Music Consumption

Who takes the time to go to the store and buy CDs anymore? Most of us download our music-- legally and illegally. Our music is something that is disposable. We can download it, listen to it, delete the tracks we don't like, or erase the album as a whole. When an artist creates an album, they intend it to be a whole composition-- meaning, they want you to listen to it beginning to end. They placed certain tracks in specific locations of the album for a purpose. When you play the album on shuffle or only choose to listen to one song off the album and ignore the others, you aren't taking in the artist's sole intention of their work. Have we lost our appreciation of music as an art form? Many choose to not even buy a full album, they might download the one song the artist has on the radio and not listen to what else the artist has to offer. In the same token, artists know how people are listening to their music so they can work hard on one song that they want to be put out there as a single and then rush to make a couple other songs to make a complete album.

How I consume music, well, I am a downloader. I used to spend my weekly allowance at the record store. I would spend a good amount of money. Think, 2 CDs, that's almost $40! Now, I choose to not pay for my music, I feel guilty for this, but why pay when it is easily accessible for free. Do I think it is stealing? Sure. But since it is something that isn't a physical object, it doesn't feel like I am stealing. I do attend concerts of the bands I like that I download for free. I sometimes buy their merch and this contributes more to the band than actually buying the CD. The CD betters the record company, rather than the actual artist.

Although I do download music, it is a disposable thing, and I get a few albums a week, I do listen to albums in their entirety. I have an iPod, but I can't listen to it in my car. I burn most of the albums I download onto CDs and play them beginning to end while driving around.

I am positive that record stores will be in non-existence in a few years. I find this sad, but I can't complain since, like many other, I don't visit these places anymore. It will be interesting to see the face of the music industry in another ten years.

KRAMER VS. KRAMER

Where is it written that a woman makes a better parent than a man? This is a question that arises in the award winning film, Kramer Vs. Kramer. The story is about, Joanna Kramer, a woman (wife/mother) who leaves her husband, Ted Kramer, and son, Billy, in search of her own identity. She could no longer only see herself as being someone's "daughter, wife, and mother".

Ted, who is a workaholic, left most of the care taking of his son up to Joanna. With the absence of Joanna, Ted realizes that he needs to step-up and change his role. He struggles in the beginning, but then gradually understands what it takes to be a good parent. He puts his son before his job and actually loses his job for this.

After Joanna had been gone for over a year and a half, she realizes that she wants her son Billy back in her life. She meets with Ted and tells him that she wants to have her child back. Ted won't allow it. He was the one that was there when she walked out. Billy is practically all the Ted has and he isn't willing to give him up.

They end taking one another to court and fight for custody of the child. Although, Ted is the more appropriate parent and provides a stable home for Billy, the court (as well as the rest of society) feels that a child should be with their mother. She wins the case.

When she comes to pick Billy up from Ted, she feels guilty taking Billy away from his room of "painted clouds" and sees that Ted is a fitting parent for their son.

The story is a different view of gender roles. We are trained to think that a mother is a care-taker, one who is a parent, nurturer. The man is thought to be the worker, the one who brings home the money, spends less time with the children. This movie was made in 1979 (almost 30 years ago). The view on single fathers is about the same. We usually see single mothers, not too many single fathers. So why is it that we believe a woman makes a better parent than a man?

This question makes me think about gay parents. It is looked down upon by society if a child has 2 fathers, or 2 mothers. Does gender/sex really matter when it comes to raising a child? Call me crazy, but it seems that having 1 or 2, or even more parents loving you, taking care of you, and supporting you matters a lot more than their biological sex.

I can see why this movie was considered controversial at its time, as it is still a somewhat controversial issue in our society. Other movies have had their own take on this issue, such as Mr. Mom.