The Ideal "American Woman"?

We chose the music video "American Woman" by Lenny Kravitz. The song was originally performed by a Canadian band called The Guess Who for their 1970 album American Woman. Lenny Kravitz then remade the song in 1999 for the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, which was later incorporated into his own album. Throughout the video, there is repetition of American symbols, such as the American flag, provocative dancing and attire worn only by women, and a concert-like atmosphere.

Do you think this is an accurate portrayal of the American woman in our society? How do you feel about the new image of the American woman compared to women in America's past, such as only 50 years ago? How is independence depicted within the video?

[post composed by Blog Group 3]

Where is the Love?

This song was released on June 3, 2003; however it was first worked on by Ron Fair, a Black Eyed Peas group member, in late 2001. “Where is the Love” has many contributions from very well-known artists. They are Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Ron Fair, and Will I Am.

What message are the artists trying to convey to their audience through this song? What issue or issues do you believe they are referencing? Are there any scenes in the video that stand out to you, why? What forms of repetition are used the most? Why do you think these forms were used? Is there one specific message that stands out to you, or multiple?

[post composed by Blog Group 2]

"It's a show tune, but the show ain't been written for it yet..."

The video our group has chosen is "Uncle Sam Goddamn" by Islamic hip hop artist 'Brother Ali'. For those of you not familiar with the artist; Ali Newman (born Jason Newman, 1977) is an American rapper, born and raised in the Midwest, who has been practicing the Muslim faith for over a decade. As an albino, Ali was often ridiculed by his classmates throughout his childhood and has frequently explained that, from an early age, he felt "most at home amongst African Americans." In this video he offers an extremely critical view of the United States, its Government and its people. The song, released in 2007, sparked controversy with Ali's sponsor, Verizon, and has been the the source of heated debate. The video uses some provocative imagery from American history and makes extensive use of violent themes and profanity -- however, we feel this is a perfect example of American identity in music culture and, therefore, an apt selection for this week's blog post.

The artist references "the overseers" (minute 2:10 - 2:20); who do you think there 'overseers' are to the artist?

The footage seems to focus on more controversial military conflicts in American history - such as Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan -- omitting footage like that of the Parisians cheering in the streets after their liberation by allied forces in World War II; why do you think this is?

You can find the lyrics here.

[post composed by Blog Group 1]