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Add to FavoritesThe Star Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 after he witnessed the horrific night-long shelling of Fort McHenry by the British, and then saw the U.S. flag still flying over the fort at dawn. It's an expression of awe at the heroism, the selflessness, and the courage of the men... and the nation... that stood behind that flag.
At Woodstock in 1969, Jimi Hendrix played the Star Spangled Banner in one of his most famous performances. In a clear anti-war statement, he used his guitar to intersperse his interpretation with sounds of explosions and destruction, and ultimately burned his guitar onstage. Hard-core patriots were outraged, anti-war activists declared it a triumph, and the music community cheered it as further proof of Hendrix's musical genius.
Was Hendrix disrespecting the National Anthem? No. He took a musical piece loaded with high principles and twisted it to express the twisted nature of U.S. policy at the time. It was a potent political message, showing no disrespect to the song or its meaning. Rather, he used the National Anthem as a vehicle to make a musical, political commentary. The principles of the National Anthem were never challenged.
There are hundreds of examples in pop culture where the Star Spangled Banner has been used for artistic purposes, but never to disrespect the song or the spirit behind it. In the sitcom "The Odd Couple", one of the characters (a dim-witted New York cop named Murray) writes a script where a character with a lisp sings the National Anthem at a sports event. They debate whether "Oh Thay can you Thee" is bad writing or comedy.
In the movie "The Naked Gun", a dimwitted investigator is put in the position of singing the National Anthem at a ball game, and mangles the lyrics, demonstrating his stupidity... again... but also symbolizing the general ignorance of the U.S. public.
In the musical "Hair" the lines "Oh Say, Can you see, by my eyes, if you can, then my hair's too short!" are sung to the national anthem's tune... but only to show how the high principles of freedom's defense have been twisted to condemn a hair, life, and political choice.
Re-interpreting the National Anthem to address these issues (stupidity, political commentary, social perspectives) does not disrespect the song. It simply uses the Anthem as a symbol to frame a question. And usually that question is "Aren't we pursuing stupid goals when you view them against our heroic heritage?"
Now, does pop culture itself disrespect the National Anthem? Does the core of our entertainment culture show a lack of respect for the courage and heroism of those who defended our freedom?
Not at all. Rather, it is ringing proof that the U.S. people have created and enjoy a society of unprecedented freedom, where the pursuit of mindless and trivial escape has become the nut of our society.
The true disrespect for our National Anthem is not pop culture. It's expressed more in our daily decisions to accept foreign invasions of people and products aimed only at exploiting our country rather than building it. It's expressed in our selection of political leaders who put their own interests ahead the needs of our people.
The disrespect is not in pop culture, its in our political, economic, and social choices. Entertainment is not the institution taking a pee on our national symbols. Rather, it is the American people who disrespect the National Anthem through their lack of backbone, ideals, and patriotism.
Learn more about this author, Eric Lannak.
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Yes
Yes, our pop culture shows disrespect to the US National Anthem.
However, to answer this question in the affirmative requires some mental gymnastics on the part of a conscientious writer when the argument in question is missing the required "to." I'm not sure, as a matter of fact if "...our pop culture show disrespect the US National Anthem." But if I'm understanding the question correctly, there can be no other rational answer than a resounding and unqualified 'yes.'
To be sure, American pop culture shows an astonishing lack of respect to ANYTHING worthwhile, and in certain instances most especially to the United States National Anthem in particular. It's not about sporting events-although that is where most everybody hears our National Anthem on a regular basis. That's not what is at issue here. It's about "our (presumably American)" National Anthem, and whether or not is has been violated by the prevailing pop culture.
The reason why we must divorce sporting events from the debate is that they ARE pop culture. The debate rages on about who should be NBA MVP this year, whether Barry Bonds should have an asterisk by his name in record books, and what Micheal Vick has done to tarnish the NFL's reputation. These things are by their very nature pop culture.
It seems to me that a proper discussion of this issue should draw some distinction between these issues and the lyrics written by an American aboard a British warship nearly two hundred years ago.
Francis Scott Key wrote 'The Star Spangled Banner' in 1814, watching Baltimore's Fort McHenry as it was bombarded throughout the night. He was in an uncertain condition, wondering whether he'd live another day as a prisoner of war, whether his countrymen ashore would persevere, and whether-as Washington D.C. had recently been burned to the ground-there was any hope for his country to survive. What has been bequeathed to us from a horrific and uncertain night is our National Anthem. What was created through strife and no small amount of courage has become the song we sing in an obligatory way before we see Lebron James make a spectacular dunk. Perhaps we're exposed to it before Barry Bonds hits another dinger! Hoo-ray for sports!
Perhaps in a not-so-distant future American Idol will have its contestants sing the National Anthem to determine the winner. The nation might stand polarized as we hear Nigel's commentary about how X was better than Y and why and who and why not?
This question, even if properly phrased, is ridiculous. There is no doubt. The National Anthem stands for something proud, something brave, something real and stands for everything that is lacking in pop culture. The two ideals could not be more diametrically opposed.
Does our pop culture show disrespect to the US National Anthem? Of course. But so do puppies farting on youtube. So do the hundreds of magazines and television shows talking about celebrities. To compare Lindsey Lohan's music or Miley Cyrus' photo ops to the Star Spangled Banner is absurd. I won't do it. There is no need. In fact, there was no need to write this entire thing because it is-or should be-entirely too obvious to anyone who is literate that the answer to the question is 'yes.'
At a certain point it's not about history, or bravery, or celebrity. It's not about anything, really. It's just about how much importance we place on the transitory, the ridiculous, the silly and the absurd. And so far, as much as I can tell-and as absurd as it seems-we place far more importance on pop culture than anything the National Anthem has meant or ever could mean again. If there is any better evidence that pop culture has ruined and disgraced and cheapened!-and disrespected the National Anthem, I haven't stumbled across it.
Learn more about this author, George Blair.
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