First, asking me to go to a bar is not wholly unreasonable.

I went to a local (Rosemount, MN) establishment I frequent quite often with the primary purpose to interact with peers from both my private and work lives. I was also able to consider the academic task--to observe themes of behavior among males. Several themes emerged as the evening wore on, and I continue to reflect on the application of this perspective to the inclusion of popular culture in my classroom. I observed males acting competitive, loud, and constantly adapting their behavior depending on the gender of their counterparts.

A recurring theme was a competitive trend among the men. Certainly, video games and pool tables are intended to attract the attention of male patrons. Throughout the evening, about half of the hunting and beanbag simulations were occupied by male small groups or individuals. A few groups were playing pool, though some women were mixed among them. I observed and overheard competitive ribbing and other behaviors at various times. These instances ranged from celebrative exuberance to loud swearing. While competition was presumably at the root of a lot of interactions, the vibe of the bar was still cheerful. The women in the group seemed to enjoy themselves and even joined in occasionally.

A second difference between male and female behavior was the volume of verbal interactions. This is not to say there weren’t some enthusiastic women in the establishment, but primarily men seemed to control the noise level. Again, much of the noise was related to a competitive, yet jovial, atmosphere. Men were more apt to shout across tables, sections, and even the entire bar to interact with other males.

A third difference I observed was chameleon-like behavior among many males. Men who claimed they were single appeared to speak and act differently to their male friends than to females. They were more attentive and seemed more engaged in conversations with women—even those clearly spoken for. Whether out of respect or ulterior motives, some men seemingly could switch on and off behaviors I assume women would find boorish.

That evening I spent a good deal of time observing and trying to arrive at conclusions about male and female behavior. I look forward to comparing the assumptions about each gender’s interactions and image—but more importantly how they apply to the classroom.

The Mall as the Capitalist Utopia?

Personally, I do find shopping malls a depressing place. I assume this primarily because, as the article suggests, their ideal demographic is a white upper middle class mother. Among the colors, smells, and sounds, it is clearly not the place for a male born in the late ‘70s. The life they promise is certainly not one I would buy into. Nothing about the mall appeals to me; and my wife does not even bother to ask anymore.

This is not to say that shopping malls are not a necessary evil. In fact, one could trace my fashion history using the mall directory. From J.C. Penny, Eddie Bauer, The Gap, Express for Men, and now to whichever store may have a sale, I adapted to the expectations of a male my age. I saw tastes acclimate to the assumptions of retail marketing rather than the true wants and desires of my peers and me. Moreover, as a youth, our local mall was a place to escape and ultimately interact with your peers. For my generation’s parents, the mall served as a break as well. Now that the mall serves no social or image function, I no longer need it.

While I agree with the article’s assumption that malls should not be regarded as a community’s center, they do have value. Warts and all, they continue serve as a common destination for America’s teens. Unfortunately, this is incongruent with ultimate goal—to perpetuate the myth of material utopia and make a profit. Both price points and mall security serve to shoo our youth away, and want them back when they can become lifelong consumers. The fact remains that the options for American youth are limited due to a variety of factors.

The article certainly paints a dreary landscape for suburban America. Yet, as educators looking to tap into popular culture as a learning instrument, the mall as a setting provides a wealth of resources. Immediate applications can have students placing historical figures in contemporary situations. Teachers can also facilitate real-world applications involving society’s portrayal of age, race, class, and gender.

I immediately thought of the 1987 film, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, in considering the mall as a backdrop for historical discussion. Students could consider the thoughts and actions of history’s heroes and villains in today’s society. This would allow for direct association with the world outside of the classroom. Would, for example, Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson be content with our present condition? Would they think the shopping mall serves the same function as a center of community than the tavern did in revolutionary America? Moreover, would Alexander Hamilton, as the father of American School of Economics, find value in the mall as part of his vision for the countries self-sufficiency? A Socratic discussion could follow these central questions.

As the shopping mall purports to reflect the ideals of a capitalist economy, the article asks if consumers have a say in the creation of the ideology itself. Teachers who wish to better understand the importance of the inclusion of popular culture in the classroom must consider the weight of this question. A study of the mall as truth vs. myth could uncover students’ own perspectives about values on which a community is based. What does, for example, the layout/design of Sears’ tell us about the role of women as mothers and wives. Is the mall truly indicative of our community’s principles? Is there an expectation to live up to these ideals? What might it take to achieve this? What is lost if this fantasy isn’t achieved?

Truly, the inclusion of the students' own landscapes into the classroom provides common ground on which to investigate the accuracy of the retail world's vision of utopia.

Gender Roles and Popular Music

*WHOA THERE. Below lies material which some may find offensive. Be extremely cautious if you explore the links. Put the kids to bed first.*

What follows are thoughts on popular music as both a reflection of gender identity and roles, and the possibility for songs to act as vehicles for social change. Three sources are the focus, and each are insights into the status of both men and women of their era. First is a rough outline of each source, and this is followed by an overall commentary on issues such as sex, power, and youth.

The first document, Lesley Gore's "It's My Party" (and sequel "Judy's Turn to Cry"), may tell us much about gender identity in the early 1960s. Like many mainstream pop songs of the era, it was written by middle-aged men and directed at baby boomers--by now teenagers with buying power unmatched by previous generations of adolescents. The song describes the dashing of a young girls romantic hopes at the worst possible time. Johnny, the object of the singer's affection, has reneged on his promise of a ring and even left the party with another female. She is left to throw a tantrum and directs party-goers to continue their festivities. The live performance* has Gore in front of several back up dancers, young females complete with handkerchiefs at the ready.


The second video, Fiona Apple's "Criminal," also brings gender issues of the mid-'90s to the fore. Written by Apple herself, the song describes the female narrator's inner conflict between love and lust. She must process her choices at the same time she attempts to rationalize her behavior. The official video release seemingly projects this discomfort and turmoil upon the viewer. Remnants of a binge of food, cigarettes, and alcohol is the backdrop for the sexual orgy that took place the night before. Yet here, Apple herself is both the voyeur and the sexual object.




The third source is Lil' Kim's "How Many Licks," and may suggest how far gender issues have evolved since the second half of the last century. Also written by the artist herself, the song is a riff on how the narrator has become the object of sexual desire for countless men. She gives a cursory outline of her sexual history and even the sexual qualities and attributes of those men. The video shows Kim as the template for a series of dolls, the subject of a racy pictorial, and the focus of a dance routine that spotlights her desire for oral sex.



Each of the sources give unique perspectives on how women and men interact in each time period.

The overall theme of the videos is a struggle for identity that ultimately stems from control. From Gore to Kim, power seemingly has shifted as females have more often exhibited domination over men as time passes. On the surface, one may assume that women were devoid of strength in male-female relationships. Yet, this power manifests itself in a variety of ways. In "It's My Party," the narrator (recall that they are middle-aged white men) has allowed the male object of her affection to irrevocably ruin her special day. It is Johnny's blatant disregard for both the singer's feelings and party etiquette that that drives her to tears. Clearly it's Johnny who determines the well-being of the singer and the course of the evening. This apparent command over her culminates in the ultimate symbol of possession--Judy wears a ring originally intended for the narrator. The listener/viewer is left with the bad news, that is until the sequel. In "Judy's Turn to Cry," the singer gets her revenge on both when she "kissed some other guy." This provokes a violent reaction by Johnny, and she gets her man and the opportunity to relish in Judy's heartbreak. What's more, we get an update on who really controls the relationship in "You Don't Own Me," a Gore release the following year. By now, the singer's role has evolved is to stand up to a would-be abusive boyfriend. Themes of personal freedom, women as trophies, and projecting change on your partner stand in stark contrast to crying over Johnny. In fact, the men remains nameless. In "Judy's Turn," the other guy is an object she uses to exert control over the other three characters. The Gore trilogy clearly demonstrates the leaps and bounds women--even as teens--have taken since the days of the "Tennessee Waltz" and "A Guy is a Guy." Possibly, these trends regenerate and emerge in the 70's with Carly Simon's "You're So Vain".

Identity as control is reflected in the other sources as well. In "Criminal" and "How Many Licks," the control exerted by the female narrator is even more blatant. Fiona Apple's take on the issue shows a young woman torn between her heart and her body. Hers is a '90s take on groundwork laid by Madonna throughout the '80s in videos such as "Express Yourself". She has gone beyond Gore's standing up for herself and acted on physical needs that don't fall in line with her emotions. She also demonstrates total control over the "one [she's] sinned against" as he is blind to her affairs with other men. He is possibly her soul mate, but nameless and faceless in song and video. She expresses remorse, but will she stray physically again?

The theme of gender and control has Lil' Kim turning roles completely upside down in "How Many Licks." A '00s update on Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It," Kim makes her message clear: men are objects--not of sexual desire, but of sexual function. Men are referred by their sexual attributes and how they serve Kim. Though the video's theme is Kim as a product, make no mistake that she runs the operation and we are responsible for keeping her happy. Marketing herself as a doll and a pin-up model is merely quid pro quo for the satisfaction we give her. Here, of course, is the female take on hip-hop stereotypes of the degradation of women as simply sex objects, as in 2 Live Crew's "Me So Horny."

Sex as control is a recurring theme in the documents. As time passes, sexual messages that begin as merely hints require no decoding by the time one gets to Lil' Kim--but they still suggest themselves in the earlier eras. After all, what were Judy and Johnny while absent from the party? Moreover, Gore uses physicality to prompt Johnny's reaction. In the '90s, blatant sexuality is the theme of Apple's "Criminal." The viewer is even confused by the nameless and faceless bodies that litter the dirty apartment. She has used sex to dominate as she reflects on self-loathing; after all, it's a "sad world when a girl will break a boy just because she can." Apple even controls the viewer as clothes are put on and off with each cut. We are left to reconstruct the previous night as clues emerge in waves. How far did she go? How many? Is she bisexual? Etc. Kim's use of sex as control requires less analysis on the surface. This is a woman who demonstrates blatant honesty in the quest for sexual satisfaction. She has one thing on her mind, all others need not bother.

Youth as control is a final theme here. From Gore to Apple, we see young women evolve from unable to control their emotions in front of their peers, to those who hold the soul of men in the palm of their hands. In fact, the theme in "It's My Party" may evoke in the listener the desire to pacify the narrator and ease her pain. The viewer of "Criminal" still struggles to make sense of the singer's actions. At the same time, one wonders if control has extended to this youthful character in the form of physicality. This author, for one, felt discomfort as many scenes alluded to the age of the narrator. In one, a stuffed animal was present, in another, she removes clothing and reveals her small frame. The viewer remains confused--and one point mortified--that they believe they see evidence of more than just sexual indiscretion. As for Kim, her youth is preserved for posterity as her youthful looking body is recreated in plastic form. She need not worry about aging, and neither do her suitors.

Each example, and countless others, may act as a barometer of how gender roles have developed over the last half century. What's clear is that as time passes, more blatant expressions of the seemingly endless competition for control between the sexes manifests itself in our music.

"...the education that matters today..."

Thoughts on Tooning In: Essays on Popular Culture and Education
Chapters 1-3

What is it? The book jacket indicates therein is a collection of essays which "examine and interpret" the meaning of popular culture. Further, the essays center around the fundamental belief that popular culture is an integral tool in teaching and learning.

Reaction to Chapter 1: Tooning In
The first chapter appears to focus on a justification for the inclusion of popular culture into the traditional curriculum. As a classroom teacher, my initial reaction to the first part the chapter is a healthy skepticism. It is difficult not to feel defensive in the face of the authors' characterization of contemporary classrooms as places where there is no "hope for critical thinking or problem solving development" (2). All this aside, though I make countless attempts to include meaningful student-centered activities and lessons, I know I am MILES away from where I would like to be. I also agree that some in education downplay the possibilities of integrating more popular culture in their classrooms. Still, I am looking for more strategies and tactics to move away from teacher-centered models of content delivery and skill building, and this does not happen for several pages. Perhaps as a digital native, I have no reservations about a student-centered curriculum, and do not require as much justification as the authors' provide.

Another main idea outlined in the chapter is the power of music when appropriately implemented into the classroom. Music as the archetypal reflection of past, present, and future societal trends may allow students more opportunity for engagement. As a Social Studies teacher, I agree with the point the authors make about music as much more than a reflection of societal trends--they can actually act as a "catalyst for critical social efficacy and societal change" (10). For example, in my own class we discuss the implications of early Bob Dylan on American society rather than simply pointing out that this is one man's observation.

Reaction to Chapter 2: The Spiderman Curriculum
With great interest I was happy to see the focus of this chapter is popular culture in the Social Studies. Under "Popular Culture as Pedagogy,"I agree about the utility of emotion in the classroom to allow learners to attach themselves to content. Sesame Street appears as a ready rebuttal to any doubters of the positive influence of popular culture in a learner's development. Later in the chapter, the discussion of hidden messages within SEMs and other commercial materials appears to be a learning opportunity in and of itself. We can use these materials to teach students the importance of healthy skepticism and identifying bias, hopefully reverting back to a postmodernist belief in active citizenship.

The discussion of the Disney issue fits in with part of my curriculum about the search for historical "fact". Students are often given (teacher-centered, I know) several primary and secondary sources dealing with a controversial issue. This week, it's the treatment of Christopher Columbus as hero or villain. We may look at historical sources such as Columbus' journal or the work of a later detractor, Bartolome De las Casas. This chapter has prompted me to include more contemporary perspectives on the issue as the next logical step. For years, I believed the inclusion of film clips such as those in 1492 or The Discovery would cloud my students' judgment of the issue. However, contemporary characterizations of Columbus tell us much more about values and prejudices in our own time than they may about the man himself.

Reaction to Chapter 3: Critical Media Literacy
The third chapter's introduction makes an interesting point regarding the negative view many have about today's culture. Certainly, narcissism and questionable value determinations pervade much of popular culture, especially in terms of gender, racial, and class issues. Still, it is short-sighted to disregard today's culture as a whole as completely valueless (31). Moreover, to adequately prepare young adults for value crossroads they may face in later life, they must deal with real world issues throughout their schooling. Popular culture is not a monolith--we must be confident to pass down the ability to make value judgments--not just values themselves.

Also notable is the handling of "multiculturalism," an educational buzzword that is increasingly on the lips of many education professionals. I was impressed with the depth the authors provided on what this term means to different groups. I have been uncomfortable with those who define multiculturalism as the inclusion of "heroes and holidays." While their attempts may be in good faith, we are missing countless opportunities to move "away from the old ideas and towards [a] new attitude" where "conflicts build cultures and democracies" (34). This is my vision of a complete Social Studies curriculum, one where the focus is controversies which are always directed by content.