All together now !

                As a U.S citizen I have the duty to make something out of myself. I’m supposed to go to college and please society’s needs. I always like to think of myself as my own person. I don’t like conforming to the world around me. But in a way I have unfortunately. I’ve gotten so caught up in the money making aspect of life that some things just aren’t as fun as they used to be. Living in this world I have to duty to be open to difference. I’m supposed to accept everyone no matter how odd or wild they may be. Taking this class, I’ve realized that music can help with this very thing.

                Music has always had an influence on society. We allow music to determine what kind of person we will become. At times we don’t even listen to the lyrics but to the voice. If the voice sounds angry we can infer that we should be angry too. During 9/11 music was very influential. Not everyone agreed with the President’s decision to go to war. Many people made songs encouraging it, while others spoke up and disagreed. They were bashed for doing such a horrible thing. Music can also tell us about how a person lives. In certain places music is banned and is basically a sin. For example, in Morocco, Hip-Hop is looked down upon, but a group of youth didn’t care. They used it as a way to express their opinions and to tell their stories. If you listen to the words of a song you can tell a lot about the society. Songs in America talk about sex and money. In Morocco the rapper there rapped about their struggles. It all depends on the situation of the artist. Many musicians around the world see music as a getaway. Their home life is so horrible they had to find something to make them feel better. Punk music isn’t about the art but about the expression. Most punk singers cannot sing, so they scream. They scream to make a statement.

                What does it mean to be a global citizen? Not many people see themselves as citizens of the world. They are only consumed with themselves and don’t care about anything around. Most people are about the right here and right now. We’re supposed to be aware of what we’re doing and know where we are in the world. That means we need to know where we stand on this world and if we’re doing any good.  We all should care about what whether or not if we’re contributing our share in our communities. It’s sad when people miss out on opportunities because they didn’t take the time out to get to know their neighbors. Getting to know someone is a part of being a global citizen. When we do this we have allowed ourselves to be involved in the world around us. In the films we see there is so much stereotyping, we don’t even realize it. In Real Bad Arabs we saw that Arabs are seen as a dangerous group of people. When we start making assumptions we don’t allow these people to be human. We don’t see them as one race and that is the human race. We separate ourselves, even in our music. There are songs out there that talk about being better than the bums on the streets. As global citizens we have to realize that everyone is the same. We have to be open to difference. Being open to difference doesn’t mean we have to turn into those types of people, but we just respect the differences. Instead we are judging and nit helping. We aren’t connecting. If we took all of the high fidelity music in America there would barely be in music.  It’s the only music we listen to and we don’t do it together, we stay in our cars and rooms with the music. Using participatory music makes everyone get out and meet people. I feel that it is perfectly healthy to talk to different types of people.

                In conclusion, we need to start connecting more. In order for this world to get any better we need to stop sticking our noses up in the air. Global citizenship is an automatic title because we’re all human. We all belong to the human race and no one should feel bad for being different. It could a lot better if people would give back to their communities. Going to the farmer’s market, I saw that selling vegetables and bread was a way of life for these people. It would make more sense if we bought our produce from them, but our society is stuck on making money. I just feel that in order for us to be good global citizens we have to let go of our supersized egos and be involved in the world around us.

Do you accept me now?

Going contra dancing made my cheeks hurt. I smiled the whole time I was there. I couldn’t believe how amazing the atmosphere felt. This experience opened my eyes to a new way of fun. Our society doesn’t accept difference well at all. To do anything, we have be specially talented or skilled in an area. We don’t do things for the fun of it anymore. It was nice to be around a group of people with the intent to just enjoy themselves and connect with the people around them.

Contra dancing was fun thing to experience. I had no idea that it would be so easy. Being there I felt connected to the people. I couldn’t stop smiling because I was enjoying myself and the company of the people there. At times I felt a little uncomfortable around some of the men and even some women. The closeness that I endured with these men made me feel uncomfortable. Some would put their hands to low on my back or look right into my eyes. Instead of freaking out, I just smiled and thought, “This is normal for him”. It is normal for them to be so close to one another. It is the way they connect. Some of the women were aggressive because they knew what they were doing and I didn’t so they looked at me like I was an idiot. I tried not to dwell on it and just keep enjoying it. I messed up and felt good about it. My advanced partners made me feel better about my ability. They would help me and not make a big deal out of my mishaps. Overall the atmosphere made me feel like I was on cloud nine because there wasn’t a judgmental sense in the air. 

I would definitely think about going again. It was an experience that I could learn from. The people there were so happy with the company of their friends and even strangers. It just makes me feel good to know that somebody isn’t judging me when I mess up, instead they want to help. This isn’t just in contra dancing, but in life as well. We don’t to be judged every time we mess up, we want someone to help us and show the way. I think that we have lost sight of that in America. We’re so stuck on making money and finding the next big thing that we look over the people that want to learn or get better.

Participatory music and participatory social action can cause greatness. Both can bring together a group of people that normally wouldn’t hang out. For instance, contra dancing last night; a group of senior citizens wouldn’t want hang with a bunch of college students. But in this situation they enjoyed our company and our conversations. These kinds of situations can allow us to break out of our comfort zones and do things useful with our time. We can learn about different types of people and their situations. Participation environments open up doors for acceptance of difference. When we start to understand others we can start to understand things about ourselves. Sometimes it takes the understanding of another person’s life to open our eyes to what we have. We’re fortunate enough to wear the clothes we wear every day, where as someone in another country is struggling to keep up with the trends. It’s always beneficial to participate in activities in our communities. It allows us to connect with the people we live with. Going to the Bloomington Farmer’s Market helped me to connect with the people in my community. It was especially beneficial for me as a freshman in this crazy world. I had the opportunity to meet people and learn about different aspects of Bloomington. Our schools try to instill participatory values in children; however that soon is forgotten once we hit high school. In gym class it was mandatory that every student participated in the day’s activities. It allowed the children to make new friends and stay fit as well. But in high school and college the only time students are participating is if they feel good enough to join in on the fun of their peers.

All in all, I have learned to accept people and their values. Participating in events like contra dancing allowed me to see a different side of Bloomington and get to know the people in my community. It makes living down here easier to be connected to people outside of the campus. I felt like the environment at contra dancing was awesome. Even the venue was perfect; it was a community recreation center for youth. The money was going to the venue to help them. It made me feel good about myself to put money on somebody else’s pocket for a good cause. In participatory activities it’s easier to make friends. No one is expected to be mean or rude. I did feel uncomfortable a few times, but it’s only because in my world people don’t dance that close in each other’s faces. It’s normally an informal meeting. Sometimes we don’t even talk or see each other’s faces. In last night’s adventure I talked to so many people. I met different people with different personalities. It always feels good to meet new people. I enjoyed myself and learned a very valuable lesson; judge less and smile more.

Punk Music Rocks !

                When I think of punk music, I think of the bad and the ugly. I think of the guys that party hard and don’t care about life. But those are stereotypes that proved to be wrong. The songs are still about partying and sex, however the voice of the song isn’t always about that life. The world sees youth as trouble, especially in poor neighborhoods. These youth don’t always get the opportunity to do something good with their lives because no one shows love towards them. No one believes in them and their dreams. So with society letting them down they turn to drugs and violence. It is a relief to see punk artists that do care.

                This movie has changed the way I think of these two countries. At first I thought Brazil as an exotic, fun, and happy place. The people there are miserable. It’s the tourists that are having all the fun. It was sad to see how hard they are working to make a couple of dollars a day. I always thought the youth in these communities were the luckiest kids ever. Now I just want to go hug all of them and make things better for them. There are kids out there in the drug game and getting killed for their families. It’s not always a choice for them. There’s not as much partying as I thought there would be in these communities either. When I think of exotic places like Brazil, I think about the party life and the tropical trees. I was in for a surprise while I was watching this movie. The neighborhoods were run down but the children continued their lives as if this was normal. I just think to myself, “How can they live like this and no one help?”

                When the going gets tough turn to music, right? The musicians in this documentary were all passionate about their music and their beliefs. They use music as a way to get away from the hurt. All are punk musicians and all believe in a religion. It’s weird to put a punk musician in church, however I can relate in this sense. If you walk into my dad’s church with jeans and a tee shirt, you will be looked down upon. It’s the same for punk musicians that attend church with their Mohawks and tattoos. One musician in particular, Henrique talked about this a lot. He says that he’s not religious yet he has the Virgin Mary tatted on his arm. He took his kids to get baptized but he’s not religious! It’s a sad thing to see, but it seems to me that he has been hurt by the church and I can feel his pain. The drummer from Superman is Dead is so passionate about how he feels and believes. I could see it all on his face as he was talking and describing the events of his community. The bombing in his neighborhood reminded me of some of the bombings in southern America. Both groups of people were seen as a threat to society. The things that go on in these communities make these artists want to fix things. They encourage the kids to start playing music so they will stay out of the streets. I want the same for the kids in my community. I think that all kids should find a positive hobby and stick to it.

                The connection between me and these artists is music. We use music as a way to get away from the demands of the world. I am fortunate enough to have a place to sleep and earn an education. Dolly feels grateful just to have a job. He works for a Nike factory, which ships off shoes to America. He is making shoes for every little bratty kid in America. Our lives are based on what society teaches us instead of what we want to see. We’re not allowed to have our minds and points of view. In these communities in the movie, the youth there aren’t treated with respect when they play music. Each country is based off religion which makes it hard for them to express themselves freely sometimes. In America drugs are a way of rebellion, but in these communities it is a way of life. The way they rebel is to not participate. Music on the other hand sounds the same in both places. Our punk music doesn’t sound any different than theirs. The only difference may be the language. But the messages and images are the same. The artists just live in different locations in different situations.

                In conclusion this entire documentary was very informational. It opened my eyes to reality and allowed me to see how these communities are truly struggling. I could see the passion in all three artists. They all wanted better for the kids in their communities. They live in poverty stricken communities with drug wars and violence. Even through all of this these artists are able to see the light and make something positive. They are articulate in how they express themselves. I can relate them in some instances. Things are not much different between our worlds. We try to put ourselves in different sides of the world and act as if we are total opposites. In the end we find we are more alike than different.

Hip-Hop is a universal genre of music. It allows young people to express themselves. There are many people that disagree with Hip-Hop. In some countries it is forbidden. It can often be described as a sin. In those countries some youth decide to rebel and perform it and listen to it. Music should be the way people express the way they feel about a subject. Not many people feel this way or they are afraid of change. Most of the time when people are afraid of change, they discourage the brave ones. One country in particular that disagrees with Hip-Hop is Morocco. Many youth in Moroccan communities rebel against the authorities. Two of these young people are Fatima and Brownfingaz.

Fatima is a female rapper. She is supported by her family, including her father. It is a way of expression for her. She doesn’t do it to look cool. A lot of people disrespect her and what she does. Fatima is sometimes told that she should stick to studying and leave rap alone. She says that she likes to speak the truth through her music. On the I Love Hip Hop in Morocco tour, she was boo and hissed at as she tried to perform. Instead of cowering away she played into their disbeliefs. She did her very best and wooed the crowd. The reason she does this is to speak the truth and send a message to the underdogs. Her father was stripped of the opportunity to become a musician. We can infer that pop culture is full of expressive youth. Youth in this culture have their opinions and don’t have a problem speaking the truth.

Brownfingaz on the other hand is a male rapper. He raps about having nothing. In his country there is no discrimination between races because they are all African. He does use the word “nigga” in his music. He says that African Americans have a right to say the word just as much as he does. I feel like he doesn’t realize what this word truly means for him to make that comment. His father does support him, however, he believes Hip-Hop is a fad and it will go away just like all music in their culture. Hip-Hop for Brownfingaz is a way to express himself freely. This is the same idea that Fatima has about Hip-Hop. It isn’t to make money, but to make a statement to the government and the judgmental people around him. It is to let go of the frustration that he feels against the government.

In Islam Hip-Hop is similar to American Hip-Hop. They take the things they hear from America and make something for their people. American artist rap about racism and Moroccan artist rap about the poverty rate and the way they are treated. Osama Bin Laden bombed their country and so it angered a lot of people. Many of the rappers decided to make songs about the terrible conditions and the bombings. The artists feel that it isn’t necessary to conform to the world around them. They would rather tell a message about how not to conform. It bothers the elders and religious individuals around them.

Both of these artists are similar. They are outcasts in some parts of their country. The Islamic faith does not condone the type of music that they perform. To them it is just music and it isn’t hurting anyone around them. They both write their own lyrics but look to Hip-Hop artists in America as a role model. Their messages differ; however, their reasons are the same. They sometimes rap about being the underdog seeing there is no money in what they do. In Morocco respect isn’t important, they do what they want. They don’t have respect for authority. Two things that are feared are religion and the constitution. These are not things that these artist are afraid of at all. They still practice their religion, just do Hip-Hop . A lot of the people in their country say that Hip-Hop is for dirty badass kids.

America helped fund this event in Morocco. A bad thing about is that music is forbidden there and so the leaders there might turn against America. The audience was hype and grateful as well. The American government could possibly hurt their relationship with Islamic world. When the leaders don’t agree then there shouldn’t be a debate, however, there was. The whole time all of this was going, no one stopped the process of the festival. Instead the country tried to make it hard on them. Some places refused them of any services. They had to search high and low for sponsors. It took a while for them to get the money from the embassy. Eventually the money was sent at the last minute. I think it took so long because America wasn’t sure if they wanted to get involved in what could possibly happen.

In conclusion, these rappers have it hard. They don’t have the right to freedom of speech. They can’t say what they want when they want without repercussions. It is somewhat the same in America. With the whole Natalie Maines situation we see that our freedom of speech isn’t so free. It all comes down to how society receives it. A lot of artist here live in fear of losing fans if they voice their opinions. Moroccan artist on the other hand have to worry about the government trying to take away their voice. It takes a lot of courage for them to go against their culture. Their homes were bombed because someone said the wrong thing. I thought it was wonderful to see so many artist get together to make a statement. They were not afraid to perform Hip-Hop. Of course they had to get through some troubles but they did it. Even when they were booed and hissed at they continued on and did what they had to. Some will say they are corrupting the Islamic world while others will say they are evolving it.

Farmer's Market :)

                The farmer’s market was a highly interesting experience for me. I saw so many people with their families. There was food everywhere. A lot of the food was the same, but they all were grouped together. I noticed that more of the older people were around the vegetable stands. At the barbeque stands there were a lot of families. All over the market were families with small children. The children were in the places of music and fun foods. I saw very few couples in the place. In the area of politics, I didn’t see too much activity in that area. I saw a few older people peeping over the information. I found it interesting that there was a man standing at a stand representing women in politics. Most of the musicians were there to make money. They had their little hats and violin cases open and albums out for sell. One musician that really caught my attention was the man with the parrot. It was very amusing to see the parrot dancing. Then there were little children dancing along and he encouraged them to keep dancing and clapping. I saw that everyone was involved in the festivities. No one was standing around. We were questioned a few times because we didn’t fit in the market scene. People were curious as to why we weren’t participating in the festivities. Many of the people were beyond friendly. They talked to us and even helped us with our assignments. My experience there was very memorable; I got a raspberry tea out of it!

Asking all them questions making statements, ASSUMING!

Society has stereotyped every group of people on planet earth. It is sad because those assumptions are wrong most of the time. Every person is not the same just because they have the same color as the person next to them. In movies however, these stereotypes are portrayed and made to seem so true. The American film industry doesn’t do it on purpose, but that’s all they know. Some directors and movie writers are ignorant to the world around them.  The Arabs in our society are known as terrorist or money hungry idiots because of the film industry.

In Real Bad Arabs there were some very memorable moments. Most of which were disturbing. One that bothered me was the way Arabs are treated in movies. They are always being violent but always get defeated. The Americans are always seen as the heroes in the situation. Even when they are shooting at children, it is a good thing. It bothered me because it was too much for me to look at and then because I felt in my heart that it was wrong for them to do that.  I found it interesting that the stereotypes for Arabs were so broad. We saw the killers, lovers, money makers, and idiots. None were positive however.  I liked how the presenter had his own opinion about the situation and he wasn’t just presenting information to the audience. It made a difference on how I perceived the information as well. He took a stance on the situation which made it easier for me to agree with him. The facts and examples presented made me think about the things I watch in television. One more thing that puzzled me was the fact that the actors were portraying the image. They played the negative roles. I just wonder if those are real Arabs or just look-alikes. It would be a horrible thing if they are making their people look bad like that. But then again black people play black roles in movies about ignorance.

When the industry continues to put the Arab community in a negative light then there are negative consequences. People across America will now try to put two and two together and make the assumption that an Arab is a terrorist. After 9/11 Americans took it upon themselves to assume that every Middle Easterner was a terrorist. In the movies they wear the head dress with the long robes. A lot of times things took place in the desert with camels and wars. Women are sex icon in every culture. The Arabian women were shown as belly dancers. That could offend a real Arabian woman who covers her body, because that is not how all women in their culture are. These assumptions will make people feel justified in treating these people wrong. Before 9/11 America had no beef with Arabs, so these assumptions were made based off ignorance. There wasn’t much research done in the movies with the bad portrayals of Arabs. Not many movies show the truth of how Arabs live their lives and what’s really going on. They are presented without any humanity. Without humanity they are animals and not fit for society.

Out of all the movies mentioned I recognized three of them. The first was Aladdin of course. I never thought about this movie as an Arabian movie. When I first saw this movie I was excited about it. I watched too many times to count because it was fun to watch as a child. I also recognized The Father of the Bride 2. I didn’t expect this one at all. I never realized that the businessman was Arabian. This movie I haven’t seen much of however seeing this movie was enjoyable. I loved the plot of the movie. I did see the Arabian man as a greedy businessman. The last movie I recognized was True Lies. This was a hard one because I’ve only seen it a good two times. I just happened to recognize the Arabian actor of the movie. This movie was an action movie. I’m not a big action fan; however, I thought this was a good movie because Arnold Swartzinager was in this movie. I didn’t like the shooting and guts of the movie. My reaction to the movies hasn’t really changed. I just feel more informed about the background of the movies. Aladdin was meant to be the dream of every young girl. However it ended up being the negative portrayal of Arabians in cartoon form. True Lies was never meant to show a good side at all. The Arabians in this movie were terrorist trying to bomb America.

We can learn that assuming the negative can cause for a negative reaction. It may not always come from the victims. At times it could come from the people around them; the people that judge them. Movies can cause us to see the world through a fantasy.  Instead of paying attention to reality we divert our attention the fantasy. These things are unrealistic and cause problems in society. Assumptions can be wrong are exaggerated from the truth. All Arabs are not plotting to take over the world. In the video I saw that there were a lot of people were hurting and in poverty. Those people were not represented in the movies.

In conclusion, assumptions are wrong. They are hurtful to the victims and society as a whole. It isn’t always minorities that are stereotyped. Many girls that have blonde are deemed as the ditz of the group. That assumption can be proven wrong. There are plenty of smart blondes and plenty of ditzy brunettes. However society has set a standard for certain type of people because they have seen it once in a movie, so once they see it in real life they believe it. It is sad that the Arabs had to be portrayed as a violent people. The 9/11 incident didn’t make anything any better for society’s vision of Arabs. It just isn’t right to judge someone based off of a movie.

The Right to Speak !

Freedom of speech is a big thing in our country. Everyone doesn’t agree on the definition of what it means to speak freely. Certain things aren’t allowed to be said without discrimination against that person. In our country music is a way of free expression. We listen to music that complements our beliefs and likes. If we don’t like something an artist represents then we won’t listen to them. It’s a sad thing when our country makes someone feel bad for expressing their beliefs. The way the Dixie Chicks were treated was unnecessary because

            Music alone plays a big role in the way people think and act. During 9/11 a lot of people were hurt. They were looking for someone to emphasize with them. Many country singers were pro-war. Most “patriotic” Americans listened to country music. That particular industry was responsible for making the American feel just in their current actions. A lot of songs were written in anger or sadness. Here comes Natalie Maines with her very own opinion, and the country just about called her every name but a child of God. She says that she is against the war, which in the eyes of the everyday American that was a slap in the face. They were hurt that she would go as far to say anything about politics. A lot of people agreed that she and her band members shouldn’t have ever opened their mouths. They were then walking targets of the United States. I feel that it was wrong for everyone to overreact. For one, if someone doesn’t know what they’re talking about, you shouldn’t take them seriously. Then secondly, it made people with opinions pull back and hide in fear. No one should ever feel intimidated enough to keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves. No opinion is wrong; at least that’s what we're taught.  

            In this world we agree to disagree, however this rule isn’t always followed by the American people. September 11, 2001 was so traumatic. We felt helpless as a country. Our president at the time tried his best to make the right decision. The role of music in this instance was very strong. Like I stated before, most songs were filled with anger and sadness. Country music is “patriotic”.  This music was the core source of the push for war. People listen to music more than they watch the news. So with the only thing you’ve heard all day is “'Cause we'll put a BOOT in your ass, It's the American way” (Toby Keith), you are going to be angry and ready to go to war. Many people used music as their means of feeling better about themselves and the horrible things going on around them.

            From this we can learn that music helps make a lot of decisions in this country. When Natalie made the comment about President Bush the country went crazy. They all decided to trash the country with her music and trash her name. She was a country icon and it disappointed the American people that she could be so bold. We can also learn that our country doesn’t quite understand what we call “free speech”. It is prohibited to criticize a president that is willing to put other people’s lives on the line. Another lesson learned here can be that music is the heart and soul of our problems. We turn to music when we’re happy, sad, or angry. We can also infer that only one type of music had an effect on the way people thought about the war. Only one type really has an effect on any political situations. There aren’t many stories about hip-hop artists being criticized for their opinion on political issues.

            After 9/11 people were on edge. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, once again our celebrities got together to raise money for the victims. Many black people at the time felt that President Bush was racist. One rapper in particular that felt this way was Kanye West. He announced on national television that President Bush does not care for black people. Whether that is true or not is beside the point. Kanye West basically got away with the comment and Natalie was threatened for hers. Another example would be the song “My President is Black” by Young Jeezy. This song was made after the fact that Barack Obama was in office. Every kid in my neighborhood literally knew this song because they were so excited to have a black president. The song excited me and many other teenagers about politics as well. Lots of people started paying a lot more attention when the president gave speeches. “All Black Everything” by Lupe Fiasco is an inspirational song that makes a lot of people think about different political topics. The theme of the song is about slavery never happening. But it mentions some of the political wrongs in America. The only way a person can understand some of the references is if they had been paying attention to politics and what had been going on in years before now.

            All in all music is a wonderful thing. It can make people do crazy things but it can also bring people together. Anger and sadness can be expressed through music. During 9/11 people were afraid to speak up about the war because the country kind of made an example of the Dixie Chicks. All they did was make a silly remark about the president; however their listeners took it to heart. Being a fan of a certain type of music, it can be hard to not take the wrong doings of our favorite artist to heart. The love of music and our country is an all in one deal when it comes to country music. America is seen as one type of people, which isn’t fair because everyone here is just as American as the person next door. Seeing the Dixie Chicks being treated like refugees in their own country was saddening. Freedom of speech needs to be redefined, or we will keep having these issues.