has to deal with race, gender or/and class issues. Therefore I thought Prince to be the perfect "object".

I'd like for you guy to help me out a little and give examples of what you'd think to be cool topics. It should be a quite narrow one.

Well Prince was one of the first artists to break the color barrier on MTV with the video for Little Red Corvette back in 1982. He also had the first multi-racial band to appear in music videos. Sly Stone and others had multi-racial bands, but this was before the MTV era. Perhaps this could be a way to integrate Prince in a paper about culture and race.

I guess you could address the equality issue, beyond the black/white thing...And approach Prince's concern through the many different songz that illuminate the topic, to include...Paisley Park, Family Name...Right the wrong...Resolution....

Becuz...beyond the black and the white, comes down to the individual, that in all cases is to be worth a whole human being.

start it with "dig if you will this paper..."

VenusBlingBling said:

well i would have a good look at his songs, choose one which includes lyrics on any of your subjects, look at the context he wrote them in and take it from there. or perhaps take lyrics from songs over the whole 30 year period and see how, if anything has changed in realtion to your subject areas and the lyrics he has written. needs a bit of research and thinking but you will probably get better marks for more thinking and analysis. hopethis helps

waaaaahny waahhny wooo whoo

on race - Prince always has white and black band members.
on gender - Prince always has male and female band members.

This from when he was like 20 or something, although I'm sure someone will point out an exception, it's basically true.

He walks the walk on equality.

also, for what it's worth, I always preferred James Brown to Elvis. In those days a black artist could not be just "as good" as a white artist and get the same recognition. James Brown had to be exceptional just to get noticed - and this forced him and others to excel (while someone like Elvis had others write songs for him, many stolen from lesser known black musicians).

In much the same way Prince broke into white radio stations and white MTV (MJ helped as well). Prince was an undersized, poor, black kid from Minneapolis - but like James Brown he would not be denied. He had to be better / had to work harder, and did. His work ethic is legendary.

Sometimes having the cards stacked against you makes you work harder - and you end up better (Sacrifice of Victor: "I was sure that Heaven marked the deck...").

Anyway - just one angle you could take.

Prince sang a song about doing it with his sister.
That's gotta be pretty close to being about as brokedown as a barrier can get.

You could compare his wish to render race oblivious with that of Michael Jackson...

I think a professor would like that.

He was also 'adrodgenous' - and blurred the lines between genders, probably in a way no one has quite done before - 'Controversy'?

An historical/sociological discussion on his part in fashioning the Gangsta Glam movement in the early to mid 90's would be a potentially ground-breaking academic contribution.

hmmm...thanks guys... Any particullary good literature I can use here? I don't have any books on P and have only read A Pop Life.

VenusBlingBling said:

WRITE ABOUT HOW PRINCE RUINED BLACK MUSIC WITH HIS SEXUAL LYRICS AND HIS GIRLY IMAGE.

there's a pile of stuff here might b useful
http://princetext.tripod.com/
[Edited 12/12/07 22:37pm]

jackson35 said:

lottielooloo1968 said:

Thank you, this is great!

spacedolphin said:

Oh yeah...

Do a Kristevan interpretation of "God Created Woman" where you examine the jouissance that results from the missing rib.




.
[Edited 12/13/07 17:32pm]

2the9s said:

Oh my, what an intellectual suggestion. I bet you could do something with that.
I will have dropped dead before the paper is finished.

.
[Edited 12/13/07 17:46pm]

There are so many songs I can choose from...so please help me out and tell me what songs on

race
gender

you think are the most interesting to analyze?

How about something like, he used to be great, now, not so much!!!

VenusBlingBling said:

Hmmm... Controversy is an obvious one I think.

Little Red Corvette kind of broke through the 'black and white' barrier when it got airplay on MTV, and people have mentioned the fact that Dez Dickerson played the guitar solo on that, which had a more 'white' sound than Prince's playing

I'm not an 'expert' but hope that helps

Album, I will analyze one of his albums (including cover etc) that deals with race and gender! Hmmm...which one could be the most interesting one to study? Controversy is obvious. Someone suggested the Black Album, but I don't have it.

theghostoftonym said:

(Both race and gender will be talked about)
I'm choosing between Dirty Mind, Controversy, Sign O' The Times, Lovesexy, Diamonds & Pearls, The Gold Experience and Emancipation disc 3.

?