He's Livin' in the 21st Century

Earlier this week in AIS, we read an article on an NPR news blog about a new version of Mark Twain's classic book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that is going to be published. It is going to replace every instance of the "n-word" with "slave". You can read the whole article here.

I personally do not believe that this is the right thing to do. Yes, the n-word is a very offensive word, but one must remember why it is in the book in the first place. Mr. Twain made his characters use this word for a reason. It is a source of irony in the book, as well as it reflects on culture in America during that time. Taking it out would make the book lose some of its power and meaning. For me, at least, "slave" brings out less emotion in me than the "n-word", thus, when Mr. Twain uses the use of this word to describe a flaw in our society, it would not seem as powerful.

Speaking of power, I would like to relate this to Kanye West's latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Upon first listen, you notice a few things. First, this album sounds completely different from any other rap album you've ever heard. Musically, it is much more intricate and complex, and it just sounds amazing. Second, you notice just how offensive the lyrics are - and how many swears they contain.

However, Mr. West is using these words for the exact same reason that Twain is using them. Kanye is a great lyricist, and the album truly just feels like poetry set to a great beat. If these words weren't in the song, the song would not only lose its impact, but also its meaning. He, as well as Twain, uses irony to bring to light what he is actually feeling. Just listen to the song "Power", and then tell me that those lyrics had no use being in the song.

Interestingly enough, nobody has even talked about censoring Kanye, but people will change a book which is truly a classic just so kids can read it without their parents having to worry about what it says? Just something to think about.

It's Not Weird to Go to Disneyland When You're Sixteen...Right?

This past winter break, my family and I took a trip out west to San Diego to escape the cold weather and get away from the stresses of school and work. While we were out there, we drove up to Anaheim for a few days to go to Disneyland, which we had never been to before. The first thing I thought to myself was, "aren't my sister and I a little too old for this?" You always hear that you are never too old for Disney, however I wasn't so sure.

Once I got there, however, everything changed. As soon as we stepped into the park, the atmosphere was one that I hadn't experienced in a long time, and my sister and I were soon going on all of the rides, watching the fireworks, and of course eating the funnel cake.

Somehow, Disney does something that no one else can. It truly feels like another world, and no matter how old you are, there is something for you to do. There were entire groups of just adults who were entering the park! So next time you say you're going to Disney and you're friend snickers and says it's childish, remind yourself that you're getting one of the best experiences of your life.

Gazelligheid!

A few weeks, I saw Andrew Bird perform at the 4th Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago. It was the last of his five "Gazelligheid" shows, a concept created to make his shows more intimate. It was, in one word, beautiful. I had never heard Mr. Bird's music performed like how he did it there and I am not sure I ever will again.

Because I Have To...

I didn't write a post last week, not because I forgot, but because I really couldn't think of anything worthwhile to write about. I didn't want to make the post sound forced, I really wanted to connect with what I was writing, so I decided to wait until I had a good topic to write one. However, I don't want to get really behind on my posts, so now I feel forced to write this one.

Well, that's a problem.

So, in order to write a good post, I'm going to try to stretch my dilemma into something bigger. It may not work, but it's worth a try considering that this is part of my grade.

The problem of connecting with what you are doing not only applies to writing, but to all subjects in school. The problem is that the only to truly enjoy school is to be interested in every class you are taking. For example, I have very little motivation to study for a Spanish test because I am just not interested in Spanish, but I have to take it so that I can meet my graduation requirements.

The things is, the classes I truly want to take - the ones I would be most interested and most motivated in - aren't a requirement for graduation, and thus I really don't have time in my schedule to take them. I had to take two years of summer school so that I could take the classes that I really was interested in. I completely understand where the requirements come from, but in a perfect education system, every kid would be able to study what they are interested in, without having to cram information into their brains for a test when they know that they will never touch that knowledge again.

I know that this post isn't my best, but I thought it was just something interesting to bring up, since I had to write this post.

It's Not Just About the Beats

One major theme of American Studies is looking deeper, thinking critically, and not taking things for face value. So, as I sit here listening to Deadmau5's masterpiece album For Lack of a Better Name, I figured I would try to get rid of some misconceptions that people seem to have about electronic music in general.

To begin, most people listen to the radio and they hear pop music made up of basic chord structures, cheesy synths, and a simple four-on-the-floor drum beat. While this is true in pop music, I have learned, through research as well as creating my own music, how complicated making GOOD electronic music actually is. Artists like Deadmau5, Wolfgang Gartner, and Skrillex not only know their music theory, but they know sonic theory (that's what I've decided to call it). They're quite literally sound engineers. They know how different waveforms interact with each other, how to apply filters, modulations and effects, all so they can get the sound that's in their head. Don't believe me? Here's a video of Deadmau5 explaining his set-up. It's quite complicated.

In the same way that musicians sit and practice their instrument for hours to improve, these guys practice designing sounds for hours. Just search the internet for how to make a bass like Skrillex, nobody can figure it out.

So next time your listening to an electronic song, try to think of what goes into it. It's not just drag-and-drop build up, drop and beat. A lot of musicianship and skill goes into creating a good electronic song.

Powerpoint Really Can Kill

This short week, we talked a lot about how to really make a good presentation. No, this doesn't mean millions of bullet-points with graph after graph of unnecessary data. And yes, while it is fun choosing the color scheme of your pie charts, those don't work so well either. The key to a great presentation, is to almost NOT have a presentation.

Stay on the Right Path

As we began Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" this week, we began to talk about major themes that surround the book. One major theme is the separation between civilization and wilderness. As it turns out, this is a major theme in many stories. "Little Red Riding Hood" is one obvious example.

The basic model is that there is a civilization, usually with one road, with a forest right on it's edge. The road tends to represent the "correct" life path, while the forest, or the unknown, represents straying off of the path. In the case of "Little Red Riding Hood", if you stay on the path, one follows the life that generations before have followed. It is safe and care-free. However, if one strays from the path, danger (in the form of a wolf, in this case) awaits.

In my opinion, this is a very old-fashioned way at looking at things. In our modern world, there is no way to stay completely "safe" and on the right track. One very clear example of this shift in thinking is an interactive music video by the band Arcade Fire. The video is to the song "We Used to Wait", and it expresses the idea that there is no right path. Everything can be dangerous and scary, even in your own home town. It is a fantastic project called The Wilderness Downtown. You need Google Chrome for it to work, but it is worth downloading Chrome just to see this video.