I finished reading my first class assignment, Chapter 1 of "Media & Culture 5 - An Introduction to Mass Communication (2007 Update)."
There's a discussion about how culture can be defined as "a set of products sorted into high, low or middle positions on a cultural skyscraper," with tractor pulls and Jerry Springer on the ground floor and "Hamlet" and "Finnegan's Wake" in the penthouse.
I follow the analogy but I have a serious issue when it comes to the placement of one of my favorite artists, Shakira. They've got her on the low end of low culture. What the hell is that about?
Girlfriend is writing songs in two languages and she's extremely creative both musically and as a lyricist.
She's also intellectually curious. I remember one time she was at the morning show on 93.1 FM Amor and I was there to take photos and video (the photo at left is from that interview).
During one of the commerical breaks -- when most artist would fuss with their make-up or text message or find something to complain about to their publicists -- Shaki started leafing through some of the books left behind by various authors who had visited the show.
I'm not saying artists don't read, of course, but I definitely know another book person when I see one.
On one of her concert tours she hired a history professor to go with her, so she could get a daily history lesson. Just because.
She supposedly recited the alphabet at 17 months, began writing poetry at 6 and when she was 7 she asked Santa to bring her a typewriter because she wanted to write.
Back to the skyscraper chart for a minute. I don't mean to knock Beyonce, but they have her in the middle on this chart, several steps above Shakira, and two steps above Gorillaz.
I guess the author couldn't see past her bellydancing moves.
I'll stop now. I wonder if anyone will bring this up in class tomorrow?
Posted by: Sarah | Feb 01, 2007 at 11:23 AM