Music Ideas
I already mentioned "Love Story" by Taylor Swift. It refers directly to Romeo and Juliet.
Looking for the video, I found a link that broke down the lyrics to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire."
The above could be obvious (depending on your generation). So I thought a little more about Billy Joel. I'm from Pennsylvania, and this happened before my time...but it is applicable. "Allentown" is based on the collapse of the steel industry. Bethlehem Steel was a big name in the industry. With the collapse of manufacturing currently, this could be a 'bridge' to past differences. It also addresses some other issues if you listen. I didn't see an embedded link for this one....so here's a link: Allentown Video. "Goodnight Siagon" also has powerful images and language regarding the Vietnam War.
Well, Billy Joel isn't exactly "Pop Culture" but there is a lot to be pulled from his work for educational purposes.
A little more current, but not by much (2007)...
If you can get past the idiosyncrasies, it is full of meaning. I'll let you figure them out. : )
Comments
So great that you posted Tay Zondays "chocolate rain" which has become a cult hit. People have mixed feelings about the song - and him. If you do a search for his name on YouTube a bunch of his other recent videos will appear. He actually is a Ph.D. Candidate in American Studies right here at the UofM and seems to ride his bike past weekly as I'm walking down Pleasant Avenue. People are always trying to figure out if HE'S real or not (in real life) and so his song, I think, is kind of representative of him as an individual as well.
Posted by: Kari | March 29, 2009 2:38 PM
Kelly, why isn't Billy Joel pop culture? Just curious. I stumbled on a video mashup of that tune too, seems to really lend itself well to such a treatment. Wonder if that would be a good assignment: have students read lyrics, look up references, write something about what they find, pick an image and pull it all together as a group/class into a video. Have been enjoying your blog all term. Thanks!
Posted by: marie | April 13, 2009 11:31 AM