Friday, July 29, 2011

Dignity by New Politics

     In the song “Dignity” by New Politics, it shows a hidden meaning of corruption, how we are all being brainwashed by the media and government. The song is much harder to read into than a plain book or web article, but in this case, it was much easier because the lyrics spoke a clear message. The beat of the song had a stand up kind of feel to it, which are the pieces of what I want to note about the song. The meaning of the lyrics and the beat of the song is very strong minded like other songs by this great band.
     In the song “Dignity”, it shows a meaning of how we are all losing our dignity and the corruption we are receiving from the media, government, and the power they hold over all of us. We get manipulated and bribed with petty things so we fall for all there crap and lies that they want us to believe in so they will get there way and we lose ourselves in the fog. We do anything they want without noticing that we are doing what they want us to do. They use our money and that money is used to buy the guns that start the war. The song even says ‘you’re gonna kill us all to bring peace.’ meaning we are in a sense helping to fund the wars. However, we need to stand up and have dignity and tell them we have had enough so they don’t keep corrupting and manipulating us to do, as they want. The lyrics bring a powerful meaning and the beat of the song seems to match it when your listen to the music and not the words.
     The beat of the music seems to be a light slightly rough beat. I read into the beat as very rock out and stand up type of tune, which goes with the song in the way it is what we need to do. The lyrics say what is going on and the beat is the answer to what we need to do in order to get back our dignity. We need to stand up for out own beliefs no matter what it be.
     The song has a powerful meaning and is really in your face when you listen to the song and not just to the answer or key which is the beat. I love the strong minded and blunt honesty to the song and the feel of the key in the music itself. It’s not the usual everything is great in the world tune you hear in the pop songs of today. The meaning of the lyrics and the beat of the song is very strong minded like other songs by this great band.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Steve-O Professional Idiot: A Memoir

   Drug addiction, alcohol abuse, and the need for fame so intense you would do anything to keep in the spotlight. In Steve-O Professional Idiot: a Memoir, Stephen Gilchrist Glover (Steve-O) craved the fame he got after starring in the movie/TV franchise (pardon the name) Jackass, but that did not start his problems with alcohol and drugs. It shocked me to see how far he had gone and to see the real Steve-O and believe-you-me he told the exact truth. Even though Steve-O is easily perceived as a celebrity stunt man who was an addict his book showed a deeper truth to him which shows me three things that can be said through this book that we all relate to him, the effect of the big event, and how the decision he made not only affected him but the story as well.
    In reading Steve-O Professional Idiot: a Memoir the first question I wanted an answer to was how can I relate to him? I found the answer easily. The addiction and commitment he had for everything and anything he really wanted. In the first few chapters you see how he committed to anything he was interested in at the time. When he was eleven, he was wandering in a store when he saw an Iron Maiden album he was drawn to it and ran around the lyrics he then committed to being a “metal head”. Later he committed to skateboarding. Then after losing his skateboarding friends, he committed to being a stoner and he went hardcore with it. In a way, everyone addicts or commits to something, but tends to be more unnoticeable like work or looks or perfection or losing weight or fitting in. In the way he went hardcore with drugs others go hardcore on other just as harmful in a way things.
     The big event when reading the book would seem to be his friends putting on an intervention after Steve-O sent out a message saying he was ready to die and threatening to splatter himself all over the pavement. He followed along and even fell under a 52/50 code, which gives a psycho ward the legal right to hold someone against there will for a certain period, the time in this case was two weeks. Afterwards he was checked into rehab. He was honestly good in a sense that he committed to rehab, but as he says, it was for all the wrong reasons. The fame he got from doing this was why he did it. He was as addicted to fame as much as the numerous drugs he did. However, it was his next decision that had the biggest affect on him.
     One-hundred days sober and in a sober living house (which is where you get more freedom and just have a curfew) is when he says he hit his all time low. He was full of self-pity and felt like a loser for it. He may have been far into sobriety but doing it for the wrong reasons had caught up to him. He did nothing but lie around and eat and had been able to say he got fat. He was hopeless. He had suicidal thoughts and worse depression. So he checked back into the beginning of a rehab. Had he not when he got out he would have either done something irrational or started up again. The decision to get sober for the right reasons put him on track and happy. In fact becoming sober even helped his fame. He got even funnier says many of his friends and he even has a stand comedy tour along with his book tour.
    Even though Steve-O is easily perceived as a celebrity stunt man who was an addict his book showed a deeper truth to him which shows me three things that can be said through this book that we all relate to him, the effect of the big event, and how the decision he made not only affected him but the story as well. The effect his decision made not only saved him from himself but also made even better than he was before. Though he admits, some days are still harder than others he is going strong. This book really inspired me. You need to follow your dreams because he did that everyday until he got it. In addition, when you are knocked down just get back up and do better.