In Chapter 1, Starr and Waterman mention that “popular music in America has from the very beginning been closely tied up with stereotypes, convenient ways of organizing people into categories.” With this in mind, consider the following songs and video:
Question to answer:
How does this material both use stereotypes and respond/react to stereotyping? Consider the lyrics and visual presentation carefully. Also, identify the musical style for each song.
This is chapter 1 where is says about the stereotypes:
Theme 2: Music and identity
a. Pop music provides images of gender identity, ethnicity, and race
b. Popular music in America is closely tied up with stereotypes
i. Ex. women as sexual objects, African American men as playboys and gangsters, southern white musicians as “rednecks”
c. Music plays an important role in bringing personal narratives to life
d. Some popular performers undermine the “commonsense” association of certain styles with certain types of people
i. Ex. black country singer Charley Pride and the white blues musician Stevie Ray Vaughan