uses & gratification

Tuesday, 6 September 2016
| 12:24 | No Comments

What am I grateful for?


It's been a while since I've posted. My initial reason for starting this blog was because I was very angry at the world; a lot of things bothered me, and I felt the rest of the world cared. But blogging has become an outlet for me to create lengthy rants that only a small group of people will read.

Coming into the new school year has made realise that I'm grateful for a lot of things. Having recently turned 19, I'd like to think I'm becoming pretty experienced in life; but obviously there's always room for improvements and further reading. Knowing that this time next year, I'll be starting my third decade being alive has been scary but also quite comforting.
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1 - I've learnt that the world is never really against me. Whether that's because I'm a white male with a whole lot of privilege, or the realisation that you really do decide your own fate 90% of the time. You really do have choice to get off your arse and do something; but you also have the choice to relax once a week and go (metaphorically) brain dead for a second. There shouldn't be any guilt behind that. I'm very grateful that I learnt that pretty much as soon as I started secondary school (age 11/12). It really helped with my learning process, and it's something I've tried to pass along to my peers for years.

2 - As a counterpart to my last point; I'm very grateful that I've completed my education. Education is so exciting to me - you can either see it as a 9-3:30 chore, or check the pros and cons. I personally believe compulsory education should be viewed as highly selective. You need to realise that you only really need to take it particular areas to excel in this world. There's a lot of information presented to you, but not all of it is necessary. Education is all about reading between the lines and realising that there's a lot of further reading after your teacher has lectured you. (I've been drinking and can already tell this paragraph isn't coherent in the slightest. Just constantly look at education as a blessing and not a systematic chore).

3 - I'm grateful for the time period I was born in. I was born into an era where race, sexuality and religion are taught separately; but also understood universally. Although we've not progressed to being entirely grateful for these beautiful diversities; I do believe our world is at a point where the good outnumber the bad. Not only have we seen progression in the sociological world; but we've seen technology integrate itself into our community in such an unimaginable way that it leaves me smiling just typing this. Technology doesn't stop at Twitter and the newest Xbox - technology is now vital in; medicine, literature, creative arts etc. We're at a pinnacle point in humanity where we are not dependent on technology, but we understand its importance. And wow isn't that exciting to a millennial who is constantly being told that we need to get off their phone.

4 - The world is a beautiful place. The sooner you can realise beauty in the somewhat uglier parts, the better your life becomes. To have any form of vision in itself is a wonderful, wonderful thing. To experience the world in in its truest, highest quality is a small portion of life that the majority take for granted. The way we have a spectrum of colours, the way light reflects off of certain surfaces, the mathematical science behind nature, the craftsmanship of structure. We're all wrapped up in this busy world of getting from point A to point B, that we need to take a break for half a second and just appreciate that a lot of us lack our basic senses. 

5 - Music sends us into different worlds. Looking past different genres, you really can find specific instruments in certain songs that do something to your mood. For example, I was listening to Kanye West's 'Ultralight Beam' at the beginning of this post, and the choir really does affect my mood every time I listen to it. This minor key song is downplayed in its greatness, but I can't help but smile as I hear the child preaching about the lord in the first few seconds. A few minutes in, I manage to find comfort in Chance the Rapper reciting the lines "When they come for you, I will shield your name. I will field their questions, I will feel your pain."
I have no doubt in my mind that this emotional attach I have to 'Ultralight Beam' is very individual, but that's part of the magic behind music. It's amazing that we all interpret music differently; even though many critics say the world is "running out of music" due to the lack of melodic rhythms and riff patterns in modern pop music. 

I'm going to leave this post at only 5 points; mainly because I'm running out of white wine, but also because I'm getting tired of typing. It's been way too long since I've ranted like this - god knows how I used to spew 2/3 posts a night out.
Let this post be a reality check for where you are in life. Without this turning into some hippy bullshit; interpret the world from a different angle and the world will do the rest of the work. It's not all bad out there!

Sunday, 26 June 2016
| 13:12 | No Comments

'ART'.


Okay, let's start this post off by stating that I am pretty drunk right now. Mixing cider, beer and vodka can never be a good idea; but it's Sunday and I have no plans for the week so it seemed appropriate. The only good it bought was the discussion upon the subject of art. Here's a quick round up on my interpretation of 'art' and my reaction towards the word 'art'.

 Art can be interpreted in many different ways, and for this reason, I've realised how similar to words 'art' and 'media' are. Media can be seen through artistic interpretation, reviews, articles - but the majority is the 'reaction' to another form of media. It's a reaction, or an emotion that evokes a piece. Very similar to what is included in an art piece - art is usually created through emotive interpretations or initial reactions to other media mediums.

 When we picture the word 'art', we initially see an array of vibrant, bright colours. Now I'm not trying to flaunt my egotistical side, but whenever I think of bright, vibrant colours... I see the rainbow flag. The LGBT+ community just seems to connect with the art world; and I can only link that to the fact that to the undeniable truth to the fact that the LGBT+ community can see the world in a different light.

 Music is an art form. It was Isaac Newton who pioneered the 'field of colour' - appropriately noting that there were 7 prominent colours. Strangely enough, there are seven notes in a musical scale. Whether that's a coincidence or not; it's interesting to note the natural patterns of the world. Whether you listen to Rihanna, Led Zepplin or Metallica; you can't deny that music is dependant to an acquired taste. Music can be interpreted in multiple different ways, but the 'best music' is always in tune with this scale of notes. I just can't help but think about the 7 scale/7 colour theme. Maybe 7 is the magic number.

 How many art forms are there? Initially we think about fine art, photography, graphics, music etc. But when we begin to think about multi-media forms, we find that there is an endless spectrum (hahah get it, another colour hint) of mediums. Drag is an art form; infusing fine art and personal expression, then presented through photography (most of the time).

 But why do we also dismiss art? Why do we see some art forms and dismiss it completely? What is it about individual pieces, or entire mediums, that we just feel then need to dismiss it as a legitimate 'piece'. From this, I impose the question; "Do art and creativity correlate accordingly?" - can we see that something something is creative, or the fact that the creator has a 'creative eye', but still dismiss their particular 'creative piece'.

 At this point, I'm not even sure if this makes sense; but my drunken mind is telling me that everything I type is legitimate and worth your reading time. (Aka. If you have read this far, I salute you and thank you.)

 Xxx

 Further reading:
'Isaac Newton's Color Spectrum Theory' - http://www.gootar.com/theory.htm

Monday, 16 May 2016
| 12:55 | No Comments

Not All Music is For You

It's come to my attention that there's a niche group of people who just assume that every last song that has ever been release was created with the intention of impressing them. Now, before I continue, let me just say that this blog post doesn't come from a place of anger; it's more of a public service announcement.

Okay, so let me teach you about a wonderful little thing called 'Uses & Gratification' theory. UGT is 'an approach to understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs'. In other words; what do we personal get/feel in reaction to media releases. The approach is great for conversation as we all read media in different ways.

Now, let's apply this theory directly to the music industry by looking at clear examples of where UGT has been mistreated.
FORMATION
   

The backlash this song received was so unnecessary and over exaggerated. After performing the pro-black anthem at the 50th Superbowl this past February, Beyoncé was accused of being part of the 'racist' Black Panther group because of visual references included the performance. I had personally heard comments that the group are 'anti-white' and in one case were labelled as a 'terrorist group'. Considering the group were advocating for equal rights for women, and were protesting directly against the government - it's confusing to see where white people saw this as a threat.

The song was also seen as 'anti-police' - again, being read inaccurately. The short film raises important issues regarding the #BlackLivesMatter programme, the New Orleans floods from 2005 and police brutality - but never goes against police lives as a whole. No violent imagery was used in the music video, other than a black child dancing in front of a (wait for it) line of police officers... standing in formation.
"Okay ladies, now let's get in formation" - they are standing up to the brutality, much like the police are standing in position. It's empowering, but clearly not trying to mock/equal the role of a police officer.

It can be said that Beyoncé's reputation has been tarnished since the release, but hey... when you've still got the team to get you a number 1 album round the world, and have an equally as successful FILM to accompany your album, not much else can or should be said. There is a reason Beyoncé is so big; it's because she is an intelligent and smart black artist with a message.

Possibilities of UGT here:
- Beyoncé as a powerful black female lead
- Feminist advocate
- Human rights advocate
- Humanitarian
- Black Rights advocate
- Equal rights advocate
- It's a fucking bop of a song, let's just listen and enjoy the fucking self empowering song. CAUSE I SLAY

BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY 

It's very easy sometimes to forget that musical artists are still classes as 'artists' - whether you agree with the term for mainstream artists (such as Rihanna) or not is redundant to the quality of this post. In July of 2015, Rihanna blessed us with one of the songs that ultimately didn't make the cut for her 8th studio album, Anti. BBHMM was released and Rihanna has put under the spotlight for supposedly endorsing gun crime, violence, and the act of kidnapping. For those who have not watched, or have little interest in watching the video; Rihanna is seen at an ATM with significantly low funds after striking a deal with largely successful male (we can assume). As a form of revenge, Rihanna and her clique abduct his attractive young wife and torture her in multiple ways while also avoiding the consequences of the law. In the modern world, we can nearly all come to the unanimous decision that kidnapping is wrong - yes? Correct. But is it fair to say that Rihanna is the first to demonstrate acts of violence in media texts? No. 
With games such as Grand Theft Auto - the most fastest selling media type of all time (so far), where the objective of them game is to grind and hustle yourself through the American law system. Within the game, you are given the opportunity to pay prostitutes for sexual favours, then given the change to 'reclaim' your money by beating her or killing her. This is also not me condoning this kind of behaviour, but violence really is all around us. 'The Human Centipede' is also pretty violent if you ask me!

So why did Rihanna cause so much stir? Well, as a successful female artist, there are supposed 'roles' you have to adhere to in order for your career to grow. The main is to be a role model for a considerably younger audience - which isn't very normal for a 28-year-old woman (at the time of writing) to be doing. Having a career that has already lasted 11 years; Rihanna's going to have something to say! She's got stories, she's experienced love, she's experienced abuse. It's time for her to creative discussion - so what better way, than to challenge traditional representations of women in the media?

Possibilites of UGT here:
- Rihanna as a strong, black woman in the lead role
- Rebelling against societal norms
- Representations of various female body types within the video
- Displays alternative fashion choices within the video
- Used as a form of 'escapism' - much like GTA
- We can relate to the anger of financial problems
- The song is a fucking BOP. It was played on my 18th birthday in a club - so drunk, staring into a laser with hundreds of people around me?! Hell fucking yes.


//


So enough of these specific examples; we still haven't reached a true definition of why 'not all music is for you'. So let's look at genre specific stuff...

Many listen to 'pop' music because of the recognisable beats and comfortable dance bpm (around 128-130 bpm is average). Most popular songs is the charts are recognisable for simple lyricism and similar chord progressions. Although it's not a specific genre, it's perfectly fine for you to like this type of music! This kind of music is made with a mass audience in mind; of course you're going to find these songs your 'guilty pleasures' or the songs you can't help but sing-a-long to - that's exactly what it's for!

Dance music/EDM/Dubstep/Trap music also have similar qualities. Many songs that fall into these genres have similar drum patterns and mix well in DJ sets - they are designed to be progressive and take you on trip of emotions. Many start with a simple repetitive drum pattern and introduce new instruments on every 8/16 count beat. All of this instrumental build progresses before the 'drop' - the music has been constructed to create anticipation within you. Will it be an impressive, high energy drop? Will it be a dirty, grimy, underground base? That's why people love the genre universally.

Rock/Alternative music is centred round raw-emotion. Plenty of people will seek out rock/alternative types for a narrative and reliability factor within the lyrics. Heavy rock/Metal evokes anger and frustration - which can be used as a release for those who are fans of the sub-genre. Much like GTA is used for escapism from the 'struggles of the real world', the same gratification can be achieved with metal. Alternative music can be centred around anything from love, to mental health, to broken homes - anything. It's all about the narrative in which the artist was in when writing - and that's something really special. The gratification here is the intimacy between artist and consumer.

So hopefully now, someone will be able to see that not all music was tailored specifically for you. There is a difference between receiving gratification for the media you consume and your personal taste. My personal taste is a blend of pop music and RnB, but I definitely have my fair share of rock music and cheesy classic in my iTunes for those days where I need to evoke certain emotions. Generally speaking, I'm not a very angry person; so I don't receive much gratification, nor can I use heavy metal in my life. We've come to the conclusion that the sub-genre 'Metal' was not made for me. So what do I do? I don't listen to it. I ignore the genre. I move on with my life. There are plenty of options for me to choose - and I know that there will never be a shortage of great music in the world.

Edit:
I've decided to go for a smaller font because I thought my posts were quite over-bearing and didn't really work with my theme. Is this working nicely or am I just discriminating against those with limited sight? We'll soon find out I suppose.