Admiral Indra Supardan, 2013 “American Idiot”: Examining Readers’ Subject Position In One Of Green Day’s Albums
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia |
repository.upi.edu |
perpustakaan.upi.edu
The study focuses on describing, interpreting, analyzing, and criticizing the ideology of Green Day`s album American Idiot 2004. In doing so, the tool in
dissecting the ideology relies on Beard`s 2001 a context framework and Lye`s 1997 Ideological Analysis. The role of Lye`s approaches itself is more applicable
for this study. Thus, the role of Beard theory itself is operated as the main framework; so that ideology could be identified in certain ways.
In addition, the study involves Stephen’s 1992 frame of narrative transactions to seek the ideological position of the album through the perspective of
narrative process. Furthermore, by putting this theory into the analysis, the writer expects to gain some relevant findings related to subject position and implied reader
as the ideological function of the album —discussion that deals with the main
question.
3.3. Data Collection
The data were gained from Green Day`s album American Idiot 2004. The album lyrics were taken from the cassette tape cover and it has been re-synchronized
with the songs. Those thirteen songs are: 1. American Idiot, 2. Jesus of Suburbia, 3. Holiday, 4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams, 5. Are We Waiting, 6. St.Jimmy, 7. Give Me
Novacaine, 8. She`s a Rebel, 9. Extraordinary Girl, 10. Letterbomb, 11. Wake Me Up When September Ends, 12. Homecoming, 13. Whatsername. Furthermore, the album
Admiral Indra Supardan, 2013 “American Idiot”: Examining Readers’ Subject Position In One Of Green Day’s Albums
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia |
repository.upi.edu |
perpustakaan.upi.edu
was converted into word texts from the lyrics that is found on the cassette tape cover text in order to ease the analysis. In order to answer the research question, the data is
made in a form of words, phrases and to sentences. The section below elaborates the writer`s data analysis in a detailed way.
3.4. Research Procedures
The structure of the songs in the album remains unchanged due to several issues within. The song entitled Wake Me up When September Ends, for instance, is
intentionally put as the twelfth song; since it encloses an issue of 911 tragedy. However, the image presented in the album was not included since the analysis of
this study revealed only the contents of the songs in the album. The writer then took some steps in analyzing it. In the beginning, the early
step in conducting this research was by reading the theory of Beard 2001 and Lye 1997 on the context and ideology. Beard theory was taken as the mainframe of the
analysis of ideology. In practice, Lye`s theory on Ideological Analysis 1997 was applied to make the range of analysis fits the needs. In addition, as it is said in the
chapter two the importance of understanding implied reader, the writer read some related sources that has been delivered earlier in the chapter II and yet developed the
idea of the intentional readers further in the chapter IV.
Admiral Indra Supardan, 2013 “American Idiot”: Examining Readers’ Subject Position In One Of Green Day’s Albums
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia |
repository.upi.edu |
perpustakaan.upi.edu
To grasp the meaning, the writer then replayed each song more than ten times. This was meant to make the song fully understood, for the reason that a song entitled
Rock and Roll Girlfriend was sung by the drummer Tre Cool has its meaning: it recalls the life of Cool himself. This was also meant to inspire the writer in analyzing
the album. After the previous point, while the writer was identifying and listing several
issues, he was interpreting the songs as well. In this process, the writer finds a specific term that took in the grand issue. The term used in this study is The Ideology
of American Empire by Ryn. The writer considered this term to be more relevant after he read two different books, Green Day: American Idiots The New Punk Explosion
by Myers 2006 and musical biography of Green Day by Egerdahl 2010. Further steps taken was both applying Beard, Lye`s approaches, and
elaborating the whole songs, questions, and any information needed. It is followed by putting Stephens 1992 methods on implied readers or as a part of narrative process
into the album. This step was taken before the writer drew the conclusions and suggestions based on those findings and result of the study.
3.5. Data Presentation
