I read an interesting article recently, stating the Barack Obama currently has the most unsolicited campaign songs. For all of you readers uninformed in the wiley world of politics like myself, Barack has racked up a number of unsolicited songs written about him and his campaign. Weird, I know. So as I watched this video of will.i.am’s rather lengthly song “Yes We Can” full of beautiful famous people, it made me wonder just how far one should go to get some attention. I know we’ve had our fair share of Bruce Springsteen mishaps in past elections, but it seems that this particular election has generated quite a bit of interest from the musical side of the gamut.
It wasn’t too many years ago that the political persuasions of artists such as Rage Against the Machine and N.W.A. caused controversy across the nation for their less-than-subtle lyrics about government-related activities in this country. It seems strange to me that music has come full-circle from the political artists of the 80’s and 90’s proclaiming their anti-establishment views to actually penning campaign songs for the latest presidential candidates. Is this really an un-selfish act of pure support or an incredible business move on the part of these musicians and songwriters?
I do realize the gravity of this election and the impact that it will have on all sorts of varieties of activism, but I do wonder how sincere all of these “budding artists” really are in their undying support of Barack Obama. Having a very crude knowledge of politics myself, these thoughts are merely speculation, but I believe that this should be some serious food for thought for all of the easily influenced voters out there. Call me cynical, but it seems a pretty far stretch from the “F**k the Police” of my generation to the sudden unbridled love of American politics in this 2008 Presidential Election. I mean, I enjoy “We Are The World” spoofs just as much as the next guy, but this is just a little too close to the repeat button for my taste.
Fortune Cookie:
Do some research on the current presidential candidates and make a truly informed decision. Turn off CNN and ignore the propaganda, and really do your homework.
Apparently it’s not on the cover of Vanity Fair. So in the latest news on teen celebrity’s gone-bad, lovable Disney princess Miley Cyrus has been catching some flack about her recent “artistic” photo shoot for Vanity Fair. It almost pains me to even write about this subject as it has become so cliche for teenage girls to exploit their sexuality in this industry, but I think this occurrence might be a little different.
Now I’m no Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus nut, but the girl and her father have done an incredible job managing her career. Like her or not, she has become an undeniable force in this industry and is a millionaire at age 15…you can’t really knock that. Sometimes a picture is just a picture, but the particular picture we’re talking about here shows a topless 15-year-old girl in what looks like a bed sheet appearing just a little too cracked out for my taste. What’s the motivation here?
It’s become increasingly obvious that teen stars can no longer expect to “just be teenagers.” 10 year-olds dress like 15 year-olds, and 15 year-olds dress like 22 year-olds, so why are we all surprised? In this case, you have a young girl who has created an image around her innocence and has millions of young fans looking up to her as a role model. Why can’t media and industry folk just allow a young girl to be young without pushing the envelope? Have we not learned from the walking disaster that has become Britney Spears?
When you’re dealing with people who are unfathomably famous at a young age, such as Ms. Cyrus and Ms. Spears, it’s easy to forget that at the end of the day, they are just people like you and I. How far can we expect to push these young stars before the backlash becomes bigger than the profits we make from them? Artistic or not, should posing topless in a bed sheet even be an option for a 15-year old girl? I’m not sure who is at fault here, if anyone, and I don’t really wish to speculate. All I know is that this girl should be allowed to act like a kid while she still is one, and I’m afraid the scandals are going to become all-too-prevalent for her to do so…as they usually do with these things.
Fortune Cookie:
Go pull out your favorite teen star’s album from back in the day and give it a spin. Remember what it’s like to be a kid, and encourage your kids to embrace that.
I (was) a Music Industry Studies and Vocal Performance major at Loyola University in New Orleans. I (did) graduate in May, and this is my attempt at re-gaining some perspective on the world that I have lost touch with. I (did) learn proper grammar skills, but I (don’t) much like using them. Through personal changes, I hope to change the way that I and the people that I associate with view the music industry. I invite you to join me and log your progress along the way.
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