CULTURE FOR A SAKE?
Years after I created my work about subcultural and cultural struggles, it seems that the ideas being written are likely to be considered and adjusted out of a certain condition. Perhaps, these are out of certain talks to some people coming from other genres, and despite any "drifts" likely to get erupt, I felt somewhat a sense of consideration, of accepting them and joining in "forging" to create a new culture.
In fact,
My writeup, that shows conflict between "Mainstream" and "Alternative" (underground) scenes, as well as against "For sake" ideas are likely to stop as every genre, especially being forged by realism and of trying to resist the flow, are likely to be united despite diversity in order to destroy the ones who pushed every people into the enslaving flow, or rather say "of joining into the flow" not knowing where it will stop, as well as to create a new culture from the ruins and ashes of the culture where "total cooptaton" and "total submission" involved.
As what former U.P. President Salvador Lopez hath said: "The word has soul as well as body", cultures are intended to have a real purpose in life. Especially in helping the people building a revolutionary community, a university of life that sprung from the minds of an emancipated being, and not of "dead words, dead sounds, and little or no sense at all."
I remember when I talked with my friend, former L.F.S (League of Filipino Students) member Joel Garduce, he said that "cultures must be deeply rooted and molded for people's aspirations," and thus, I may say that his idea regarding an "organic" culture may include subcultures that resisted the mainstream scene and integrating instead to a greater culture of the people, and be forged, molded with people's ideas and aspirations and not those who are creating "for a sake." of boxed up ideas coming from the enslaving mainstream scene.
Let us say that these genres, are created with the goal of showing their artistic spirit in a productive manner; a part of a culture in which man intended to preserve & to cherish, but some people, whose goal is to accumulate profit, tend to enslave every culture, genre & use as a tool of exploitation. And thus, the ones who resist are those who tend their artistic ideas & tendencies as a cultural tool of resistance & struggle whilst those who join into the flow are the ones who contribute in enslaving people's minds, of corrupting culture and of stereotyping out of it.
Well...
Let's just say that I am deeply influenced by proletarian mass struggles as well as the working class-ness of their cultures, same as the genres involved; especially through their music and art. Perhaps, let's take "Punk" and "Hiphop" for example.
We see these two genres as "overused", "stereotyped", or in case of gangsta (also a part of hiphop) "lumpenproletarian" in nature due to its music and lifestyle, particularly in fashion. Back then these two genres are tools of revolutionary struggle against the dreaded system and exploitation. From the songs of Dead Kennedys, of Crass, to Tupac Shakur and Public Enemy, they spoke of life and on how to fight within it, even to the point of advocating revolution. But now, we see of anything "Pop-fied", of becoming stereotypically bourgeois than becoming totally worker-based in its idea and appearance. Gangsta rap, fueled by mainstream interests and of for sake ideas overglorifies bourgeois culture and of lumpenproletarian lifestyles that corrupts the genre or even Hiphop culture itself. Same as those who stereotypically carrying guitars and creating songs "for sake". Perhaps, few persons, groups tend to resist and remain "working-class" than be corrupted by the flow, becoming blind in following their roots, and contenting in their orgiastic lifestyle.
That would be also possible to other genres affected by the sugar-coated promises of mainstream scene. Since mainstream culture tends to dominate much, supported by capitalistic interests and power from corrupted interests within the dreaded system. That scene manipulates anything, negating much of the genre as possible.
But then,
As time changes, cultures may diversify but the message may likely to remain or change depending on the idea given or the situation related. Hiphop for example, diverses into other sub-categories of its won kind as time changes, same as ideas regarding the trend. And that culture, as it diversifies, affects the real purpose. Like "calling for a struggle", it becomes a mere word since that culture integrate much into the mainstream scene, of commercialism, or rather say of getting used by the reaction! And as for Hiphop, it becomes too lumpen than revolutionary in stating anything according to their lyrics written; worst in interpreting ideas being said, becoming stereotypically "for sake of something". They may've listened Tupac, but they didn't know what Tupac says. Same as in other subgenres-cultures wherein music and theatre is their main forte.
Well, in general,
These problems regarding the state of culture grows worse. Sorry if I say something that may consider against some people who are thinking of "for sake", since their problem is that, they are looking for money by using their idea much, than of propagating their idea, of calling for struggle, and of life; Tupac may've spoken of emancipation of the black from the ghetto, comparing to Soulja boy whose advocacy is related to the asses of his "hoes". These two are hiphoppers, but they contradict much of their content, worst is that most listeners listen and sing, but they didn't know what content is better for them. Same as in other means like painting or plastic arts, even theatre and cinema, wherein some tend to show something, or perhaps show nothing since they are doing it "for sake", that in fact, doing it just to accumulate more profit by using their useful-useless talent.
For sure many of us see, hear, speak out of these things around us courtesy of the "for sake" mainstream scene since it is "cheaper". But then, we didn't look at the content inside every writeup, painting, movie and even the song being played since they created it "for sake", culture nowadays are propagating much of these with minimal influences from their supposed "roots", using it just to accumulate profit and fans most of the time, or I should say participating in creating boxed-up mindsets and obliging people to join in the flow. But despite of these, few or some will resist their ideas and instead calling for its immediate destruction-of destroying the "for sake" mainstream scene alongside the destruction of capitalism!
