End of Semester Reflection

After looking back at my original definition of a protest, I would like to change a couple parts. First of all, I no longer believe that a successful protest must be comprised of a large group of people. As outspoken individuals like Michael Moore, Al Gore, and Cindy Sheehan have proven, a single determined and persistent person can cause quite an uproar which can lead to change. Moore has almost become a household name because of his documentaries, while Al Gore just won a Nobel Prize for his passionate fight against climate change. I'm particularly impressed by the impact that Gore has had; it seems like discussion about global warming, carbon credits, and the environment has exploded ever since the release of An Inconvenient Truth.
While Gore is helping to create a grassroots movement, I'd like to amend my earlier statement this semester that a movement must start at the grassroots level to enact real change. If Gore, or anyone else for that matter, can inspire Congress to change a law before the concept catches the attention of your average Joe, that is a concrete change and proof that the routes to a successful protest are as diverse as the tactics used to stage a protest. I'm amazed at the number of creative protests we've seen throughout the semester, and I'm much more aware of the more subtle protests that exist today. I did not think of Jon Stewart as a protester before, but now that I know his philosophy on the mass media and politics, I definitely see his show as a subtle type of protest which reveals all the hypocrisy that the government and major stations refuse to discuss. I've enjoyed this class and aam sure I'll think back to it whenever I see a future protest.

Billy Joel's 'Allentown'

Allentown by Billy Joel is a great example of a protest song. In choosing an example, I wanted to steer clear of anti-war songs, as these seem to be everywhere these days. I stumbled upon this song during my research, and its message of protesting against recession is something you don't hear every day so I found it interesting. In this song, Billy Joel reveals the concerns of small town factory workers in Pennsylvania (specifically Allentown and Bethlehem) as they lose their jobs. Bethlehem Steel was in decline and about to close down, and the resulting job loss was devastating in these small towns. The laid off workers felt cheated, like they had followed the promise that "if we worked hard, if we behaved," that they would be secure and well-off. Instead, these blue collar workers feel their American dream slipping away.

Joel witnessed first-hand this economic crisis, while he was performing at Lehigh Valley's many music venues. This track was placed first on The Nylon Curtain, which was the seventh best selling album of the year in 1982. Also, the song reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, so it obviously appealed to fans and made an impact on people. However, a certain "call to action" is not made in this song, so while it may have been popular, I'm not sure that it inspired much social change. While the lyrics and song are not uplifting, the music does have a good beat that could get stuck in your head.

I agree with many of the comments made in class about the effectiveness of a protest song. Songs may help to finalize someone's opinion, but I don't think many people would be completely swayed one way or another solely because of a song. As The Australian article that we read argues, it is not enough to simply write the protest song and expect it to make a difference. The song must have a hook and draw listeners in, but many of the current protest songs are "bad music" and so may not be as effective.

Ann Coulter and Michael Moore

After watching Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, I was impressed with the research he conducted and his effort to interview a variety of subjects. It is obvious that he is biased, and this slanted take on all the events related to Bush can be a little off-putting at times, but I found the majority of the documentary shocking and thought-provoking. We have learned about fallacious arguments, and a common error is to use an appeal to an improper authority. Moore interviews many subjects, and most are qualified to speak on the subject matter (e.g. the Oregon border protection official on the topic of Oregon's border security). Fallacious arguments do not logically support their conclusions, but Moore is good at using facts and his research to back up claims. For example, he notes the difference in sources of income from the Saudis and from Bush's presidency ($1.4 billion vs. $400,000) to argue that there is a conflict of interest. I was impressed that he located an old military record that did not black out "James R. Bath" in order to raise suspicion about a recently released document. I have heard that some of Moore's statements are not factual, so I would want to do more research before completely accepting some of his claims. An example of his obvious bias is when he states that Bush went to sleep on "fine French linens" the night before 9/11. This is extraneous information that is a kind of personal attack- portraying Bush as rich, spoiled, and implying he is someone who sleeps soundly even though he knows our country is in trouble.

Moore's bias seems very tame after watching Ann Coulter's incessant word-flow. She comes across as a self-absorbed person who likes to hear her own voice. Throughout the multiple interviews we saw (except for the last where respect of the other speaker appeared to be a ground rule), she was constantly talking even while being asked questions! She relies on ad hominem way too much (e.g. calling Hillary Clinton and Lewinsky "chubby," and calling her opponent's revelation of an incorrect quotation as one of his "long boring stories"). Coulter lacks logos in her arguments, and it is hard to understand why her books have become best-sellers.