Arts

An analysis of how stand-up comedy bits deemed "offensive" by many can have positive and progressive effects on society. This could include humor as a method for minorities to gain acceptance, easing tensions between conflicting groups, and necessary questioning of social norms. Distinctions should also be made over helpful, value neutral, or harmful humor. For example, George Carlin's 7 words bit or any number of Dave Chappelle's bits on race as opposed to Michael Richard's racist rant at the Laugh Factory or numerous bits done by Bernard Manning.

I have seen so much art purely because it was the "thing to do." The Mona Lisa in Paris, the Astronomical Clock in Prague, the Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania and the list goes on. There are so many objects that have hype from millions of witnesses, that severely under deliver in reality. Yes, the history, the groundbreaking advances made in their relative time periods and the new technologies may be truly amazing; but in the context of 2016, there are expectations that remain unmet. Do we appreciate these types of art for their inherent value and significance, or are we motivated by taking a selfie and tagging our photo so our friends know we went somewhere famous? Do we travel to the Louvre, to be captivated by the the Mona Lisa, and marvel at the gentle application of brush strokes, or is it just a good story to tell grandma when we get home?

As Korean pop music continues to grow in popularity and exposure around the world, it has faced quite the backlash from international communities. One of the criticisms of the genre focuses on the quite often blatant cultural appropriation that occurs. Music videos often feature clothing from a specific culture, which are donned to emulate stereotypes of that culture. This is often seen when Kpop groups attempt to do a music video full of "swag" or to emulate black culture, and imitate what they see in American hip-hop/rap culture. However, we can't expect them to change over night. Korea itself is an extremely homogenous culture, where people are rarely exposed to cultures in their own daily lives. Due to this, it's incredibly difficult for them to even comprehend the idea of cultural appropriation. Other than their culture, what other obstacles stand in the way of preventing culture appropriation in Korean Popular products? Are there ways to solve it?

In Reference to Stacy Wolf author of "Changed for Good,"in the late 1960's-1970's- a political movement for women's liberation was at stake. Women fought and gained legal, social, and cultural rights. In fact, John F. Kennedy in 1961 came up with the President's Commission on women studying women's role, gender differences, equality, and equal pay.

In the art world the "sublime" is the quality of greatness beyond calculation. The difference between feeling emotions about a piece of art and having a sense of sublimity is that for something to be sublime you must be able to remove yourself from the situation, step back, and mentally assess what and why you are feeling certain emotions. Is the feeling of sublimity still relevant in today's art? Are there certain components of society that might heighten or dull someone's sense of sublimity?

Elvis Aaron Presley was an amazing talent in his own right. He took the black sound of the South, which he grew up listening to and singing in Church and made it his own. Elvis was working as a truck driver and went to Sun Studios in Memphis and cut a record for his mother's birthday. Sam Phillips liked Elvis' sound and wanted him to cut more records and Elvis got airtime. Colonel Tom Parker became his business agent and marketer. The Colonel was amazing at his job, although Elvis suffered greatly due to the demands of his touring schedule. It was at this point of his life he was introduced to the uppers to get him through the performances and the downers to sleep.The big question is would Elvis have become "The King" without the guidance of the business savvy and not so caring Colonel? And was it worth it? The extreme fame, the reclusive lifestyle, and the drug use eventually costs Elvis his life.

Bruegel the Elder's painting depicts the famous passage from Book VIII of Ovid's Metamorphoses in which Daedalus, the father of Icarus, provides his son with feathered wings, glued together, and warns him not to fly to close to the sun, for he will be burned, and not to fly to close to the water, for he will drown. The boy does not listen; flies too high; the glue begins to melt; and he plummets to the water in which he drowns. The moral can be understood as moderation as the key to living a successful and fruitful life.
What I am most interested in is why does Bruegel paint an interpretation of this famous passage; yet, as opposed to placing Icarus in the foreground, Icarus is placed off to the side. Why concentrate on this Greek Myth but place the workers of the present day (~1560) in the foreground, and the classical mythological component, whom the painting is based on, off to the side? What is Bruegel the Elder trying to convey? The painting can easily be found with a basic search of the title. What do you believe was the theme Pieter Bruegel's aesthetic piece was attempting to communicate to onlookers?

Hamilton has become THE hit show on Broadway since its debut last summer. Examine the reasons – both obvious and not – for the sweeping sensation this show has had on American consciousness, why it has succeeded as a hit over other Broadway shows, and what that says about American theater today.