So I take history of Rock & Roll in my college and my professor gave me this article to read and give an honest opinion on. The areticle was called "Negative Reaction to Rock 'N' Roll in the '50s... Here's my paper for him to read:
After reading the handout I’ve come to the conclusion that even though everyone has the right to voice their opinions, it doesn’t mean they should (I’m not talking about the author but the sources he got his information from). I’m sorry but it was like reading the same crap my mom used to say about my music before I told her that if she ever wanted me to do my chores again or have the “Mommy and me” bonding time she bugs me about, she’d have to learn to deal with my music. I’m not going to sit here and say I’ve never bashed on a certain genre or performer, but I never tried to put my beliefs on people. Okay, I’m… possibly done with my little rant so I’ll go address the key points you want.
Bill Haley’s comment honestly made me smile. I think he’s trying to say that unless you were a teenager or an open-minded parent in the ‘50s, there was no one that could stand their music, which is true. I’m sorry, but most people who are older and used to a certain type of life style can’t let go of that life willingly or rationally like a child can. I think most of the time it’s out of fear of the unknown and the stubbornness to just not try it. People of older generations, not all of them though, are more prone to judgmental ways because they had their years to grow up and conform to what they were taught what society should be, but teenagers are always rebelling in any generation; it’s in human nature to rebel in your teens and to search for you own societal views. I think when he was talking about the polarization, this is what he meant. However, I’m pretty certain that the type of singing used didn’t help the cause. I, personally, prefer the “shout, scream, snarl” in songs because I listen to screamo, heavy rock, metal, and a lot of that, but there are certain songs in anytime period rock that sound better without all the rough effect.
When the article gave quotes about how people said that the music was too “simple and repetitious” I had the urge to scream. It made me wonder if these people even met a teenager; we all basically have ADHD. Simple and repetitive is what keeps us hooked because it’s easier for our brains to follow instead of trying to go twenty places at once like a TPA song would. When I listened to one I kept saying “I CAN’T FOLLOW THIS!” If a teen of today has a hard time following that, how do you expect a teen of somewhat simpler times to follow it? I don’t and I hope you don’t. Also the references to sexual lyrics are a no brainer. The performers know that in the years kids spend in high school, more than half of them are more obsessed with sex than school because of their hormones. They were playing off of what they knew teens would want since a few of them started as teenagers themselves and I believe record companies should be grateful since teens were and still are the market to sell albums to. That’s obviously not the case today though. Rock is more accepted today than it was back then, but that could also be because the contents of the lyrics have become more mature today. I mean, I listen to one band that has sexual lyrics and even they are progressing into a new phase of their career where they don’t sing about sex anymore. Music, like everything else, changes as time progresses.
Okay, I believe I addressed all the points you wanted so I’m going to go off on another rant. I would like to talk to a parent of the fifties and ask if they really had a problem with rock ‘n’ roll or if they secretly liked it because it was freer than that uptight TPA stuff. Personally, I think they secretly liked it and only said they had a problem with it because of their uptight churches and friends. I attempted to rant more but it exceeded two pages and I think that would be a no-no so I’m going to end here. Sorry for the vent session, I’m just very defensive of music.
He's going to regret telling me to state my honest opinion lol
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