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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2012 13:02:43 GMT -5
Hochschild defined emotional labour as paid labour that requires one to either induce or suppress feelings in order to exhibit a particular proscribed 'face' in order to produce "the proper state of mind in others.” She claimed that the effort to create that 'face' often "draws on a source of self that we honor as deep and integral to our individuality.” She claims there are serious health repercussions for the worker who is forced to deny who they ‘really are’ and what ‘is really going on,’ and suggests that the emotional worker often either suffers emotional burnout from living in a constant state of emotional suppression, or feels a sense of alienation and inauthenticity. I would be interested to know what Mszue and others thought about Realness as it relates to the issue of the "Mapril" album delay. For many months Adam has been coaching us to expect "realness" from the album. For many months he told us that he was going to write on ALL the songs. Then opportunities came up to work with other songwriters, and that became MOST of the songs. Adam continued to tell us that the album was "him." Light and dark, exploring many facets of his mind and heart. That we would be invited to trespass there. Realness is a theme he has hit often. I think what is bugging me the most about the Mapril delay, besides the obvious desire for the album and for the fun, is that the rumored reasons for it seem to mark a wider and wider divergence from Realness. We already have a single, BTIKM, that was not Adam-written. The brilliant video, however, stamped it with Adam's creativity in an unforgettable way. Now Dame Rumor has it that, very late in the game, Adam is working on two new songs. Songs that appear to be aimed straight at square, safe, and mainstream. The decision seems the very definition of "emotional labor" as Mszue defined it above. There may be solid business reasons for this decision and obviously I hope they all work out. But my question for this philosophical thread is what does this do to Realness as relates to Trespassing? How does the addition of these songs disrupt the artistic integrity of the album? Will songs that are more "real" be relegated to bonus tracks or dropped altogether? If Adam is to pry open the gates still locked against him, is Realness a luxury and the creation of another face a necessity to become socially acceptable? And at what price does that occur?
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mszue
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Post by mszue on Feb 15, 2012 13:38:42 GMT -5
Oh my juniemoon....you have really touched a tender place here I suspect. I will comment off the top then I will cogitate on it some more. Would love to hear from others on this. The fact is that this really goes to the heart of what is true emotional labour and the price that may or may not be 'paid' by the labourer...in this case Adam. It is not about how we feel about it so much as how HE may feel about the obfuscating that seems to be going on.
We see the price paid by artists of all stripes when they have to compromise their art for pragmatic reasons. It is a huge balancing act and not a comfortable one. I truly sense that this will soon be a real issue for Adam...if not already. I think he felt he faced that when he did his abrupt turn meeting Pharrel. At this point, we do not know what is slowing this down and if these new songs are simply radio ready mainstream stuff or not. He may be facing the same bump he thought he settled in the spring. I remember Eber and his 'follow your guts' 'we support you' tweet. I hope Dame Rumor is mistaken, more for Adam's sake than ours. I say this because the price paid for selling out your bliss can be seen everywhere....from burnout [Adele] to self destruction [too many to list here...from Amy to Whitney to Janice and Jimmy...and often here the selling out is not in music/art quality as in the need to SELL out performances over more creating] to living in isolation [MJ/Elvis/Gaga?]. Fame really is a whore with a barbed sting.
Hochschild hypothesized/claimed that of the two options for the person 'doing' the emotional labour, the one doing the 'surface' labour was less likely to suffer than the one doing the 'deeper' labour...that is...the one that has internalized the emotions and truly believes what they are saying. She says you are safer to know you are doing it for the 'money' ..... for utilitarian reasons.
Where does that leave us....should I hope that Adam knows exactly what he is trying to do and just sees all this as 'part of the job'? a necessary evil, so to speak? Or is Hochshild right and if he truly believes what he may be doing is still 'keeping it real', he is endangering his very soulful sense of himself as a 'honest, deep, what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person'?
If anyone can keep himself whole when all about him...fall...it is Adam, I think/hope/trust.
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Post by rihannsu on Feb 16, 2012 20:04:55 GMT -5
Hochschild defined emotional labour as paid labour that requires one to either induce or suppress feelings in order to exhibit a particular proscribed 'face' in order to produce "the proper state of mind in others.” She claimed that the effort to create that 'face' often "draws on a source of self that we honor as deep and integral to our individuality.” She claims there are serious health repercussions for the worker who is forced to deny who they ‘really are’ and what ‘is really going on,’ and suggests that the emotional worker often either suffers emotional burnout from living in a constant state of emotional suppression, or feels a sense of alienation and inauthenticity. I would be interested to know what Mszue and others thought about Realness as it relates to the issue of the "Mapril" album delay. For many months Adam has been coaching us to expect "realness" from the album. For many months he told us that he was going to write on ALL the songs. Then opportunities came up to work with other songwriters, and that became MOST of the songs. Adam continued to tell us that the album was "him." Light and dark, exploring many facets of his mind and heart. That we would be invited to trespass there. Realness is a theme he has hit often. I think what is bugging me the most about the Mapril delay, besides the obvious desire for the album and for the fun, is that the rumored reasons for it seem to mark a wider and wider divergence from Realness. We already have a single, BTIKM, that was not Adam-written. The brilliant video, however, stamped it with Adam's creativity in an unforgettable way. Now Dame Rumor has it that, very late in the game, Adam is working on two new songs. Songs that appear to be aimed straight at square, safe, and mainstream. The decision seems the very definition of "emotional labor" as Mszue defined it above. There may be solid business reasons for this decision and obviously I hope they all work out. But my question for this philosophical thread is what does this do to Realness as relates to Trespassing? How does the addition of these songs disrupt the artistic integrity of the album? Will songs that are more "real" be relegated to bonus tracks or dropped altogether? If Adam is to pry open the gates still locked against him, is Realness a luxury and the creation of another face a necessity to become socially acceptable? And at what price does that occur? I don't think I ever heard Adam say he was definitively writing ALL the songs. He has always said he was writing MOST of the songs or that he was going to TRY to write all the songs. He has been asked before about songs he didn't write and he said if they are on the album whether he wrote them or not it is because he can identify with them strongly. I ABSOLUTELY would not want Adam to close himself off from potentially fantastic songs just because he didn't write them. As long as he connects to the lyrics it is no less "real" just because he didn't write it. BTIKM is a perfect example of this. He did not write this song but we saw with the incident in Finland exactly how well he can relate to this song. I think BTIKM is just as "real" for Adam as if he had written it himself and it obviously conveys a message about himself that he wanted to get across to the fans. ETA: I think this was addressed in the numbers thread but I would like to point out that the Bruno song is not new they have had it early on just Adam was not sure before that it would make the album. It was played for a least one of the UK bloggers and commented on. Also the Claude Kelly song is probably not new either because when he mentioned it on twitter he also told someone "you didn't think we'd work on just one did you?". Also Adam mentioned having worked on two or more songs each with the producers he has worked with and sorry but I don't have a specific reference for when he said that. It could very well be that logistics opened up for Dr. Luke to work on a track or two more that they hadn't gotten far with before and Adam is now excited about how these are coming.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 20:49:36 GMT -5
Rihannsu, you have an excellent point. No one would argue that Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, or Elvis were not "real" because they worked with songwriters rather than composing their own work.
According to some tweets, we may see some interview footage that will help us see how "real" Adam is feeling about these additions. I have been concerned they were imposed on him by the label to be more "mainstream." I still have that concern, yet realize Adam may be able to subvert that notion and make the songs his own the way he did with BTIKM, song and video.
The concept of realness is interesting and very difficult to pin down. Bob Dylan or Springsteen in their jeans put forth an image as carefully crafted as Elvis in his white jumpsuit or Sinatra in his tuxedo. This all goes back to the "faces" Mszue started off talking about. The trick is not to converge so far from Realness that you begin to live a false life the way Elvis did (shoehorning his passion for roots music and gospel into the corner of his life to make room for dreck the label wanted ... even RCA Ed of all people admitted that RCA played a role in Elvis's depression and self-destruction).
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mszue
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Post by mszue on Feb 16, 2012 23:16:34 GMT -5
Exactly, juniemoon. Rihannsu...we are not concerned that these songs may not all be written by Adam or that this is critical to the concept of REALNESS. It is that if Adam is being/feeling pressured to show a sense of OWNERSHIP to songs and situations that are not really fully endorsed by him as REAL, there may be a psychological price to be paid, by HIM.
WE...his fans...are not the object of concern, or even interest. This is about the consequences of doing Emotional labour...if that is what he is doing. The focus and reason for the study of this concept is a concern for what it does to someone to always have to put on a GOOD FACE by showing the appropriate emotions to the audience [objects of the emotions] and hiding other emotions because that is what the job/success requires.
It is considered MORE DANGEROUS to the person doing the emotional labour when they 'talk themselves into believing what they are saying' than it is to understand 'it is all just a big game you have to play'. Adam has made such a big thing about this album being all him....about him writing on almost all the cuts, being the executive producer, making choices about the mv etcetera. I could care less that others wrote the song when I listen to it...it is Adam's song for me....I just am a bit concerned for how Adam may be feeling and this was the place to bring a discussion of these fears.
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Post by melliemom on Feb 22, 2012 12:39:12 GMT -5
Thank you Mszue for suggesting that I visit Realness. It's a pleasure to feel that I might actually be able to say how I feel and what I think without getting a virtual punch in the eye, from those who disagree. I tend to believe in the adage .."We agree to disagree".
You asked for my input.. and so here goes. Adam has been a force in regards to being 'REAL' and don't cave in to the naysayers. I became alarmed when Adam seemed to knock his old self , The OTT makeup and his over the top album cover,performance etc.Pretty much putting himself down a bit for his last very successful album and tour. That was then and this is now.. OK I can agree that was then and this is now. But,in my opinion,Adam didn't have to put his other work down. I didn't like his cover either,but it was what it was.. He did it and it was part of him to embrace ,not to discard.I'm not trying to stand in judgement.. I just want him to accept himself as much as he's telling everyone who will listen, to accept themselves for who they are. I felt that Adam was apologizing and he had no need to apologize,he is great in all that he does. I felt the insecurity,I felt that desire to be accepted by the 'in' crowd.I guess having known rejection myself for not feeling like I fit in, raised the red flag for me.I may just be transferring in my perceptions. I'm just hoping that Adam in all his light and dark selves truly believes that it's all OK. As far as RCA and Adams own music.. I want so much for the next single to be Adam's own work. I think he's an intuitive exceptional song writer. I whole heartedly believe what makes you a great star is being different,is being able to say love me or leave me.. which is basically what Adam has been saying. Being owned by a record company,who thinks mainly of their bottom line must be so stifling. Adam gives RCA kudos for allowing him to make the hard decisions on his album, I find this a bit pollyanna.If Adam could make his own decisions,IMHO the music that he wrote and loves would be out there,radio play or not. So what have I been saying, without beating around the bush ,I don't know who the 'Real" Adam is,I do believe he covered that a bit in BTIKM video.
I hope that Adam will always be able to look himself in the mirror and say I didn't compromise myself or my art. I have remained true to my beliefs and to myself. Hard to do in this bigoted and money oriented world.. and I can't say that I would have the courage to do what Adam has done all his life. Trespassing,I believe is his way of showing his joy ,but also his vulnerability and pain,He bleeds like the rest of us .I guess I think he's so fierce that he can take" the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"and come out unscathed. No matter what, Hope and expectations aside,I love Adam and accept him unconditionally& I will continue to fight for his rights and for his freedom of expression and to cry when I think he's been hurt.That is my bottom line.
Thanks for allowing me to vent.............
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mszue
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Post by mszue on Feb 22, 2012 13:49:16 GMT -5
I have to head out....AND...my internet connection keeps dropping for some reason [does it really need a reason? I howl to the wind...] but....if someone here has access to academic journals there is some interesting literature out there. I found this using the tags 'celebrity' and 'authenticity'....Taylor and Francis have a journal dedicated to celebrity studies. I no longer have general academic access but I do/will have access to anything published by SAGE for 30 days as a reward for peer reviewing an article for them. [my article was published by SAGE also].
SO...if you want to go searching through Google Scholar for some stuff and find anything interesting from SAGE pub...let me know and I can download it and email it to you.
It looks like Taylor and Francis are down for a few hours but I would not be able to get this anyway...sad...looks interesting:
'This is why mainstream America votes against gays, Adam Lambert': contemporary outness and gay celebrity A Brady - Celebrity Studies, 2011 - Taylor & Francis This article utilises Adam Lambert in an analysis of the politics of contemporary gay celebrity. It positions Lambert within a media context in which displays of same-sex attraction are increasing, even as the attachment of those displays to identity is rendered ... Related articles
be back later...
eta...I am going to post this citation on the main thread in case someone that has access would send it to me....:-)
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2012 16:54:59 GMT -5
I hope that Adam will always be able to look himself in the mirror and say I didn't compromise myself or my art. I have remained true to my beliefs and to myself. Hard to do in this bigoted and money oriented world.. and I can't say that I would have the courage to do what Adam has done all his life. Trespassing,I believe is his way of showing his joy ,but also his vulnerability and pain,He bleeds like the rest of us .I guess I think he's so fierce that he can take" the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"and come out unscathed. No matter what, Hope and expectations aside,I love Adam and accept him unconditionally& I will continue to fight for his rights and for his freedom of expression and to cry when I think he's been hurt.That is my bottom line. Thanks for allowing me to vent............. I have been thinking some about the issues you raised here too melliemom. I have come to realize that Adam is a person with a competitiveness so fierce that he burns to win. He is intent on showing every doubting person, everyone who has treated him all his life as if he is trespassing, that he is a man to be reckoned with. And to do that, he wants to conquer the biggest and most heavily fortified castle he could find. I think this ties in with the concept of Realness because the truth is, Adam has now set for himself two goals that seem to me somewhat incompatible, at least to me. He has promised us Realness, trespassing, access to the "real me." At the same time he is choosing to compete in the arena of Top 40 radio, an arena that today more than ever is exalting the fake -- computerized voices, mechanized beats, outlandish and over-the-top spectacle. The truth is that Adam's talent, his intelligence and yes his Realness set him apart from the other artists in that format. I see little evidence that those qualities are understood or welcomed there these days. Recently I have been listening to some of my older CDs, ones by some of my favorites like Neil Diamond and Waylon Jennings. The songs were so personal. That was what made them great and still makes them great. Of course both these artists had to fight for years for artistic freedom. Once they finally managed to get in front of people with their Realness, people went wild for them, but it was a huge uphill fight. I don't pretend to understand the resistance or know what Adam should do. It seems to me that the industry fears the chaos, uncertainty, and loneliness of freedom even as true artists want to embrace it and listeners respond if they ever get the chance to hear it.
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Post by melliemom on Feb 22, 2012 18:07:28 GMT -5
I hope that Adam will always be able to look himself in the mirror and say I didn't compromise myself or my art. I have remained true to my beliefs and to myself. Hard to do in this bigoted and money oriented world.. and I can't say that I would have the courage to do what Adam has done all his life. Trespassing,I believe is his way of showing his joy ,but also his vulnerability and pain,He bleeds like the rest of us .I guess I think he's so fierce that he can take" the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"and come out unscathed. No matter what, Hope and expectations aside,I love Adam and accept him unconditionally& I will continue to fight for his rights and for his freedom of expression and to cry when I think he's been hurt.That is my bottom line. Thanks for allowing me to vent............. I have been thinking some about the issues you raised here too melliemom. I have come to realize that Adam is a person with a competitiveness so fierce that he burns to win. He is intent on showing every doubting person, everyone who has treated him all his life as if he is trespassing, that he is a man to be reckoned with. And to do that, he wants to conquer the biggest and most heavily fortified castle he could find. I think this ties in with the concept of Realness because the truth is, Adam has now set for himself two goals that seem to me somewhat incompatible, at least to me. He has promised us Realness, trespassing, access to the "real me." At the same time he is choosing to compete in the arena of Top 40 radio, an arena that today more than ever is exalting the fake -- computerized voices, mechanized beats, outlandish and over-the-top spectacle. The truth is that Adam's talent, his intelligence and yes his Realness set him apart from the other artists in that format. I see little evidence that those qualities are understood or welcomed there these days. Recently I have been listening to some of my older CDs, ones by some of my favorites like Neil Diamond and Waylon Jennings. The songs were so personal. That was what made them great and still makes them great. Of course both these artists had to fight for years for artistic freedom. Once they finally managed to get in front of people with their Realness, people went wild for them, but it was a huge uphill fight. I don't pretend to understand the resistance or know what Adam should do. It seems to me that the industry fears the chaos, uncertainty, and loneliness of freedom even as true artists want to embrace it and listeners respond if they ever get the chance to hear it. Juniemoon I so appreciate what you have said and I agree. I was just watching the English video interview with Adam..Juice,Oj ,can't remember. Adam was explaining the symbolism in his BTIKM video. I couldn't believe that the meaning behind this artistic work of art had to be fed bit by bit to the interviewers. Sad ,but Adam just may be too deep for some of the POP audience. I so agree with your last sentence and in my heart of hearts ,I think Adam would agree too. He has said that he just wants to get his music out there . I believe that he wants to share his art,his creations,his interpretations,but it is a shallow music world these days,unless you go classical.. There is no patience or time,in POP, for creating,for experimentation,even though many singers would love to go there and the audience would probably find new music both exciting and mind blowing.I remember even Katy Perry thanking her label for allowing her to get a bit deep with her new song.. The One Who Got Away. What does this say about our plastic culture? Adam said he never experienced hate until after Idol and the public's reaction to his being gay. Then of course radio resistance to him and his songs don't help. I would guess that this lack of acceptance hurts him and he wants to prove himself. He has also worked hard for 10 years before his break and he can taste the sweet smell of success. I just hope that Adam's own songs get to be singles and that he will be known not only for his great voice ,but also for his talent as a song writer.
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