Branching off an activity we did in the 5150 class, I wanted students to have a lesson where they could begin to critically analyze the lyrics of popular music as well as the deeper meaning of messages in movies. Further, it will help students understand the relationship between pop culture and the outside world, that is, using music as a means of reflecting the issues of the society in which we live.
1. Begin with a discussion of problems that teens or adolescents see in their own daily lives. Consider things like peer pressure (alcohol and drug related), teenage sex, conformity, relationships, pressure to do well in school, family and friend issues, etc. Using three of the issues that are most relevant, discuss the ways in which media portrays those issues, both positively AND negatively.
2. Then, hold a brief discussion on some of the larger issues of our society. Consider things like disease epidemics, war, politics, environmental issues, poverty, etc. Then discuss the ways in which the media portrays these issues, both positively and negatively.
3. Give students a brief history of the 1980's AIDS epidemic. What was the community's reaction to this then?
4. Then examine a clip from the movie Philadelphia
5. Then examine the video and lyrics to Bruce Springsteen's song "The Streets of Philadelphia":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L9_8vwx2w8
I was bruised and battered and I couldn't tell
what I felt
I was unrecognizable to myself
Saw my reflection in a window I didn't know
my own face
Oh brother are you gonna leave me
wasting away
On the streets of Philadelphia
I walked the avenue till my legs felt like stone
I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone
At night I could hear the blood in my veins
Just as black and whispering as the rain
On the streets of Philadelphia
Ain't no angel gonna greet me
It's just you and I my friend
And my clothes don't fit me no more
I walked a thousand miles
just to slip this skin
The night has fallen, I'm lyin' awake
I can feel myself fading away
So receive me brother with your faithless kiss
or will we leave each other alone like this
On the streets of Philadelphia
6. Discuss how this perspective is different? What makes it different? How did he use the power of music/lyrics/images to change society's perception of the AIDS epidemic at the time? Can you think of other movie soundtracks that might have shed light on important societal issues or changed your perspective of something??
7. Have students create their own poems/lyrics, short essay, or any other form of writing addressing their own view of the problems they see in their daily lives (see #1). After, discuss how our reality might be different from the reality the media portrays? What does this mean when media either constructs or reinforces our beliefs about our world?
adapted from: http://www.vh1.com/partners/vh1_music_studio/supplies/specials/downloads/aids-music-lesson1.pdf
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hey Kim,
ReplyDeleteNice assignment. Gotta love critical analysis. Another artist you might want to work into this discussion is local hip-hop group Atmosphere...a lot of Slug's rapping involves issues that a lot of kids deal with (drug use, gangs, etc) and while a lot of hip hop covers this material, Slug takes a much different, typically positive approach. He also ties in a lot of local Minnesota references -- Although I guess that won't help you too much in Denver.
Later!
Matt