THE COMMODIFIED EMO SUBCULTURE IN AMERICA THROUGH THE USED’S MUSIC VIDEOS
THESIS
Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of Sarjana Degree Requirement at English Department, Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts,
Sebelas Maret University
By: RENA APRILIA TANJUNG
C 0306045
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LETTERS AND FINE ARTS SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY SURAKARTA 2011
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MOTTO:
“Through the storm and raging sea,
I will never be alone.
When my hope seems out of sight,
I know You will shine Your light” (True Worshippers Youth)
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Wholeheartedly dedicated to:
My Mom My Dad
My Brothers My Sister Me & “Hira”
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
While the final product is the text on the pages, the true learning lies in the unseen journey. First and foremost, I would like to thank Lord Jesus Christ, My Redeemer, for the wonderful blessing and love given in my life.
Gratefully, I would like to thank Drs. Riyadi Santosa, M.Ed., Ph.D. the Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts. It is also an honor for me to thank the Head of English Department, Prof. Drs. Djatmika, M.A. for giving me a chance to write the thesis. This thesis would not have been possible unless Dra. Nani Sukarni, M.S., my thesis supervisor, helps me in every session with her patience and knowledge. I attribute the level of my Sarjana degree to her encouragement and effort. Without her helps, this thesis would not have been written or completed. I am grateful to my academic supervisor, Mr. Yuyun Kusdiyanto, S.S, M.A. for the help dealing with all of my academic businesses. I am also indebted to all of English Department lecturers to support me in studying English and the contents within particularly anything related to American Studies which has inspired me to write the thesis up.
For my beloved family chiefly my Mom and Dad, thanks for supporting me throughout all my studies in the university and providing a warm home where I can complete my writing up. My lovely little twin brothers, Yong Gi and Jonathan, both of you really enliven me every day. My younger brother Ayub, and my younger sister Devi, thanks for being
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In my daily work I have been blessed with a friendly and cheerful Nav family, Pak Yoyok, Bu Ari, Dek Ira, Dek Dea Mbak Upik, Mbak Dina, Mas Setyo, Ika, Dewi, Nimas, and those who I can not mention in details, thanks for loving me, helping me, giving me a space to grow up, teaching me how to find a better way in my adolescence phase and lifting me up when I am down.
Kiki „Quinn‟, my drummer girl, thanks for sharing a long friendship since we were in the junior high school. The Used is eternally in our heart.
For my besties, Letizia and Astri, thanks girls for everything, for unbelievable jokes and silly things we have shared. Letiz, you are very nice to me. I can not forget every good thing you have shared with me. Go girl! I am always behind you. As tri, well, you are still my best „partner in crime‟ in learning „what‟s beyond the normal Asian culture‟. I would like to thank to Yuliana since with her kindness, she has implicitly taught me many things in life. And also for Dheka, my longest classmate from junior high school, thanks for plenty meaningful lessons in the past. Definitely for all of my friends in ED 2006, girls and boys, thank you for the nice support and unforgettable friendship.
The 2006 American Studies, thanks for the friendship, knowledge and anything we have been going through together in both sad and happy time
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fighting for everything. Pondra, the only „master of music‟ in ED 2006, thanks for sharing many underrated yet good music with me. Aya and Rini, thanks for encouraging me with your word “Semangat”. Iyum and Wisnu, go guys, you can do it fast and well. For my friend Wulan in a peaceful heaven up there, it has been my pleasure to know you and have a friend like you. We will miss you.
I can not accomplish my work without the supports from my friends who stand up for the idealism they choose: those who are previously labeled as Emo Kids, HxC Kids and Straight Edgers. Thanks to Bocud Adit, Neng Ireen, Bang Vivid, Kak Na Marina, both of Mr. Jack Jerk Skellington,
Joojo „Joe‟ Wilson, Reno, David Loserkid, Mbak Feri‟s gang and others. Thank you all for giving me lots of colorful memories and inspirations for writing this unusual thesis. I am also obliged to Twitter friends especially Mbak Puspa, thanks for accompanying me in both surreal and real world.
Finally, for Bert McCracken, Quinn Allman, Jeph Howard, Branden Steineckert and Dan Whitesides, the members of the most amazing band in this world, The Used, thanks a million for making the best songs, sounding youth‟s pain, inspiring me, connecting me with other eccentric youngsters
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Surakarta, October 12, 2011
Rena Aprilia Tanjung
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PRONOUNCEMENT
Name
: Rena Aprilia Tanjung
NIM
: C0306045
It is hereby pronounced that the thesis entitled The Commodified Emo Subculture in America through The Used ’s Music Videos is originally made and written by the researcher. It is neither a plagiarism nor is made by other. The things related to other‟s people work are written in
quotation and included in bibliography. If it is proved that this pronouncement is dishonest, the researcher willingly accepts any penalty from English Department of Faculty Letters and Fine Arts, Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta.
Surakarta, October 12, 2011
The Researcher
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C. Youth Subculture as a Commodity …………………..……… 50
D. American Social and Cultural Condition in 2000s …..……… 55
E. Semiotic of Music Video ……………………………….…… 57
1. Charles Sanders Pierce‟s Semiotic Theory ……………… 57
2. Semiotic of Music Video ………………………………... 60
A. The commodification of Emo Fashion in The Used‟s Music Videos
1. Clothing ………………………………………………….. 72
i. Upper Body ……………………………………… 72
ii. Lower Body ……………………………………... 100
2. Hairstyle ………………………………………………….. 107
i. M edium Long Straight Hair ……………………….. 107
ii. Side Bang (Fringe) ………………………………… 111
iii. Gunshot Wound ……………………………………. 113
3. Accessories …………………………………………………. 116
i. Shoes ……………………………………………….. 116
ii. Wristbands …………………………………………. 118
iii. Lips and Ear Piercing ……………………………… 120 iv. Tattoos ……………………………………………… 122
4. Make Up…………………………………………………….. 123
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B. The commodification of Emo Behavior in The Used‟s Music Videos 127
1. Youth Rebellion ………………………………………...….. 130
i. Blue and Yellow………………………………….. 132
ii. A Box Full of Sharp Object………………………. 135
iii. I Caught Fire……………………………………… 138 iv. Blood on My Hands ……………………………… 140
2. Youth Anxiety ……………………………………………. 142
i. Buried Myself Alive ……………………………... 144
ii. Taste of Ink ………………………………………. 150
iii. Take It Away ……………………………………… 152 iv. All That I‟ve Got …………………………………. 155 v. The Bird and The Worm …………………………. 158
CHAPTER IV :
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
A. Conclusion …………………………………………………..… 161
B. Recommendation ……………………………………………. 165
BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES
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ABSTRACT
Rena Aprilia Tanjung. C0306045. The Commodified Emo Subculture in America through The Used’s Music Videos. Undergraduate Thesis. 2011. English
Department, Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts. Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta.
This research is purposively made to analyze the commodified Emo subcul ture in America found in ten of The Used‟s music videos. With regard to the contested position of American youth, youth subcultures arise from various genre of music to give the alternative space for young people to grow up. The early function of youth subculture is to provide a place for young people to express the ideas which is out of dominant parent culture. However, the exclusivity of youth subcultures has been commodified by the media that the meaning of early subculture is lost.
The commodified youth subculture can be seen in the commodification of fashion, music and behavior as the symbolic system of communication within a certain youth subculture. In analyzing the commodified Emo subculture, ten of The Used music videos are analyzed to give the clear explanation about the kinds of subcultural commodification found in it.
The research is held using the descriptive qualitative technique which means that all of collected and analyzed data are in forms of words and pictures rather than numbers. Besides, the analysis is made to test the theory and apply it to the observed phenomena rather than to find the new theory from the observation toward the subject matter.
In the scope of American Studies, it is necessary to consider the application of interdisciplinary studies in studying a cultural object as a representation of American way of life. The interdisciplinary requires the relationship between text to be studied and the contexts from which they come. To find the context behind the American cultural object, the analysis cannot be simply observed based on a perspective of certain discipline but from the assortment of perspectives related to the subject matter being discussed. Therefore, this research is apprehended using the combination of popular culture, semiotic and sociocultural approach to reveal the context within the data which are analyzed.
In the end of analysis, it is concluded that Emo subculture has been commodified in fashion and behavior clearly found in ten of The Used music videos. The commodified Emo subculture in America is under the influence of media related to the social and cultural background at the certain time when Emo is phenomenally thriving.
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Rena Aprilia Tanjung 1 Dra. Nani Sukarni. M.S. 2
ABSTRACT
2011. English Department, Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts. Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta. This research is purposively made to analyze the commodified Emo subcul ture in America found in ten of The Used’s music videos. With regard to the contested position of American youth, youth subcultures arise from various genre of music to give the alternative space for young people to grow up. The early function of youth subculture is to provide a place for young people to express the ideas which is out of dominant parent culture. However, the exclusivity of youth subcultures has been commodified by the media that the meaning of early subculture is lost. The commodified youth subculture can be seen in the commodification of fashion, music and behavior as the symbolic system of communication within a certain youth subculture. In analyzing the commodified Emo subculture, ten of The Used music videos are analyzed to give the clear explanation about the kinds of subcultural commodification found in it. The research is held using the descriptive qualitative technique which means that all of collected and analyzed data are in forms of words and pictures rather than numbers. Besides, the analysis is made to test the theory and apply it to the observed phenomena rather than to find the new theory from the observation toward the subject matter.
1 Mahasiswa Jurusan Sastra Inggris dengan NIM C0306045 2 Dosen Pembimbing
American cultural object, the analysis cannot be simply observed based on a perspective of certain discipline but from the assortment of perspectives related to the subject matter being discussed. Therefore, this research is apprehended using the combination of popular culture, semiotic and sociocultural approach to reveal the context within the data which are analyzed. In the end of analysis, it is concluded that Emo subculture has been commodified in fashion and behavior clearly found in ten of The Used music videos. The commodified Emo subculture in America is under the influence of media related to the social and cultural background at the certain time when Emo is phenomenally thriving.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of Choosing Subject
‗America is the fountain of youth‘ is a metaphorical term coined by Robertson (in Campbell and Kean, 1997 ) to explain America‘s past perspective on youth. The view of parent generation as the Old World and their children‘s generation as the New World puts American youth in a contested space. Children are filled with abundant expectations from their parents that encourage parents to control youth‘s life which parents think it is good to create a better upcoming generation. However, what Americans think it is good for their children does not accomplish adolescents‘ desire of having their own way in defining the future. As Campbell and Kean (1997) write, this order might run well in colonial age but social system in America was continually formed with destabilizing and established order to challenge the next generation. The system shows that there is always a confrontation between parent and youth culture. Youth as a phase which is filled with spirit and desire of acquiring identity has an obsession toward the culture that encourage adolescents create their own space to oppose the dominant culture. Subsequently, the need of having the space free from parent culture triggers youth-based subcultures to emerge.
The basic idea of subculture comes from the accumulation of meaning and also means of expression from the subordinate groups to oppose the dominant
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Adolescence is a state when human trapped between ‗no longer being children‘ and ‗not yet being completely adult‘ (Weinstein in Eipstein, 2002: 4). In this state,
young people can not find the ultimate identity instantly because there is a tension between childhood freedom and adult responsibility that reportedly proves to be a fruitful ground for the growth of alienation (Calabrese in Eipstein, 2002: 4). The asymmetry relationship between parents and children persuades adolescents to experience a transition period using the alternative ways outside of their daily zones which mostly acquired by parents culture like home, social institutions and school. The condition has inspired various youth subcultures to come out since through subcultures, adolescents obtain a space to find their identity.
In expressing the anxiety and alienated feeling in adolescence phase, young people are often fitted with music. They are susceptible to be affected by music because in this phase, they need to feel, to experience and to be motivated by something or to allow themselves to be deeply affected by it (Pipher in Anastasi, 2005: 313). Since adolescents have more time to search out and listen to music, those who have similar taste of music possibly make a certain subculture to represent the similar ideology. Most of youth subcultures emerge from music scenes because of this phenomenon: a tight relationship between music and identity acquirement like what Williams explains as follows:
First, there is a dialectic relationship between music and identity, wherein music is seen as consequential in the creation of subcultures as well as consequence of
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The preference of young people‘s music often defines certain subculture they belong to. Each music preference brings each different idea. Therefore, youth subcultures like Teddy Boy, Mods, Punk, Skinheads, Ravers, Metalheads, Goths, Gangstas, Emo, and others are basically varied based on different music preferences. The idea of each youth subculture is practiced through the symbolic systems of communication which is also exclusively different from one subculture to another.
Primarily, youth subculture is a space when young people are able to resist the dominant system of a society controlled by parent. The members of youth subcultures communicate each other using the symbolic system of communication to emphasize that the members are assembled in a similar subculture. As Storey states those symbolic systems are firstly used as means of communication among the members of a specific youth subculture to show that they are engaged in the similar kind of subculture also resist the dominant culture because they can fight for their beliefs and ideology (Storey, 1996: 119). Currently, the resistance has significantly changed because of an overconsumption of subculture symbolic system of communication like fashion, music and behavior within a wider society out of subcultural area.
All adolescents nowadays ironically can easily affirm themselves as members of certain youth subculture by applying the similar subculture symbolic system of communication through fashion, lifestyle, music preference and
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toward the dominant culture has died. The media have a significant role on how the early function of a subculture shifts. Stalling affirms that in one side, media control the information of youth subcultures in a good way that it can be well accepted by society, on the other side, the media abuse the basic functions of youth subcultures through the exploitation of fashion, music preference and behavior discarding youth subculture‘s ideology (Stalling, 1999). Through these two opposite functions, youth subcultures are progressively popular that makes everything related to youth subculture including its symbolic systems of
communication become public‘s attention. The media has purposively encouraged people to buy new hip products, cool ideas and exciting lifestyle
equipment. They have consistently searched the outer limits of society to find products to pasteurize repackage and sell to the mainstream (ibid). Therefore, symbolic styles of youth subcultures gradually become profitable commodities because these stuffs are potential to be the next hipping products considering its uniqueness coming from the ‗rebellion‘ ideas of young people.
The changing function of youth subcultures symbolic systems from exclusive means of communication within a youth subculture into the marketable products consumed by wide people is often included in the commodification process. The commodification process of youth subcultures happens in various media. These media give all of youth subculture ‘s elements like fashion, music preferences and behavior a strong exposure. Commodification process omits the original value and ideology of youth subculture. Media build a strategy to
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advertising the symbolic systems of subcultural communication appears on the video, magazine, posters and others. The unoriginal types of youth subcultures slowly emerge as a result of this process. Brooks affirms that young people easily identify themselves as resistors toward the mainstream parent culture by adopting particular music or lifestyle which in fact, they are in effect sustaining the commercial viability of the commodification of youth subculture (Brooks in Saray, 2007: 25). The commodification process of youth subcultures can be seen from the phenomenon of mushrooming music videos on television and internet.
Music video is an effective tool for promoting bands, singers and others musicians‘ image to the public. Through audio and visual representation, the
music video does not only function to display the performers but also to create them (Peeters, 2004: 9). The performers within the music videos can be the effective ideological tools because according to the process of identification, there is a period when audiences become attached to the performers ranging from emotional affinity to projection, by which fans try to become their idols through imitating speech, movements and consumer patterns (ibid). If the audiences have become emotionally attracted to the performers, they will follow what performers do including wearing, imitating and consuming everything appears there, not only based on the appearance of the performers but also rely on the musical style and the subcultural group to which the performers refer. By showing the subculture symbolic system of communication such as fashion and behavior, the performers have represented certain subculture they belong to.
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At some point, someone notices. Society starts to recognize the subculture and explore it a little. Think of record label execs going to rock shows in Seattle in the late '80s to check out what the hullabaloo is about Mudhoney and that grumpy band Nirvana. Think of fashion designers sneaking into political protests in the ‗60s to check out those strange clothes all the longhaired protesters are wearing… Somehow, someone notices something different, something that just might be of interest to the rest of the country. What gets noticed is what‘s easy to see and easy to sell: a new look, a new sound, a few innovative accessories (Stalling, 1999)
Nirvana, for example, has been incredibly popular in America after their music videos were being regularly aired on MTV. Through their music videos, young audiences get the ideal illustration of Grunge subculture icons, which had been known as fresh, new and attractive youth style in the late of 1980s and early 1990s. The young audiences adopted grunge style exemplified by the appearance and performance of Kurt Cobain and other Nirvana band members on the video. The formula of inventing something new has been applied by media time by time that through their power, the media knows how to control the next trend which is variable from time to time. Therefore, early American youth subcultures, which were popular in the ‗60s, ‗70s, ‗80s, ‗90s, are not popular anymore as the media have found the other fresh, new and attractive subcultural trend.
Emo is a typical of American youth subculture which has also gone through
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emerged from Hardcore and Punk music scenes in 1980s and became widely popular in 2000s. Unlike Hardcore and Punk music which used youth power to rebel the monotonous and dominant system in the society, Emo music gives a space for young people to experience vulnerability in facing their adolescence phase through a sensitive way. Emo term i s derived from ―Emotional Hardcore‖ indicating that the music composition is actually similar to Hardcore music but more emotional and personal in lyric. This is compatible with what Bailey states as follows:
Emo short for ―emotional music‖ is an evolving and complex American youth subculture that listens to a specific genre of music, which is characterized by feelings of vulnerability and a willingness to express heart-felt confessions about adolescence. (Bailey, 2005:1)
The ―Emotional Hardcore‖ music is originated from various Washington D.C. hardcore bands in the middle of ‗80s such as Rites of Spring, Embrace and Rain. Gradually with the notion ―Emotional Hardcore‖, they started to define themselves as hardcore punk bands by adding melodic elements to their songs. Sadness, love, and sense of guilt were some of the most written topics found in the bands ‘ lyrics. Emo continues to develop and becomes steadily popular among American young people in 90s when the band like Sunny Day Real Estate and Jimmy Eat World created more melodic Emo songs by leaving the standard of hardcore music behind. Lately in 2000s, the media give Emo stronger exposure that turns it into a famous youth subculture which has influenced most of the
American adolescents‘ lifestyle. In this 2000s period Emo has been dejected and commodified by the media because it is found that Emo in 2000s has been out of
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The meaning of emotional in the early term of ―Emotional Hardcore‖ is exploited in 2000s Emo. It occurs because the term ‗emotional‘ is always related to the sense of vulnerability, weakness, despair, nostalgia, broken heart, hope, self hatred, anger and the other similar themes. This is what makes Emo today is contrast to other youth subcultures. Emo is different not only from fashion and music preferences, but also from the perspective of understanding the ambient reality of adolescence (Aslaksen, 2006: 6). This fact, however, is very different from the early 1980s Emo which showed the power of the members in facing adolescence through the DIY (Do It Yourself) ethic which was absolutely far away from the concept of being too weak and vulnerable although most of early bands Emo created more personal hardcore songs. Characteristically, the vocalists of today ‘s Emo bands usually exploit high falsetto voice to express emotional topics assembled with fast violent guitar chord contrasting to the 1980s Emo bands which practiced the pure hardcore music with yelling and wailing instead of screaming in falsetto voice. The changing sound of Emo music in 2000s is influenced by the mixture of 1980s Emo music filled with hardcore-based music and 1990s Emo which was more ‗pop‘. The mixture of this different music from two different Emo period results in a fresh sound which young listeners have not
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Besides music, like other youth subcultures, the members of Emo subculture show their identity in various symbolic system of communication through fashion and behavior. As the underground subculture, the members of 1980s Emo subculture often indicate themselves with hardcore-based fashion signified by the simple clothing like T-shirt and three-quarter jeans. This kind of fashion was still continually used until the second wave generation of Emo in 1990s. Later, with the exploitation on Emo ‘s emotional term by the media, fashion of the 2000s Emo members changes dramatically. It usually comprises on the stuffs like black skinny or stovepipe jeans, dyed black hair, side-parted long fringes, tight t-shirts which often bear the names of Emo bands, studded belts, black wristbands, black sneakers or skate shoes (http://www.gurl.com/findout.label.html). Overall, 2000s Emo fashion is correlated with the gloomy and sad theme as the result of
‗Emotional‘ term that has been commodified by the media. Behavior or mannerism of Emo subculture in 1980s was actually similar
with what can be found on hardcore and punk subculture. In 1980s, the application of DIY, the ethic of being independent, was also found on Emo subculture. The ethic made 1980s Emo was not exploited by mainstream media since they did all things independently. Since 1990s, the second wave of Emo has gained popularity through the thriving of Emo music promoted by Sunny Day Real Estate. DIY ethic as the behavior of the subculture was not applied thoroughly anymore because MTV started to enter the Emo world of which result could be seen later in the third generation of Emo in 2000s. The 2000s Emo
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topic (http://www.ehow.com/about_6657497_emo_kids_depression.html).
The
application of Emo behavior in American youth‘s life even makes parents worry about their children‘ condition because the gloomy theme of Emo has issued to
increase youth suicidal action and self mutilation in America (ibid). Nowadays Emo ‘s popularity in America is engulfed mostly by the constant and regular broadcasting of Emo bands‘ music videos on MTV. Through music video, Emo is incredibly familiar among young people through the exceptional fashion and behavior shown by the performers. Most of Emo bands are really representative in echoing what young people feel in their adolescence phase. They have accomplished the cries of the adolescents‘ heart and give young people an
opportunity to try them on and participate in this crying out (Anastasi, 2005: 316). The listeners who are involved in Emo music represented by Emo bands are not satisfied enough by only listening to their song in audio form. They want more from the bands which lately cause higher demands upon other products such as visualization of the audio form. Since music is not sufficient for satisfying the needs of fans, the existence of other media such as pictures, poster and finally music video are created to give the fans the visual representation to fulfill their need in idolizing the musicians (Peeters, 2004: 8). However, like what have been stated before, music video is proposed to
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there which means that besides giving the visual representation of Emo icons, the music video are also developed into a selling machine which has successfully commodified all elements of this subculture to be consumed by the audiences. There are numerous bands of which performances and appearances are represented the identity of Emo subculture. Most of them are widely popular in MTV and internet. My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, The Used, are just to name a few popular Emo bands in America which has also encouraged the commodification of Emo.
A well-known Emo band which has successfully got high response from
Emo fans is The Used. The Used comes from Utah and gains popularity through an aggressive Emo music they play. The Used produces more chaotic sound of Emo as the mixture of post hardcore, pop and punk under the mainstream record label, Reprise Record. The different sound of music, the unique appearance closed to Emo style and rebellious performance of The Used‘s members on the stage make this band popular in America. With Bert McCracken as the vocalist, Quinn Allman as the guitarist, Jeph Howard as the bassist and Branden Steineckert replaced by Dan Whitesides in 2008, as the drummer, they have released four studio albums and EPs (Extended Play) or mini album from 2002 until 2009. The albums are The Used (2002), In Love and Death (2004), Lies for The Liars (2007), and Artwork (2009) while the EPs are Berth (2007) and Shallow Believer (2008) (http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Used/Biography). The existence of The Used in music industry is considered as a significant icon for the growth of Emo
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in Utah. Having got huge number of fans, The Used‘s music videos are produced and aired regularly on MTV and popular internet video sharing sites such as YouTube and MySpace. Some of The Used‘s popular videos are Taste of Ink, I Caught Fire (In Your Eyes), All That I’ve Got, Buried Myself Alive, A Box Full of Sharp Objects, Blue and Yellow, Take It Away, The Bird and The Worm, Blood On My Hands, and Empty With You. Those music videos have been released in several years from 2002 until 2009 and highly appreciated by American adolescents who define themselves as Emo Kids. By the regular airing of their music videos, The Used gains more popularity. This phenomenon is really interesting to analyze since the formula of making The Used‘s music videos is basically similar like the formula used by general music videos which is purposively to sell the image of the performers. It means that the other description of Emo subculture as a result of commodification process is also found in the video. it is possible that everything appeared on The Used‘s music videos is possibly made to offer the audiences the right description of Emo youth subcultures. Certainly, everything appears on their music videos is not purely a real representation of Emo subculture because The Used is included in 2000s Emo mainstream band generation which is popular after the subculture is exaggeratedly exploited by the media. Hence, based on this fact, it can be deeply analyzed the kinds of commodification of Emo subculture in
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B. Problem Statement
Concerning the significant issue about the commodification of Emo subculture in America, this thesis is carried out to answer: What kinds of commodified Emo subculture are found in The Used‘s music videos?
C. Objective of Study
Based on the research question, the objective of this thesis is:
To understand the kinds of commodified Emo subculture found in The Used‘s music videos
D. Scope of Study
In having research on this thesis, the researcher limits on the elements of Emo subculture that are being commodified. The process of commodification here will be focused on how media exploit the moving images, music and lyric in ten of The Used‘s music videos. Ten of The Used music videos which are analyzed are Taste of Ink, I Caught Fire (In Your Eyes), All That I’ve Got, Buried Myself Alive, A Box Full of Sharp Objects, Blue and Yellow, Take It Away, The Bird and The Worm, Blood On My Hands, and Empty With You.
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E. Research Significance
This research is conducted in the substances of:
1. Providing comprehensive information about the commodified Emo subculture in America through The Used music videos
2. Giving deeper knowledge about Emo an example of youth subcultures in America for other researchers who are interested in the study of youth subcultures.
F. Method of Research
1. Type of Research This thesis is included in a descriptive qualitative research. Descriptive research is a type of research that aims to make description systematically, factually and accurately about facts, characteristics and relations among the phenomena which are observed (Nazir, 2006: 17).
The reason of using this research type is that all of collected and analyzed data are in forms of words and pictures rather than numbers. Besides, the analysis is made to test the theory and apply it to the observed phenomena rather than to find the new theory from the observation toward the subject matter.
2. Source of Data
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The sources of data in the thesis are ten of The Used‘s official music videos which are produced and aired from 2002 until 2009. They are Taste of Ink, I Caught Fire (In Your Eyes), All That I ’ve Got, Buried Myself Alive, A Box Full of Sharp Objects, Blue and Yellow, Take It Away, The Bird and The Worm, Blood On My Hands, and Empty With You. All of the videos are downloaded from The Used band official account in the internet video sharing site, www.YouTube.com.
3. Data
The research will be conducted on two kinds of data. The first is main data and the second is supporting data. The main data is collected from the source of
data which are ten of The Used‘s music videos: Taste of Ink, I Caught Fire (In Your Eyes), All That I’ve Got, Buried Myself Alive, A Box Full of Sharp Objects,
Blue and Yellow, Take It Away, The Bird and The Worm, Blood On My Hands, and Empty With You. The main data consist of moving picture, music and lyric which all are analyzed to answer the problem statement.
The supporting data is proposed to endorse the main data of the research. The supporting data consist of supportive materials about Emo subculture and The Used, as an Emo band that is going to be analyzed, found in several books, reviews, journals, articles, both hard file and soft file taken from the internet and other sources.
4. Technique of Collecting Data
To find out messages conveyed by the data, the music videos will be
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5. Technique of Analyzing Data
The data are firstly collected and classified in order to answer the problem statement. The technique of analyzing data has to include several approaches to explore the main data then the supporting data is scrutinized to support the main data. Last step is taking conclusion to find the obvious explanation for the problem statement.
G. Theoretical Approach
This research is conducted within the boundaries of American Studies. American Studies is the study of American cultures which occupies various disciplines to involve. It means that to study a cultural object, it cannot be observed from one perspective of each discipline only but from an assortment of
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American cultural product can be used as an instrument in understanding America because culture reflects a particular way of life, whether a people, a period or a group (Williams in Storey, 2009: 2). Culture that is widely favored or well liked by many people is simply called as popular culture (ibid: 5). Popular culture refers to belief and practices, and the objects through which they are organized, and are widely shared among the people of different beliefs (Smith in Pun, 2009: 16). It means that popular culture product has been extensively acknowledged by wide people without having a definite limitation to which group it can be consumed. However, for the sake that popular culture can be widely consumes by mass, there is a certain ideology to conceal the reality of subordination from those who are powerless: the subordinate classes do not see themselves as oppressed or exploited (Storey, 2009: 3). This is because according to Gramsci, the dominant groups in the society always seek to win the consent of subordinate groups (ibid: 10). The dominant groups here use the media to lose the subordination sense in the society. The process of losing subordination makes
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The field of popular culture is structured by the attempt of the ruling class to win hegemony and by forms of opposition to this endeavor. As such, it consists not simply of an imposed mass culture that is coincident with dominant ideology, nor simply of spontaneously oppositional cultures, but is rather an area of negotiation between the two within which – in different particular types of popular culture – dominant, subordinate and oppositional cultural and ideological values and elements are ‗mixed‘ in different permutations (ibid: 10)
The hegemony ruling practice can be clearly seen on how youth subcultures are commodified by the media. Stalling states that the media is a machine of which purpose ideally is to inform but realistically, is to sell. It has consistently searched
the outer limits of society to find products to pasteurize repackage and sell to the mainstream (Stalling, 1999). The commodification process of certain youth subcultures is derived from such phenomena. Here, the media has shifted the function of the early youth subculture from its exclusiveness as the place for young people as the subordinate groups in the society with the different ideology in acquiring identity to a product of popular culture which wide people can easily consume it. In understanding subcultural commodification in America, popular culture artifacts related to youth life such as movie, music, video game, music video, fashion and the like are studied analytically. From the intensely study, it is found that youth subculture artifacts created by media are structured to eliminate the oppositional values of youth subculture in America. Music video has evidently commodified youth subculture because as a media, music video is basically created by the winning groups such as capitalist and industrialist to sell the hipping stuffs and ideas of certain subculture to be widely accepted and
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To see the aspect of commodification found in the music videos and the context behind the fact, the elements within a music video including music, lyric, and image are deeply observed because to study a popular culture product, it is necessary to apply semiotic approach (Pun, 2009: 28). Semiotic is the study of signs or the social production of meaning by sign system of how things come to
have significance. For Peirce‘s semiotics theory, a sign is something which stands to somebody for something in some respect or capacity. It addresses somebody,
that is, creates in the mind of that person an equivalent sign, or perhaps a more developed sign (Peirce in Chandler, 2009: 3). Charles Sanders Peirce refers a sign as the correlation between the representamen, object and interpretant. The
representamen, as the signifier in Peirce‘s theory, refers to the form which the sign takes while the interpretant, as the signified, refers to the concept it represents.
Peir ce‘s theory is different from the previous semiotics theory since to represent the concept, as Peirce states, the interpretant is influenced by sense of signs made by the interpreter or the object.
The relationship between the representamen, the object and the interpretant emerges three modes of sign: symbol, icon and index. As Peirce notes that symbol is a mode in which the signifier does not resemble the signified but which is fundamentally arbitrary or purely conventional; icon is a mode in which the signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified; index is a mode in which the signifier is not arbitrary but is directly connected in some way (physically or causally) to the signified (ibid: 30). In the analysis of a moving
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moving image, Peirce‘s semiotics theory is relevant to use in signifying the concept behind it.
Music video is a form of audiovisual communication between the performers and its audiences in which the meaning is created through the
correlation of its moving image, lyric and music. Using Peirce‘s semiotics theory, to analyze the concept within it, the image and music are employed as the icon
while the lyric is employed as the symbol. Still, the concept is gained from the meaning behind the music video as the indexical tool. Below Carlsson affirms that the meanings of a music video are gained from how the three aspects of music videos, like moving image, music and lyric, correlate each other.
Clearly, production of meaning in music videos is complex, compromised of several flows of audio-visual information. These flows interact and the resultant meaning is perceived as one complete whole, created by both the ears and eyes.......points out how three aspects of the audio-visual flow – music, image, and text – interact producing meaning for ―literate" audio-viewers of music video (Carlsson, 1999:1)
It means that in analyzing music video, moving image is not the only object that is going to be observed. The analysis of music and lyric is also required because the musical features of a song bend the moving image, even sometimes they also shape the moving image on the video (ibid: 2) while the lyric in the music video are depicted by the moving image to give the clear description of the song to the audiences.
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to explain the visual representation of a music video. Griffin states that identifiable features of a text rarely reveal sufficient insight into how and why it communicates (Griffin, 2002: 31). To reveal the context of a text which is the cultural product of a society, it is needed to know how it communicates within a society. Whereas to understand how a cultural product communicates, it is needed to notice on the social context and an understanding of cultural codes. It is right if semiotics theory can explain the context; still, the content of a cultural product is mostly influenced by the social and cultural condition of a society where the text is presented. Therefore, sociocultural approach is important to assist semiotic approach in explaining the context of a cultural product in a certain society. As Griffin also clearly notes as follow:
Yet regardless of such debates over the text-centered limitation of semiotic interests and methods, semiotic inquiry has made one thing clear: that, images, like words, can only be understood through their relationship to cultural patterns of making meaning. The sociocultural paradigm, broad and eclectic with regard to specific methods, makes it equally clear that cultural codes……can only be understood within the discursive practices of a production system……and the social organization (ibid: 32-33)
In analyzing the commodified Emo as an American youth subculture within The Used music video, it is not enough to simply notice on signs available in a music video. As a cultural product, those signs are influenced by the social context and cultural codes of a society where the text is taken. The understanding about American social and cultural condition at a specific time is needed to explain how
a music video as text communicates and how the context behind the text is revealed. At this point, sociocultural approach is applied to give the clear explanation about the commodification process of Emo youth subculture in
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H. Thesis Organization
CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1 is the introduction of the thesis. It provides the summary of the background of the thesis. The Problem Statement Objective of Study, Scope of Study, Research Significance, Method of Research ,Theoretical Approach and also the Thesis Organization.
CHAPTER 2:
LITERATURE REVIEW
Chapter 2 provides the literature review as the basic theory for the analysis. This chapter 2 consists of Emo As A Youth Subculture in America, The Used‘s Biography, Youth Subculture as A Form of Commodity, American Social and Cultural Condition in 2000s and the last is Semiotics of Music Video.
CHAPTER 3:
ANALYSIS
Chapter 3 proposes the answers for the problem statement mentioned in chapter 1. The first subchapter explains about the commodified Emo subculture in fashion. The first subchapter explains about the commodification of Emo subculture in behavior.
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Chapter 4 includes the conclusion and recommendation based on the analysis which are written in the previous chapter.
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CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
As mentioned in Chapter 1, this research aims at answering the kinds of commodification in Emo subculture in America represented by The Used‟s music videos. To conduct with the solution of the problem statement, it is needed to apply several theories. Thus, this chapter provides some appropriate theories which are divided into five subchapters. The first subchapter is about Emo subculture. It explains about the significance of Emo as a youth subculture in America and elements of Emo subculture such as history and identity. The second subchapter provides the biography of The Used including the brief explanation of their career, band members, discography of songs and music videos. Then the third subchapter discuss about the commodifications of youth subculture through its elements which are frequently found in American media especially music video. The fourth subchapter explains about American social and culture condition in the 2000s that influence the development of Emo youth subculture. The last subchapter concerns on semiotic of music videos, embracing its three elements: image, music and lyric.
A. Emo As A Youth Subculture in America
Adolescence is a phase of human life when childhood is replaced by adulthood. In this phase, young people face a new challenge in relation to their past
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“Youth is one of the sites where these forces cross, mix and clash: „at a splendid crossroad where the past meets the future in a jumble of personal anxieties and an
urgent need for social self- definition” (Fass in Campbell and Kean, 1997: 215).