Week 2 Moral Panics created due to the music industry
Both texts studied the moral panics created due to
the music industry and the radical/different genres/types of music. Text 1 by
Ross and Rose address the issues created by the rave and underground movement
of acid house music. This highlights how these radicals purposely try to oppose
the norm, they enjoy creating the moral panics so that they gain publicity.
Even though the publicity is always negative, this is what they want as it
gives them a platform to attract other radicals. The artists/DJ's that these
radicals follow also want to attract those who rebel and non-conformists and
they want to be rejected by society so that they're seen as a threat, they have
sub-cultural capital (Bordieu page 178). However, sometimes the artist/DJ could
become very popular, making that artist mainstream meaning that they'll be
welcomed into society - the last thing these producers want. According to the
text 'within club undergrounds, to "sell-out" means to
"betray"' (page 180) the movement of acidhouse music. Once you've
been accepted by a mass of people e.g. making the UK Top 40 in the radicals
eyes, this is a sell-out. The artist has given themselves to the media for them
to manipulate and create the artist that they want and they do this using
record labels and deals but not many artists do "sell-out". They love
to create fear and mayhem amongst society with publicity that they receive such
as tabloid headlines helps attract fellow radicals that want to be a part of
it.
This kind of 'us vs them' behavior has been common
in society for years however it is now more common that a group of lots of
different people all unite as they share a common interest. In the 1960's this
was rife as my second text explained. The text by Stanley Cohen highlighted the
moral panics created in the 1960's by the Mods and Rockers. These two groups
were known for their "drug-taking", 'demonstration's' and
"juvenile deviance". These groups, along with those whom are fans of
underground artists, are just radicals whom are trying to oppose society and
thanks to all the media coverage that they receive the are able to do so. This
platform of negative media gives them the publicity they desire to ensure that they
grow whilst also scaring other members of society into conformity by exposing
how 'dangerous' these groups of people are. I'd investigate this by doing a
survey, I'd people who listen to popular music and underground music to see
what they do in their spare time, their jobs, background etc. to see if these
factors affect how the feel about society and whether they are a part of a
'moral panic'.
Text 1 - A. Ross & T. Rose, Microphone Fiends: Youth Music and Youth Culture, Routledge, New York and London, 1995.
Text 2 - S. Cohen, Folk Devils and Moral Panics, Routledge, London & New York, 2002 (3rd Edition.)
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