Hello and Welcome back to Medi8tor!
Medi8tor is a blog dedicated to exploring and understanding fame and fame management. Through various post we have explored the toll that being a public figure can have on an artists’ personal life, as well as positive and negative examples of success and failure in fame management on the entertainment industry. Today’s post will be an introspective look on the roles and responsibilities of artists, as well as societal accountability regarding these roles. Recently I have been reading articles in the Entertainment section of the NBC News popular website The Grio.
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The website has many interesting articles in Entertainment about film, fashion, music, and a fair share of celebrity gossip. However, the articles that caught my attention were a series entitled: Hip Hop’s cultural impact on Black America. The five part series chronicles and explores the affects both good, but mostly bad on how Hip Hop has affected America’s black youth. The contributing writers bring up the topics of: misogyny, gangsta rap, hyper sexuality, glorification of drugs and violence, disrespect for elders, and the striking observation that although Hip Hop has evolved sonically-lyrically the genre is all but dumb downed with the exception of a few rappers. All of these issues are set against the backdrop of what Hip Hop used to be: a subversive, rebellious youth culture phenomenon birthed out of the trials and desire for self expression from Blacks and Latinos in the late 70’s-80s. The series also asks many questions about what can be done to change or rectify the situation. Does the responsibility lie with the artist to change their self-expression? Does the responsibility lie with the recording executives to stop signing and promoting artist with unsavory lifestyles and lyrics? Does the responsibility lie with on the parents to become more active in their kids lives, policing their children’s musical selections? Does the responsibility lie with the lawmakers who should put stricter laws or penalties on radio stations who promote violent music? Or do we all have a responsibility with our buying power as consumers to stop supporting this music altogether? Or should we all take the time to educate a young person in our own lives, to give them a balanced perspective on life outside of the media? My vote is for all of the above.
The primary problem amongst our society as I see it, is lack of personal responsibility. Whenever issues about entertainment, celebrity, and youth culture collide everyone almost immediately starts to blame someone else. Artists often say that they are merely expressing themselves in their music, and that parents that have a problem with that expression, should police their kids’ music consumption taking a more active role in their kids’ lives. On the other side of the spectrum parents, who are more often stressed and overworked rather than neglectful, feel that artists should be more mindful of the fact that they have young fans who look up to them as role models, and should remember their responsibility as public figures. Here at Medi8tor we feel that both viewpoints are correct.
According to a study entitled: Major trends affecting families in the new millennium-Western Europe and North America, the world has changed drastically in the last decade due to the fast pace evolution of modernization in society. This evolution has slowly but surely eroded the family structure, often leaving children to their own devices. While their parents strive to provide by putting in long hours at work, school, or both to provide and sustain a better life for their family. Also within the last decade celebrity culture has reached enormous heights in popular culture, and because of the absence of authority and parental guidance in the home, young children will look for it in the next best thing- their favorite celebrity. Children are highly affected by popular culture and both artist and parents should be mindful of that fact, and work together to protect and educate the next generation.
Therefore as artists, let’s try to be more mindful that many consumers are young and impressionable. And although we are not their parents, through societal changes and by being public figures due to our profession we are inherently role models. No one is asking you to sacrifice your freedom of expression, but as an individual who has been given a gift and a platform (no matter how great or how small) understand that people are watching you. Whether you like it or not you have an obligation to lead, because your words and actions impact someone’s life.
Until next time,
Stay Aware and Alert.
References:
1) “Hip Hop’s cultural impact on Black America”
2) “Major trends affecting families in the new millennium-Western Europe and North America.”
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