Popular Entertainment and the Promotion, Term Paper Example

A Common Trend of Moral Doom

Music is notably an undeniable element that identifies the overall condition of the world and the manner by which it has affected the world and the views of human individuals living in it is largely incomparable. Relatively, through time, it could be recognized that music has indeed created several curves that were specifically mounted into the culture of human generations later on. At presented, music continues to largely influence the thinking and actions of the world; sadly though, the most critical aspects of life also affected by music is human morality. Although it is recognized that it is not music alone that can be accounted for the conscientious condition by which morality is being recognized at present, it sure does impose a larger contribution to the situation that specifically draws its role in defining the culture and moral values of the modern society at present.

Music is identified as a form of expressive art, where humans are using at as a medium to express their thoughts and opinions about certain things that are occurring in the world at present. What constitutes such a condition is that music is deeply rooted into the being of humans; psychologically, it is considered as a medium where people tend to burst out what they cannot say through verbal conversations. This medium provides individuals a distinct sense of freedom, a measure of necessity that humans need to be able to express what they cannot through verbal conversations. This is the very reason why song composers are considered as artists who found a more liberal manner on how they are to distinguishably mandate the way they show and share their thoughts to others.

Themes that are used to create music are most often than not relatively connected to the current condition of the society to which the said musical creations have been produced. For instance, the lyrics of ancient music identify the way how humans lived their lives before; there was also a time when the musical genres of Jazz and Blues used to define the living conditions of the African American society during the years of slavery in America [now the same genres of music utilize themes in life as a distinct basis of the way the said type of music is created] (Harwood, 2000). Today, the music industry is one of the highest earning industries in the field of entertainment. With the emergence of high tech operations to produce and distribute music, it has become much easier to create musical arrangements that become readily available for public listening both through the internet and through record distributing shops.

What makes these produced works saleable and highly acceptable in the market? Sex has become a common theme that modern music represents. The fact is almost 59% of modern musical arrangements produced today are dependent on the considerable presentation of how sexual relations and promiscuity is promoted among youths at present. Liberal views about the freedom that each person has over the conditions of living that he chooses to take into account have affected the way music is presented. While producers, writers, lyricists and all the other individuals involved in the creation of particular musical arrangements argue that what they do is to simply follow the flow of development and use such element to heighten the possibility of selling out to their target clients in the market (Small, 2004). Notably though, it is the same idealism that has pushed generations and generations of youths into the abyss of realizing what sexual relations and promiscuity is all about, it has changed the manner of perceiving how it defines human relationships and humanity as a whole (Harwood, 2000).

Psychological experts find it specifically helpful to use cognitive development as a sense of defining how humans respond to music and the themes that it proposes to present to the society (Harwood, 2000). There were times when it is the nature of human living that largely defined what music talks about, however today, the effect has come to turn around the other way. In a way, it has been the primary element that shapes the thinking and morality of human individuals. Due to commercial reasons, the people behind the creation of musical arrangements often try to find the most convincing manner by which they can sell their product, music (Small, 2004). This way of thinking has lead them to realize several facts about how they can turn situations around. They have already gone out of the comforts of the limitations on what themes are supposed to be presented; what themes are still within the moral sanctions that the society recognizes. This influence that music has on people has even been aggravated through the existence of music videos which usually accompany particular singles released in an album of a specific artist. Used to promote the entire album, music videos were first produced to entice the viewers and listeners to buy the albums through seeing the singers and other artists in a presentation that showcases not only the meaning of the song but the entertainment value that the said piece of work presents.

At present, music videos play a great role on how a particular musical arrangement is viewed in the society. Sometimes, even the lyrics are already set aside; the meaning of the song changes the moment the listeners see their interpretation through the videos. In a way, the marketers try to find a way to get the interest of the viewers and the listeners depending on how they want to hear and interpret the musical piece they intend to appreciate. Since it is all about the sales, popularity is important. Hence, the question of ‘what sells in the market’ is one of the highest elements of definition that draws the line of distinction on how music is made.

Sexual promiscuity has become such a common thing because of the fact that it has become interesting to many individuals around the globe as they tend to embrace the modern culture of liberation from norms and social sanctions (Colles, 2001). Realizing the value of ‘being able to do what they want to do’, a large member of the population of youths today believe that they can and they must be allowed to do what they want with their lives. It has become common among human individuals to realize what type of developmental considerations they tend to take in to shape their minds and the way they perceive life as a whole. To note, the promotion of this trend in music continues to flourish since it is considered to be one of the newest coolest things that the human society lives with at present.

Huysen (1986, as quoted in the reading) notes that popular culture and popular art are elements that define the human society, not only because they are what they are but because they are highly appreciated within the world’s most significant regions such as Britain and the United States (Storey, 190). Relatively, what these regions consider to be highly acceptable, becomes largely acceptable worldwide. Why so? It all lies in the psychology behind commerce and the improbable procedure by which it impacts the thinking and consideration of the human society over what is in and what should be generally acceptably to the world. Although conservative regions try to uphold their values, it cannot be denied that the effect of sexual promiscuity runs deeper than culture. It is an element that shapes the inner being of human individuals; in a way, it follows a sense of individual choice, a matter that affects the mind directly which later on affects how a person acts towards sexual relations and the promiscuity that come along with it (Harwood, 2000).

Music is indeed a factor that identifies well with the condition of human living. Not only does it provide a distinct blueprint of the human society’s condition within a specific span of time, but it also identifies well in shaping the culture of the generations to come. Most likely though, the current standing of music manifests a distinct impact on how humans respond to development and advancement especially in relation to how their morals are used to define their decisions and perceptions in life. With sexual promiscuity being the primary product that the music industry sells today, it is evident how such element of moral distinction is bound to affect the culture of the modern human communities as well; the sad truth is, this is the reason why it is perceived that the future generations are bound to experience a commotion of moral values that are expected to be largely ignored due to the impacts of liberation and freedom that has already enveloped a large population of individuals today.

Works Cited:

Storey, J. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction. Pearson Publishing.

Colles, Henry Cope (2001). The Growth of Music : A Study in Musical History, 4th ed., London ; New York : Oxford University Press.

Harwood, Dane (2000). “Universals in Music: A Perspective from Cognitive Psychology”. Ethnomusicology 20 (3): 521–33.

Small, Christopher (2004). Music, Society, Education. John Calder Publishers, London.