Georgetown student activism extends just short of their iPods

It doesn’t take long to realize that the range of musical interests here on the Hilltop is minimal. Nearly every party and friend you encounter will be blasting the same genre of music: pop–that mindless genre of catchy tunes and empty lyrics that, like a one-night stand, are a good time but lack purpose. The genre mercilessly recycles melodies, bass lines, and lyrics from generation to generation, and yet still receives high praise and accolades. Admittedly, pop is great on the dance floor for an easy thrill, but has no place on all-time top song lists. I’ve seen a greater diversity of musical tastes in my country town! Georgetown students, despite their activist political tendencies, simply do not treat music as having a greater purpose.

It’s difficult to understand why commercialized music is so popular here. Stereotypically, talented and impassioned kids are like sheep, following the herd. This observation recommends a conclusion that I don’t want to believe. If pop is a shallow genre students herald as the pinnacle of the art form, what does that imply about us? Are we just as superficial as the music in our ears? I would like to think not, but striking up an intelligent conversation about Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” is like grasping at straws: impossible.

Perhaps there’s a deeper reason. Alternative music, that once rebelled against the mom and pop bands in the decades past, has now become mainstream. The genre that once distanced itself from commercial control has now been bought out. The music changed from music of purpose to music of corporations, much like pop music. Instead of making music for music, “alternative” or “indie” musicians have sold  themselves out so as to achieve the all-important title of “star.” Being a hipster is often only skin deep.

Pop rock bands, such as Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco and their forced rock growls, have begun bleeding into alternative music. As consumers of this type of music, we’re feeding this mediocrity. What happened to inspired and impassioned students like us listening to bands that actually stood for something, not only great and groundbreaking music but something that had meaning and a greater shelf life than a few months? What happened to following musicians like Bob Dylan who turned, bowed, and thanked his band rather than the audience when the show was over, or The Sex Pistols, who would terrorize your Leave it to Beaver family with only their guitar rhythms? Bands that didn’t care what the world thought because they had a message to share. They were inspired and were going to play their hearts out even if everyone and their mom thought they sucked. Now we are stuck with egotistical musicians, more interested in the perks of being famous than having their voices heard. Frankly, we’re to blame for the dire situation that music is in today.

I don’t expect everyone to hate pop music, but I certainly expect more college students to worship bands that matter more than glitter pop songstresses like Katy Perry. Music serves to give the unrepresented a voice and the cahnce to inspire with the stories they tell. As Georgetown students, why are we so unmoved by this fact? Most of the major social revolutions in the 20th century were accompanied by equally transformative musical movements–the eras of rock and roll, disco, and hip hop all coincided with larger societal shifts.

The point is not just that pop music is ultimately saccharine fluff. It is that Georgetown students are supporting artists who produce meaningless dribble. We no longer appreciate musicians, the few that there are, who make music for music’s sake. Our demand has led to factory-produced songs of an overly corporatized industry.

Nowadays, even the most innovative of indie bands who initially fought against the record companies for creative independence are signing their souls away. Despite their high IQs and impressive CVs, Georgetown students play the same songs on repeat. I do a double take if anyone even mentions Neutral Milk Hotel or Nirvana, let alone bases a Pandora playlist around such classics. Miley Cyrus has become the new Nina Simone; we went from “the middle of a revolution” to “a party in the USA.” The G-rated, problem-hiding stereotype is most often associated with the ‘50s. Frankly, it’s just as applicable today.