How Pop Culture Effects the Image of Race

2610 Words11 Pages
Running Head: The Effects of Pop Music on the Image of Race and Gender The Effects of Pop Music: the Image of Race and Gender Cameron Gates 1/6/2014 The Effects of Pop Music on the Image of Race and Gender It was a warm summer’s evening in San Diego, but my hands were shaking like they never had before. It wasn’t because I was sitting next to the air conditioner, nor was it due to the ice-cold Aqua Fina water bottle I was holding, though neither of those could gave been helping the situation. My hands were trembling because I was about to step out in front of one of the biggest audiences I’d ever performed for at one of the most idolized music venues in America, The San Diego House of Blues. As the crowd filed in, I heard the murmuring and conversation grow into thundering applause as the opening band struck their first chord. Back stage, I could see teenaged girls pressed up against the railing awaiting their favorite band, but as I looked around at the other band members, who were anxiously waiting to perform, I realized that this group of musicians contained no women. And for that matter there was very little racial diversity in this setting as well. Every band playing that night was made up of almost entirely Caucasian men. We later went on to play a pretty mediocre set compared to the headliner, but the memory I have of seeing the lack of diversity brought to such a historic venue was engrained in my heart and mind. Incidents such as these happen on a daily basis and shape our thoughts, perceptions, and actions, but personal experiences do not exclusively influence experiences like these. Pop music has historically misrepresented perceptions of race and gender, which has led to a negative light being shed on many successful people. The rest of this paper will be dedicated to showing the image and roll pop music creates for gender and race, how

More about How Pop Culture Effects the Image of Race

Open Document