Subculture and Marilyn Manson

                                         Subculture and Marilyn Manson

" Oh my GOD! look at the piercings on his body?" " look at his clothes...all black! HE"S A GOTH!" " Hes  a satin worshiper!" " He may be weird, but he makes good music!"...These are the comments that ive always heard in high school about singer and songwriter Marilyn Manson. His real name is Brian Hugh Warner and he began his musical carrer in 1989. His persona is contrary to everything that our mainstream society considers normal. From the way he dresses to the lyrics of his songs he represents a break away from the majority and is therefore part of a subculture. A subculture is a group of people that contain a culture that is different from the main culture in a society. Many other people dress the way he does in  our society and can relate to his music and the way he carries himself. According to the book entitled Popular culture By Raifored Guins and Omayra Zaragoza Cruz, Dick Hebdige states that " Subcultures are generally condemed, in mary Douglas' words( 1967) as ' contrary to holiness' and levi-strauss has noted how, in certain primitive myths, the mispronounciation of words and the misuse of language are classified along with incest as horrendous aberrations capable of ' unleashing storm and tempest' ( levi-strauss, 1969). Similarly spectacular subcultures express forbidden contents ( consciousness of class, consciousness of difference) in forbidden forms ( transgressions of sartorial and behavioral codes, law breaking, etc) They are profane articulations and they are often and significantly defined as ' unnatural'. The terms in the tabloids press to describe those youngsters who, in their conduct or clothing, proclaim sucbultural membership ( 'freaks', 'animals..who find courage, like rats, in hunting in packs) would seem to suggesr that the most primitive anxieties concerning the sacred distinction between nature and cutlture can be summoned up by the emergence of such a group. " ( 356) Based on the facts in popular culture, it is safe to say that our society doesnt like when people question what is considered normal and are contrary to what society deems as normal, but then again who is to say that dressing in all  black isnt the norm? Is it so wrong to have body piercings? or sing about suicide? what is normal? Why are the people who aren't like the majority considered freaks and animals like the tabloids proclaim?

Subcultures make up our society and if there weren't subcultures everyone would be the same and our society wouldn't be diverse and filled with unique individuals.Marilyn manson is a great additon to our society and contributes greatly to the subculture that he has created. He is a great musical artists and he isnt afriad toexpress himself in his representation and his music. Some of the songs that i like that he has created are entitled personal jesus, sweet dreams, and beautiful people. Here is a link to some of his music videos enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypkv0HeUvTc&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl6fyhZ0G5E

Bucket head in contrast to Disney's corporate action

                                  Bucket head in contrast to Disney's corporate action

As stated in Popular culture by Guins and Cruz, Disney, an American film company, continuously works hard to project their films from piracy. Disney “filed 28 suits against more than 1,322 defendants. One of the largest actions was in 1991 when Disney filed against 123 California companies and 99 Oregon companies for unauthorized use of characters in various types of merchandise.” ( 184, Guins and Cruz) In the music industry, musical artists could file suits against copy right violators of their music as well. For example, if Bucket head, an extremely unique, non stereotypical, and bizarre musical artist (that continues to wear a fried chicken bucket on his head during his performances), finds out that another musician has decided to use Bucket head’s song that he created without his permission on his or her next CD he could sue for copyright violation.

In contrast to most musicians, Disney is a bit extreme with their copy right values.  “Disney sued the academy of motion pictures arts and sciences when performers dressed as snow white characters were used in the academy rewards presentation without Disney’s permission” (185,Guins and Cruz) I don’t think that Bucket head would sue if a bunch of people started conducting their performances with buckets from the nearest fried chicken fast food restaurant on their heads. Bucket head is a musician from the mid-70s and who made it his goal to inform others of how badly treated chickens are on chicken farms and how he experienced living on a chicken farm. He has a great goal in mind, but he still comes off as being a bit bizarre since he is different from the majority of other musical artists and because his persona is unordinary. One of his most popular most popular songs  is called Night train.Im sure bucket head would love for others to spread the word of how chickens are treated and breed in prepration for slaughter and selling.Disney on the other hand would not want other people dressing up as some of their characters to promote something without their permission. Even the US postage service that provides stamps couldnt have "free use" over Disney's characters just to celebrate American animation. Why wouldnt Disney want free advertisment from fans and the us postal service? What exactly are they trying to protect? Their image? Their characters from misuse?

Disney might be a bit over protective with their claims on their characters that they have created, but they have every right to be and Bucket head who may or may not be overprotective with the copyrights of his songs and persona has every right to be as well. here is a clip form one of Bucket heads perfomances:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-woe3SCAaA

La Roux and Commodity

                                                                  LA ROUX

                 What is commodity and what is it doing to our society?? Well according to dictionary.com commodity is defined as something that of use, advantage and profit. Commodity is actually a big part of our society. It is how we can attain clothing, food, shelter,vehicles, and many other physical things.

                   Commodification has also become a huge part of our culture. According to the text entitled popular culture by Raifor Guins and Omayra Zaragoza Cruz commodity is the basic unit of exchange. Using commodity is how we function in our society. For example, when we want to buy concert tickets we pay the cost of the tickets with money in exchange for the tickets, and if we want a new CD we do the same. People are also viewed as commodities in capitalism. The truth in that statement is shown in the music industry. Producers want to profit from musical artists and get as much as they can from the musical artist they are producing, Music promoters want to get money from promoting the musical artist, music agents want a percentage of the profits earned from a show done by the musical artist. The musical artist gives his or her talent to production companies and the world so they could profit in exchange for the ability to be a musical performer and earn profit as well. In addition to people being commodities, the commodity of culture is continuously occurring since the start of industrialization and due to increasing production it has changed our society. This is related to bizarre musical artists because many artists from other countries and cultures are coming into the United States and are giving us a part of their culture, which is shown in their musical styles, in exchange for the ability to perform in the U.S, increase their fan base, and attain income.


One musical artist who I find a bit bizarre is La Roux. Her singing, clothing, make-up, and hair styles are all unique and original. She has a disco/electronic sound. Her persona is off the wall and it makes people gravitate to her more. She is an upcoming artist who is from London and is being produced by a man named Ben Langmaid. She was once known as an underground artist in London, but is now popular in the United States. Both the producer and the artists are giving their abilities/talents which are commodities in exchange for something. As Karl Marx explained many years ago, the expanding of modern industry= spreading of bourgeois ideology which is to develop a production like the bourgeois. The bourgeois is the class that owns businesses and that hires the working class. This relates to the music industry because the people who own the recording studio, record labels, production companies, etc want to produce/record with the musical artist that is most likely part of the working class to make some money off of them as beginning artists and possibly make more money off of them if they become more popular.

Ali project and pop culture

Ali PROJECT

               An old friend of mine from high school told me about a Japanese band called Ali project. He mentioned the band to me because of my love for Emilie Autumn's music. In a sense, the band has a similar style to Emilie Autumn's music, but  Ali project has their  own style and sing in Japanese. Ali project is quite bizarre and the band has themes of religion masked by upbeat toons, but sometimes revealed in the translated lyrics which Emilie Autumn does in her music as well. This band relates to American culture because it isn't widely known in America, but it is becoming more popular due to the band being played on an amine cartoon called  Rozen maiden.Ali project also relates to pop culture because the band is becoming widely known in America and many people are becoming fans of Ali project who aren't Japanese. This shows that musical tastes are changing and that our society is becoming more accepting of other cultures and musical styles. Pop culture is what is widely becoming popular, well liked, and an addition to the culture of our society.


             According to Theodor W. Adorno from the book called Popular culture by Ruins and Cruz, " The culture industry fuses the old and the familiar into a new quality...In all its branches, products which are tailored for consumption by the masses and which to a great extent determine the nature of that consumption are manufactured more or less according to plan" ( Cruz and Ruins103) The music that is being produced by Ali project is a product from previous types of music which is why it is so accepted by American society. The techno beats, fast tempo, and bizarre music videos are what American society are familiar with and American society tends to gravitate to the things that are not considered the norm. America likes when musical artists appear bizarre and far from the norm. That is the reason why so many artists have became popular. Musical artists such as Michael Jackson, kelly, and Marylin Manson have all attained popularity because they are a bit face from the norm in their own unique way.

According to Theodore adorno "It has recently become customary among cultural officials as well as sociologists to warn against underestimating the culture industry while pointing to its great importance for the development of the consciosness of its consumers. It is to be taken seriously without cultured snobbism" ( Ruins and Cruz, 105) The musical artists of today truly do influence the society of today which is evident in the way american society gravitates to the artists that are contrary to the norm. In order to hear one artists who is influencing the society of today Here is a you tube video of a song called the domain of holy girls in english by Ali Project:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlLOoF0QlXk