Identity in Vocal Competitions Flashcards
1
Q
What themes/issues do vocal competitions bring up?
A
- Winner tends to be decided by ‘relatability’, the underdog – has to reflect perspective of viewers (because done by vote)
- Erasure of boundaries between audience and performer – the local becomes amplified in the global
- Producers want to make competitors available to audience’s engagement – so less about talent – values of entertainment now matter
- Aims to make melting pot: but is this true in UK/USA??
- Multi-culturalist – artist wants to do music that the average viewer can relate to (over several ideologies) – but hidden meaning of multi-racial. Are you asking them to bring their likeness and making them do what most popular thing is. Doesn’t actually translate
- Marketing strategy has contradiction between individualism and community
2
Q
What are the side effects of the multi-media industry of vocal competitions?
A
- Recordings, video, products (merch), streaming etc
- Katherine Meizel research about American Idol – some kinds of identity are ‘carefully constructed and outlined’ for marketing purposes]
- Nationalist values to make up ‘American dream’
- Use ‘standards’ as songs because they are successful songs
- Loss of political and radical voice – subscribing to standards in order to win
- Contracts offered to winner tend to cap
3
Q
give examples of controversy around contestants of American idol
A
- Clay Aiken coming out after show – paved way for openly queer contestants
- Fantasia Barrino – challenges ideas of who is eligible to represent nationally. People used fact that she was a single mother against her – but she was the daughter of a woman pastor and a survivor of rape – her story revealed how her community was underserved. Demonstrated the humanity of her story – and was taking initiative, using her talents to make a living. She won and reclaimed how people criticised her originally. Her single ‘baby mama’ – giving her own account and speaking for herself what a baby mama is: ‘badge of honor’.
