00110: My College Essay
By: Mike Farahbakhshian By: Mike Farahbakhshian [ Note: This was part of what got me into William and Mary. Makes you wonder, huh? ]If I could design a Mount Rushmore representing the twentieth century, I would choose the Village People as my models. "Why the Village People?", you may ask. The answer is deceptively simple: the Village People represent the increasing repression of the individual and anonymity of the proletariat in the face of increasing technological sophistication and economic expansion.
To examine this, let us take a look at the lineup of the original Village People: at the center, the Policeman; flanking him, the butch Construction Worker and another, surlier Policeman II; at the very end, outcast of Village People society, the sad Cowboy. What this really means is that the pre-20th century pastoral lifestyle (as represented by the Cowboy) and its love of nature are pushed aside. They are pushed aside in lieu of industry and commerce (the Construction Worker), kept in check by vicious social conformity, and socially oppressed by antiquated "laws" (the Policeman). This period is roughly equivalent to the industrious but racist and morally lacking timespan between World War One and the end of the Cold War: this includes the prosperous but socially turbulent 1920's and 1960's-1970's as well as the socially conformist and economically mediocre 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, and 1980's.
But wait! All is not grim and morbid! For we all can remember the day when the Village People changed their lineup! Two newcomers arrived, the Indian (the advent of multiculturalism), and the Biker (social nonconformity). To the fore came the lonely Cowboy (alternative lifestyles), now played by a new performer. To the end went the Construction Worker, a new performer humbled by defeat (the fall of Communism). Gone was the second Policeman II, thug and enforcer of Policeman I. In came the dutiful GI, the man in uniform, to represent a better tomorrow for the American Way. And the order-bringer at the center, the Policeman I, changed performers to symbolize a change of heart. The tyrant of social oppression was no more, for he became the leader of tomorrow. And their song, YMCA, represents this change, if we have the grace to accept the YMCA as a metaphor for social salvation:
Young man, there's no need to feel down
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy
Young man, there's a place you can go
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
They have everything For young men to enjoy.
You can hang out with all the boys.
In short, we see the 20th century personified in that macrocosm of humanity, the Village People. And so, in conclusion, the Village People represent all that is bad in the 20th century, yet they exemplify all that is good. Truly, they are milestones of our history.
To examine this, let us take a look at the lineup of the original Village People: at the center, the Policeman; flanking him, the butch Construction Worker and another, surlier Policeman II; at the very end, outcast of Village People society, the sad Cowboy. What this really means is that the pre-20th century pastoral lifestyle (as represented by the Cowboy) and its love of nature are pushed aside. They are pushed aside in lieu of industry and commerce (the Construction Worker), kept in check by vicious social conformity, and socially oppressed by antiquated "laws" (the Policeman). This period is roughly equivalent to the industrious but racist and morally lacking timespan between World War One and the end of the Cold War: this includes the prosperous but socially turbulent 1920's and 1960's-1970's as well as the socially conformist and economically mediocre 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, and 1980's.
But wait! All is not grim and morbid! For we all can remember the day when the Village People changed their lineup! Two newcomers arrived, the Indian (the advent of multiculturalism), and the Biker (social nonconformity). To the fore came the lonely Cowboy (alternative lifestyles), now played by a new performer. To the end went the Construction Worker, a new performer humbled by defeat (the fall of Communism). Gone was the second Policeman II, thug and enforcer of Policeman I. In came the dutiful GI, the man in uniform, to represent a better tomorrow for the American Way. And the order-bringer at the center, the Policeman I, changed performers to symbolize a change of heart. The tyrant of social oppression was no more, for he became the leader of tomorrow. And their song, YMCA, represents this change, if we have the grace to accept the YMCA as a metaphor for social salvation:
Young man, there's no need to feel down
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy
Young man, there's a place you can go
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
They have everything For young men to enjoy.
You can hang out with all the boys.
In short, we see the 20th century personified in that macrocosm of humanity, the Village People. And so, in conclusion, the Village People represent all that is bad in the 20th century, yet they exemplify all that is good. Truly, they are milestones of our history.
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