SHOCK!!!

The Shock Effect, and "authenticity":

For one of my papers, I am writing about the shock effects that many 'artists' use to get high viability through controversy, and through creating a general identity of them self that makes consumers go "Oh my, there are really people who live there life like that?" and it catches peoples attention, the same way a train wreck catches people's attention, and captivates them.
Below, I have a few examples that I talk about in my paper, but a brief overview for all you other viewers is that because we as consumers of popular culture get so bored with things so quickly, and we are always looking for the 'new thing,' that there are a certain niche of artists that catch our attention do to their shock value, and when they become a web sensation or blow up, and start getting a little paper, they get hungry for more and more and more (a common human condition). They begin to create more and more facets of their life that captivate the audience. And what captivates the audience? Things we don't see every day, be it violence, death, disaster, obscurity, taboo things, or incredible feats (among other things). In my paper, I talk also about the implications and possible effects that some of these shock value stars have on identity, youth, and race.

We have the first video that Earl Sweatshirt and OFWGKTA put out over 2 years ago. Earl was around 16 years old when this was made, and the video shows him and his friends mixing a deadly concoction in a blender, drinking it, getting fucked up, fucking up their bodies more and more, getting more people involved, and in the end, perhaps even resulting in drowning themselves. It catches the eye because the whole idea and premise behind it, what it represents, the message it sends, and the acts in the video, are terrifying and tragic.

Next, we have another video from OFWGKTA. Tyler's use of explicit language, graphic and terrifying verses, along with a video of him eating a cockroach and hanging himself put the nation in awe last year. This video has over 52 Million views. At this point, and even more after this, this group created a reputation for themselves as the outcast teens of LA that didn't give a fuck about anything, because of the way they were raised, and the environment they grew up in and around. They had no concern for their own health, the image they presented to other teens, and in general, the kinds of teens you wouldn't want your child to be friends with or emulate. And for kids, this crew was a big "Fuck you" to society, authority, their parents, and everything that went against them, because these kids were free, and did what ever they wanted and said fuck the world. A way to 'cope' with their angst and frustrations of the world was offering up to them (teens, being melodramatic and all). OFWGKTA has capitalized on their Shock value, not only through these two videos, but by the lifestyle they seem to live, as well as the messages they tend to send. 

Another up and coming, unfortunately 'hot' new artist is Chief Keef. His lyrics aren't saying much at all, except things he doesn't like, and that he gets high all the time and isn't afraid to shoot someone. This might not seem too different from a lot of other "hip-hop," but one of the major shock values of Chief Keef is that he is a high school student, who has already been arrested and is under investigation on murder charges. He has posted a photo of himself on the web of himself receiving oral sex, from his lyrics and other videos, his lifestyle seems to be similar to OFWGKTA's in respect to having an attitude of "I don't give a fuck abut anyone or anything." He is another type of child that you wouldn't want your kids hanging around or idolizing because of the lifestyle he promotes. Unfortunately he is signed to Interscope, and his style of music is a style referred to as "ratchet." Ratchet music has simple, but catchy beats that you can't help but want to shake your head to (the way he does in this video), with lyrics that generally promote disrespect and disregard for others and society, generally of a sexually promiscuous nature, and categorized as "hood".

Of course, these are not the first artists to use shock value to promote their music, and this is not the only type of chock value that is used. Unfortunately this is what catches on with the youth right now. 

Past examples of shock value are Lady Gaga (with her Meat dress and nearly every other outfit an thing she does/says)

Busta Rhymes with his 'quick spitting' ability (nearly 200Million views!), leaves people in awe saying "how does he do that?" And ALL the visuals in the video are so interesting and different from 'normal' life (is it some sort of crazy party in a warehouse or something, and whats up with that mask made of mirrors?). The coloring, the dance style, it is all obscure to most people, so it catches our bored attention.

And there are many more examples of shock value stars, or people who have utilized the shock effect.

I hope that for many of you this isn't something new. That is, I hope you have digested enough pop culture, and thought about it after the fact enough to know that this isn't something new. After all, that is what the entertainment industry is meant to do right, catch our attention and hold it for a period of time. The role of pop culture nowadays is to be the social glue that keeps society together and on the same page. It gives us something to talk about, because if it is pop culture, we can be sure that most people know about it, or have heard about it. 

And you may have noticed that I am referring to 'pop culture' now as a whole, not just the shock value portion in relation to Hip-Hop. That is because it isn't just in Hip-Hop, or just in music even. It is in the movies, video games, tv shows, movies (one of the most valuable labels a tv show or movie can receive is "captivating." Many shows achieve this through twists and shocks), even the newspapers (the front page is always something shocking, real news, like global politics, or business, or something else is put further in the newspaper for those who have the attention span to search for it). 

Without rambling too much more, I will touch on a few other things I will be talking about in the paper, in case anyone in the class has any thoughts or ideas on them as well. 

I talk about identity, doing something new/different, "rebellious domains", "unified rebellion," "false consciousness," naturalization of the obscure/subculture to the mainstream and popular culture, "folk devils," "Collective effervescence," relevancy, realness, dictation and control by the businessmen, what sells, and finally an aphorism by Zandra Rhodes-"To shock is chic." 

Also, I may add more videos for reference as I finish my paper.