Public Images

Level: Grades 9 - 12

Overview

This lesson is based on the MuchMusic documentary "Public Images," which examines the connections between music and image in the popular music industry - especially the pressures that the music video has placed on artists to construct artificial images. It also examines some of the functions pop music plays in the lives of teens, particularly regarding sexual repression and rebellion.

Learning Outcomes

The students will:

identify and explain how media conventions and techniques influence the creation and interpretation of media works
explain how aesthetic qualities in media works contribute to audience enjoyment and understanding
analyze and explain the representations of behaviors and attitudes in media works
understand that all CDs, videos and even the artists themselves are carefully constructed media works

Preparation and Materials

Prior to class, ask students to bring in some of their favorite CDs.

Procedure

Class Discussion

CD Covers

Using the CDs students have brought to class, examine the CD images to note patterns of images (many urban-decay images, faces of the artists), or examples of carefully-constructed images, (fantasy images).
How important are these images in attracting buyers to the CDs?
Place a plain white cover over the CD with only the hand-written CD title and group name on it.
Which cover is more attractive? Why?
What is the role of the CD cover in selling the CD?

Style and Genre

Look around the classroom. Who is dressed in a style similar to that seen in music videos? Which videos?
What name would you give to that style of dress?
Do most videos presenting that genre of music include artists dressed in the same style of dress?
Is the style of dress mostly working class, middle class or upper class? Do those students dressed in the most distinctively video-oriented clothes listen to a particular genre of music?
Does their clothing style match their favourite genre?
Pete Townsend, writer, musician and composer, states that teens find commonality and sharing, or a sense of community, through clothing. Do people in your class agree that they find a sense of community through clothing?
Do many people in your school find a sense of community through clothing? Explain.

Constructing Images

Brad Roberts, lead singer for the Crash Test Dummies and host of the "Public Images?" documentary, states: "Constructing images for rock stars has been a central preoccupation of the music industry for many years now and has, in fact, intensified in the last several years due to the advent of rock videos. But before that, rock stars have always been concerned with shrouding themselves with images to seduce the public eye."

Do you agree that 'constructing images for rock stars has been a central preoccupation of the music industry for many years?'
Do you agree that 'most rock stars have always been concerned with shrouding themselves with images to seduce the public eye?'
Which artists are the most obvious examples of this?
Which artists appear NOT to present constructed images?
The word 'seduce' suggests something corrupt, that the public is being 'had,' or not getting as much as is promised. Is this a fair judgment of the relationship between musical artists and their public? Why?

Rock and Roll and Rebellion

In the documentary, a montage of newspaper headlines is presented which accuse rock of being dangerous, evil, corrupt etc. These headlines date from the mid-1950s, when rock and roll began. The Executive Secretary of the Alabama White Citizens Council states: "The obscenity and vulgarity of rock and roll music is obviously a means by which the White man and his children can be driven to the level with the Negro."

Why do you think many adults of the 1950's saw rock and roll as a threat to their children and their future?
Could it be that rock and roll described sexual repression and rebellion? How would most parents of teens feel about their children being exposed to messages of sexual freedom and rebellion? Why?
What might parents do to limit their children's exposure to these messages?
If we were to replace those newspaper headlines with words like 'gangsta rap' for 'rock and roll,' does the same fear and contempt surface in the 1990's?
What have parents and teachers done to limit teen's exposure to these messages?
Is gangsta rap often about sexual freedom and rebellion? Why?
Are sexual freedom and rebellion something parents find scary and teens find attractive? Why?

Style and Substance

Nick Lowe, of the Clash, states: "Attitude - the way they put it across - is more exciting than the actual music that they make. He claims that the music doesn't change significantly over the years, but the images are fresh, and that is what keeps music interesting."

Do you agree? Why?
What groups can you name as examples that his statement is valid or invalid?

John Taylor, of Duran Duran, states: "When we started Duran, it's funny because the musical instruments were almost secondary. We used to watch films of the Beatles and go to concerts and say, 'That's what we want to be! We want to be pop stars!' and it was like a necessary evil to learn to play instruments."

Does this statement affirm or deny Nick Lowe's statement?

Erica Ehm, MuchMusic VJ, states: "A lot of artists who didn't have the musical talent slipped through the cracks and made it on music television simply because they looked good." This statement hearkens back to the one made by Brad Roberts that: 'Constructing images for rock stars has intensified in the last several years due to the advent of rock videos.'

Can you think of groups or artists that are more style than substance?
How have music videos made appearances and images more important than before?
Which groups have become popular because they looked good in videos?
Which groups have faded because they could not look good in videos?
Which groups have changed radically in order to look better in videos?
Is there more pressure for female, or for male artists, to look a certain way for videos? Can you think of any artists that buck this trend?

Madonna has been identified by many commentators as someone who is heavily involved in image. Video excerpts from over the years show her changing her image continually.

Why do you think Madonna is so controversial?
How does her continual changing images add to her controversy?
Is Madonna more form than substance?
Does Madonna communicate sex and rebellion?
What do most parents think about Madonna's image(s)?
Britney Spears has been called "the new Madonna." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why or why not?

Salt, of Salt N Pepa, states: "Visuals in this day of videos - you have to because a bad video can kill a good song and vice versa."

Can you name some situations wherein a bad video killed a good song?
Can you name some situations wherein a good video made a bad song popular?
What conclusion can you come to about the power of music videos in influencing the success of pop songs?

In the documentary "Public Images," Kurt Cobain, deceased lead singer of Nirvana, is presented as someone who conscientiously tried not to have an image, but to be real. Even so, his non-image became an image and was mimicked by Paris fashion designers as the Grunge look. Prefabricated Grunge clothing could be found in department stores.

Is it possible for a musical artist to avoid having an image?
Can you name any successful artist(s) who have no image?
Who forces the artists to have an image? Their managers? Their fans? Other artists?

Hip Hop

Do Hip Hop artists have images?
List all the items that make up most Hip Hop artists' images.
Which Hip Hop artist has the best image? Why?
Which Hip Hop artist has the worst image? Why?

Activity

Think about the discussion that you've had in class. In a 500 - 750 word essay, summarize the conclusions you have come to about:

The connection(s) between pop music and images
The connection(s) between pop music and sexual repression
The connection(s) between pop music and rebellion

Extension Activities

Have students create collages based on their favorite musical genres and the artists within that genre which are most, and least, authentic.
Have students conduct a poll of the musical artists who have had the greatest influence on fashion trends at their school.
Have students "create" a music artist based on various "types" within genres (this artist can be created using computer graphics, drawn or painted, collage, or even paper maché).

Evaluation

Short essays
Optional extension activities