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Use and Influence of Amateur Musician Narratives In Film, 1981-2001

Helb, Colin
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1245445172

Abstract Details

2009, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, American Culture Studies/Popular Culture.
This dissertation is an analytical survey of four amateur musician narrativescreated between 1981 and 2001. Unlike purportedly true, marketing-driven uses of amateur narratives, the four narratives chosen for this project are unabashed total fictions. Despite this, the films achieve levels of perceived “authenticity” by way of cultural value and influence. None of the narratives deal with amateur musicianship as a stage or step in an inherent progression towards professionalism, as seems a prerequisite for the recollections of the now professional. But all include narratives of amateur musicians struggling to make it against “insurmountable commercial odds” resulting from an artist's gender, talent, ability, or identity. Despite this, none treat hegemonically dictated concepts of commercial success, wealth, fame, and stardom as the ultimate and/or desired goal of amateurism or semiprofessionalism. The films all present concepts of accomplishment in challenge of hegemonic notions of professional dominance and commercial success as markers of success. The four films, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1981), Ishtar (1987), Half-Cocked (1995), and Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), are culturally representative of their respective eras, but have experienced lasting cultural influence in both filmmaking and music making. The films exist as prototypical examples of amateur musicians narratives, performance, and media common to the 20th Century “rise of the amateur” as found on the Internet, in realty programming, and marketing tragedies.
Jeremy Wallach, PhD (Committee Chair)
Irina Stakhanova, PhD (Committee Member)
Vivian Patraka, PhD (Committee Member)
Awad Imbrahim, PhD (Committee Member)
211 p.
Music
Amateur; Amateurism; Professionalism; Popular Music; Popular Culture; Internet; Film; Gender; Rock Music

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Helb, C. (2009). Use and Influence of Amateur Musician Narratives In Film, 1981-2001 [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1245445172

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Helb, Colin. Use and Influence of Amateur Musician Narratives In Film, 1981-2001. 2009. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1245445172.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Helb, Colin. "Use and Influence of Amateur Musician Narratives In Film, 1981-2001." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1245445172

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1245445172
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© 2009, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.