the_ballerina

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B-Bop and Jazz hipsters (#6)

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The Heart of Hip is Reinvention (blog#5)

     The central romance of hip is in reinvention; it is the idea of reinventing ourselves or being born again in the metaphorical sense. After WWI, men felt suffocated in their own homes. They were obligated to provide for their wife and children without help from the wife. The men enslaved their selves working in factories all day. Since the women did not work the men had no free time. Men sought a way to escape from the feminine by reinventing their selves in a way to achieve masculinity. These men looked up to pulp heroes, men who promoted no marriage, no children, and nothing that deals with mothers. Pulp heroes were a representation of hyper masculinity; this is what men desired to be.  These pulp heroes were avatars or in other words they were over the top and exaggerated.

     These men sought a realm in which they can be hip because in their real lives they were always tied to femininity. The men never lived this way but looked up to these avatars or pretended to be like them as attempts to reinvent their selves. They lived in fantasies of hyper masculinity. Modern day pulp heroes are rappers like Lil Wayne, Kanye, Eminem, and Mayweather. These artists flaunt women and exaggerate their masculinity as to be hip. Also in this way they are drawing other men in to their realm as well.

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Hip- Changes in America (#3)

     The history of hip goes further into the distinction of it Black and White roots.  Beginning with how we began to incorporate the word cool into our language of hip. The word cool derived from Nigerian kings who used this word to refer to keeping our composure.  Meaning that losing our temper is to lose our cool. Straying away from its linguistic definition we as modern America adapted cool to mean something else. The way cool is used today is referring to something that catches our interest or out of the ordinary.  This word is constantly being thrown around in today’s language.  Despite this, there is a huge distinction between what is considered cool and what is considered hip. Cool is appearance and the way someone presents their self even if that isn’t who they really are inside. Hip on the other hand, is personality that is behind the appearance.  Hip is who a person really is; coolness does not equal to hip. A perfect example of that is singer Justin Bieber’s drastic change in appearance to seem hip; such as his change in hairstyle, style of music, and even covering his body in tattoos. This may seem hip but the essence of whom he really is not hip at all.

      The changes in America in the 1910s and 1920s brought hip to another level.  This was the time period where Modernism emerged.  Modernism brought forth new economies of mass production and mass media.  This enhanced the transmission of the popular culture through art and commerce.  At that time the radio was a new and popular invention where the mainstream culture filtered through. Today we have several social networks where the latest information or trends are being spread in seconds. Hip lies within the advancement of technology.

The Young and the Footloose (#4)

         I believe the era of the young and the footloose was the epitome of the history of hip. This era was a special era that focused on the way that people expressed their selves freely. Daily life was influential to dance and how people directed their energies in the area of dance.  Dance styles like the Charleston, Foxtrot, and Ashanti African dances are a few examples. The greatest part about this is the music and dance from years before remains hip because it is constantly being modernized.  People take old music and dance styles, mix it with something new and making it into a new and modern version. For example, a current TV show called Dancing with the Stars, is structured around remaking and modernizing the old dances like the foxtrot, Charleston or the tango.  I, a dancer myself, can relate to this constant cycle of modernizing the dances. This process feels great because I get a taste of the old with a twist of the new which is actually really hip.

            This constant cycle applies to all areas of hip. The old is being recycled and changed slightly to be considered modern.  In a way this proves that what is truly hip remains hip.  I believe hip is constantly evolving. There is this constant change yet at the same time it’s about a specific group’s self-expression.  For example in Greenwich Village a society known as old bohemian created their own counter culture in the west village.  They began to distance their selves from the rest of society and breaking norms.  They sought freedom from the other more restricted areas in New York. Hip sometimes is presented as expression within the context of rebellion. The question is do others see it as something positive or negative?

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"To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking."

                           - Agnes de Mille

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Language, Religion, and Music

          Language, religion and music are the main areas in which hip was built upon through the cultural interplay of whites and blacks in America. In this context there was a transmission of culture, values, beliefs, styles and identities. According to Hip the History, by John Leland, Hip knew nothing of monism. In fact, America became a melting pot which was perfect for the emergence of hip. I believe these three categories fall under what is considered the “romance” of hip, as the author describes. Hip influences our daily lives through our use of language, the music we listen to and even the religion we choose to believe in.           The language of hip, as stated in the book, started with the use of “Black English” or Ebonics by the slaves in America. The original purpose of this language was so that the slaves can talk in codes without their white owners understanding them. Irony and words meaning opposite of their meaning formed the basis of this “special” language. In modern day America something similar to Ebonics emerged. This language is called “slang” or “text talk”. This type of language does not really have a special significance or reason of why it is used or came about. And it is not necessarily a language of codes either. Slang is used simply because it is considered hip. Proper English has become too much for some to keep up with and slang came in by shortening words and sentences. I agree with the author in the sense that when one group tries to invade the other it causes the other group to create something radical or apart from the norm.            Leland makes the point that when two different populations are being pushed together there is “synthesis in the context of division”. This is true because although each group believes they are creating something new, they are actually creating a hybrid of something. The hybrid contains of both populations. This situation occurred in the context of religion as well because the African Americans were forbidden to practice their own beliefs. Although Christianity became a common ground the slaves used praise houses and churches as a center for independent black life. It seems that each group strives to be apart and separated but in any case they intertwine no matter what. I personally believe religion is just a matter of whatever an individual believes in. It shouldn’t be affected by what one specific group imposes.              In the area of music the first product of Europeans and Blacks emerged. This concept of blackface minstrelsy became popular. It was the model for white curiosity and the ability to exercises how it would be to be black. The reality of minstrelsy is white men who painted their skin black. This was supposed to be a “comedic” act as well. However, I didn’t find it amusing at all. The essence of it is racism and it further belittles African Americans. I do agree that music is a form of expression, even of things you wouldn’t openly admit. But there has to be some limitations of that expression because one group should not be considered higher than the other.

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WHAT IS HIP?

September 8, 2013

           The term hip has been used to describe anything that catches our interest or is pleasing to the eye.  Hip has transformed throughout the many eras and has left its definition to be completely up to interpretation.  However, many feel and think that you are limited to what pertains your generation but that is highly untrue. Hip is what you make of it.   If you like something from years ago I don’t see why it can’t be hip. Going back to the dynamic and energetic “boogie woogie” from renowned films Footloose and Grease, that’s hip.  Hip is the intriguing work of Jackson Pollock’s abstract expressionism. The queen of pop Britney Spears’ sassiness is hip.   As well as Madonna’s “material girl” style through her electronic, pop-rock music.  The flashy and florid “look” of Cyndi Lauper is hip; LMFAO with their confidence and also rebellious look are hip.  Hip is the magnitude and intensity of Britain’s “electronic” dance style –“Dub step”.

          Symbolic meaning is hip; the freedom of expression, that’s hip; NYC fashion has all levels of hip.  It is the captivating angles, movements and gestures used in Lester Horton’s and Martha Graham’s techniques.  Hip is the seductiveness and power of red lipstick initiated by Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s; which also became the combination of both rebel and sweetheart on a woman’s red lips, brought by Taylor swift.  Hip is even Rihanna’s odd yet trendy “claw-shaped” nails. 

            Hip goes from Jennifer Aniston’s use of old-fashioned yet impeccable fedora hats to Beyonce’s advantageous and stylish use of leotard tops.  Hip is the choices you make in what you clothe yourself with and how you present yourself.  The fusion of past and present paradigms, fashions, cultures, and perspectives are elements of hip.  Kelly Clarkson is hip; Michael Jackson was hip; David Guetta’s electrifying techno music. Ke$ha’s exclusive feather -hair extension craze is hip.  It is the mysterious and thrilling experience of Cancun’s foam filled parties.  The brightness and youthfulness that fills the room with Katy Perry’s floral pattern pants. 

            The evolution of technology further enhances that which is hip.  Talking iPhones, animated androids, and creative windows 8 cellphones are all hip in the modern world.  It is the flat screen televisions with fascinating images moving towards you engulfing you in a 3-D experience right at home. It is safe to ask, does life shape what makes things hip or does hip shape who we are? The more accurate answer is realizing that hip influences most of the areas in our lives and shape the way we choose to live it each day.