Colouredcrayons’s Weblog

WATCH THIS FIRST!

ジェロ(JERO)　-　海雪(Umiyuki) (2008)

Yes! Jerome White Jr also commonly known as Jero(ジェロ) is an American born Enka singer! Jero is actually quarter-Japanese, three-quarter African American and has been nicknamedKurobune by the Japanese press, after Admiral Perry’s Black Ships. He grew up listening to his Japanese grandmother’s enka records, and he came to Japan after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with the specific goal of becoming a singer in mind.  His first single is Umiyuki, a song that captures the loneliness of the Sea of Japan in the winter.It really shocked me when i found out about Jero. Firstly, he is an African-American who speaks and sings in Japanese (yah okay that is not so shocking). Then he comes out with the Hip-Hop image, which for awhile i was thinking “sheesh it is going to be another R&B hip hop song in Japanese except it is sung by a non-japanese”.

UNTIL.. he sung Enka music!

Basically, Enka music refers to 2 styles of Japanese Music. First is speeches set to music which were sung and spread by political activists during the Meiji period and the Taisho period as a means to avoid crackdowns by the government on speeches of political dissent. The second is a genre of Japanese popular songs (kayōkyoku) developed in the postwar Showa period , which has been likened to American country music and Portuguese Fado in terms of themes and audience. The term now usually refers to the latter type of traditional and melodramatic popular songs.

However, modern Enka  came into being in the postwar years of the Shōwa period. It was the first style to synthesize the Japanese pentatonic scale with Western harmonies. Enka lyrics are usually are about the themes of love and loss, loneliness, enduring hardships, and persevering in the face of difficulties, even suicide or death. Enka suggests a more traditional, idealized, or romanticized aspect of Japanese culture and attitudes.

In these times of cultural imperialism of the west, it is interesting to see Jero taking a step away from the whole R&B, Hip-Hop culture to embrace a traditional form of music. Jero has somewhat revived and given Enka music a whole new definition. Enka now is not only loved by the older generations but the youngsters too! He came in 4th in the Oricon’s top music charts in Feb 2008, proving that the youth are supportive of his music.

Anyway, there are also other Asian artistes that incorporates traditional music into their music. Take Jay Zhou for example, he fuses traditional chinese instruments into his R&B style to form a new genre “Zhong Guo Fong”(translated:Chinese style). Another popular artiste that uses the east meets west style is Wang Lee Hom. He has an american background but shows wide interest in his chinese heritage. In his 10th album Shangri-La (心中的日月), Lee Hom incorporated the often unheard music of Chinese aboriginal music into mainstream hip hop and coined this style “chinked-out”. He experimented with the tribal sounds of China, Tibet, and Mongolia.

I guess “Cultural Imperialism” can work both ways. It can either suck us into the whole idea that we should be in awe of the western culture or it can make us realise that preserving our own cultural heritage is important!

For more of Jero check out:

or official website at http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/jero/

Emigration is always a topic, at least for most Singaporeans, perhaps for business and for some it is to get away from the hectic lifestyle of this country. I guess the most common place to emigrate to would probably be America or China. I think it is interesting to see the fusion of culture in these emigrants.

  Culture Definition:  “that part of the environment made by humans”–        Donald Klopf 

 Cultures are Learned

Indeed, the way we talk, act, and think are products of our cultural background. My cousin is born and raised in America, commonly known as an “American-born Chinese” (ABC). Even from the word ABC it may spark some conflict, because by using “Chinese” as the noun, and using “American-born” to modify it, the nuance is that the person in question is not really an American, but just a Chinese person who happens to be born and/or living in the United States. In light of the stereotype of the “perpetual foreigner” in the US, it is argued that terms that reinforce this notion must be used with special caution. In contrast, with the terms “Chinese American”, or “American of Chinese descent”, the focus is on the “American-ness” of the person. Some prefer to simply use the term “American”.Even though my cousin is brought up by Chinese parents, his way of speech and thinking do differ from us. Take for instance; many Americans would not find calling their seniors (e.g. grandparents) by their first names but for an Asian seniority matters and hence we call our seniors by a certain term that portray their status. We see the difference in the cultures we live in; hence cultures are learned and not inherited.

Cultures are Shared

Because of the cultures we share, we are not able to entirely act as we want to. We become more carefully not to step out of the “group”. During a period of time, my cousin in the USA refused to speak Chinese even at home. Especially so once he officially started school, like all children we want to be like our friends and not different. Speaking in Chinese would make him stand out which to him might not be in a good way. Therefore from there we can see that people (especially from the minority groups) naturally want to assimilate into the “group” and somewhat form the “we” culture. Cultures are hence seen to be shared since no one man lives alone.

 Cultures are Multifaceted 

Every culture has its own taboos and traditions, and it is quite important to learn other cultures especially since we are now living “closer” to one another due to technology. For example, in the Indian culture, the touching of the elder’s feet is a sign of respect. As compared to the Chinese Culture, it can be to be quite rude and intrusive.  Even in our daily lives, we have friends from different ethic groups and each with different practices. Therefore, we should respect and more importantly learn their culture so as to forge better bonds.

Despite many differences among cultures, there are still some similarities that we can find. For instance, the symbol of a circle in many cultures has the same meaning; the meaning of fullness and sort of continuous relationship.

Even basic greetings do not differ much in many cultures, a smile is seen to be on a friendly note and definitely not angry. I think that many cultures have many interconnected activities, just that our priority and emphasis on certain issues are different.

 Cultures are Dynamic 

As the world changes cultures changes too, so instead of having a list of do’s and don’ts a better way would be effective communications. A good example would be the Chinese culture of feet binding. Because of social and economical changes, the women no longer bind their feet. More importantly thee were socially changes, the increased in women’s rights greatly changed the cruel fate of women. The symbol that shows the dominance of men over the women was gradually gone into history. Economically the world changed as women are required to work too, to support the country’s economy and feet binding would only hinder work

Cultures are Overlapping 

An abstract of  “Revolutionary Pants: Identity, Play, and Collective Action” by Erin J. Rand  

“Walking across the Berkeley campus, Judith Butler and another woman encounter a group of students who are singing, dancing, handing out flyers, and, oddly enough, not wearing pants. Clad in an assortment of underwear ranging from grey plaid boxers to short lime green ruffled pettipants, these students are, we come to find out, celebrating No Pants Day. A female student, wearing bikini briefs and striped socks, approaches Butler with a smile, calls out, “Hey, happy No Pants Day,” and attempts to hand her a flyer. Butler immediately refuses the flyer with a curt “no thank you,” but then pauses to tell the student, “you need to leave right this minute because you’re going to be on television and you’re going to be in trouble and I’m going to tell your parents.” The student, laughing incredulously, replies, “I mean, I’m old enough to be on television without pants on!” As she walks away, Butler comments in French to her companion about the “madness of Berkeley” (folie de Berkeley), and concludes that this celebration simply “is not revolutionary” (pas révolutionnaire).1

This scene, occurring near the beginning of the documentary film Judith Butler: Philosophical Encounters of the Third Kind,2 is relatively brief and is not mentioned again for the duration of the film. Butler is, of course, quite right: No Pants Day most likely is not an event that will foment a revolution or create any substantial changes in the world. Rather, No Pants Day, an annual international holiday celebrated on the first Friday in May, is, according to the No Pants Day website, “a day where everyone, be they students, respectable businessmen, or cherished community leaders, leave their pants behind.”3 While those involved in No Pants Day encourage public playfulness by flouting the conventions of appropriate attire, and while this playfulness is understood to be potentially transformative, no particular social or political agenda is forwarded. Again, as the website explains, “when large groups of people parade around in public without their pants, amazing things are bound to happen. At the very least, you’ll take your drab, wretched life a little less seriously, at least for one day.”4

The silliness and frivolity of No Pants Day aside, the inclusion of this scene in the film provides an opportunity to think more carefully about Butler’s own theorizations of and commitments to the possibilities for social change. After all, the No Pants Day celebration is the only instance of collective action present in the film. As such, it illuminates the tension between Butler’s stated commitment to progressive political causes (she discusses issues such as gay marriage, AIDS, human rights in Palestine, and 9/11) and the film’s focus on her identity as an individual. In other words, this scene in the film prompts me to question the ways in which collective action may arise from – or give rise to – individual identities, and whether significant consequences need only develop from “serious” actions.5 In the end, must the performative production of individual identity precede collective action, or is it possible to think about collectivity itself as a condition of possibility for the production of individuals?

…..

If we are to understand that the playfulness exhibited by the No Pants Day participants is merely a form of recreation or self-indulgence with no significant value in the social realm, however, the film’s subsequent scene seems to make quite a different point. Cutting to a classroom at the Institute for the Study of Political Science in Paris, we now see Butler lecturing on gender, sexuality, and identity. Acknowledging that performances of gender and sexuality often are motivated by anxiety and the fear of loss of identity, Butler also states unequivocally that “one plays with gender.” While “it’s not always a simple question of jouissance,” she explains, “it is also a question of jouissance.” The examples she uses to illustrate this simultaneous anxiety (“I would rather die than wear a dress” and “I would rather die than wear pants”) and pleasure (“I love my pants, I love my shoes, I love my dress”) recall the images of the No Pants Day celebrants. But if the pleasure and playfulness involved in the donning of pants as a performance of one’s gender and/or sexuality has the potential to produce identity as an effect, then why could the playful doffing of pants en masse not work to similar effect? To put this question differently, if the jouissance of wearing pants might performatively constitute individual identity, might the jouissance of not wearing pants also constitute collective identity?

Credit:

“Revolutionary Pants: Identity, Play, and Collective Action”

Author: Erin J. Rand

DOI: 10.1080/14791420701644746

Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year

Published in: Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, Volume 4, Issue 4 December 2007 , pages 430 – 434

  This article with regards to Collectivism and Individualism actually got me thinking about some issues. Well, do collectivism actually give rise to individualism? Take for instance, as stated in the article, No Pants Day is basically about throwing away the pants or rather our identity be it students, businessmen, teachers etc. Hence, it has led to a kind of individualism because those who participate in the event don on their boxers or underwear. It is definitely frown upon and people will actually take a second look in disblief because they are not “normal”(not collective). But it is because of collectivism that made this group of people want to be different. To be an individual!

  How about if it is the other way around? Individualism creating collectivism. The participants of No Pants Day all have a common goal and common belief and hence dependent on one another in promoting their cause. Isn’t that a formation of collectivism?

  hmm.. I think realistically collectivism and individualism is not a black and white matter, instead it is more like a grey area. We can be more collective but there will surely be instances that we are individualistic or vice versa. For example, the writer wrote ” Butler’s first words in the film are both a declaration and a disavowal of identity: “I’m lesbian, I’m gay,” she tells viewers, “but do I subscribe to everything the lesbian and gay movement says?” Answering her question in the negative, she insists that she is also many other things – Jewish, a woman, a philosopher – and concludes, “these are communities where one belongs and one does not belong. And it seems to me we travel. I travel.” Certainly, identity categories are neither totalizing nor a perfect fit. But when Butler distinguishes between a “movement” (to which one “subscribes”) and a “community” (to which one “belongs”), does she not depoliticize identity itself? And what assumptions about the relationship between identities and politics would lead her to assume that a lesbian or gay identity would implicate her in a “lesbian and gay movement” (if such a coherent movement could even be said to exist)? “

  So what do you think? Are you individualistic or collective? or maybe both. 

<u>”Ipod+ Itunes” Advertisement ( Technologic)</u>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlHUz99l-eo

This is my maiden post so perhaps I would like to share with you a little bit about myself.

I love colours! I definately love my music!

Therefore, it no surprise that i love Apple’s Ipods/Itunes advertisements. Especially the one that i posted above, it is one of my favourites. It may be only a mere 30 seconds and is quite a simple ad, yet it fully captivates the audience with the bright colours and catchy song. I bet the song will be stuck in your head for awhile, just like it happened to me. For this ad, it is targeted at the youth.

Basically, the ad shows us that owning an Ipod or using Itunes is a trendy thing. The pop culture and the vibrant culture of the youth today is portrayed through the cool popping and locking dance moves. Even the song is funky and fun! It makes you want to dance, right? It may also seem like the dancers are acting like robots, giving it the more “technology feel”.

Of course the music used is also vital to make this commerical effective. The song played is “Technologic” by Daft Punk, which is really suitable for this commerical. Because it is simply about technology and how we use it. The lyrics goes something like this:

“Buy it, use it, break it, fix it,
Trash it, change it, (Mail) – upgrade it,
Charge it, (Point) it, zoom it, press it,
Snap it, work it, quick – erase it,
Write it, cut it, paste it, save it,
Load it, check it, quick – rewrite it,
Plug it, play it, burn it, rip it,
Drag and drop it, zip – unzip it,
Lock it, fill it, call it, find it,
View it, code it, jam – unlock it,
Surf it, scroll it, (Pause) it, click it,
Cross it, crack it, (Switch)- update it,
Name it, read it, tune it, print it,
Scan it, send it, fax – rename it,
Touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it,
Turn it, leave it, stop – format it. [2x]

Technologic [4x]“

The song also accurately describes to us how can the Itunes and Ipod is used. Like how we can drag and drop videos from an Itune to an Ipod, or even tune it. Because it is a catchy tune and it is repetitive it will somehow be etched deep in our minds.  

Besides the use of music, the use of colours in this commerical is also vital. Bold colours like hot pink, cyan, yellow are used in the background with black silhouettes dancing in the foreground. Hence, this contrast in colours effectively brings out the whole commerical and makes it more attractive.

Another interesting point to note is that, it seems like these “robots” are fuelled by music. Hence, telling us using their products will actually give us an energy source. In the middle and at the very end of the commerical, when the music stops, the “robots” stop dancing too.

Personally, i find this ad has an interesting concept about technology and music being a fuel source to these “robots”.  I do think that most of us in my generation are like these faceless ”robots”. We are so influence by technology and music that perhaps we sometimes even lose our identity of who we truly are.

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!