Buddy Holly Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Buddy Holly - Research Paper Example It was his family who encouraged his early musical gifts, and he was able to learn playing the fiddle and the piano from a tender age, even as his older siblings taught him how to play the guitar. The family had a business in tiles, while the parents were tailors, but they all let Buddy Holly develop his musical gifts in small and big ways, providng much moral support. Then after secondary school, he formed a band, out of which he further developed his talents, until that fateful event in 1955 when he fronted for Elvis Presley who was touring through their town, and was shortly after signed to a recodring contract by an agent who saw him perform. His early work with the Crickets in 1956 and 1957 paved the way for a career as a solo artist, in 1958, but that career would prove shortlived, as he was killed in a plane crash just a year after. His most famous songs, as reflected in their landing in the Top 40, would come from his work with the Crickets before 1958, notably ‘That Wi ll Be the Day’ recorded in 1957. In all, seven songs from the Cricket era landed in the American Top 40 from that time that Holly spent as the lead of the Crickets. Without that fateful plnba crash shortening the brilliant career of Holly, he would have been in his seventies by now, and would have left as big an imprint as the other greats of rock and roll who have come after him, and who have all cited his work as instrumental in shaping the course of their own music and of rock and roll in general. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Maria Elena Santiago holds the intellectual property rights to the work of Buddy Holly and all artifacts associated with the estate, and this is due to the fact that Santiago had become Holly’s wife in 1958. It was on their first date that Holly proposed marriage, and though the widow would suffer a miscarriage, the consummation of their marriage occurred just a few

Defining Beauty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Defining Beauty - Essay Example While beauty might have once been truly ‘in the eye of the beholder’, today’s society has beauty defined for it by the overwhelming challenges of the mass media. These messages of the media are so consistent they overwhelm any natural sense of beauty, which is important to our sense of identity and social value. Throughout the history of mankind, humans have projected who and what they are, including their relative social position, through their outward appearance. Study after study has demonstrated people dress a certain way and strive to acquire specific items as a means of signifying that they belong to a particular desirable subset of individuals who also embody their individual ideals (Gilman, 1999). Regardless of whether one has always been a part of this subset or not, it is presumed that an outer appearance in keeping with this group will automatically purchase the coveted membership. In the past few centuries, however, the standard definition for female beauty has had detrimental effects on the feminine identity. â€Å"Women view their bodies as ‘objects of work’ requiring attention and upkeep in order to operate well and promote the desired effect† (Gillen, 2001). ... â€Å"Research in the UK suggests that the wealthier we are, the more likely we are to dislike our body. Experts think there’s more pressure on the wealthy to achieve the thin 'ideal' because they have the money to do so and are more exposed to media images† (Rebecca, 2006). Because the wealthy are expected to be able to achieve this ideal, those who are not so wealthy often struggle to attain the beauty ideal as a means of signifying that they belong within the ranks of the wealthy. Within the past few years, televisions have been inundated with so-called ‘make-over’ shows in which the focus is precisely for the media to inform the public regarding what is considered beautiful or desirable. These shows promise an improved exterior facade to participants’ bodies, fashion sense, faces, homes, lifestyles, etc. that will bring the individual into closer similarity to the ideal image and thus make it possible for them to achieve a higher level of happine ss. This ‘ideal’ image is usually envisioned as someone in their mid-20s, slender almost to the point of skeletal, with specific body measurements at the bust and hips and a specific ‘good-looking’ charm that usually includes blonde hair and a friendly demeanor. This limited view of the ideal obviously eliminates anyone who might have been born with larger bones or other ‘defects’ that resist the reshaping of the plastic surgeon’s scalpel from being accepted into the socially acceptable. Makeovers on TV illustrate the unacceptable qualities of the average individual and emphasize the importance of bringing the individual image more in line with a perceived social ideal that is communicated through the same media channel. It is thus perceived that the only way for individuals to find