The Daring Audacity of President Obama

Hello again world and welcome back to my blog. In the spirit of American patriotism, today's entry will be about our current Commander and Chief, President Barack Obama. With the election year of 2012 on the horizon, Obama's chances of re-election are met with both anticipation by supporters and speculation by critics. We are left to ponder his chances of repeating victory; can he run the immaculate, well-oiled race again amidst the publicized doubts of his tenure in office over the last two and a half years? Right now the answer to that question splits down the middle, as those who believe Obama's best efforts are constantly constrained by "old school, politics as usual" government have as much power in their vote as those who believe his policies have since worsened the situation America was in when he first stepped into office. Nevertheless, most on either aisle can't (legitimately) dispute Obama's commitment to the American people, and in my opinion he is the most hardworking President I have seen thus far.



Barack Obama's race for the presidency in 2008 was nothing short of legendary, as his combination of fabled biography and idealistic vision led voters to view him as a symbolic hero within a matter of months. His was a style I call being so "classic it's original", as he had an grand backstory similar to that of Lincoln, a destiny that is aligned with the dream of King, the youthful optimism reminiscent of Kennedy, and had ahead of him a mountain of tasks to complete as Franklin Roosevelt did. America excitedly welcomed this type of heroic projection while facing the crises of downsized economy, rising gas prices and unemployment rates, and fighting in wars that were deemed unnecessary and unpopular. With the slogan "Yes We Can" as a battle cry, candidate Obama's main appeal to the voters was in rejuvenating their desire to join in the American process, poignantly reminding them that they must cite and enact the change they want seen rather than waiting on others to do so first.

In the two and a half years that Obama has taken office, he has worked towards fixing America's problems both domestic and foreign. However, his proposed plans and policies towards this effort would be met with resistance, mostly by a more conservative faction of Congress that claimed his agendas would be overexpensive and ineffective. This would lead to sparring between these conservatives and the liberals that supported the President's agendas, in turn making Obama become, unintentionally, the most polarizing figure in modern American politics. For the sake of having these policies go into active movement, Obama would go to compromise with Congress, even going as far to keep the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy (that he vowed to eradicate once in office) extended so that unemployment benefits for the middle, working class could be extended longer as well. Even for all his compromising and diligent efforts, the midterm elections of 2010 proved to be against the favor of Obama's Democratic party, as more Republicans were voted to Congressional seats.



After enduring such political defeats, Obama would gain a resurgance of popularity and confidence from the American people beginning in early 2011, its main catalyst being his order of raid and assassination of terrorist Osama bin Laden proving successful. This action would be Obama's crowning achievement in office (thus far); until his fatal capture, bin Laden had been elusive to worldwide law enforcement for the nearly one decade after the 9/11 attacks on America. This career victory would give Obama more clout to respond against critics who had previously questioned his competence and commitment to the presidency, as well as those who repeatedly (and foolishly) questioned his true nationality. I must admit that I enjoyed seeing this President wittingly address these opinions, as his responses were respectful yet defiant.



As the 2012 presidential election will soon be upon us, I beleive that Barack Obama will guide his campaign with two main factors; the first being his trademark, pop-culture styled accessibility to the American people, and the second being a showcase of the positive changes he made in America since being elected in 2008 (new reform on health care, finding services that creates new jobs, the capture of bin Laden). No matter what your opinion is of Obama and his policies, you must admit that he has gotten the American people to pay more attention to our country's problems and intended solutions more than any other President in recent history. One must also admit his bravery in being a "pop culture President", as he could far more easily be booed at public outings by the audience he works for than by the Congress he works with- and the fact that he doesn't get booed while appearing in these outings by the American public must mean that a great percentage of them must recognize his effort to change things for the better. I know Barack Obama can't entirely run the immaculate, well-oiled race again in 2012, but nevertheless I still believe in his chances for reelection due to the sort of idealism, accessibility and dignity he exemplifies.

Well, that's about it for now folks. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and let me know what you think about this and other entries. Until next time, peace out.

The Mythological Michael Jackson

Hello again world and welcome back to my blog. Being that June is Black Music Month and in remembrance of its 25th being the second anniversary of our subject's death, I would be remiss not to have today's entry be about the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson. He was indeed and undoubtedly the greatest entertainer that ever lived, performing superhuman routines that changed music, art, dance and worldwide society at large. Though he died at age 50, it could be said that Michael lived a life that had 100 years worth of experiences; throughout his entire existence he was never in between, either having mind-blowing successes or earth-shattering failures. Everything about Michael Jackson- both on and off stage- was truly an event to his worldwide audience, and thanks to his epic journey there are far too many of these moments to count.


Over the forty plus year time span from "ABC" to "This Is It", Michael Jackson centered his innovative style around his individually unique singing voice(s). When he and his older brothers were introduced to the world's stage as the Jackson Five, they catapulted to superstardom hugely due to their youngest member being a prodigal, energetic dynamo. The most interesting attribute about Michael's voice during this era is that he sings with a wiser beyond his years, "old soul" type of presence. This is especially evident with his vocals in romantic leads, sounding as if he has experienced the type of longing and heartache as depicted in "The Love You Save", "I'll Be There", "Got To Be There", and "I Wanna Be Where You Are". Michael is a vocal rarity in that he has sung with two very distinct voices- one as the wise child prodigy and the other being the signature and stylized adult megastar.



Such the calculating performer was Michael that he understood that the expressive physicality between song (voice) and dance (body) must match perfectly. Even as the child prodigy he would dedicate himself to this ideal by creating song specific dance patterns that demanded perfect timing and execution. Though he always danced with unbridled yet strategic energy, Michael would rewrite the relationship between song and dance during his "Thriller" era by fusing it unparalleled magical elements that fueled his audience's imagination. As we watched him perform the Moonwalk to "Billie Jean", the "West Side Story" inspired choreography to "Beat It", and later the lean in "Smooth Criminal", we realized that Michael was a "special effect" within himself, making us question Isaac Newton's theories of gravity. A true testament to his moves and cool factor is that after seeing him make the moves look so easy we instantly believed we could do it ourselves, but then proving it made us realize his dedication to flawlessness even more.



As he was always a performer that must be both seen and heard, Michael would marry pop music to theatrical vision through the medium of music video. When he released his juggernaut album "Thriller" in 1982, he put to work his grand vision of using filmmaking inspired by art, history and classic cinema to tell other areas of his songs' storylines that you couldn't get with just music and dance. The key element to these "short films" as Jackson called them was in fact the storyline itself; to me, it is as if Michael had these storylines in mind all along, even selecting the proper visuals and historic era in his head while recording the song and crafting the dance moves specific to it. With this mammoth combination of elements, Jackson's short films ranged from the stylized genre pieces such as "Thriller", "Smooth Criminal" and "Remember the Time" to the epic operas such as "Bad", "Captain Eo" and "Ghosts".



Just as Michael Jackson would come to symbolize the ultimate performer, he would also come to symbolize the ultimate celebrity. In this sense, he was P. T. Barnum's realization of bringing amazing entertainment to his audience from an act that was rooted from eccentric, bizarre greatness. Illusion plays a big part in Michael Jackson's legacy in that you didn't know what was real and/or fake in his life both on and off stage. It would be the offstage events in Jackson's life- the physical transformations, eccentric behavior and most notably allegations of child molestation-that fueled an imagination from his audience that he would shun and dismiss, causing him to have a love/hate relationship with media outlets. But it would be the ultimate performing persona of Michael that would win out, as when he died in 2009 he was "recanonized" by the media and his audience by holding weekend long marathons of his music and films, and airing his public memorial in an effort to remember to his great accomplishments.



The main element to Michael Jackson's mythology is surprise; good or bad, you really wouldn't have believed him unless you had seen him. His style, accomplishments, individuality and struggles cause him to be a modern day epic hero whose life's works have inspired others to elevate their own. It is amazing that over course of the forty plus years that we were his audience, and even today, Michael would use his magic to surprise us over and over again yet still leave us wanting more. As he is in a class all his own, it is without a doubt that I believe the greatest entertainer who ever lived was the "King of Pop", Michael Jackson.

Well, that's about it for now folks. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and let me know what you think about this and other entries. Also, if you want more great commentary on music and culture, check out the Hip Hop's Politician's blog- trust me, it's good stuff there, you'll thank me later. Until next time, peace out.

The Autobiographical Artistry of Marvin Gaye

Hello again world and welcome back to my blog. In celebration of June being Black Music Month, today's entry is about the always relevant and ever revealing musical genius Marvin Gaye. Since his filicide (murder by his father) in 1984, Gaye's legacy and music has elevated to the status of being culturally iconic due to its constant reexamination by critics, fans and a younger generation of audience. This is because his music- or art, to a higher degree- was geared towards pulpit and platform; it gave its audience a more deeper understanding of the human psyche through presenting rare honesty and connective emotion. In this meaning, I believe Marvin Gaye to be the defining artist of soul music; his "self-exposure" causes us to identify ourselves with him, as his theories on love, society and philosophy can beautifully mirror our own.

Before such finding and revelation, Marvin Gaye spent the first decade of his career being Motown Records' most chivalric and amalgamate artist; this "Prince of Motown" tried to find his own persona by imitating those of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Sam Cooke. He would also struggle with Motown's "assembly line" type of hit-making production, as it prohibited their artist's own creative expression in favor of exposure and development. Both conflicts would come to a head in 1971 when Gaye demanded that Motown release his "Whats Going On" album; a nine track sociopolitical thesis, "What's Going On" allowed Marvin to find his own voice as he was inspired from American upheaval, particularly in the divisive opinion of the Vietnam War. When Motown-"the sound of young America"- refused to put it out fearing its possible lack of commercial viability, Gaye would force them to by stating he would not record any other material for them otherwise. His belief in the material would prove to be vindicated, as "What's Going On" was a commercial and cultural smash and has since been celebrated in its' role in making the standards of pop/modern music more limitless.



"What's Going On" became the defining catalyst in Marvin's music and life, finally giving him the creative and even spiritual freedom he so desired. From this point, however, his musings shifted from the outer society to the inner self, deciding that his music would serve as a narrative for the ongoings in his own life. I think it is from this point on that Marvin always sung with a purposeful plea that asks of its listener for either some sort of relation, accompaniment or forgiveness. Prime examples of this are his virile encouragement for "Let's Get It On"; his admittance to guilt and its pleasures in "Ego Tripping Out"; his timidness towards finding new love in "I Want You"; his anger at marital separation in "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You". The amazing feature of Marvin's craftsmanship is that his music itself, apart from his singing and lyrics, could also describe the feeling he wanted to convey. Just as with his vocals, the instrumentation creates a fusion of gospel, jazz and blues that both invokes and appeals. I challenge you to listen to just the instrumental of a Marvin Gaye song and try to find the inspiration and emotion it aims to achieve.

In the tradition of all autobiographical artists, Marvin would gradually believe that he would have to live a life that provided the mythology necessary for such honesty; this meant heightening the dramatic, more negative aspects of his life so he could be more heroic in his storytelling. Needless to say that living in this ideal is a double-edged sword that services creativity at the cost of aggrandizing the demons that bred its subject matter. This ideal can also lead its artists into believing that their creativity is solely within their darker aspects, thus causing them to deny the more virtuous, pure aspects of themselves and their gift. As was the case with van Gogh, Hemingway and Cobain, Gaye would pose self-destruction as artistic suffering, assuming he would gain spiritual redemption through his creative legacy while mortally submerging into drugs, damaging relationships, and suicidal inclinations. Ironically, this excuse for downward spiral does have an element of truth for this type of artist, as their complete body of work grows to be more appreciated well after their physical demise.

The overall theme in Marvin Gaye's life and music is his desire for intimacy at all costs, be it erotic, familial, or societal. His was the type of intimate plea that is gut-wrenching to its audience, as they can hear in his empathic rhythms and expressive voice that his own quest for this virtue would never be fulfilled. However, this unfulfillment tends to brilliantly expand his legacy, as it displays that Marvin's genius was really bred from his humanity- he needs to understand himself just as he needs to connect to others. This exact sort of intimacy and connectivity is what I perceive to be most essential in soul music, therefore making Marvin Gaye its most defining and relative artist.

Well, that's about it for now folks. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and let me know what you think about this and other entries. Until next time, peace out.

The Visual Legacy of David and Goliath

Hello again world and welcome back to my blog. Today's entry is a fusion of art, history and religion that centers on a principal subject for each genre, King David. As he is mostly remembered and depicted for slaying the behemoth Goliath, David has become a symbol for taking a stand against oppression; for this reason he is my favorite biblical character (not just because he and I share the same name). To me, David's story resonates because of his being the ultimate "underdog" who not only has the courage to face his opposition but stands victorious over it. I see this story as a great parable for life, as we all will have to face Goliath-like enemies or problems within our lifetime and have the courage to fight against them. Thus, in the spirit of this relation, David has become a muse for generations of writers, musicians, and- here in particular- visual artists. What I find striking about artists in their depicting of David is that the timelessness of his story is not lost to them, as they bring him and Goliath into their communities and cultures.

Perhaps the best known artists' depiction of David is the larger than life statue that was sculpted by Michelangelo during the early 16th century, his face shown above. It shows the hero in preparation of battle, ready to defend his community against outsiders who wish to dominate through violence and intimidation. I think that this depiction of David is where artists begin to showcase him more realistically in regards to human emotion; it could be said that Michelangelo's David is representative of a soldier, as this is a figure who is calm and gallant yet wears on his face his worries about the level of opponent he faces as well as how and when this fight will end. This display of internal conflict makes the work more humane to its audience/viewer, as we can relate to the figure's expressiveness by recalling scenarios where we bravely fought through our fears for a greater good. As with its muse, Michelangelo's David has become something of a symbol itself as it has come to represent new vanguards for art and culture.



A little over one hundred years after Michelangelo's depiction of David readying to face Goliath, fellow Italian artist Caravaggio decides to take the more traditional route, as his painting shows the victorious young boy with his brutally slayed enemy. As the background's shrouding darkness provides more intimacy to its subject and storyline, David's wardrobe is a bit analogous, as it could be representative of either biblical times or of early 17th century peasantry. As Caravaggio's David holds the head of Goliath (a self-portrait of the artist himself), his compassion for his victim is evident; the look on David's face is somber, almost as if he is regretful that this altercation had to end in the taking of a life. This display of emotion gives a new element to the story, as we never before thought to imagine that David could be- at least slightly- saddened by the realization that he has caused a casualty through his fighting in war.



Just over a decade after Caravaggio presented a brooding David, the sculptor Bernini gives us an "action hero" inspired interpretation through marble statue. In this depiction Bernini shows us the fierce warrior in the throes of battle, as he is in the mid-swing of throwing the fatal stone. This David is by far the most theatrical, as the figure transcends from the statuesque into being physically human, as if he is an actor in a grand one man performance. Because of this effect, the "actor"'s realistic tension in his hands, body and face could make his audience almost believe they are witnessing the event for themselves. Honestly, it is because of these reasons that I believe Bernini's presentation to be, quite possibly, David's most consistently relevant depiction.

One great aspect that I have noticed about both sculptures (Michelangelo and Bernini) is that by presenting David in a grand manner by himself, they make Goliath's presence known in a more grandiose, mythic way. Supporting evidence of an ominous foe is seen in the hero's defiant and armed stance, as he looks away from from the audience but still in a concentrated stare. I perceive it to quite allegorical in that Goliath's invisibility makes him a giant, as the unseen opponent represents the problems and trepidation that individuals must confront in order to achieve goals.



And now we arrive to a more modern, more culturally diverse David versus Goliath thanks to Kadir Nelson's painting as shown above. I'll be honest with you, folks; it took me a little while to fully appreciate the visual metaphors Nelson added to the story by making it sports related, as David and Goliath go "one on one" in a basketball game as the crowd looks on. These visual metaphors include the court blacktop being the "battleground", as David has the basketball- or rather "the rock"- under his arm. Through this athletic depiction Nelson playfully makes the story more about competition rather than dominance, as they "battle" for bragging rights. However, this David appears more dominantly, courtesy of Nelson using visual perspective to depict distance. I gather that Nelson's intent for David in that perspective was to have the viewer relate to his journey in accomplishing the goals of outlasting and beating Goliath while giving the crowd a dazzling performance in the process.

As we've seen through these four depictions, the story of David and Goliath is both timely and timeless, as its different interpretations bred different perceptions and possibilities. As the hero and story serve as muses for creativity and individualism, it could be argued that David may be the most visually depicted biblical character except for maybe Christ himself. It could be a sort of "rite of passage" for most artists to present a new interpretation of this story given that it gives so much room for opportunity to think, feel and connect to a specifically human brand of heroism. As I stated earlier, David's unexpected victory, making him the symbolic underdog, causes us to believe in our total strength as we strive to be the symbolic underdog claiming victory against our behemoth occurrences. And who doesn't love an underdog?

Well, I think that's about it for now folks. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and let me know what you think about this and other entries. Until then, peace out.

Frederick Douglass Selling Afro Sheen!

Hello again world and welcome back to my blog. For today's entry I've decided to showcase a vintage advertisement from the 1970's that speaks volumes both then and today. A few months ago, I watched on television the "Soul Train" retrospective that talked about the show's cultural significance through establishing new tastes in music, fashion and commerce. In terms of commerce, "Soul Train" creator Don Cornelius knew to market both his own production company as well as promote other black owned companies such as Johnson Hair Care products; this partnership is possibly its most remembered and lucrative, as Johnson's "Afro Sheen" products received heavy boosts in popularity and sales thanks to the commercial spots "Soul Train" would provide for them. One such commercial (which caught my eye during the airing of the retrospective) combines historic pride with common fashion sense of the day.



This commercial, which depicts the spirit of former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass promoting pride through the "proper wearing" of the natural Afro, is quite genius if you think about it. I think they picked the perfect symbol for this depiction, as Douglass was the only black leader to wear the natural Afro (as it were) in the 19th century. In the time of the 1970's the modern Afro hairstyle was at best a decade old, so finding a historic figure who wore their hair in that way further connected him to the modern black American by affirming the political and cultural meaning that the hairstyle would come to embody. It can be assumed that the creative director of this commercial picked up on this, as both Douglass and the modern teenage blacks of the 1970s had journeyed for both individualistic and societal freedom while proudly wearing this new, expressive hairstyle.



When I first saw this clip, I thought it was a bit comical at first, as I am of a generation where we hold a bit of cynicism and skepticism towards some older displays of black pride. However, I have come to have a great respect for it not just as an commercial ad but also, in a sense, as a public service announcement, as in both terms it shows that pride in ourselves, our history and our community can prove to be enriching towards financial and cultural means. Ads like these, unexpectedly targeted at specific communities more so than demographics, can cause us to investigate what determines something to be a force or value within a particular culture's way of life.



Well, that's about it for now folks. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and let me know what you think about this and other entries. Until then, peace out.