Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Popularity

(submitted by student) Listen to the song "Popular" from the musical Wicked. Some of the important lyrics are "celebrated heads of state or especially great communicators, did they have brains or knowledge? Don't make me laugh, they were popular," and "It's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed..." What is the theme of this song? Do you agree with the message? Can you connect to it personally? After you reflect on the song and theme, think about this. What gets you farthest...brains, beauty, or charisma?

25 comments:

Connor said...

It's pretty obvious just by taking a glance at American polotics that ideas are not nearly as important as image. A certain person names *cough* Harah Halin *cough* got to where she is now based purely on an image as "A 'real' American. An average Joe/Jane" Beauty can get a you a little on your way but Charisma matters. A message you can deliver in an inspiring way is more important than substantial arguments. People like Hitler and Stalin don't egt to where they are because of how gosh darn great their beliefs are, it's a message. The ability to influence people by conveying a sense of power and direction. While that's all well and good, brains can keep all that from happening. Harah Halin quickly lost support as people began to see that she really wasn't all that smart. The importance ranks 1. Charisma 2. Brains 3. Beauty.

Connor said...

Edit: Politics

santa(annie) said...

Hmmmmm good question in todays siocity i believe that brains do get you farther but being pretty gets you what you want, imagine hannah montna she wouldnt be famous if she was ugly and there are so many other examples beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so prettyness is just an opoinon, thats why street smarts and school smarts will actually get you somewhere ...so you should concetrate on schhol and not your hair straightner anyday

KENDALL(: said...

The theme of the song is basically saying that beauty and popularity will get you farthest in life and that being smart isnt important. I dont agree with this at all, some may think being popular with get you everything you want, but once you become and adult thats not true. If you only focas on your beauty and not your brains you wont get into a good collge or have a decent job to support yourself. So, in my opinion brains is the most important, then charisma, then beauty.

*Jess* said...

I don't agree with the message to the song, but it does go along with the story Wicked. The theme of the song, or the song is saying, that popularity will get you whatever you want and being cool is worth everything; being smart doesn't matter, just looking good does. So I agree with KENDALL(:

mrs.edwardcullen said...

I absolutly love this show. I know every single word to this song(and all of the other ones). I do disagree with the lyrics though. When it says," We have to think of... celebrated heads of state, or 'specily great communicators. Did they have brains or knowledge... don't make me laugh, they were popular, please, its all about popular." Life is NOT all about popular. The people she sang about all had great minds. Galinda is very selfish, when on the other hand Elphaba is very selfless. Galinda trys to make "Elphie" into something she is not, and will never be. The people of Oz cannot see past Elphaba's unnatrually green skin. She has a great ming but they do not want to hear from someone who is different. The theme of this song is, some people find thir strengsths based on beauty, while others find their strengths based on brains. I cannot connect to this song personelly. Although this is ong of my most favorite songs I cannot relate to Kristin Chenowith's character, Glinda. I do not believe beauty overpoweres the brain. In time your beauty will fade, people will forget your charm, and all you will have left is your brains.

C.J.Massar said...

theme of this song is that basically beauty is the most important thing, and being "in" is the only way to be...or Popularity is everything. I can perfectly connect to this message, wich I do not agree with. I may not be the best looking or the most popular in our school but what really matters is being popular with your friends. I can't say that popularity won't get you anywhere in life other then in the yearbook for most popular, best smile, or prom king or queen but that is mostly what your gonna get out if it. UNLESS you are a supermodel or some telivision figuer popularity is not really worth it. If I could say that out of charisma beauty and brains, brains will get you the farthes in life, but all three together would be the best. Like a little of each would be the best possible thing to have. What's gonna pay the bills looking good, or having a good job as an engineer or doctor, or teacher. This is why brains are better then bronze and all other life themes that support that statement. If I could have any of the three i would definetly perfer to have brains over beauty.

Mdancer xo said...

The theme of this song would be "Most people think beauty is better than brains." I do not agree with the message which is why it doesn't connect to me personally. To me, you need some beauty but not so much that it takes over your smartness. The lyrics are pretty much telling you that being popular and the way people see you is more important than being smart. Well, it's NOT all about popularity because being popular and not having any brains isn't going to get you far in life. I think the importance ranking would be 1.brains 2.charisma 3.beauty because if you want to be big and successful in life, you need the brains to do it. Charisma would be next because once you become big and successful, your going to want people to know about it. Lastly, beauty is third because you could be ugly and successful at the same time so beauty wouldnt be as important. However its nice to through some beauty in your life at some point (=

cutiegrl24 said...

I agree with all of u saying the theme of the song is most people think beauty is everything and again i agrre with saying i dissagree but only partly. The kind of person u are in life is WAY more important than looks but if along the way u look like u dont careit will be harder to fit in and if u are an outcast you miss out on th entire social experence that is totaly important on a teenagers future. But you dont have to be miss populer like the song says just be yourself thats good enoghf

LauraQZO said...

i think the theme of the song is yes, people think popularity will get you farther in life. but thats not it at all. Charisma is what should be needed to get through life,. it doesnt matter is you're smart or pretty, it matters that you have the faith in yourself to get through life. this song shows that beauty is EVERYTHING, but its not beauty is only skin deep. Brains would be the 2nd thing because, not everyone is smart and people shouldnt be ranked as who is smart and who isnt. beauty is last because you cant go far with beauty, only modeling and so. i can connect with this theme because in middle school many people/students think that beauty matters most. though charisma gets you farther because it matter if you believe in yourself, not what others think of you.

AF313 said...

Allright, the theme of the song is obviously that many people think that beauty and popularity can get you anywhere in life. I totally agree with connor when he says that many people who are where they are today are there simply because they are "popular," for lack of a better word. It's true,but SHOULD it be? do I agree with that message? psh! no! Charisma is exponentially more important...it is that certain charm that makes people look up to you not only for your looks or your smarts, but for your general sort of outlook on life and the way you carry yourself and act around people. This gives you infinitely more possibilites in life. Sure, popularity may get you a political position, but would it get you many other jobs? nope. Sure, smarts are great, but if you're too shy to share them with people or express yourself in any way besides on a test, what's the point? Charisma is profusely more important in life, and that is a message that i think many kids our age should staple to their brains under a big heading marked "Don't Forget!"

MarissaD said...

i think the theme of this song is saying that even if your dumb, if you have beauty and are popular it will get you through life. it is also saying that you do not need knowledge or brains. i do not agree with that beacause you need brains adn knowledge to get a job, and get througt life. being pretty and popular will get you nowhere.

*~Beki~* said...

I think the theme is that people need to be popular to feel like they fit in. I disagree with this theme because it does not matter if you are popular or the way you are viewed, as long as you are happy with the way you are that's all that ever matters in life and being "popular" is going to get you nowhere.

*DanaK* said...

I have seen Wicked, and Galinda is a very superficial character. This song just captures her essence. The theme of it is that to be noticed, you must be popular. I definitely disagree with this. You have to go out of your way to be noticed, but that doesn't mean being popular. I would definitely say that a more correct term to fit in the theme would be charismatic. Looks don't matter. Being perfectly honest here, looks do play a big role in where people get in life, but what's inside a person is more important than that. To be liked for who you are is a good thing. To be liked for popularity is not that great because ranks in popularity are decided mainly on looks.

Giannini50 said...

i disagree with Beki because even thogh looks are partly superficial it doesnt mean they dont matter. If you are popular you then form conecctions and that CAN help you in life and i think in life looks are EQUALLY as important as whats on the inside because i know no one wants to admit it but most of the pretty girls get jobs and good looking guys. but then it relies more on ur personality but looks definelty give you a BIG help in life.

mrs.pete wentz said...

i strongly agree with Beki. Even though you are popular and pretty your still a regular person and your going to have ups and downs in your life and even though your popular most people think your a jerk

Kathleen said...

i agree with *~Beki~* and *DanaK* because they're deffinately right. Being popular isn't about being smart or anything like that. being popular only really means being pretty. This isn't always true but when you grow up and you had worked hard in school to get good grades to get into a good college, usually the popular girls mostly worked on staying popular than doing good in school. Also, when your older you realize that it doesn't matter if your popular or not it only matters how smart you are and how good you will be at your job or anything like that. Lastly, looks do help but it's more important to have brains than just looks.

AmandaG. said...

I disagree with Giannini50. Sure, it's NICE to look good and to feel popular, but does that really matter after you escape the cliques of middle school and highschool? And how are looks just as important as whats on the inside? If you take away the prettiness of a person, but they are extremely smart and kind, they can still get a job and people can still like them. If you take away a person's brains and their good attitude and replace it with beauty, you get a mean person who probably has trouble working a toaster. Sure, that person can enter a beauty contest, but then again, you have to answer questions about world issues. I have yet to meet someone like that, but good looking guys and popularity aren't the most important things in middle school, or even high school. And I think I should define charisma for some people. It means "a special qualitly in one that inspires devotion or fascination", which means the qualitys that make someone particularly interesting or likable. Sure, charisma matters much more than beauty, but I think brains matter more. People can be nice and likable without brains, but you can't be smart without brains, now can you? I know many people who think beauty will get them whatever they want, and prefer "good-looking guys" to a thing most people dread, and rarely do. STUDYING. I think brains and charima get you farthest in life, brains being at the top of the list, because with effort everyone can be relatively smart if they choose, it just takes some people longer to comprehend certain things. But some people choose to say they aren't smart enough and walk away. Brains get you farthest in life.

Kayla =) said...

I agree with Amanda that popularity won't really get you anywhere in life nor will always having good looks like everyone wants. Being smart can really get you anywhere in life it can get you to college,get you the perfect job and just get you about anywhere you want to be.

MOLLY(: said...

i agree with kendall. beauty does not matter as much as brians. you get a lot farther in life with brians. how would you ever get a good job? how would you support yourself? the answer to all of these questions is that you need to the brains.

SHorvath said...

Wow, lot of disagreement on this one...luckily we can all agree that in order to teach 8th grade English you must have looks, charisma and brains...lucky me - H

btw, before anyone comments on my humility(lack of)...jk

*DanaK* said...

HAH, funny, you totally meant that. That's pretty sad, Mr. H, you have to compliment yourself so there can be more debates on this page? OOOOH BURNNN!

*Jess* said...

Well *DanaK*, I guess that's a compliment to you, considering you're thinking about being a Language Arts teacher :) I bet, for once, Dana appreciates that Mr. H!

cutiegrl24 said...

Dana would be an amazing Language arts teacher :D but i do agree with Molly beauty dose not matter as much as brains exept if you dont care how u look it can have a huge impact on your life Being smart is verry important but looking good has its perks.

Kitty said...

Horvath you are just sooooo humble (that was sarcasim) guess you can't add humility to your "list" (which by the way is mistaken)heehee. I also came up with this blog question, so I'm really happy so many of you responded!