Media Music and Culture

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Recommended: Media's impact on racism

The issue of race is something the world faces in almost every element of life. In todays society there are issues of racism in politics, crime and media. One form of media that can be looked into specifically is music. Kembrew addresses this in lecture by stating, “Music and culture flow across racial, socioeconomic, and geographic boundaries” (McLeod Week One). Recently a particular Brad Paisley song featuring LL Cool J has sparked some controversy for acknowledging racism in a country song. The song is titled “Accidental Racist” and is featured on Brad Paisley’s new album Wheelhouse. The song brings up racism in a genre that tends to avoid controversy and typical does not discuss race. The way this song is being viewed brings up many interesting cultural questions about todays country music and the history of the genre.
The song “Accidental Racist” uses many cultural symbols that tend to create controversy in todays society. For example one of the main symbols mentioned in the song is the confederate flag. The context of the symbol in the song, is that the white man walking into Starbucks does not want people to miss understand his shirt which features the flag. He would like people to know that the flag is only featured due to its connection with Skynyrd and him being a fan (McKay 2). The reason a confederate flag can be related to a Skynyrd shirt, dips into the genres audience and the history of country music.
Country music is typically associated with or discusses the conservative south. This is because country music of today and yesterday discusses rural southern living in its lyrics. Audiences also associate country music with the south because they believe all country artists are from the south. The cause of this logi...

... middle of paper ...

...and Steve Waksman. Rockin' Out. 6th ed. Massachusetts: Pearson, 2013.
41-436. Print.
Geoff Mann (2008) Why does country music sound white? Race and the voice of nostalgia, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 31:1, 73-100, DOI: 10.1080/01419870701538893
McKay, Hollie. "Brad Paisley and LL Cool J's 'Accidental Racist' ignites controversy."
Fox News . (2013): 1-3. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. Web.
McLeod, Kembrew. “Media, Music and Culture Week One.” Media Music and Culture.
Phillips Hall, Iowa City. 22 January. 2014. Lecture.
McLeod, Kembrew. “Media, Music and Culture Week Three.” Media Music and Culture.
Phillips Hall, Iowa City. 5 February. 2014. Lecture.
Smith, RJ. "Race and Country Music Then and Now." NPR: the record. (2013): 3. Web.
28 Feb. 2014. Web.
Willman, Chris. Rednecks and Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music. 1st ed. .
New York: The New Press, 2005. 8. Print.

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