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The Power of Movies
11 Dec 2002 by Matthew Linderman
Just when you thought there was nothing interesting left to say about Eminem, Neal Strauss ( in N.Y. Times, beneath the bit on Axl Rose) uses Em’s cultural “leap” as proof that “the visual sense dominates the auditory in our society.”
Strauss says Em’s albums offer much better (albeit more provocative) art, entertainment and even drama and comedy than his movie. Yet while no song, album or interview could change the public’s perception of him, a movie did.
The reassessment of Eminem is an interesting statement about the role of movies in popular culture versus the influence of music. Movies generally pull people together, while music tends to divide them. Among teenagers, nearly everyone in school sees the latest “Star Wars” film, but within any school there are fundamental social divisions reflected by music preferences. Be they ravers, rap fans, punk rockers, teeny-boppers, metalheads or jam-band-loving latter-day hippies, most teenagers look to music to find an identity that sets them apart from some and draws them closer to others. Thus listening to Eminem can be a badge of individuality (or at least it was before Mom and Dad started liking him), while watching an Eminem movie can be a conformist gesture.
110 comments so far (Post a Comment)
12 Dec 2002 | Fish Sauce said...
We're a visually based society. This is not news.
Why is it that something we've known pretty much conclusively for decades suddenly becomes news when we realize we can apply it to a popular (but mediocre) musician?
12 Dec 2002 | pb said...
I didn't read the article but "Duh!". And does he forget that movies have audio nowadays? And the last time we Eminem had a lot of buzz was in his Dido cover with Elton on the Grammys (likewise consisting of video *and* audio)?
12 Dec 2002 | pb said...
By the way, does the 37svn.com domain still work? I can't get here with it anymore.
12 Dec 2002 | MegoSteve said...
The reason people aren't as divided by movies is that there are fewer of them than there are CDs, so more diverse demographic groups are going to see a typical movie than listen to any given typical CD.
More choice=More niche marketing to specialized tastes=More division
12 Dec 2002 | MrBlank said...
Sure everyone sees "Star Wars" but no one dresses up in Jedi gear. Movies are not taken as seriously as music. With music it's more of an idenity thing that people use to define what they wear and how they act. To me it looks like the auditory element dominates the visual sense in our society when it comes to identiy. Compared to music, movies don't have much of an impact. You never hear of a movie that defines a generation.
Why does music divide people so much? I don't know. To me it seems just as silly as running around in a brown robe with a plastic light saber.
12 Dec 2002 | lance said...
Since when is an artist played and promoted so heavily on MTV not conformist? Eminem, despite whatever lyrical ability he may have, has simply become a conformist gesture.
I teach in a middle school. I see it every day. Music is pop culture (by definition, what is "popular" and conformist) as much as, if not more than, movies.
12 Dec 2002 | ek said...
Sure everyone sees "Star Wars" but no one dresses up in Jedi gear.
I guess you've never been to a midnight screening of any of the Star Wars movies? Plenty of Jedi and Darth Vaders to be seen there, and let's not forget the bun haired Princess Leas.
And, I don't know about you, but Jaws kept me out of any bodies of water larger than my tub for a good decade -- I'd say that that was quite an impact.
13 Dec 2002 | MrBlank said...
I mean that no one dresses up in Jedi gear to go to school in. Not like punk or indie clothes.
15 Dec 2002 | ek said...
I mean that no one dresses up in Jedi gear to go to school in. Not like punk or indie clothes.
True, and thank goodness for that! ;-)
19 Oct 2003 | Texas Holdem said...
Just to say in response to people dressing up like Star Wars characters, that the latest 2 movies have been unbelievably bad. Doesn't anyone realise this?
We know what happened to the Republic and Empire in the past - we really don't need it spelt out in 2 appauling movies. What does anyone else think?
29 Oct 2003 | pearl necklace said...
everyone whether they admit to it or not are conformists. It's in our blood.
20 Nov 2003 | blue cross blue shield insurance said...
wow...i never thought of movies that way
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