The Connection Of Rock And Roll With Youth, Sex And Violence
When we think of rock ‘n’ roll of the 1950’s the first image that comes to our mind is: rebellious youth gathering on the dance floor and dance their heart out to the noisy, obnoxious – parent-hating-music; We think of youth sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night to join the forbidden cult of the music known as rock ‘n’ roll; we think of youth emerging their primal nature to gravitate towards girls. Youth love rock ‘n’ roll because its fast, lively and controversial. Exploring 1950’s rock ‘n’ roll we’ll be able to understand the youth, sex and violence and how it all linked together through rock ‘n’ roll.
Rock ‘n’ Roll has been the central line label for “sex” throughout the 1950’s. It is because of the rhythm of the music that creates a new age of dancing and the sexual content of the lyrics that fluidly revolutionise erotic movements on the dance floor. Moreover, the dance floor has become the perfect enclosed zone for tearing down the wall between two people, and exercising their newly found dance move: spin, twirl, and whirl – and seduce. The music content of 1950’s Rock ‘n’ Roll was primary revolving around capturing and amplifying opposite partner’s attractions towards yourself. However, there was a time when men and female would dance within a respectable distance from each other while dancing. This has been reshaped through the introduction the notorious Elvis Presley’s music entering orthodox music stream.
During the Rock ‘n’ Roll golden era the term ‘’rock ‘n’ roll’’ was used as a common slang for sex. In addition to this, dancing within’ rock ‘n’ roll slowly gaining the ability to express sexual attractions visually. This has rises parents concerns for the genre. Parents believe that rock ‘n’ roll provoke juvenile delinquency. Parents attempts to stop their children. from listening to rock ‘n’ roll due to it contents and how it affects the children. However, this has tremendously backfired because this made the youth of the time itching to listen to it even more. Parents feared that their children will be dressing and behaving like the musician they’ve been listening to. Parents believe that rock ‘n’ roll has more bad than good influence on the children and urges radio to ban rock ‘n’ roll music entirely.
The beginning of rock ‘n’ roll is heavily influenced by black culture and music of the genre called the blues. Post 50’s white American was listening to soft music while African American was listening to more upbeat, energic, lively music calls rhythms and blues. The style of rhythms and blues was so exceptionally good that it made it ways into music of young white American in 1950’s. Although, Elvis Presley is the staple of rock ‘n’ roll there was a huge controversy who invented rock ‘n’ roll due to the influence of both black and white cultures that had shaped the genre. Due to racism the separation between two culture it was hard for black musician to break through. Successful record labels began to leave the black artists under the rug and publicise the white version of the black musician’s song and make it more popular.
Though, rock ‘n’ roll music revolves around sexuality it brought whites and blacks together. However, the white parents were questioning if the black men will take advantage of their innocent daughters. In rock ‘n’ roll concert the blacks and the whites are separated between fences, however this does not hold the youth apart. Due to rock ‘n’ roll nature to “rock”, the youth would hop over the fence and emerged both grouped together.
In the 1950’s the blacks are not usually welcomed with opened arms. Racism was seen throughout rock ‘n’ roll’s timeline. Booked shows should be cancelled since the singer is black. Parents of the white teenagers are very keen on making their children doesn’t dance with the black while. The new papers of it times refer the black as ‘’coloured’’ or ‘’negro’’. Racism towards the blacks are an issue within this era of rock ‘n’ roll.
As crazy as it sounds, in 1950’s, concerts require audience to be seated and quiet the authority make sure to reinforce this ever time this juvenile delinquency behaviour occur. However, the youth felt as if they were stripped from their right to have fun and enjoy themselves, this would result in lash back and the authority must retaliate with physical force to neutralise their disobedient. Due to havoc that rock ‘n’ roll causes the authority starts banning. rock ‘n’ roll shows all the cities across the united states of America. Rock ‘n’ roll was deemed the ‘’devil music’ because it converts innocence youths into lustful, rebellious and violence creatures. The authority has instructed the people to remove rock ‘n’ roll playlist from the jukebox and evicting people from rock ‘n’ roll concert.
Adults are convicted that the music from rock ‘n’ roll is from the devil and its transforming the teenagers into violence craving monsters. However, they overlooked the fact that its not the music it’s the parental guidance it self that lead the teenagers into rebellion. They want to be wild, free and live their teenage life while the parents are limiting and controlling how they’re living. The urge of ‘breaking free’ may seem like a rebellious and violence but its just teenagers trying to have fun. In softer contexts, this translates to kids sneaking out at midnight to have their limited portion of chocolate.
