The Influence of Rock Music

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Rock music weather it is, Alternative, Arena Rock, Blues-Rock, Death Metal/Black Metal, Glam Rock, Hair Metal, Hard Rock, Metal, Jam Bands, Psychedelic, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly or any other type, a lot of people enjoy rock music.

As far as the history of rock music, it started in the late 1940s, when popular sounds country music and blues, morphed into a new sound aided by electric guitars and a steady drumbeat. Chuck Berry being one of the one of the founders of rock and roll/blues highly influenced the Rolling Stones, one of the first rock and roll bands was said to have,

“expanded rock’s scope by transitioning from singles artists into musicians capable of producing cohesive albums of songs. Embracing sex and youthful rebellion in their music, but also elevated rock to new cultural heights.”

According to an article from thoughtco.com moving forward, rock music became very popular in the 70’s with bands and influencers such as, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Queen. The 80’s is when mainstream rock became popular and finally the 90’s was rocks reemergence and alternative rock became wildly popular, with bands such as Nirvana.

With that being said, there is obviously a huge influence that rock music can have on society such as race, fashion and religion. As far as race, Chuck Berry being one of the influencers, this was the crossover of African American “race music” to a growing white youth audience. The popularization of rock and roll involved both black performers reaching a white audience and white performers adapting African-American music. That in itself created a lot a controversy, but broke many race barriers. Now going onto fashion,  when rock started became popular it was very much the hippie style. The Beatles brought  mop-top haircuts, collarless blazers, and Beatle Boots. The 1970’s glam rock along with disco brought glittery fashions and high heels Some time later, it developed into the punk style which was very unique with leather and high heeled boots. And finally the 1990’s brought grunge with a punk influenced fashion, including torn jeans, old shoes, flannel shirts and long hair. As far as the influence, it took off when these rock  fashions started appearing on magazines like Rolling Stones Magazine. And with religion rock music brought quite an uproar. Some artists explored these spiritual aspects within their work. The use of the term “rock god” acknowledges the religious quality that some rock stars receive. Such as John Lennon became infamous for a statement he made in 1966 that The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus Christ“. There is also the idea that certain rock music is satanic and brings negative religious aspects. That’s why religion was influenced by rock music.

Rock music was very influential to society in many ways then people are aware of. Even with the many rock gods that were created during the era. As you can tell rock music brought many uproars and changes to society, but they were not afraid of breaking barriers. Overall rock music became very important to society and still is today.

References

Grierson, Tim. “Rock Music’s Origins: A 1940s Blending of Country and Blues.” Thoughtco., Dotdash, 30 Nov. 2018, www.thoughtco.com/what-is-rock-music-2898293.

 

Social effects of rock music. (2018, November 27). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_effects_of_rock_music

 

Zakhvatkina, O. (2014, March 16). Influence of rock music on society. Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://prezi.com/jqhpa5zret6f/influence-of-rock-music-on-society/

 

The Influence of Drag Queens on Society

Credit: meyertheatre.org

According to Dictionary.com a drag queen is, “a man who dresses up in women’s clothes, typically for the purposes of entertainment.”

Some people are very entertained by these queens or take offense to them. And then there is the small percentage that actually dress up and perform in drag. You could say that the original drag queens started in the late 1800s to the mid-1900s  with men dressing as woman in plays or performances. And pantomime dames who was a famous female impersonation in Europe. This was the first era of female impersonation in Europe to use comedy as part of the performance. And during the 1960’s and 70’s during the sexual revolution, drag became more prominent within gay communities and being used for entertainment in night clubs and bars.

There has been many studies done on what drives them to perform and the influence it can have on not only the LGBTQ community, but on society in general. There is a such thing as the signaling theory  which explains behaviors that do not serve any evolutionary advantage, and in particular behaviors that are meant to attract the attention of a targeted audience. This theory argues that these behaviors typically occur in “protected social worlds” as a way to gain status within that world, despite the costs or drawbacks to the behavior, which for example could be the negative feedback and hate from those that do not agree with the behavior. This study found, “the evolutionary costs, is the perception that they are less attractive to potential mates. It is thought that this in part due to the donning of overtly feminine attire and stereotypical behaviors which are seen as less desirable traits among gay men.” Also, those who perform in drag often are faced with many personal, physical, and financial costs as well. They also risk being discriminated against not only in public, but also within the gay/ LGBTQ community.

There are many different groups that do not agree with the concept of drag. These tend to be highly religious people and groups, usually Catholic or Christian and those who do not agree with the LGBTQ community as a whole.

There is also the art/ performance area of drag queens. It is obvious that drag performance takes a certain type of motivation and unique talent. This does not only give those in gay/ LGBTQ community a chance to express themselves in a different form of art, but also those who are heterosexual. These types of shows have evolved into bigger performances in theatres and traveling tours acting out some popular songs from famous artists, such as Cher, Lady Gaga, Diana Ross, Beyoncé, Joan Rivers and many more. Overall, drag is a unique art form to be explored and exposed too not only from an art aspect but also performance and personal expression.

References

(2018, November 15). Retrieved from http://www.dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/drag-queen

Drag Queen. (2018, November 15). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_queen#Europe

Ph.D., J. O. (2018, January 30). The Psychology of Drag. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-things-lgbtq/201801/the-psychology-drag

Why do we love Serial Killers?

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Serial killers have always fascinated many people. These types of people, that find interest in serial killers are usually being called serial killers or psychopaths themselves. There is a lot of research done on serial killers and what types of people turns out to be serial killers. If you’re someone who enjoys serial killers or not, there I no right side or another.

In an article in Psychology Today, it talks about how the hype of serial killers really didn’t take off until around the 70’s. the history of serial murders as a whole, even for Americans most likely started with Jack the Ripper murders that took place in the Whitechapel district of London, England in 1888. There are many different murder cases the first half of the 20th century, including killer Ed Gein in the 1950s. Gein and other serial murders lead to many film and novel adaptions, which both contributed to making serial murder a staple of American popular culture by the 1960s. Another murderer Ted Bundy, was convicted and sentenced to death in Florida in 1979. According to and article from “History.com”,

“he quickly became the poster boy for serial murder, not only because of the number and severity of his crimes but also because, he was handsome, charming, educated and even had political aspirations.” Almost like the American Image. This was the very start of how many people became interested in serial killers.

A few other reasons why people are so obsessed with serial killers is because of the  “thrill of the chase”, this being, “Serial killers are for adults what monster films are for children,” says criminologist Elizabeth Yardley of Birmingham City University. “It’s this scary fun. It’s something that’s grisly and horrible and engenders fear in you, but you can observe it from a safe distance.” There is also the idea of wound culture, which is the impulse that drives people to look at gruesome scenes or scenarios. And finally, a  “terror within”, which could be the darker side of humans that crave that different part of culture and thrills.

Regardless if someone takes interest in serial killers or not there is no wrong way of interest. There is obviously a lot of research to back up why people would take interest in serial killers or not. Overall, people are able to take interest in whatever they choose, some are more odd then other.

References

Bonn, S. A. (2017, October 23). Our Curious Fascination With Serial Killers. Retrieved from psychologytoday.com: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-deeds/201710/our-curious-fascination-serial-killers

Hankinson, A. (2017, November). This is why are we all so obsessed with serial killers. Retrieved from shortlist.com: https://www.shortlist.com/news/opinion/serial-killers-obsession-posterboys-charles-manson-psychology/57832

SCHMID, D. (2017, June 23). Why Americans Are So Fascinated by Serial Killers. Retrieved from history.com: https://www.history.com/news/why-americans-are-so-fascinated-by-serial-killers

The Rise of #metoo

Credit: www.hindustantimes.com

The #metoo movement started in Hollywood and it was a movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault. There can be many different viewpoints on how people feel about this movement and generally women are more in favor of it. This started in October 2017 when singer/actress Alyssa Milano, addressed the issue by posting on Twitter, asking people who had experienced sexual violence to reply “me too” to her tweet. An article from independent.co.uk she explained the idea behind the action in an accompanying screenshot.

“If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem,” she wrote.

The tweet has garnered more than 61,000 replies and more than 22,000 retweets.  (Shugerman, 2017) This obviously quickly spread through all social media platforms and gave a voice too many women were afraid to speak up about their own experiences. I feel this was a great movement that needed to be done.

 From the Hollywood aspect, did not only give a voice to females working in this business. but it brought out many more actors and directors accused of sexual misconduct a few were Kevin Spacey, Aziz Ansari, James Franco, Matthew Weiner and Louis C.K. were accused of inappropriate sexual conduct. (How the #MeToo movement is changing Hollywood, 2018)

 This has led to many celebrities speaking out about the issues and some simply using “#metoo”.  Even several male celebrities also said they had been affected by sexual violence.

But obviously those who have spoken up and used “#metoo” have experienced backlash in saying they are simply being over dramatic or lying. That type of backlash is very upsetting given how serious these situations are. I feel like the “metoo” movement was very influential, not only for those in the spotlight but those who are not to prove that it is okay to speak up. Sexual assault, violence and overall sexual misconduct as always been an issue and I find it very empowering to woman being able to speak up and take this action and fighting against inappropriate sexual conduct.

References

How the #MeToo movement is changing Hollywood. (2018, June 28). Retrieved from marketwatch.com: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-the-metoo-movement-economically-and-culturally-transformed-hollywood-2018-06-27

Shugerman, E. (2017, October 17). Me Too: Why are women sharing stories of sexual assault and how did it start? Retrieved from independent.co.uk: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/me-too-facebook-hashtag-why-when-meaning-sexual-harassment-rape-stories-explained-a8005936.html

 

 

The Effects of Horror Films on Society

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Many people either love or hate horror films, and it is no surprise they have some effect on our brain as we watch them. Whether it is less intense movie such as, Jaws, more intense like, The Shining or even more modern like, Unfriended, it all can have some type of effect on the body. This also bring up the issue if children should be able to watch such intense films and if it will affect them later in life.

According to an article on Psychology Spot entitle, “What Horror Movies do to your Brain”, it talks about how terrifying scenes activates your primitive brain which deals with the motor system which makes us react. This would include jumping in your seat, screaming, crying etc. When you watch these films your heart rate increases sometimes even up to 14 extra beats per minute and sometimes even increased white blood cells. Your body also starts to sweat, which is an emotional response of the body and finally your muscles compress which is what your brain does when it detects a threat which can signal the flight or for fight response. (DELGADO, 2018) https://psychology-spot.com/horror-movies-affect-brain/ These are obviously all physical effects that happen while watching a horror film, but it doesn’t talk much about the long-term effects.

There are more modern films that seem more realistic and more psychologically effective. An article on Vox.com talks about more modern films that have a bigger effect on society. Most of these films are fueled by fake news, misinformation and many different conspiracy theories. Films such as The Purge effected People in different ways by making this irrational fear for some. The concept of this movie was that all crime is legal for 24 hours which again, could affect the viewers psychologically. In 2016 there was also a decent amount of home invasion type films such as Mercy and Intruder. These types of movies caused real fear in some of its viewers. (Romano, 2018) https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/12/21/13737476/horror-movies-2016-invasion

As far as long-term effects horror movies can have it’s not impossible. According to an article on livestrong.com, showing horror films to children or young teenagers can cause anxiety and phobias. Not saying that if a child watches a horror film they’re going to develop in anxiety disorder but it is very possible if they are shown these films at too young of an age. They can also lead to sleep disturbances not only as children but into adulthood along with aggression and violence. Also, can cause symbolic catharsis which is, A release of violence through observation. So as possible children can see these murderous acts in these films and act that way themselves. These are all very possible things to happen when showing horror films to younger children but is not necessarily proven to happen every time. (FRITSCHER, 2018) https://www.livestrong.com/article/1004470-lasting-effects-horror-movies-children-teens/

So, going along with the argument if children should be able to watch horror films or not I personally believe it should be up to the parents to decide. This is also why there are appropriate viewer ratings on many different movies. In today’s society where there are so many intense films, it should be left up to the parents to decide what their child should view or not.

References

DELGADO, J. (2018, October 7). What horror movies do to your brain. Retrieved from psychology-spot.com: https://www.livestrong.com/article/1004470-lasting-effects-horror-movies-children-teens/

FRITSCHER, L. (2018, October 7). The Lasting Effects of Horror Movies on Children and Teens. Retrieved from livestrong.com: https://www.livestrong.com/article/1004470-lasting-effects-horror-movies-children-teens/

Romano, A. (2018, October 7). Horror movies reflect cultural fears. In 2016, Americans feared invasion. Retrieved from vox.com: https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/12/21/13737476/horror-movies-2016-invasion

 

 

Cyberbullying

Credit: Don’t be a Monster

Cyberbullying has been an issue for many years now. This also means that there has been cyberbullying laws put in place not only in states but in schools. But the big question is if the laws are even worth it or even make an impact.

An article on cyberbullying.org talks about whether or not these policies and laws even make a difference. (Patchin, 2010) But first off, some background information, In Wisconsin there are no specific groups listed under Wisconsin’s anti-bullying laws and regulations but, schools that receive federal funding are required by federal law to address discrimination on a number of different personal characteristics. Cyberbullying can often go unnoticed among parents and teachers because It is hard to recognize considering a lot of it can be done at a private device. (What Is Cyberbullying, 2018)

The stance this article takes is more of how and when schools and parents take action against bullying not necessarily the lost in the first place, which I agree with. Most of all cyberbullying laws that are currently in schools basically tell the staff to, “deal with the situation.” This action neglects taking specific action and in the long run if it was handled in a different way would help those who have been bullied and even prevent it from happening in the first place. Because of this basic action that people are told to take schools have been sued due to Picking the wrong action and not helping students when they should have or in the right manner.

This is why I feel like there needs to be a better way of handling it, not only cyberbullying but all forms of bullying. There are many anti-bullying campaigns out there but there is a specific one that I feel goes above and beyond standards. This campaign it is called, Don’t Be a Monster. (Don’t Be a Monster, 2018) This is more based on the fact of teaching kids to be kind to each other and become good people, so the bullying does not happen in the first place. Granted there are many different campaigns out there but I feel like this one in particular stands  out, not only from the creative title but the fact they go around to schools and have many different programs, workshops and activities with kids all across the United States teaching them everything from a positive body image of themselves and others to how to deal with being bullied And how to stop being a bully yourself if you are in that situation. Another unique characteristic about this campaign is that it pairs haunted houses through Partnerships and sponsorships to raise money for their program, which the ultimate goal is to stop bullying. The Don’t be a Monster anti-bullying campaign is a creative way to put an end to bullying and altogether teaching the world to be kind.

 

The Journey Begins

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Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton