Monday, 13 December 2010
Task 2: Lady Gaga
I've chosen Lady Ga Ga's Bad Romance as an example that epitomises Adorno's sentiments of popular music.
The musician, Lady gaga, prides herself in being different from everyone else. One of the main selling points is how 'bizarre' and 'different' she is I know that this is more about the way she performs and dresses. However, I believe that this can still be applied to this idea of standardization in popular that Adorno introduced. In all of Lady gaga's videos, it is expected that there will be something 'weird' and 'freaky' going on. She is known for being 'different' and 'individual'
I think that this is what she is trying to convey to the listeners, the fact that she dresses so different, this makes the listener feel like, because they are listening to her music, they are therefore also a unique individual.
Adorno introduces the idea of 'Pseudo-individualisation ' which he believes is a by product of standardization. It is an illusion one's individuality when there is in fact none, only conformity. listeners believe that by listenign to Lady Gaga, perhaps they are experssing their individuality and the acceptance of her ' freakiness' proves that they are in fact different from everyone else.
this 'Pseudo-individualisation ' is not so much an unintentional by product of standardization but one that has been created. People must believe that they are in fact individual in order for them to be controlled. Standardization should be kept secret while people still believe in choosing the music of their free choice and taste. People who are buying her music must believe that they are different and in fact not part of the huge conforming society.
"Concentration and control in our culture hide themselves in their very manifestation. Unhidden they would provoke resistance. Therefore the illusion and , the a certain extent, even the reality of individual achievement must be maintained." (p.78)
However if you actually listen to the music, it is very repetitive and in fact a great example of a piece of 'standardized' and 'pre digested' music. The lyrics consists of no more than a few sentences and rest is just sounds. It is very mechanical and automatic. If a verse, or part of the chorus is taken away, the listener can easily and automatically fill that missing part in. As mentioned in Adorno's take on popular music and its standardization
eg
I want your loving
And I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!)
I want your loving
All your love is revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance
Adorno uses classical music as examples of 'serious music' to compare to the standardized popular music. He says that serious music can be characterized by the fact that ' every detail derives its musical sense from the concrete totality of the piece which, in turn, consists of the life relationship of the details and never of the mere enforcement of musical scheme'(p.74). But in popular music, the relationship of each detail in the piece is insignificant.' Every detail is substitutable; it serves its function only as a cog in a machine'( p.75) and that the listener can 'automatically' supply the framework themselves.
Task2: Adorno on popular music
Theodor W. Adorno, a member of the Frankfurt School of German thinkers, wrote an essay ' On popular music' in 1941 expressing his views on popular music through a Marxist Ideology.
Adorno attempts to clarify a difference between 'serious music' and 'popular music'. He explains that there is a fundamental characteristic of popular music which one can identify in order to differ it from 'serious music' and that is standardization. This standardization is "applied to the most general feature( of the song)to the most specific ones"(Adorno.T,1941, On Popular Music, pg 73). Adorno stresses the standardized structure to popular music by giving an example of how "best know is the rule that the chorus consists of thirty-two bars and that the range us limited to one octave and one note."(p.73). He explains that all this mass culture, however different they seem they are all ultimately the same, standardized and predictable.' This inexorable device guarantees that regardless of what aberrations occur, the hit will lead back to the same familiar experience, and nothing fundamentally novel will be introduced'(p.74).
Adorno uses classical music as examples of 'serious music' to compare to the standardized popular music. He says that serious music can be characterized by the fact that ' every detail derives its musical sense from the concrete totality of the piece which, in turn, consists of the life relationship of the details and never of the mere enforcement of musical scheme'(p.74). But in popular music, the relationship of each detail in the piece is insignificant.' Every detail is substitutable; it serves its function only as a cog in a machine'( p.75) and that the listener can 'automatically' supply the framework themselves.
Adorno goes on to talk about the 'Structural Standardization Aims at Standard Reactions' which basically points out that if everything is the same then our responses would then be the same. Notice the work 'aim' rather than 'cause'. Popular music is produced in such a standardized way in order to receive the same standardized reaction. The promoters of the music and the mechanism of the music itself leads the listeners into this 'response mechanism whilly antagonistic t the ideal of individuality in a free, liberal society'. (p.76) We live in a society where each person is longing to be an individual but how can you be individual when you are conforming to the same culture.
Adorno believes that " popular music, is composed in such a way that the process of translation of the unique into the norm is already planned and, to a certain extent, achieved within the composition itself. The composition hears for the listerner' ( p.77). He is saying that this music has already been understood and thought for the listeners reducing there creativity. It is 'pre digested' and therefore the effort needed for listening is minimum.
Adorno continues by introduces the idea of 'Pseudo-individualisation ' which he believes is a by product of standardization. It is an illusion one's individuality when there is in fact none, only conformity. However, this 'Pseudo-individualisation ' is not so much an unintentional by product but one that has been created. People must believe that they are in fact individual in order for them to be controlled. Standardization should be kept secret while people still believe in choosing the music of their free choice and taste.
"Concentration and control in our culture hide themselves in their very manifestation. Unhidden they would provoke resistance. Therefore the illusion and , the a certain extent, even the reality of individual achievement must be maintained." (p.78)
Adorno attempts to clarify a difference between 'serious music' and 'popular music'. He explains that there is a fundamental characteristic of popular music which one can identify in order to differ it from 'serious music' and that is standardization. This standardization is "applied to the most general feature( of the song)to the most specific ones"(Adorno.T,1941, On Popular Music, pg 73). Adorno stresses the standardized structure to popular music by giving an example of how "best know is the rule that the chorus consists of thirty-two bars and that the range us limited to one octave and one note."(p.73). He explains that all this mass culture, however different they seem they are all ultimately the same, standardized and predictable.' This inexorable device guarantees that regardless of what aberrations occur, the hit will lead back to the same familiar experience, and nothing fundamentally novel will be introduced'(p.74).
Adorno uses classical music as examples of 'serious music' to compare to the standardized popular music. He says that serious music can be characterized by the fact that ' every detail derives its musical sense from the concrete totality of the piece which, in turn, consists of the life relationship of the details and never of the mere enforcement of musical scheme'(p.74). But in popular music, the relationship of each detail in the piece is insignificant.' Every detail is substitutable; it serves its function only as a cog in a machine'( p.75) and that the listener can 'automatically' supply the framework themselves.
Adorno goes on to talk about the 'Structural Standardization Aims at Standard Reactions' which basically points out that if everything is the same then our responses would then be the same. Notice the work 'aim' rather than 'cause'. Popular music is produced in such a standardized way in order to receive the same standardized reaction. The promoters of the music and the mechanism of the music itself leads the listeners into this 'response mechanism whilly antagonistic t the ideal of individuality in a free, liberal society'. (p.76) We live in a society where each person is longing to be an individual but how can you be individual when you are conforming to the same culture.
Adorno believes that " popular music, is composed in such a way that the process of translation of the unique into the norm is already planned and, to a certain extent, achieved within the composition itself. The composition hears for the listerner' ( p.77). He is saying that this music has already been understood and thought for the listeners reducing there creativity. It is 'pre digested' and therefore the effort needed for listening is minimum.
Adorno continues by introduces the idea of 'Pseudo-individualisation ' which he believes is a by product of standardization. It is an illusion one's individuality when there is in fact none, only conformity. However, this 'Pseudo-individualisation ' is not so much an unintentional by product but one that has been created. People must believe that they are in fact individual in order for them to be controlled. Standardization should be kept secret while people still believe in choosing the music of their free choice and taste.
"Concentration and control in our culture hide themselves in their very manifestation. Unhidden they would provoke resistance. Therefore the illusion and , the a certain extent, even the reality of individual achievement must be maintained." (p.78)
Thursday, 2 December 2010
The Welle ( The Wave)
The last seminar discussions made me think of this film. I only watched it a few days before the seminar, which was kinda of odd but. I can't remember exactly what were were talking about but it was definitely something about situations that lead to the rise in a dictatorship regime.
Check out the trailer
I know this doesn't have anything to do with the tasks or the module but its interesting and i thought I would share.
Would definitely be worth a couple of hours. ( Richard, this will beat your 7 hour long film about Hungarian farmers )
Check out the trailer
I know this doesn't have anything to do with the tasks or the module but its interesting and i thought I would share.
Would definitely be worth a couple of hours. ( Richard, this will beat your 7 hour long film about Hungarian farmers )
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