Rhetorical Theory
RUNNING HEAD: Fantasy Theme Criticism
Fantasy Theme Criticism:
Symbolic Convergence Theory
“Love The Way You Lie”
COMM 311
Introduction
Hip-hop and rap as a whole tend to be lumped together as bad for society, or the dragging down of American culture. The debate on the influence of music effecting the actions of America’s youth has remained salient for decades. The upcoming genre of ‘Rap’ or ‘Hip-Hop’ in recent years has sparked controversy because of the references to violence and sex portrayed in many song lyrics. Not only has the issues of drugs and crime been associated with hip hop, but the diminishing perception of women in our society has also been attributed to hip hop. It seems that rap is an easy scapegoat for the American population to ‘point the finger at.’ Why is Hip-Hop important? No music is more important than the next. As soon as a genre starts portraying itself as something other than the simple concept of musical notes vibrating off the eardrums of listeners, it loses its focus and main purpose – to entertain. Political messages and social responsibility measures have always been visible in musical lyrics, examples such as R.E.M. and U2 as well as countless other bands have done it for years. Hip-Hop has become big business and anything that is marketable affects society one way or another. Hip-Hop also affects society on many different levels and it is inclusive of all people. The media attention that Hip-Hop gets gives meaning to the fact that people are able to see a side of a particular Hip-Hop artist and then the artist is then displayed as a more human element. Younger generations must understand the biases and politics involved with the generalizations of Hip-Hop. The music we listen to and the videos we watch are just like reading a fashion magazine. A perfect example is if we see beautiful women in certain clothes then we may want those clothes. When someone sees a Hip-Hop artist or rapper on televisions that is clearly
Fantasy Theme Criticism:
Symbolic Convergence Theory
“Love The Way You Lie”
COMM 311
Introduction
Hip-hop and rap as a whole tend to be lumped together as bad for society, or the dragging down of American culture. The debate on the influence of music effecting the actions of America’s youth has remained salient for decades. The upcoming genre of ‘Rap’ or ‘Hip-Hop’ in recent years has sparked controversy because of the references to violence and sex portrayed in many song lyrics. Not only has the issues of drugs and crime been associated with hip hop, but the diminishing perception of women in our society has also been attributed to hip hop. It seems that rap is an easy scapegoat for the American population to ‘point the finger at.’ Why is Hip-Hop important? No music is more important than the next. As soon as a genre starts portraying itself as something other than the simple concept of musical notes vibrating off the eardrums of listeners, it loses its focus and main purpose – to entertain. Political messages and social responsibility measures have always been visible in musical lyrics, examples such as R.E.M. and U2 as well as countless other bands have done it for years. Hip-Hop has become big business and anything that is marketable affects society one way or another. Hip-Hop also affects society on many different levels and it is inclusive of all people. The media attention that Hip-Hop gets gives meaning to the fact that people are able to see a side of a particular Hip-Hop artist and then the artist is then displayed as a more human element. Younger generations must understand the biases and politics involved with the generalizations of Hip-Hop. The music we listen to and the videos we watch are just like reading a fashion magazine. A perfect example is if we see beautiful women in certain clothes then we may want those clothes. When someone sees a Hip-Hop artist or rapper on televisions that is clearly
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