Archives for March 2021

Have you ever heard the song “Baby” by Justin Bieber? Or have you been living under a rock for the last decade? I think we can agree that this song represents the peak of our tween years. Our need for a nasally pop super star to sing us a repetitive elegy blows my mind, but hey, I won’t lie and say I don’t have the song downloaded to my phone. For how much crap everyone gave the song, it’s pretty catchy. I have recovered from Bieber Fever, but my brain can’t seem to shake the tune after I hear it. It stays with your soul. Almost like Satan. Addison Rae has come out with her single, “Obsessed”, and I am here to make the argument that this has ties to Germany. I promise this will make sense. Just keep reading.

Schläger music is a genre of music in Germany that is super tacky, super simple, and super repetitive. It also rhymes, so that adds to the sugary feel in your brain when you listen to it. I found this style of music through my German language class. My professor played us a few songs, and I was enthralled. I did some research, and apparently Schläger music is the equivalent of Christian Rock, which basically means this music is TV-G and super kitschy. I was interested to find out more about this genre.

Apparently, Schläger music is a huge part of Germany’s culture. Germany has TV night specials every day of just hours of Schlager music. I guess this would be the American equivalent of MTV. They also have the Spring Festival of Volksmusik, the Summer Festival of Volksmusik, and even the Great New Year’s Schlagin’ Eve Spectacular. Schläger music year-round! With help from Rebecca Schuman’s article, “Is Schlager Music the Most Embarrassing Thing Germany Has Ever Produced?”, I have outlined a checklist below to define the key elements of this genre:

1. Schlager contains very upbeat, simple, and rhyming lyrics; almost like a poem.
2. Content matter is never political, inappropriate, or upset.
3. Every song has a (If I seem repetitive with the word “simple”, you should see the article I read below) a simple and catchy melody

Just to really hit home what this genre is like I am attaching a video from the article that I feel showcases the outfits, lyrics, and melody of Schlager. Now, you’re probably thinking, “Great, I have learned about this terrible music. I can move on with my life”. That is where you’re wrong. Somehow, I STARTED LIKING SCHLÄGER MUSIC! It was specifically the song “Ohne dich” by Sarah Zucker that drew me in. It’s so catchy, and the music video was so fun! I also attached it in case you would like to watch, because who doesn’t want to watch a blonde German on roller-skates singing a song?

Here is my favorite song:

Now, stick with me for a second as I explain the connection. People have been going crazy on Tik Tok making fun of Addison’s music video choreography (rightfully so). After seeing one of these memes, I hopped onto YouTube to watch the video itself. I am ashamed to admit it: I liked her song. Hey! It was catchy! The reason this all connects is because I think Addison Rae is contributing to America’s Schläger music. Even tough hers is technically not very TV-G, I think the idea of a guy being obsessed with her and she being obsessed with herself, the rhymes, the simple lyrics, and the melody all fits the characteristics above. For whatever reason, I have a curse for liking simple, catchy, and annoying songs.

I have several theories as to why, but probably because it doesn’t require many brain cells to memorize the lyrics and you don’t need an amazing voice to belt out the tunes. I have found happiness in German Schläger music, maybe you will too, so much so I am finding similarities to American songs. I also highly recommend watching the memes on Tik Tok; you might use those dance moves at Lonnie’s Karaoke Bar sometime. Go give Schläger music a listen!!!

Is Schlager Music The Most Embarrassing Thing Germany Has Ever Produced?

An official trailer for The Suicide Squad was released a few days ago, and it looks promising. As the trailer will make abundantly clear, the sequel (possibly reboot) to Suicide Squad (2016) is directed by James Gunn, who has directed The Guardians of the Galaxy series. This is smart on the part of Warner Brothers. They need to gain back some of the trust they lost with the original Suicide Squad by making a reputable director the face of their marketing. Even just by looking at the trailer, there are a few things that are already better than the disaster that was the original film. 

First, there is the matter of color. Many of the DC films of the past decade are colorized in such a way that it always feels like I’m watching a movie with sunglasses on. Of course, I am referring to Zack Snyder’s work, but this problem turned out to be worse in Suicide Squad, which was directed by David Ayer. The movie was so dark that, in a scene where a character is lighting an entire office space with fire, it still was difficult to make out what was going on. The brighter colors in the new trailer is a refreshing look and also one of the good indicators that this film will not be taking itself too seriously. 

There’s also the writing. Of course, we only have the bits and pieces of dialogue in the trailer to refer to, but I sincerely think it was better than any dialogue that happened in the entire Suicide Squad movie. When I watched the trailer for the original Suicide Squad I didn’t think much about the writing because it was doing what most trailers seem to do: show the dumb, quippy jokes and withhold the actual good lines. You can imagine everyone’s disappointment then, when the entire movie was full of dumb jokes and uncomfortable dialogue. Seeing just a few of the exchanges in the trailer, I can already tell these characters will act more like people, and if James Gunn gets these wacky characters right, really interesting people. Some of those lines felt a bit forced, but we can’t judge until the film comes out. 

This is a step in the right direction for DC in general. It’s about time they admit that the Marvel take on things is what sells for superhero movies if they truly want to be as big. Like I’ve said before, Marvel came first, and they set the stage for what people expect from a superhero film. Zack Snyder’s DC films are like the stubborn, edgy teenagers who refuse to admit that mother Marvel is right. Let’s hope that by stealing a Marvel movie director and actually showing some vivid colors on screen, people can unanimously enjoy a DC movie for once.

This weekend I conquered the invisible battles lines that have entrenched our campus: the Vandy Bubble. Ya know, the imaginary boundaries that surround our campus forcing us to use the old reliable restaurants like Roma or Pancake Pantry, and preventing us from truly exploring Nashville. I am very much so an introvert at heart, so forcing myself to get out of my comfort zone is a hilarious struggle constantly going on inside my brain. Yet, this weekend I had an external motivator: Norman. Norman, or Stormy Normy as I call him, is my father and he decided to come visit his favorite (!) daughter this weekend in the bustling city of Nash.

My father and I are pretty nerdy; it’s genetic you could say. We are history buffs, and it’s a tradition of ours to visit Civil War historical or battle sites when we can. This weekend we visited the Carnton Plantation, specifically the McGavock family home that was used as a field hospital during the Battle of Franklin Trust and the Belle Meade Plantation. Before I begin describing our southern adventures, I just want to write a disclaimer. As we visited and read about the history of the south, my father and I were conscious to recognize, discuss, and remember the history of the enslaved populations in the era of the Civil War and of the lands we visited. These were not visits of ignorance, but of an appreciation to remember the past of all those who experienced it. I would like to add that the Belle Meade tourist site is entirely problematic in its portrayal of slavery, white fragility, and whitewashing of the past and Civil War. I warn you to research before visiting, because their portrayal is entirely inadequate of the lives lost. I have attached an amazing podcast that was done by my classmates on the problems that exist within Belle Meade, titled, “Belle Meade – Erasure, Distortion, and Performance”*

Our journey began thirty minutes away in the town of Franklin, TN. This was a cute drive through the Tennessee country sides that felt so refreshing to see after months of viewing the urban sprawl of downtown. We stopped in at a super cute coffee shop, called “The Good Cup”. Obviously, this is so far away, but if you’re ever around Franklin, definitely try it! Their chai was spectacular and their fresh donuts were delightful. We finally arrived at our destination of the Carnton historical plantation, but our main visit was to the McGavock family mansion. I wasn’t allowed to take any photos inside, but I have included some from the outside. Fun fact: southern homes are known to paint their porch ceilings blue as a way to deceive flying critters from making nests or flying into it. Cool, right???

We took a guided-tour throughout the house, and it was insanely fascinating. I love learning about the culture and experience in history, not so much the facts or politics. The experience surrounding the McGavock mansion in terms of the Civil War is that it was used as a bloody field hospital during the Battle of Franklin Trust. Like I said, I hate political history, so I am not going into the battle or what it did; that’s what Google and the professors here are Vandy at for. But, the South was losing really badly, so the Tennessean Confederate army commandeered the mansion to use as a hospital for wounded men. My Dad and I got to see the rooms as they were in the 1800s, and on the night of the battle. Another fun fact: the gore from the hundreds of men that night is still evident on the wooden floors. Yup, you read my words correctly. We got to see the blood stains that still live on decades and decades later.

The McGavock family had two children: a nine-year-old girl and seven-year-old boy. These two kids were actually there the night of the battle, and there are historical accounts of the family helping to aid the wounded men. There are so many interesting and diverse histories associated with this plantation, so I would definitely encourage reading more, or even trying to visit if you can. I really appreciate the museum’s efforts to remember all the histories associated with the Civil War.

Our next visit was to the Belle Meade plantation. This is actually much closer to campus! This Harding family that built the mansion was actually more involved in horse racing than farming cash crops. Fun fact: horse racing found its popularity in Tennessee, not Kentucky like one might think. The popularity of breeding and racing horses actually started at the Harding Plantation. This place was gorgeous. The grass was a luscious green, and the flowers were in full Spring bloom. We started our tour sharply at 10:00 a.m., but boy was it bustling for a museum tour on a Sunday morning. This plantation didn’t have any significant battles of the Civil War attached, but it was important to the society of elites in Nashville during the time of the war. The house was elegant, elaborate, and grandiose. They had floating staircases, which means every third step was attached to the wall by a concrete cinder block, so we were warned to stay close to the wall. It was actually really cool because you could feel on the floor where the concrete ended, and it did indeed feel like you were floating. It was really cool to see the structures and how people lived not even 200 years ago. Our building processes, aesthetics, culture, and society have changed so much in what is relatively such a short time. Another fun fact: ruby red tinted windows were a sign of southern hospitality.

I have not even licked the surface of the history and experiences that are attached to these two amazing places. I was so happy that I got to learn more about my home for the next four years, and I got to venture out of the ever comfortable Vandy bubble with my favorite pal, Stormy Normy. He is my favorite partner in crime, so seeing him is definitely a recharge on the online learning battery. I was so proud to show my city of Nashville and for both us to continue our tradition of learning Civil War history.