The Popular Song Jailhouse Rock By Elvis Presley

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Merriam-Websters dictionary defines art as; “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings. Entertainment is defined as amusement or pleasure that comes from watching a performer, playing a game, etc.” Although, these definitions may seem very different; they also have significant overlap. We often try to force music into the boxes of art or entertainment. Implying that art is more prestigious and noteworthy. Yet we lose out on the importance of entertainment. Music is so diverse that it is impossible to shove it into one of these boxes. Music can be both an art form and entertainment. This can be seen through the variance among individual songs, and it can be seen in …show more content…

This clear emotion is evidence that this song is art. The popular song “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley is a great example of how the longevity of a song doesn't always correspond to its art status. This song has obviously stood the test of time, and is still very well known today. However, I still classify it as entertainment. It is a very fun song; with a danceable beat. It is most likely intended to amuse and please its listener. The song “Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbinson seems to be very clearly entertainment to me. It seems to be focused on the amusement and pleasure of the listener. Being that it was written for a movie I think the intention was not for the artist to express his ideas and emotions, but to entertain. The lyrics are not very deep in meaning, but repetitive and seem to just tell the story of a pretty women. When listening to “Blowin’ in The Wind” by Bob Dylan, It was apparent to me that the song I was listening to was art. The song is not flashy or super up beat. It takes a somber tone and Dylan express his true thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Dylan begins the song by asking many serious questions. He …show more content…

All four movies had serious changes in them that strayed from the reality of the artist. The movie I chose to watch was La Bamba. I really enjoyed the movie, however I was not as thrilled with changes producers made to the story. In his A.V. Club article Kenneth Partidge writes “In the movie, they get something of a happy ending, as Donna, played by Danielle Von Zerneck, professes her love to Lou Diamond Phillips’ Ritchie just before he leaves on the ill-fated Winter Dance Party Tour. In real life, it couldn’t have been so easy. According to Valens’ official website, Donna’s father forbid her from attending the party Valens’ family threw just before he left on the tour.” This exemplifies how rock music can be an avenue of entertainment, and not art. Rather than express the devastation Donna must have felt from not seeing her lover before he died; producers changed the plot to make it less saddening. This was done for the purpose of engaging and pleasing viewers. If the music of Valens was truly valued as art, his story would have been preserved and cherished perfectly. Now using rock music and artist as entertainment is not necessarily a bad thing. One could argue that by making this minor alteration to Valens story, producers were able to make a more successful movie. By doing this a wider audience is then reached. By compromising the whole truth of Valens story, movie producers

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