On the Outside

My thoughts in general: As I was reading the chapters on gender and race in Seeing and Writing, two different songs. The first was "On the Outside" by Oingo Boingo from their Only a Lad album. This song includes the lyrics:

I'm on the outside, I'm on the outside now
This is where it all begins on the outside looking in
Looking in
At you
I'm just an alien through and through
Tryin' to make believe I'm you
Tryin' to fit
Just a stranger on the outside looking in


The second song that came to mind was "Outsider" by The Ramones on their Ramones Mania album. This song includes the lyrics:

I am an outsider
Outside of everything
I am an outsider
Outside of everything
I am an outsider
Outside of everything
Everything you know
Everything you know
It disturbs me so

Music is often discussed as being a way to express emotions, and that discussion is important in media literacy. However, I thought it was interesting how these lyrics came to my mind as I was reading about gender and race. This got me thinking about how media has become part of my conversation. By listening to these songs, the lyrics have stuck in my head, and it is interesting sometimes when they are recalled and what the stimulus is that recalls them. Thus, I thought it was an interesting connection how reading about different people and their experiences with gender and race prompted my recollection of these lyrics.

My thoughts on application: I think it would be informative in a classroom to discuss media as part of our conversation. It might be an interesting assignment to have students record other texts--songs, movies, etc.--that come to mind as they are reading or engaging with other media. It might lead to some interesting discussion about our interaction (and intertextual interaction) with media. I think this would prompt some interesting questions about media literacy and its role in our lives and the lives of students.