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INTRODUCTION
What could make a comedy film better? Combine it with a musical that will have you singing along with it. I have decided to look at the 2007 movie “Hairspray”. This is a light hearted film that is loved by all ages. While most see this movie as a comedy/musical the film can also add campy to its genre list. This movie address several different social issues while making the audience laugh and sing along with it. The main social issue at hand in this movie is that one of racism. This movie also touches on gender roles with John Travolta playing a woman, as well as being judged by personal appearances. The main character, Tracy Turnblad is at the center of all these issues.
It’s 1962 and an overweight teenager, Tracy Turnblad and her best friend, Penny Pingleton are obsessed with the dance TV show Corny Collins. One of the regulars leaves the show leaving a space to be filled. Tracy’s dream has always been to be on the show. With the help of her new black friend Seaweed, she manages to get casted for the show, angering the star, Amber Von Tussle and her mother the station manager, Velma. Tracy is not the typical white teen that believes in segregation and wants to see the Corny Collins show integrated. She sets out to do just that all the while winning the love of heartthrob Link, while having a laugh or two and singing a couple tunes.
Tracy has a bubbly personally that makes you immediately like her. She refuses to let anyone or thing come between her and her dream. Tracy is not what many would consider a typical teen. She is a plump girl and doesn’t let what others think of her get her down.
SEGREGATION
With this movie set in the 1962 the majority of white people still looked down on blacks and thought t...
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...au." Detroit (city) QuickFacts from the US Census
Bureau. census.gov, n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
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Hairspray. Dir. Adam Shankman. Perf. John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, Christopher
Walken. New Line Home Entertainment, 2007. DVD.
"Motown Music - The Sound that Changed America - Motown Museum Home of Hitsville U.S.A.." Motown
Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
Sokol, Jason. "IIP Digital | U.S. Department of State." White Southerners' Reactions to the Civil Rights
Movement. N.p., 29 Dec. 2008. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
"Motown Music - The Sound that Changed America - Motown Museum Home of Hitsville U.S.A.." Motown
Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
Although Motown no longer dominates the charts like it once did, Gordy's impact on the music trade can't be overstated. Motown's sound influenced everybody from the rock band and the Rolling Stones to newer chart-toppers like Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul. A real pioneer, Gordy assembled nothing but the rock 'n' roll era's most outstanding list of artists, musicians, songwriters and producers, and in pursuing his dream, he brought 2 races together through music.
“We stuck to who we were at Motown, and the world came around.” Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown records relayed at the Occidental College’s 125th commencement ceremony in 2007. Motown was “the new voice of America” due to its great impact and influence on the music industry and society. Numerous events were happening in America at that time and Berry Gordy identified several of these factors to target the music of Motown and its artists to young audiences in specific ways. There were various social, musical and cultural factors that were critically important and of these factors, Gordy identified the segregation and the civil rights movement, the music and cultural aspects of the black community at that time.
The birth of Motown music came to be in a small recording studio aptly named Hitsville, U.S.A. Barry Gordy, who came from a large middle class family had borrowed money in order. The main stage of Motown music came from a small house that had been remodeled into a recording studio, the name of the company was Hitsville, U.S.A. Mr. Gordy had gathered the best jazz and blues players in and Motown was born through his genius. This small but dynamic record company has produced and help make many stars that we all know today such as Diana Ross and the Supreme, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and more recently the Jackson 5, Boyz II Men , and Queen Latifah. It is very surprising that both the genre of Motown and Hitsville remind unharmed by racism for the most since Detroit has been historically known for severe racism and segregation. Hitsville U.S.A. was one of the first African American owned record companies, this was just one step in popularizing and taking a step for African’s Americans many talents to become well known and chart topping.
Berry Gordy's "Motown" had the largest impact on music on behalf of its direction and redefinition. Berry Gordy's "Motown" impact music through cutting across divisions of race, region, and class. According to Schloss, Joseph G. et al., "unlike the music of earlier black-owned record companies, Motown's music was not directed primarily at black audiences." Gordy is characterized
The most important thing that music and art effected was the population of Detroit. The music of Motown and the art changed the culture of Detroit. As the population grew so did its diversity. Detroit’s music and art scene brought in many different ethnicity adding to its great culture. As these ethnicity began to flow into Detriot their heritage began to be present in Detroit. The different ethnicity could be seen in the food, the buildings, entertainment, and language, make Detroit a melting pot of
Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991. Weisbrot, Robert. Freedom Bound: A History Of America’s Civil Rights Movement. New York: Plume, 1991 Wexler, Sanford.
Motown settled racial prejudice by becoming the most successful independent record label company in the history of the music industry and the most successful and the best African-American owned business in America. In 1968, the company had 5 records out on the top 10 on Billboard’s hot 100 chart which was a chart of the most successful music. During the late 80s and 90s, all of Motown’s talented major artist were admired with all their accomplishments and success and were inducted into the Rock n’ roll Hall of Fame. Upon Berry’s own induction in 1988, Motown’s legendary founder was given the follow tribute: “ Gordy endeavored to reach across the racial divide with music that could touch all people, regardless of the color of their skin. Under this tutelage, Motown became a model of black capitalism, pride and self expression and a repository for some of the greatest talent ever assembled at one company...Motown’s stable of singers, songwriters, and musicians took the concept of simple, catchy pop songs to a intensity...After Motown, black popular music would never again be dismissed as a minority taste...Aesthetically no less than commercially, Motown’s achievements will likely remain unrivaled and
Throughout Pittsburgh history, the area has produced many acclaimed musicians and music organizations that have created music that has been enjoyed across America. Pittsburgh is a city of music with a history in Jazz, Classical, Pop, Doo-Wop, Rock, and most currently Rap. Many of Pittsburgh’s old musicians are award winning performers and song writers who have sold millions of records. Their music can now be heard on movies, TV, and even Broadway shows. These famous artists would be nothing without their teachers, producers, music promoters, managers, and radio personalities. This essay will take a look back into the roots of Pittsburgh to examine its historical and cultural music background.
Moye, Matthew. Westville / Early Southern Music and Its Influence. Rep. Historic Westville. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
The movie Friday is a comedy drama released in 1995 starring Ice Cube (Craig) and Chris Tucker (Smokey) in the lead roles. (CITE) The film takes place in South Central Los Angeles during a 16 hour time period in the eventful lives of friends Craig and Smokey. After just being fired from his job, Craig decides to hang out with his friend Smokey, smoking marijuana and drinking on the front porch of his parents house. Things get interesting when Smokey brings Craig into a “little”, or rather not so little problem of his. Smokey owes local drug dealer Big Worm $200 on that Friday night by ten o'clock p.m. for smoking, rather than selling the marijuana that Big Worm gave to him, or else they'd both be killed. The movie details all the of the events in the 16 hour time period which led up to them eventually getting the $200 that they owe to Big Worm, and in turn saving their own lives. The film is full laughs brought on by comedic scenes throughout, especially due to the fact that African American characters are portrayed in a very stereotypical manner. It was evident that the common stereotypes of African American people in the early to mid 90's were fully supported by the film.
Not only is it nearly impossible to pinpoint jazz’s conception in time, many locations are accredited with its origin, the United States allowed for jazz to start gaining popularity and leading into the change it had to the music scene. When jazz is brought up, many first think of its birth place being New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans has always been a big musi...
The "Birthplace Of Hip Hop." PBS. PBS, n.d. -. Web. The Web.
Cahoon, B. (2004, January 1). Rhythm and Blues Music: Overview. . Retrieved May 28, 2014, from http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/rhythm-and-blues-music-overview.
Powell, A. (2007). The Music of African Americans and its Impact on the American Culture in the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Miller African Centered Academy, 1. Retrieved from http://www.chatham.edu/pti/curriculum/units/2007/Powell.pdf
Stanley-Niaah, Sonjah Nadine. "Dancehall: From Slave Ship to Ghetto." 1-17. Canada: University of Ottawa Press, 2010.