Recently I have
noticed a trend in music videos where artists use or portray drugs in a
glamorous way. This idea sprung up in my head ever since the Presidential
election earlier this month. During this 2012 election, Amendment 64 passed in
Colorado, allowing the recreational use of marijuana. Immediately I thought how
will this Amendment shape our current culture?
Two days after
the election, Rihanna released the music video for her new single, Diamonds.
The initial shots are of Rihanna with diamonds as she rolls them into a blunt. So
right off the bat, Rihanna is symbolizing the word “diamond” to mean marijuana.
Although this is not the original meaning for the song, Rihanna creates a
correlation between the two with this imagery. The whole diamonds/marijuana
scenario generates an allure for viewers. Many young girls may watch this video
and be attracted to this subconscious notion that marijuana is like diamonds.
Diamonds by Rihanna
Amendment 64 and
the Diamonds video coincidentally happened around the same time, however
artists have been glamourizing drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex in music
videos for decades. For instance many hip-hop artists portray drugs in their
music videos. It’s to the point where hip-hop artists have created a stereotype
for themselves based on this occurrence.
Afroman’s,
Because I Got High is a perfect example of the most extreme marijuana use,
particularly because the entire song was written about smoking weed. Naturally
the music video fits the theme of the song and shows Afroman smoking a lot of
weed. I think this video is important to mention because Afroman collaborates
with two famous characters in pop culture, Jay and Silent Bob. In doing so,
Afroman is appealing to the fans of those characters while attracting viewers
to use marijuana.
Because I Got High by Afroman
As Rihanna and
Afroman stylize the use of drugs as a chic endeavor, some artists use drugs to
show hardship. For example Prodigy’s, Smack My Bitch Up shows a dark side of
drug and alcohol abuse. According to a survey conducted by PRS for Music, the
song was voted the most controversial song of all time. The video is just as
controversial portraying acts of cocaine use, theft, binge drinking and
violence. In this particular example, I think the music video de glamourizes
the use of drugs and alcohol because the viewer gets to witness first hand the
effects of these substances.
Smack My Bitch Up by Prodigy
I’m particularly
curious to see how Amendment 64 will shape the use of drugs in music videos.
Although artists already portray these substances in their videos, I can only
imagine what is to follow now that certain states have legalized marijuana.
What will be the pop cultural repercussions of this Amendment and how will it shape the next generation of musical artists?
