PopularCultureEssayusingthebandNirvanaasacasestudy(2008) BenMoore StuartHallarguesthatthemeaningsofpopularcultureforevertransformfromstagesofincorporation distortionresistancenegotiationandrecuperation.Discusstheseprocessesofideologicaland culturalstrugglesintherealmofpopularculture.(Useoneexampleofpopularculturetomakeyour case). BirminghamSchooltheorists,suchasStuartHallarguethatthemeaningsofpopularcultureforever transformfromstagesofincorporation,distortion,resistance,negotiationandrecuperation.Whilethe mediamayoriginallyobjecttosomethingnewandradicalbecauseitcontainsanantihegemonic messageoritsunfamiliarityscaresthem,ultimately(asAntonioGramscistheorises)itwillbe incorporatedintothemainstreammediaandinthisprocesstheoriginalmeaningsareoftenlostalong theway(Ives[referencingGramsi],2004,p64).Butbecauseoftheconstantlychangingrealmofpopular culture,audienceperspectivesmayalsobeconstantlychanging.MusicandthegenreofRockandRollin particularisoneareathatthisisespeciallypredominantin.

TheUSrockgroupNirvana,whosecareer beganin1987andendedtragicallyin1994,whenleadsingerKurtCobaincommittedsuicideareaprime exampleofthis.HallstheorywillbeanalysedbylookingathowNirvanaleadthewayandpioneeredthe grungecraze,themeaningsbehindsomeofNirvanasmusic,aswellashowCobainsdeathand commercialismhasaffectedthesemeanings. ExaminingthelyricsofmanyofNirvanassongsmayprovidesomeinsightintothemindofKurtCobain ashewasthekeylyricistoftheband.Whilethelyricsmightnotalwaysmakesense,theyalmostalways hadanimportantmessageattheircoreevenifthatmessagemightnotalwaysbeimmediatelyobvious. Cobaindidntwanteverysongtohaveadefinitivemessagebuttookamorepostmodernapproachand wrotesongsthatweremoreopenendedtextsthatcanbeinterpretedinmanydifferentwaysbyhis audience(Novoselic,2004,p20).Withthissaidthereweretimeswhenhewasveryvocalaboutthe meaningsofhissongs.IthasbeenstatedbythebandthatthesongPollyinparticular,tellsthestoryof thetrueeventsoftherapeandtortureofa14yearoldgirlthatoccurredin1987.Thelyricsthinkshe wantssomewatertoputouttheblowtorchrefertothegirlbeingabductedonthewayhomefroma punkrockshowandtorturedbyamanwhohungthe14yearoldgirlupsidedowninhistrailerpark homeandtorturedherwithablowtorch,arazor,andhotwax.Sheeventuallyescapedbyactingbored andflirtingwithhercaptor,whichisreferredtointhelinesshesjustasboredasmeandshecaught meoffmyguard,itamazesthewillofinstinct(Azerrad,1993,p170).Thetopicofrapeisobviouslya veryserioussubjectandbyfeaturingthissongonthealbumNevermind,Nirvanawasabletogettheir messageofwhataterribleoccurrencethiswayandhowthingslikethisshouldnevertakeplaceagain, acrosstothemillionsofpeoplewhopurchasedthealbumworldwide.Furthermoreonthefollowup compilationalbumIncesticide,Cobainhadamessageprintedonthelinernotesthatreferredtoasimilar incident,Lastyear,agirlwasrapedbytwowastesofspermandeggswhiletheysangthelyricstoour songPolly.Ihaveahardtimecarryingonknowingthereareplanktonlikethatinouraudience (Cobain,1992,linernotes).Cobainwasactivelyusinghismusictotryandstoptheseinjustices.However severalyearsonthesongmayhavelostmuchofitsmeaning;thealbummaystillbebeingsoldaround

theworldbutwithoutthebandaroundtoreinforcethecontextpeoplemayoverlookitsoriginal meaning.TheoriginalsongwasneverreleasedasasinglebutcamewiththeNevermindalbumthat containedlyricsforallthesongsontheCD/cassette.KurtCobainssingingstyleoftenmadeforavocally interestingsoundbutalsomeantthatmanyofhislyricswereextremelyhardtodecipher.Whenyou couplethesefactswiththeabilitytodownloadthesongonlinefromplacessuchasiTunesasasingle songwithoutanylyrics,manyoftodaysfanswouldlikelymissthepointofthesongentirelyandjust enjoyitforitsentertainmentandescapismvalues(Dubner,2007,p6).Whiletherearestilldiehardfans whogooutoftheirwaytofindoutthemeaningsbehindPollyandotherNirvanasongs,thisdistortionof thesongstruemeaningovertimewillmeanthatmostmodernlistenerswillneverknowwhatCobain wassingingabout. ThenewfoundpopularitythatcamefromtheexploitationofNirvanasmusicforcommercialpurposes isperhapsonesuchreasonforthis.ThiswouldcauseliterarymoderniststonotregardNirvanasworkin veryhighesteem.Theywouldalmostimmediatelydisregarditbecausetheywouldseeitaspopular musicproducedforthemassesandthereforelowculture.Thisislargelyinparttothebandscultstatus duetothesaturationoftheirmusicthroughoutpopularculturetodayaswellasthebandshistoryand publicityofCobainsdeaththroughoutallformsofmedia.Itcouldbearguedthat,sinceCobainsdeath lefttherightstohismusicinthehandsofmanyseparateparties,includinghiswifeCourtneyLovewho wentontosellalargeportionofherrightstofurtherparties,thishascausedtheircatalogofsongsto becomeusedinmanycommercialventures.AversionofSmellsLikeTeenSpiritappearedinthe2001, BazLuhrmannfilmMoulinRouge,thepopularsongHeartShapedBoxappearedinthevideogameGuitar HeroIIandtherearecountlessotherexamples.Thishascausedthemeaningsbehindthemusicto becomelargelytamedanddomesticatedandliterarymodernistswouldsaythatlisteningtothesesongs wouldbeapurelyescapistactivityandawasteoftimethatonlysupportsthefalseneeds,createdby marketingandthemusicindustrytolistentoandpurchasethiskindofmusic.Theymayalsoarguethat theirmusicpromotestheideaofcommodityfetishismandthatconsumerswholistentotheiralbumare onlydoingsobecausetheyfeeltheneedtokeepupwithallthelatesttrends.Itisestimatedthatthe worldmusicindustrywasworth$19.6bnin2007(Matheson,2007,p4)andthatconsumerswhobuy theircdsareonlycontributingtothiscapitalistsociety.TheiropinionofNirvanasworkmayhave changedslightlysinceitsoriginalinception,atatimebeforethemeaningoftheirsongshadbeen distortedbythemedia.AsNirvanaislargelycreditedasthebandthatmadealternativemusicpopular andcreatedmodernrock,literarymodernistscouldnthaveaseasilydismissedNirvanasearlyworkon thegroundsofitspopularity.Thisisbecausealotoftheirearlyalbumswerentcommerciallyreleased andthereforewerentheardbythemajorityoftheirfansuntiltheyhadabigcommercialsuccessafew yearslater,sowhenrecordingtheseearlyalbumstheywerenotpopularartists.Thisisnttosaythat literarymodernistswouldhavesupportedNirvanasearlywork,quitetheoppositeinfact.Theysimply wouldnothavebeenableto(atthetime)ignoreitonpopularityaloneandwouldhavehaddifferent reasonsfordismissingit;suchasaperceivedlackofanyenlighteningoreducationalqualitiesthattheir preferredstyleofmusicfromclassicalcomposerssuchasBeethovenandChopinmayprovide,aswellas theescapistnaturementionedpreviously.Frankfurtschooltheoristsmayagreewiththesepointson somelevel,butwouldalsoacknowledgeandpraisethesubversivenatureoftheirmusicforitspotential tochangeoursociety.

CobainmayhaveagreedwiththeFrankfurtschooltheoriststosomedegree,ashetoodespisedthe mainstreammedia.NirvanasbassplayerKristNovoselicwasquotedbyRollingStonemagazine,saying Kurtreallydespisedthemainstream.That'swhatSmellsLikeTeenSpiritwasallabout:Themass mentalityofconformity.(Fricke,1999).SmellsLikeTeenSpiritindisputablybecameNirvanasmost popularandmostrecognisabletrackandwasembracedbythemainstreamaudience.Thispopularity couldleadtothesituationtobeseenasthemediasubvertingtheoriginalmeaningbutpostmodernists mightalsoseeitasaresistantmovebythebandagainstthismassmedia.CobainexplainedIwastrying towritetheultimatepopsong.IwasbasicallytryingtoripoffThePixies.(Abramovich,2004,p1 [quotingRollingStones,1994]).Ultimatelyitwasasongaboutconformity,whichCobainknewthe masseswouldlovebutnotunderstand.Bythemainstreamadoptingthesongliketheydid,hewouldbe abletoprovehispointandputupabitofresistanceagainsttheprocessofpopularcultureabsorbinghis work.ThenameofthesongwasderivedafterCobainspentthenightwithTobiVail,theleadsingerof thebandBikiniKillandanothermemberofthebandspraypaintedKurtSmellsLikeTeenSpiritonhis bedroomwall.AsVailworeTeenSpiritdeodorant,themessagewasimplyingthatVailhadmarked Cobainwithherscent.Cobaindidntknowthiswhenhewrotethesonganduponitsrelease,TeenSpirit deodorantsalesincreasedsignificantlywhenthesongbecameahit.Thismeantthatrightfromthestart, thesongwascontributingtocapitalisminmorewaysthanCobainoriginallyintendedandtheprocessof incorporationhadalreadybegun.ThesongInBloom,containedsimilarantimainstreamthemesand alsodemonstratedNirvanasculturalstruggle.Thelyricsofthechorushestheone,wholikesallour prettysongsandhelikestosingalongandhelikestoshoothisgun.Buthedon'tknowwhatitmeans werefairlystraightforwardinindicatingthis.Itwasaboutsomeonewhojustfollowsthetrends,despite notunderstandingthem.Nirvanahadplentyoffanswhofellintothiscategory,despiteCobainsdisdain forthesekindsofpeople.Thebandhoweverwasabletoputupsomeresistancewhenitcameto makingthemusicvideoforSmellsLikeTeenSpirit.Thecheerleadersfeaturedintheclipworesleeve tattoosandthesymbolforanarchyontheiroutfitsasamarkofprotest.Theproducersdidconversely rejectNirvanasproposalofhavingthecheerleadersfatandunattractive(Azerrad,1993,p191193), whichwasperhapsanearlysignofthetaminganddomesticatingthatwouldoccurtotheirmusicand thatthebandwouldhavetostruggletogettheirideologyacrosstonewaudiences Postmodernistshowevermaypraisethebandswork.Asbrieflymentioned,thegenresthatwenow knowasmodernrockandgrungedidntexistbeforeNirvana.Nirvanaandasimilarbandofthetime, PearlJamwereforgingnewgroundinthefield.Theystartedoutbyplayingsongsthatwerelabeledas alternativewhichwasatermusedtodescribeanythingoutofthemainstream.Oncetheyachieved successwiththealbumNevermind,whichreachednumber2inAustraliasARIAchartsandnumber1in AmericasBillboard200chartsandUKsAlbumcharts(Schnack,2006),peoplehadtocomeupwitha newtermfortheirstyleofmusicbecauseitwasobviouslypopulardespitethealternativemoniker. Postmodernistswouldcommendthemforpioneeringanewgenre,namelythegrungecraze,which wascharacterizedbyangstriddenlyrics,loudguitarsandinparticulartheclothesandbands appearance.Theyworebaggysecondhandclothesandflannelshirtswhichwereoftenrippedandtheir hairwasgenerallyunkempt.Thisstylethatbecamesynonymouswithgrunge,originatedfromwhat thesebandschosetowear,notwhatwaspopularanditbecameauniformforloversofthemusic. HoweveritdidnttakelongforNirvanasuniquelooktobecomeafashiontrendthatsoldforpremium

pricesinstores,whichwentcompletelyagainsttheoriginalmeaning.Itcouldbearguedthatassoonas thetermgrungewascoined,Nirvanahadtakenabigsteptobecomingtamedandincorporatedbythe media.Whilesomewhatironicallythisveryideaisoneofthemainthingsthatgrungewasfighting againstandcouldbeseenasbothahegemonicandcounterhegemonicmoveforNirvana.Post modernistsmayalsocontinuebyarguingthatsimilarly,withouttheincreasedexposureprovidedbythe recordlabelsandMTV,Nirvanasfanbasewouldhavenevergoneontogrowaslargeasithas.Nirvana usedthemediaagainstitselftogettheirmessageouttomoreandmorepeopleandalthoughthey wouldreachthemainstreamaudiencethatCobaindespised,theywouldatthesametimebereaching morepeoplewhounderstoodthetrueintentionsandmeaningsbehindtheirsongs.Whileitsa possibilitythattheyreachedmorepeoplethroughthismainstreamexposurewhodidntunderstandthe bandsmessagesthanthosewhodid,itisinthiswaythatthebandcouldatleastrecuperatesomeof theiroriginalintentbackfromthemediawhowereintheprocessofincorporatinganddistorting Nirvanaswork. ItcouldbearguedthatalthoughStuartHallandtheBirminghamSchooltheoristsarecorrectinthatthe meaningsofpopularcultureareconstantlychangingandtheremayalwaysbeelementspresentof resistanceandrecuperation,theamountofdistortioncreatedbythemainstreammediawillnearly alwaysbegreater.Cobainhadafearthatcouldalmostbedescribedasparanoid,thatdespitetheir originalintentions,Nirvana'smusicwouldendupbeingmilkedandexploitedbeyondtheircontrol,for monetarygain(Schnack,2006).Lookingbackonhisposition,itseemshisfearsmayhavebeenfounded.

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