it’s time to conclude this blog. perhaps i’ll continue using it for my own personal purposes. it’s weird cause i never thought i would be blogging in the first place. well change is the only permanent thing then as THE LESTER puts it.
i thought the appriopriate way to conclude this note would be to talk about my blog address which is against the propagation of mass media and the messages they send. the song fake plastic tree. but instead i’ll touch on -
bob dylan – ballad of a thin man
a scene from i’m not there.
this is like the perpetuation of anarchy in mass media.
bob dylan used to write songs protesting about things he did not like or saw inequality in. especially in that era of social context, where the african americans were being ostriacized heavily.
his lyrics have always been considered poetic. he writes the obvious down in such a way that it’s abstract but obvious at the same time. sounds oxymoronic.
i won’t touch on his lyrics because i’ll leave it up to you to interpret as opposed to me constantly trying to force some form of idea or opinion on you guys.
as most of you know even bands these days still write protest songs like green day for example with their american idiot album. or red hot chili peppers. but no one comes close to his art form. to be able to understand why he writes in such a way and why he writes protest songs, knowledge of his history is required.
the movie does touch a bit on his background but in general, he was in a perennial state of moratorium. he was constantly struggling between his identities. and that search for it led him to see the imperfections of the world. blessed with the gift to put it down in words so beautifully.
he wasn’t very educated maybe that’s why there weren’t rules to bound him and he was free. he was considered a free artist. a radical.
i just realized this point just went out of point.
to end it. mass media is a weapon in the right hands.
and to all of you blogging and comment. that one comment or post you make may influence a person’s life.
farhan – you will always be my rockstar man. kudos to you.
lester - life is a learning experience. let it come to you. embrace it.
karen - be confident of yourself. because no one can make you confident of yourself but yourself.
jamie - stop drinking. korsakoff’s syndrome.
kam - you’re a bitch.
khai - dunhill and redwine.
jason - little mr UB.
zixing – i love your checkered military jacket. inspired me to get mine.
zn – i’m never going to sign up for starhub if you’re still working there.
bev - stop doing drugs.
marc – ai zai. you’re superman. lose your phobia for kryponite.
ros – i hope to see the day you’re a mother.
to whoever i’ve missed out when i remember you i’ll update this post.
till then.
showstopper.
boss. im the first to comment. haha. anyhow. you sound like it’s your last day on earth.
anarchy. i like the sound of it. maybe not in the social context. we all need some form of order in our lives after all. i meant artistically. it removes our mental boundaries. there is no form of censorship whatever. and this is what promotes creativity. it’s what keeps everything interesting.
mass media. i guess it has always been a weapon, from the day it was put in use. use of mass media as propaganda during world war 2. use of mass media to cover up some unwanted incidents. even now. in the modern context. the use of mass media by ‘gatekeepers’ to control what we think. it’s true.
scary, isnt it.
your post reminds me bob marley. he wrote songs about war in ‘buffalo soldier’. im not sure of the lyrics but i’ll check it from my dad’s cd.
anyway, i like your last sentence…’mass media is a weapon in the right hands’. we all know it is used to manipulate minds, to change our perspectives about certain issues and well, to entertain us. INFLUENTIAL. thats what it is. as much as we know that the media uses propaganda and restrictions as to what is published, we still believe 95% of its contents.
then again, there is always a basis for us to start on a certain topic or issue. and the mass media is the patform that sets the context for discussions.
(p.s. thanks for the thought-provoking comments you gave on my blog)
shawn,
i guess no one understands oneself truly. or perhaps its just me.
back to the point, i do admire bands who convey their mesages through music. like what you ve mentioned, mass media is a weapon in the right hands.
they did it. a channel for them to express their thoughts and feelings. and may even influence us. thats what mass media is all about, right.
and, unlce tay. thanks.
)
so guys i think the general thing i should be commenting about here is the fact that even bands who use mass media to communicate are considered opinion leaders. but who are the gatekeepers and why do they condone such content?
censorship?
or is it just the lack of talent and quality of music in this decadent age that we do not have anyone eloquent enough to carry across a point?
i guess the bob marleys and bob dylans do not exist in our time.
perhaps they do.
just that they are being silenced.