It's about the Music Man! Isn't?

At first glance this picture seems to be the epitome of today's music scene. Musician's holding up their money for all to see. Should this be their biggest concern? Or should they be more concerned with making more (sometimes) beautiful music? Because that's what they are doing it for right? Isn't that the fun for them? Money is just a nice little something after right?

That's the way it should be, but unfortunately it isn't always. After looking at the picture again you realize this is no wealthy man. He's name is Andrew Vanwyngarden, the lead singer and guitarist for MGMT, a now semi-popular band out of Brooklyn, New York. The irony is in this picture makes it outstanding. First he's holding the money loosely in a Payless Shoes bag, which is not the safest place. This shows he does not really mind what happens to it, money is not a high priority to him. It also isn't the case that he has so much money he doesn't need this either. Payless shoes is not the nicest and most expensive shoe store. So he chooses to be a muscian therefore giving up the pursit of weath. It also appears that he doesn't even have a car as he is seems to be riding in some sort of public transportation, most likely a train.
What we need in this modern music scene is more men and women like Andrew VanWyngarden. We need less of those who belevie that money makes happines and music is the way to get there.

The Wizard of Oz: More then just a Child's Movie

The Wizard of Oz is more then just a children's movie, its an allegory depicting some of the most important events of that time. The author, L. Frank Baum, was very involved in politics, no doubt he had the ability to write a political allegory.
When Dorthy reaches the strange village she is told to find The Wizard of Oz, and to do so she must take the yellow brick road. This movie was made in 1939, a year that was in the great depression, a time when many people lost their jobs and due to inflation the U.S. dollar became more and more useless every day. To avoid the U.S. dollar as much as possible citizens began to trade with gold. Dorthy symbolizes this by taking the yellow brick road.
Along the way she meets the Tin Man who is stuck because he lacks oil. The tin man represents the U.S. people's growing dependence on oil, almost all of us would be stuck without gas in our cars. Dorthy meets another character along the way named the Cowardly Lion, who seems intimidating at first sight but lacks the guts to back his chilling looks up. This resembles the United States in the 1930's who adopted the isolationist's way of looking at the world. They were going to stay away from all of the trouble brewing in Europe even though they defiantly had to power to fight.
The Wizard of Oz is a symbol of what was happing in the world in the 1930's. L. Frank Baum hid political figures and happinings in a child's story, that was still a satisfing tale and plot worthy of watching for fun and for smarts.

My Photo Story