Janis Joplin

My final essay is on the famous Janis Joplin, and I have to say that I am completely enthralled. I am really enjoying writing this because I am learning so much about an American music legend. Despite her drug and alcohol abuse, I still find her to be an incredible woman. After reading a great deal about her early childhood and music career, and actually listening to various songs of hers, and watching her perform on YouTube videos I have to admit that I do like a lot of her music. Not to say that I plan on working out to it, listening to it before getting for the day, but it is music that I can actually listen to while just relaxing and not doing anything else. One of my favorite performances of her, which I believe many would agree with, is at the Monterey Pop Festival while singing "Ball n' Chain". She connects with the audience so well and she seems so passionate about what she is singing about. I only hope to be this passionate about something in my life, however I may have to avoid the extreme alcohol and drug abuse haha. There was so many times while writing my essay that I wish I could insert a music or interview clip of Janis to highlight my words.  I am so happy I chose this topic and this woman to write about because this may be one of the only times I have written a paper in my history at Clarkson University that I haven't absolutely dreaded, and that I am actually having fun learning about. 

End of the Semester

I can't believe that another semester is coming to an end so quickly. Actually what I really can't believe is that this is my very last semester here at Clarkson University. It didn't truly hit me until dead week that this was actually my last semester, with 2 of my 5 classes already completed, after completing final presentations, its hard to believe that next year I will be doing something completely different than I have ever done in my life. I won't be going to school. It is so strange to think about. It is a little strange but for some reason the song that comes to my mind the most when thinking about next year and how I am feeling a little lost since I have no definite job at this moment is Bob Dylan's :"Mr. Tambourine Man". I feel like it may seem a little strange that is the song that is ringing in my mind, and it could be just because that it is a rainy and mellow day out, but something about this song is really sticking with me. Aside from the fact that this is one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs and one of the only songs I really knew of his before taking this class, I think that some of the lyrics relate to my situation. "Hey Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me / I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to" To me that is saying that I'm not sleepy, I'm ready for the next place in my life but I still have no place to go, besides back home to Syracuse which is definitely not my ideal spot to begin my 20's in, but I want an opportunity from the Tambourine man. Another part of the song that I feel that I relate to is:

"My senses have been stripped, my hands can’t feel to grip
My toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin’
I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it"

In the first two lines it is like I am lost and that I am have yet to really feel the excitement of graduating and moving on to bigger and better things, but once the opportunity is given to me I'll be ready to go literally anywhere in the nation, maybe even the world.

 I definitely know that Bob Dylan hasn't created this song because he is graduating college and doesn't have a clue where he is going to be in the following year, but I believe that all songs are meant to be interpreted the exact way that artists made them themselves. I think that people love certain songs because they can relate to them and to hear them in their head while thinking about certain situations. That is one thing I think I have learned from this class, although I haven't loved or even liked some of the songs that have been played, I feel that for the ones that I do happen to like they have related to my life and situations in some small way.

Bob Dylan Video

The opening of the video scanned over various groups of young men and women in black and white with a woman introducing Bob Dylan. In this woman's introduction of he she said that she believed influential people came to be due to a need for them in society and that Bob Dylan was made in order to speak the thoughts of young people around the nation. From there the documentary goes back to 1963 where a young Bob Dylan sings with his acoustic guitar as a silent and completely enthralled crowd watches and listens to him sing a slow and somber song. The movie continues on but I can't help think about what the woman in the beginning of the video had said. Do influential people grow out of a societal need? I can't help but believe that statement myself, although I am sure there are several exceptions that I can't think of at the moment, I really think that there have been some extremely famous people due to the fact that the society at the time need them to be their voice. I don't know if I could say that Bob Dylan is one of those people because to be honest I don't know enough about him and his music to say whether he was expressing the ideas of the current young generations at that time. However as I watch the video and see how many individuals come to see him perform, and how these people are so interested and quiet while listening to the words of his songs I can't help but believe myself that the young people at the time really find him to be speaking important and crucial words for the time. It is always amazing to me how much music can touch people of all types. After watching this video is it quite clear to me that Bob Dylan's music touches so many people that he is truly an influential speaker of his time.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

The literary work that our class discussed today was "The Love Song J. Alfred Prufrock". This poem can be strongly tied to Bob Dylan's, "Desolation Row" by similar outcast characters, miserable and depressing tones, and message. After seeing the similarities I became equally as intrigued with this poem as I was with Dylan's song. Although the class discussion alluded to the message of both Dylan and Elliot's works being that of: lifelessness is the great sin, I don't know if that is exactly what I think these two speakers are attempting to portray.

While reading "The Love Song" I had a slightly different interpretation than others in the class had.I feel as though the man Prufrock is filled with regret, sexual frustration, awareness of his mortality, ultimately this is an extremely wearisome poem. I would say that the poem is going through a bunch of random thoughts by Prufrock, in no particular chronological order. To me thi man is getting flashbacks from memories in the past and is reliving them while he believes the end of his life is growing closer every day. Although it is never clearly defined as to whom Prufrock is talking to I believe that he is discussing his life with himself. I think that the you and I that he is referring to within the first lines of the poem are the two different versions Prufrock sees of himself. Another aspect of the poem that I disagreed with my peers on is whether or not this man is physically going somewhere. The partners at my table believed that he was describing images so vividly that he must be going for an "afternoon tea", however I believe that he is still going through all these thoughts in his mind, perhaps even a flashback of a moment similar to this. The most significant part of the poem by Elliot is most definitely the "overwhelming question" that is repeatedly mentioned. Although my interpretation may be a little bizarre I feel that the question is Prufrock trying to tell a woman of his romantic interest in her. The entire poem mentions various images of women's arms and clothing. Additionally in the last several lines he claims the mermaid will not sing to him, meaning that this woman that he is pining over will not show interest in him. If this poem was about how lifelessness is the greatest sin then why is it called a love song? That is the one reason why I feel as though it is not the central idea behind the poem.

Desolation Row by Bob Dylan

The majority of Bob Dylan's ballad paint a picture for the audience and allow them to create their own ideas of what the song means. An example of this type of ballad is "Desolation Row" with it's lengthiness and intriguing lyrics it is no wonder why countless individuals have become enthralled with this ballad. This song is filled with ambiguity and interesting characters that allow listeners to create a variety of ideas. One of the first questions that comes to my mind when I read the lyrics is where is Desolation Row exactly? Clearly it is a place where no individual willingly goes, but where is it located. Is it in the United States, or some poor third world country, or even in a place where the majority of individuals would never believe to be so much bitterness and misery. I believe that Desolation Row is no particular place in general, but what I picture is a place like Manhattan in New York City. It appears to be such a wonderful area booming with positive and prosperous activity however underneath the glitz and the glam is a depressing and melancholy place.

Although I am sure there are countless ways to interpret this ballad I believe that Dylan is encouraging his listeners to remove the "rose-colored glasses" and to see the reality of what is really going on in society. This ballad reminds me of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" in so many ways, I really wonder if Dylan had been influenced by Ginsberg's work when he wrote this song. In "Howl" Ginsberg wrote of all the horrible and miserable aspects of society, and I believe Dylan is doing the same thing here. At the end of the song, in the very last verse, I think that Dyaln summarizes all he just said by saying, "All these people that you mention / Yes, I know them, they're quite lame / I had to rearrange their faces / And give them all another name / Right now I can't read too good / Don't send me no more letters no / Now unless you mail them /  From Desolation Row". Here Dylan is saying he is fed up with avoiding the obvious for any longer, because he is the person who is in Desolation Row since he sees the true reality of the world. He doesn't want to read any more letters because he doesn't want to hear about the delusion of other people, the only way he will is if they too are at Desolation Row, aka reality.

Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan

While in class we listened to and looked at the lyrics of a variety of Bob Dylan's songs ranging from "Maggie's Farm"  to "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts."  But of all the songs the one that most intrigued me most was "Subterranean Homesick Blues". Our class discussed this song for quite some time and what Dylan meant by this particular song. Additionally, the rhythm, the audience, and even the speaker were included in the discussion.

One of the first things mentioned about the song was the title. What is meant by subterranean? Clearly the definition is underground, but when looking at the message of the song it seems that Dylan is looking to sing about something that not everyone else is talking about, not a typical mainstream thought that other people are willing to discuss aloud. The next topic we discussed was who is the speaker of this song, and to whom is this person speaking to? I believe that the person speaking is unobtrusively upset and outspoken about the government or how society subconsciously tells you how to govern yourself. This person is definitely older and has lived through several obstacles within his/her life. Throughout the song the speaker is making a series of wise observations to another person. I think that the person listening to the speaker is naive, and less in the know. This person is ultimately being persuaded and will soon think the same way.

After doing some research of the time period that this song is released I believe I found some correlations between song lyrics and current events. "Johnny's in the basement mixing up the medicine / I'm on the pavement thinkin' about the Goverment"  believe he is referring to the recreational drug use that was common in the 1960's youth as well as politics. The turmoil surrounding the Vietnam War was beginning to effect the entire nation including music artists. The civil rights movement is also referenced, "Better stay away from those/ That carry around a fire hose", referring to the peaceful protesters who were sprayed with fire hoses.

Although this song was extremely controversial, I feel that is why it is so good and so well remembered.

The Beginning of Learning about Bob Dylan

Today in class we had begun the what I believe is going to be a rather lengthy section about Bob Dylan and how he contributed to American music. Don't get me wrong, he seems like an interesting and somewhat humorous character, and I'm sure he has done a lot for individuals in the music world. However I am yet again stuck in wondering why we couldn't focus our attention on a different age, or genre, or type of music artist. Although i understand that the majority of the class is going to be centered around what the professor's interests are in music, I am really hoping that for the upcoming years they change the name of this class to something radically different.

While reading the first paragraph of this particular blog one might believe that I despise Bob Dylan's music, and honestly that is not the case. Although he isn't my favorite artist from that time period I do believe that he has some positive things to offer. The first time I ever really listened to Bob Dylan was in an English class my sophomore year of high school. My first thought was that this man sounded even whinier than I do when I wake up in the morning for class. Not to mention the fact that at some points a person can barely make out what he is saying. But after giving him a few more listens, and with the help of my Bob Dylan fanatic partner I began to understand and even like some of his music. Therefore I hope with the help of this class and with time I will understand Bob Dylan's music even better than I do now.

Dharma Bums Chapter 33-34

After many chapters of following Ray and Japhy through their psychological and physical adventures, I have finally come to the end. In the beginning of chapter 33 Ray finds himself on top of a mountain in which he can see land for many, many miles, small clouds below him, and most importantly he is realizing that he is now able to identify the rivers and mountains that Japhy has taught him about. Ray is astounded that currently he is the only person in the world viewing this site at this point in time. While he is a-top this mountain he experiences a number of different types of weather, although he enjoys the free life he lives while on the mountain and begins to believe that he understands a part of the world that most people don't understand. Finally the last chapter begins and Ray finds himself alone on the mountain top with an abundance of stormy weather in which he suddenly feels free because he believes that nothing matters, resulting in his inspiration. Soon after he is radioed to leave his mountain top haven and takes one last look around before descending the mountain. He feels a connection with Japhy, the man who taught him so much, and he feels very connected with him even though he is physically so far away. He then thanks God, prays for the people, and also thanks the shack with a simple, "blah" as he walks back down the mountain.


When I took a closer look at the end of the book I began to acquire a better understanding of what the author meant. I think that during Ray's time at Desolation Peak he started to get an understanding of how the world is empty, meaningless, yet all the while beautiful. I believe that Kerouac is describing the changing weather patterns, the little shack in the fog, and the various animals that come across Ray's path because it parallels how Ray is living with no particular thought or goal in mind. Another aspect of these last chapters to take into consideration is how Ray is almost constantly standing on his head Not only does it create circulation but it also is reminiscent of one of the main themes within Dharma Bums, which is Buddhism. I believe that Kerouac is ultimately trying to portray to readers that life shouldn't be taken too seriously - so Ray stands on his head and says, 'blah' with a smile to show that even though he feels as though he has learned so much during his time on the mountain, he doesn't part with some all-inspiring and outstanding quote.

Class Discussion 3/28/2011

Today in class we covered a variety of different topics, from the main characters Japhy and Rey of Dharma Bums to today's society and how the current generation is perceived by older generations. Our professor asked us how the Dharma Bums characters evolved into who they are today and who they think they are. After this discussion and when our class decided who Rey was currently, I realized that sometimes I feel similar to Rey. Aside, from the alcohol abuse I feel like any young person who has gone through changes in their life can relate to seeking for meaning of who you truly are. I feel as though through the past four years I have become less like Rey and more like Japhy feeling like I have maybe not become all knowledgeable by any stretch of the imagination but like I have gained some wisdom to share with others.

In my opinion the most interesting topic that we came across in today's discussion was whether or not standardization and efficiency in both work and school is positive for individuals. Although I believe that taking standardized tests in order to measure abilities on an equal playing field across a large number of people is helpful, I find that it often doesn't take into account whether people learn in different ways, or have unique abilities. I can not tell you how many people I know who scored unfavorably on those tests who are now in med school, or have amazing business jobs that require social skills rather than book smarts. I feel as though those tests discourage young adults more than anything else - which may be one reason why our generation looks apathetic. When our class was discussing efficiency I remembered what I had learned in one of my business classes. In terms of generating novel and innovative ideas there will always be a trade off between efficiency and creativity. I truly believe that in order to come up with a truly unique and groundbreaking product, service, or company in general time is needed. Not to mention the great amount of capital required to push this idea to success. Countless ideas are needed to be tested and exposed to target markets in order to see if it will really work.Success doesn't happen overnight and when I think of efficiency I believe that people may push ideas too quickly.

Dharma Bums Chpater 11

In class we were asked to take 30 minutes of our time to rewrite a portion of Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums in the perspective of a different character. Throughout this novel I have found that Japhy s an extremely interesting and dynamic character so I chose to rewrite the beginning of chapter 11 in his perspective. The chapter describes how Morley, Ray and Japhy begin to climb a daunting valley. While Ray feels his enthusiasm begin to fade into fear, Japhy being an experienced climber is way ahead and most likely feeling confident in his ability to conquer this mountain.After a while of climbing the group reaches a lake in which Ray suddenly expresses his feelings of being capable enough to climb the remainder of the mountain, however Japhy cuts Ray off in reminding him that to climb the rest of the mountain means that he has to climb one thousand feet more. Although this is going to be a difficult task Japhy decides to climb to the top as quickly as possible, and the naive Ray decides to follow. In just a short amount of time Ray feels as though he has made a mistake in deciding to follow Japhy due to the fact that he is tired and afraid of the height he has reached. Finally after a miserable climb Ray finds a edge to rest on as Japhy continues to climb to Matterhorn's peak. As Ray rests he believes that Morey is the most intelligent of them all for staying down by the lake.

When I was rewriting this scene from Japhy's point of view I imagined that he would spend a lot less time complaining about the difficulty of the climb and describe the beauty of the mountain and other images he sees along the way. I believe this because Japhy is an experienced climber and clearly had no problem at all making it to Matterhorn's peak. Also I feel like Japhy is a person with less emotion, he is more of a straight forward character and is less relate-able to the audience, at least in a college class.

One of my favorite lines as told from Ray is, "suddenly everything was just like jazz...I looked up and saw Japhy running down the mountain in huge twenty-foot leaps, running, leaping, landing with a great drive of his booted heels...and in that flash I realized it's impossible to fall off mountains you fool and with a yodel of my own I suddenly got up and began running down the mountain...." I like this line because it shows Ray's innocence and young-spirit. He has ultimately found his rhythm again and shows a great amount of enthusiasm.

Taking a Closer Look at Lil' Wayne's lyrics

Over the break a popular song that was being played on the beach, at parties and essentially everywhere my roommates and I went in Florida was Lil' Wayne's "6 Foot 7 Foot". Although the majority of Lil' Wayne's music may be viewed as vulgar, mindless, and pointless music from the majority of older generations and non-rap listeners, I find his music to be fun to listen to and energizing. However it wasn't until I got home and downloaded the song off iTunes until I realized that aside from the various vulgarities some of the lyrics I find real meaning in. Not to mention the fact that the song has a great beat and rhythm that makes me pumped up and ready for working out or having a good time with my friends.
 
"So misunderstood, but what is the World without enigma?"
 I feel that although this is just one line it is very true. If the world was always understood and simple to comprehend then the meaning of life which I believe we are all in search for would not be sought after.

"Life is the bitch, and death is her sister
sleep is the cousin, what a f-ckin' family picture
you know father time, we all know mother nature
it's all in the family, but I am of no relation"
I am not the best with deciphering meanings of artist's works but I think Lil' Wayne is just reiterating how life is hard but no one wants to die, and the only thing in-between is resting. Also, he talks about father time and mother nature and what I believe is he feels that he has no control of what happens to him, so in that way he is not within the family.


Those were just two of my favorite parts of his song, but I find that many of his lyrics are clever and have some meaning behind them. On the other hand I find that although some of his lyrics do have glimmers of meaningful phrases, the majority of the lyrics are rather jumbled and need to be more combined if the song will inspire or interest a wider audience.

"I'm Hip"

The song played in class entitled "I'm Hip" by Instant Party and several other artists are doing a little research, actually made me laugh. I thought it was a really cute song, with a catchy beat and I liked how it made fun of those people who are constantly trying to be the "hippest" most "cool" person around. When in actuality those people are almost too hip which just make them "posers". For some reason I really liked this one stanza of the song,

"I'm hip, but not weird.
Like, you notice, I don't wear a beard.
Beards were in but now they're out.
They had they're day. Now they're passe.
Just ask me if you're in doubt,
'cuz I'm hip."

I am not exactly sure why I like this part of the song so much, but it might be because I find it to be most funny. Although we haven't gone to deeply into this style of music yet in class I have to say that I am excited to start it because I think that this type music is easier to connect with today's music that I find more enjoyable. Also, I believe that during this type music people are beginning to talk about more "taboo" subjects that they may not have talked about in earlier decades. Just as Allen Ginsberg opened up the doorway through the creation of "Howl". I have to wonder if music artists that were popular during the same time Ginsberg wrote "Howl" were influenced or even read his poem. Did any of them take bigger risks in their songwriting because they had seen that Ginsberg had in his poetry? Or were music artists then like the ones of today, who (I believe) are less concerned with the creation of modern poetry? This is definitely a topic/idea that I would like to further investigate.

My Generation

In Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" his first line is "I saw the best minds of my generation..." In class Mr. Duemer had us do a writing exercise which would start in the very same way. I thought that this was such a good idea because too often is my generation criticized for how we act or what we have done, so I like the idea that I can think about some of the ways my generation has succeeded in their own way. I saw the best minds of my generation be the first to do many things our parents and older generations would never dream of. My generation has learned to master technology in almost any form; computers, laptops, MP3 Players, cell phones, tablet devices, etc. I can imagine that my generation will continue to develop these technologies in ways that I can't even imagine. We have taken technology that was introduced to us and incorporated it into our day-to-day, minute-by-minute lives.

My generation has banned together in many ways. We participated in voting a black man into presidency, organized charities for 9/11, Haiti, and oil spills, my generation has taken some of the first steps into bettering the earth's health, has accepted homosexuals in the norm of every day life much more than generations before us ever had. (This last comment of mine had been briefly discussed in class. Someone had said that the acceptance of homosexuals is barely in existence. Although I have to agree that the fact that a homosexual couple cannot get legally married is absolutely unacceptable and should definitely change. I feel that as soon as our generation is in some sort of greater power there will be a tremendous move for the legalization of gay marriage to occur. Furthermore I believe that no other generation has ever been as accepting of homosexuals as my generation is today.)

Although there are probably a million more ideas I could attribute to my generation, I feel as though I have hit upon two of the largest topics that I see on a daily basis.

Howl by Allen Ginsberg

Wow! I have to admit that the first several times I read this poem I was in complete and utter shock. I couldn't believe some of the phrases that were actually printed in a well-known, and respected poem, "with dreams, with drugs, with waking nightmares, alcohol and cock and endless balls." I don't think I have ever heard anyone say "endless balls" until I read this. Although during my first read I thought "Howl" was confusing, vulgar and essentially just a rambling of words from a drugged out man, I have definitely come to not only understand a little more of the poem but also actually enjoy it. The movie with James Franco helped me understand more of the poem and I think the main reason why I now enjoy it. I though the "documentary" was done extremely well, even though I could have gone without some of the visual aids throughout the movie. I think that those people who don't like this poem should definitely give it another read and try to understand where Ginsberg is coming from. I think that "Howl" was brutally honest, restriction-less, and most importantly Ginsberg is truly writing from his heart. In the movie Ginsberg as played by Franco who said that he never meant for this to be published and seen by the public eye, or how he said it "I wouldn't want my Daddy to see this." I don't know why but I think that that phrase makes this poem all the more special because when people write things that they don't expect anyone else to see it is an entirely different style of writing. Proof of this is Ginsberg's style of writing in "Howl". I really can't describe how much I like this poem. I wouldn't say that I love all of the obscenities or references to gay love, however I do love the honesty and blunt way in which he writes, the poem is literally saturated with the two qualities. Overall I would have to say that I am glad this poem was a part of our curriculum and this could one of the first poems that I have actually enjoyed.

Sonny's Blues

I have to say that Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin is one of my favorite pieces of literature we have read thus far in class. I thought this story was filled with emotion, history and tragedy, and most importantly it really had me hooked. I thought that it was creative of Baldwin to have the two brothers represent the two sides of African American experiences in the 1960's; limited privileges with assimilation into society (narrator) versus pain , isolation and abuse (Sonny). It is an interesting battle for African Americans during this time period, I gathered through the reading that the narrator is viewed as less of a black person because he is trying to assimilate into the "white" culture which is seen as escaping from the suffering of his culture. I think this is sad because the narrator is trying to make a better life for himself and his family but it isn't completely accepted by his own culture. On the other hand Sonny is trying to escape the pain and suffering associated with his culture through music, which ultimately seems to destroy him simultaneously. Each character in this book seems to be running away and "escaping" from their problems. For example Sonny uses music, which then leads him to drugs and the streets and ultimately jail, Sonny's father uses alcohol to escape, Sonny's brother tries to escape using the military and later a job as a teacher. All the characters are trying to leave behind their pain and suffering only to gain more pain and suffering. Although Baldwin's book is skillfully written and an intriguing story I find it to be tragic. I understand that during this time period African Americans struggled in more ways than I can ever imagine and I think that Baldwin's Sonny's Blues truly capture the pain, suffering and struggles that many individuals underwent during this time.

Why are the bad men in culture so popular?

Although there are numerous examples of bad men in past and current media the response to the question of why these characters are so popular still remains unanswered. Nealon and Giroux discuss in The Theory Toolbox the impact that popular culture and the media has on an individual, as well as how individuals can influence cultures. One of Nealon and Giroux’s theories that relates to the “bad man” question is as follows, “Media cultures, like culture in general, tends to favor or encourage the production of certain subjectivities over others – explicitly through the institutions of law and order and implicitly through norms that inform our perceptions of morality and social conduct” (73). Although I agree with the basis of what Nealon and Giroux are saying I feel as though they are digging too deeply into the topic at hand. In my opinion the attraction to the music and stories about “bad men” is rather simple. I believe that it is how the character of Stagger Lee and Railroad Bill are portrayed in the song, rather than their actual crimes committed in actuality. They represent more than a drunken murderer and a murderous railroad man to the people who listen to and love these songs. In both ballads these men become extreme characters, which readers and listeners tend to gravitate towards. People fall in love with the extremely funny, the extremely passionate and the extremely evil. These characters are our favorite because they are unlike the people we know in reality because they only have one strong dimension. By experiencing the extremity in their personalities we get to escape the everyday norm. Look at the contemporary popular culture as well; so many individuals emulate the mafia drug lord in Scarface, the song “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” by Jim Croce, and the real life bad-ass Eminem. Due to the extreme nature of these individuals their presence and actions stay with a person long after the song or movie is over. Another reason why people take interest in the “bad men” is because people see a confidence and assertion in these characters that they may not see in themselves. Although Stagger Lee may not be the best role model there is no denying that he asserts himself in a way that most people don’t know how.

Bad Man Stagger Lee

One of the most popular and covered songs in history is the tale about a very bad man named Stagger Lee. This folk song which had first been recorded in the early 1900’s has been recreated by numerous artists ranging from Duke Ellington and Bob Dylan to the most recent recording by Josh Ritter in 2010. Clearly, Stagger Lee has made a profound impact on American culture and shows no signs of stopping. The story of Stagger Lee (Stagolee, Stackalee, etc.) began in 1895 when Stagger Lee, an African American cab driver, shot a man named Billy Lyons after they had been drunkenly arguing with each other. According to the newspapers Billy had grabbed Stagger Lee’s hat from his head, only to cause Stagger Lee to shoot Billy in the stomach, afterward Stagger Lee, “took his hat from the wounded man and coolly walked away” (History of Stagger Lee). Although this crime is heinous, there is no outstanding difference from the countless other murders that have taken place before and after this one. What makes Stagger Lee a true villain is how he is portrayed in the various versions of songs that have been created. One of the first and most well-known versions is Stack O’Lee Blues by John Hurt made in 1928, I feel that this rendition of the song set the tone for the legend of Stagger Lee.  Hurt describes a horrifying picture of a person so evil even the police are afraid to arrest him, “Police officer, how can it be? / You can arrest everybody but cruel Stagolee.” Since then the standard was set and even more gruesome and vivid descriptions of Stagger Lee was introduced to the public. A perfect example of the more harsh bad man is in Lloyd Price’s re-recorded version in which Stagger Lee not only turns into a gambling drunken man but also has Billy pleading for his life, “I’ve got three tiny children and a very sickly wife.” Other renditions of the story continue to get more satanic and morbid, which I believe only draws people to the character more.

A Realization

Today in class I have made a realization about jazz music, I find it to be extremely irritating to my ears. I can honestly say that I have given it a fair shot numerous amounts of times throughout middle school, high school and now college. Each time I find the music so difficult to follow and it essentially having no true form. Perhaps the reason why I don't like the system of jazz music because the type of music I enjoy is something I can follow and remember. Mr. Deumer said in class today that jazz has a different system than what our ears are trained to hear, and then eventually with time the ears can pick up on it. I'm starting to think that I must not have sophisticated enough ears for jazz because the amount times I've listened to jazz and have even accompanied some of my more musical friends at their gigs in a small downtown Syracuse clubs I always have to regrettably inform them that I didn't like it. Although I have had these experiences many times I think what made me finally realize that I will never enjoy jazz was the video shown in class of Thelonious Monk also known as the Rain Man of jazz, I thought the music that was being played was so painful to listen to that I literally had to leave the room for a bathroom break to get a moment of relief. I understand that early jazz has inspired countless artists of today to create the music that I enjoy now but I cannot comprehend how jazz could be inspirational. I am just hoping that class will take a turn into a realm of music I can actually enjoy because thus far I have been struggling to find any interest or relation to these topics.

Why did Levee murder Toledo?

While in class the discussion of the play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, swiftly moved to the question of, why Levee had murdered Toledo? The stabbing of Toledo had happened so quickly and so surprisingly that there was certainly much to talk about. We discussed the contrast between Levee and Toledo, specifically how Toledo has accepted his life and the way it is while Levee has not and is most definitely not ready to keep his life the way it is. Levee dresses differently and is incessantly looking for ways to move u in the social ranks. He hopes to do this by breaking free from Ma Rainey's dominant role in the band and creating his own solo album. After working hard to record his own songs Sturdyvant (the white manager only interested in revenues made for the recording studio) decides to not go through with making Levee his own album and only offers him five dollars for each song. Levee is outraged, and after years of pent up hopes and dreams to make something of himself that no on else expects, he begins to grow slightly insane and unstable. After this occurs between Levee and Sturdyvant, Levee and Toledo get into an argument and whether it was intentional or unintentional  Toledo steps on Levee's shoe which ultimately sends Levee into a fit of rage because he feels as though he has been stepped on his whole life.

Although I think that this ending is fitting for the play I often wonder what it would be like if Levee had killed someone else. Perhaps if he had killed Sturdyvant for essentially crushing his hopes and dreams. Or even if he had turned the knife on himself because he had been so intensely upset and believed that he had failed himself and that he had nothing else to live for. I wonder if August Wilson purposely avoided black versus white violence in order to show that not all violence is between opposing races. Also, I would love for someone to write this book from the perspective of Levee or even Ma Rainey. I think that to be able to actually know what is going through the minds and understand the feelings of one of the individuals would be extremely interesting.

Class Discussion 2/9/11

Today in class there was a discussion pertaining to Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by August Wilson. Our class discussed how the character Levee prided himself on his style specifically his shoes and what his style meant to him. The class concluded that his shoes meant a level of status, the separation of urban culture with country culture and white individuals versus black individuals. However one particular meaning that I found most interesting was a system of identity and how an individuals style is a marker of both group and personal identity. Furthermore how musicians specifically tend to establish these trends and styles that are then adopted into popular culture. For example how in "gangster videos" some rap artists may be wearing colored bandannas, specific athletic jerseys and sometimes even gold platted teeth. Without much surprise the discussion touched upon on how these style may be adopted by "white hipsters" because they want to be seen as popular and in style, because this is what the media has portrayed. The majority of the time the teenagers who are sporting these styles don't understand or even know about the symbols that these clothing styles actually represent. Which in turn can act as an irritant to the people have created the styles with an actual purpose in mind, resulting in a greater racial difference. As I had mentioned previously I found this topic particularly interesting because I have seen young adults who are white sporting these same styles. I feel as though that since the majority of them see these styles on television and essentially everywhere they look. I think these kids believe they relate to this music artists in some way and they like the overall message and confidence that these people portray through their music. I understand how these people model their style similar to those artists because they look up to them. Additionally I feel that those artists who get irritated by their style being mocked need to understand that they have desired to be in the spotlight so they have to expect that people will latch on to their style, just like those artists probably did when they were younger. Overall I think that this is a topic that could have been made into a large discussion within class, but I am glad we had at least touched upon it since I find it very interesting and controversial.