MIRANDA OLSON and AMBER MATTICE
Special to The Leader and Reverb Editor
Art and politics are obviously two different fields, but they both create engagement that influences relationships, shifts boundaries and creates new ideas. With the election coming up, it’s interesting to think about how much art and politics come together to create such a great impact on our society, especially in pop culture.
Beyoncé makes a statement
Who remembers Queen Bey’s (aka Beyoncé’s) performance at the Super Bowl earlier this year? Even if you didn’t watch the Super Bowl, her performance blew up on social media because of its political content. Performing “Formation,” the artist made a huge political statement. Her dancers had afro hairstyles, wore black berets and formed an “X” while punching the air with their fists. Every element of the performance was a tribute to the Black Panthers and the contemporary Black Lives Matter movement. Leave it to Beyoncé for another breathtaking performance.
More than just lyrics
Music is a huge source of expression and escape in modern society so it has the potential to make large impacts on people. Because of this, artists have taken advantage of getting the word out about things that are important in modern culture and the upcoming election.
Take the song “Angel Down” by Lady Gaga released last month. Gaga told media that she specifically wrote this song about Trayvon Martin. In the song she states, “Shots were fired on the street, by the church where we used to meet, angel down, angel down, but the people just stood around.” She is referencing the well-publicized gun crimes that have been occurring and all the injustice suffered by the families of the victims. She wanted to make a political statement and speak up about the topic.
However, some songs are more straightforward. Last month, Eminem dropped a song called “Campaign Speech.” How much more blunt can it get than that? It’s basically a freestyle about the upcoming election, and we know Eminem isn’t afraid to give his opinion about anything. In the song he states, “You say Trump don’t kiss a** like a puppet, ’cause he runs his campaign with his own cash for the fundin’, and that’s what you wanted, a loose cannon who’s blunt with his hand on the button, who doesn’t have to answer to no one — great idea!” He continues to rap about political events and situations.
Political playlists
Of course, the candidates also make music play a key role in their campaigns by themselves. Hillary Clinton’s official playlist (available on Spotify) includes upbeat pop songs like Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” and some songs featuring strong women, like Katy Perry’s “Roar.”
While several of the artists featured by Clinton have endorsed her, Trump has had decidedly less luck when it comes to his campaign songs. For more than a year, the candidate has gotten flak from icons including Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M. and more for using their songs at events. On the other hand, his endorsements include people like Ted Nugent, Wayne Newton and Times Square’s “Naked Cowboy.”
“What are you wearing?” “A pantsuit.”
Fashion has changed over time and will continue to do so. One thing that has not changed however, is how women are judged by what they are wearing rather than their more important characteristics. Women are often sexualized in media and judged on how revealing their clothing is. Women are often looked at as objects with no power and are used to sell an idea with their bodies through the media.
Hillary Clinton has received a lot of backlash for the way she dresses for debates and in general. She is relatively well-known for her pantsuits and, especially during this election, how unfeminine she tends to dress. Though Clinton has worn gowns to some events and accessorizes, there is a logic behind her wardrobe. When running against someone like Trump, Clinton has had to not only repeat herself multiple times to get her point across, but has had to dress the part as well. The media has stigmatized feminine clothing to a point that she would have been perceived as weak sporting a pencil skirt and blouse to a debate.
The power of social media
Social media is an integral part of today’s society. It’s everywhere and most people use some form of it everyday.When it comes to politics and social media around election season, things get pretty interesting. Trump is famous for his Twitter account; some think he’s outrageous while others get a kick out of it. The real question is, “Does he run his Twitter account himself or has he hired a staff member to tweet for him?” Either way, things have been pretty tense between Trump and Clinton over Twitter, culminating with Clinton responding to his tweets by saying “Delete your account.” Celebrities such as John Legend, Katy Perry, J.K. Rowling tweeting, and others have also commented on the election through Twitter. Seeing what celebrities, that many know and respect, have to say about the election is important because it reveals a lot about societal values as well. People are easily swayed by those they view as idols and social media plays a massive role in spreading knowledge and opinions, especially on things that are as easily discussed as the election.