"Something Clever"

Calie Berry

Professor Field

21 April 2010           

English 190

To ‘Roo or Not to ‘Roo

            What is Bonnaroo? As defined by the Bonnaroo website “The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is a four-day, multi-stage camping festival held on a beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee every June” (“Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival”). For some, Bonnaroo is the experience of a lifetime; a chance to see some of the country’s biggest and best musical acts perform. Others, however argue against the festival claiming that it is nothing but a four day hippie fest that is a waste of money, where everyone is surrounded by hardcore drugs and illegal substances. This is not the case. Bonnaroo is a “Music and Arts Festival” at which its diverse participants are given the chance to meet new, different people, boost the local economy, and see potentially expensive concerts for cheap in a safe environment which does not condone the use of illegal substances.

            Some view Bonnaroo as a modern day Woodstock. This comparison is usually seen as a positive thing, however there are some people who believe that Woodstock was a huge hippie orgy at which everyone was high all the time. In this sense, Bonnaroo is not a modern day equivalent of Woodstock. For the most part, a majority of the bands and artists that performed at Woodstock were of the same music genre; therefore many of the attendees were (surprise) people who liked that music. Although not always, people that have similar music tastes usually have similar personalities. Playing on this formulaic stereotype, if we were to look at the artists and bands that perform at Bonnaroo, we would see that pretty much all genres of music are represented. From jazz to techno, Jay-Z to Kris Kristofferson, Bonnaroo brings the best of all music worlds to one place. Granted, there are some stereotypical “hippie” artists performing (Dave Matthews Band), but what about GWAR? When I think of “hippie”, I see flowery skirts, daisies and long hair. Taking a guess here, I’m thinking that this is what most people picture as well. I definitely do NOT see grown men wearing monster costumes screaming at the top of their lungs. Yes, there are “hippies” at ‘Roo, but there are also GWAR fans, bluegrass buffs, rap enthusiasts, and funk aficionados. According to an article by USA Today, “Live from Bonnaroo: The Scene in Tennessee”, over 90,000 people attend Bonnaroo every year. 90,000 people and they are all hippies? Bonnaroo is one of most diverse places to meet new people. After all, everyone pitches a tent (if they aren’t in an RV) in a campground where they probably know about 5 people. What happens in 4 days? They meet the people around them! Standing at a show, surrounded by at least a few hundred people, it is hard not to meet the people that you’re next to. Bonnaroo gives everyone that attends the chance to expand their social systems and meet people that they might not ordinarily meet.

            Some might think that paying $292.60 for a ticket is a bit steep. I will agree that $293 dollars is a lot of money to spend to go see a concert. But, to go to a four-day music festival where there will be over 200 bands performing? Now that’s a steal! Let’s do the math here: as of April 2010, there are over 200 scheduled performances. Divide $293 by 200 acts and that comes out to be $1.47 per performance. Given the average concert these days can range from $20 to $120, you are saving quite a bit of money. On top of the ticket, many people are going to have to get to the festival somehow. I’m sure that not everyone will be walking. A majority of the attendees will probably drive. Let’s take, for example my three friends and I, who will be driving from Charleston, SC. The trip to Manchester is about 513 miles, according to MapQuest. Given that we will be taking a car that gets around 27 miles to the gallon, we will need around 19 gallons of gas for the trip there, and about 38 for the total trip. Let’s round this up to 40 because we will be sitting in traffic for about four hours. Gas this summer will probably be around $3 dollars a gallon; therefore we are going to spend around $120 on gas alone. Divided by 4 of us, this is $30 dollars apiece, making the cost of our ticket $313. Finally, the cost of seeing each act comes out to $1.57. Still not too bad. Factor in the cost of food and we’re probably looking at $2 for each performance that we see. We will be watching acts such as Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, and Steve Martin playing the banjo for about as much as you would pay for a Sausage Egg McMuffin at McDonalds. Do you really even have to consider that?

            But let’s look at a better cause here. When you attend Bonnaroo, you are actually going to a town in Tennessee. On the way to the festival, attendees buy gas from local gas stations, eat at local restaurants, and shop in local stores. A large portion of the money that people spend at Bonnaroo gets pumped into the local economy. The mayor of Nashville, David Pennington, estimates that Bonnaroo attendees “stimulate the economy to the tune of $20 million in five days” (“Bonnaroo Fans Stimulate Local Economy). Given the recession that the entire country is in, local economies could boom if they received the amount of money that the Manchester economy does. In addition to what attendees spend in the area of Manchester, Bonnaroo has also built a $3 fee into the price of each ticket, which goes to a different local organization each year. According to a local Nashville news station, the county received over $250,000 from Bonnaroo ticket sales, which went towards keeping local taxes down.

            The last misconception about Bonnaroo is that everyone is doing drugs everywhere, all the time. I will not lie, there are drugs present at Bonnaroo, and yes there are certain individuals who abuse them and make fools out of themselves. What certain individuals do, however, should not define the festival as a whole; just as college should not be defined as one huge drinking binge because there are certain individuals who choose to participate in underage drinking. Interestingly enough, some claim that alcohol seems to be more of a problem than drugs. USA Today interviewed Marc Roberge of O.A.R: “We’ve been defined at times by the seven drunk fellas in the front row,” Roberge said. “It just kills you. It’ll frustrate you to no end. I’ve never had a stoner cause a huge problem”(Byrd). On the Bonnaroo website, it is clearly stated: “The use of illegal drugs is strictly prohibited at Bonnaroo. All laws pertaining to drug use should be respected. We encourage you to participate in the festival in a lawful and healthy manner. Various clean and sober groups will be onsite should you or any of your friends need their assistance” (“Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival”). These clean and sober groups feature a different campsite, and a group of coordinators. If, for any reason, any attendee feels uncomfortable with the possibility that their neighbor may be high, he or she may join said groups. There is no extra fee and there is no pressure to join. In addition, the festival takes every precaution to ensure that its participants and attendees are safe. Emergency services and security are available all day, every day. Each car is searched for glass containers, and any other contraband before being allowed into the actual festival grounds.

            What is Bonnaroo? Bonnaroo is a four-day music festival held on a huge farm in a small town in Tennessee. People from all walks of life attend the festival in order to hear some of their favorite bands and artists for a surprisingly low price. Because of this festival, the local Manchester economy booms. Some of these attendees choose to partake in alcohol and/or drugs in order to enhance their musical experience, but in no way is everyone in attendance high. The actions of few have defined the festival as a whole in a negative way, keeping some people from seeing Bonnaroo for what it really is: a chance to meet new exciting people, listen to some good music, make a few memories, and all the while helping out the economy.

Works Cited

Byrd, Heather. “Live from Bonnaroo: The scene in Tennessee.” USA Today (2008): n. pag. Web. 18 Apr 2010. <http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2005-06-10-bonnaroo-blog_x.htm>.

“Bonnaroo Fans Stimulate Local Economy.” NBC: WSMV, Nashville, 110062009. Television.

“Information.” Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, 04042010. Web. 18 Apr 2010. <http://www.bonnaroo.com/info/information.aspx>.

William Kemmler

In the collection of poems, Habeas Corpus, Jill McDonough writes about fifty legal executions in the history of the United States. The 26^th poem is about William Kemmler, the first person in New York to be electrocuted. The poem is divided into two separate, yet thematically connected sections. The first is about Medea, whereas the second is solely about Kemmler. In the poem, McDonough parallels Euripides’ “Medea” in order to draw similarities between two murderers and consequently explain why the United States uses capital punishment, and further claim that those who carry out capital punishment are no better than vengeful wives. 

Just as Glauce was a threat to Medea, William Kemmler was a threat to the United States’ justice system. Medea felt that she must kill Glauce because she ruined Medea’s marriage. In her story, marital fidelity was the main cause of the crime. Kemmler, like Medea, felt threatened by the possibility of infidelity, and consequently murdered his common law wife. Because of his suspicions, Kemmler was driven to commit the crime that eventually condemned him to death by electrocution. Accordingly, Kemmler was a threat, a “rival”, to the safety and security of the United States. Most often, any person who is convicted of murder is subject to the harshest punishment possible. For Kemmler, this punishment was death. Glauce was punished. Kemmler was punished.

McDonough uses clothing imagery and similar quotes from the two stories to analogize the murder of Glauce and the execution of Kemmler. In “Medea,” Medea murders Glauce, the woman that Medea’s husband is going to leave her for. She sends Glauce “a poisoned robe and crown” (McDonough 2) which burns her to death. Similarly, right before Kemmler’s execution, the man dawns new apparel, a suit, just for the occasion: “his new suit burn[ed]… /Smoke rose above his head” (12-13). Both Kemmler and Glauce die in their new clothing. Starting at the top of their heads, the two suffer what can be imagined as excruciatingly painful deaths. Both sections feature quotes about blood burning as well: “dripped blood mixed with flames” (7), and “blood stood in his pores” (11).  Both deaths are not only painful, but messy as well, smelling of burning flesh and burning clothing. There is one difference, however. Kemmler’s execution was supposed to be “new, /humane” (9-10), whereas the murder of Glauce was never supposed to be “charitable.”

Glauce’s murder was an act of vengeance, whereas Kemmler’s “execution” was considered to be an act of justice.  McDonough describes the way Medea hears about Glauce’s death; “the messenger, /unnamed, describes how dripped blood mixed with flames;/ he takes his time, ‘doubles’ Medea’s pleasure” (6-10). Considering the fact that Medea killed Glauce in order to get revenge, Medea took great solace in knowing that her “rival” died a painful death. Her pleasure was doubled when she heard about how greatly Glauce suffered, how her blood burned up in the flames. With the second part of the poem, however, the reaction of the witnesses/ the justice system is not accounted for. The messenger in the first part of the poem is biased, taking Medea’s side and trying to please her with his account of Glauce’s death. The reporters in the second part, however simply look on as Kemmler catches on fire; “Reporters watched/his new suit burn, called in ‘singed hair, shined shoes’ ” (11-12). There is no reaction from those in the room; the reporters simply call in the facts. This indifference for Kemmler’s death comes from years and years of having put people to death. Kemmler is no more special than the last man that was put to death for having murdered someone. Capital punishment is somewhat routine now, something that has been done for decades and is simply written up in the papers the next morning. It is here that a distinction is drawn between Medea and the United States’ justice system. Medea is a one time murderer, whereas there have been hundreds upon thousands who have been legally put to death.

Both Medea and the United States killed for revenge and satisfaction, yet Medea committed the crime only once, whereas the United States had been using capital punishment since 1608. Through criticizing words, McDonough shows her disdain for the way criminals are punished. “The first electrocution New York botched/ was Kemmler’s. ‘Electric execution: new, / humane. A man strapped down” (9-10). The crucial operating word here is “botched.” Instead of using a word less accusatory, McDonough chose “botched”, a word that comes with the implied connotation that the executioners made a large mistake. Secondly, the way that “humane” is used is isolated. It is the last word of a sentence yet is located at the beginning of the next line. By isolating the word, McDonough not only emphasizes it, but also mocks it. Humane execution is not a phrase heard often. McDonough is repeating this, stressing the preposterous nature of a humane execution. McDonough takes this mockery further with the sentence following the word: “A man strapped down.” Dying strapped down is not a humane way to die. This last part of the poem is full of contradictions and oxymorons. This contradictory style further emphasizes the contradictory nature of capital punishment.

McDonough comments and elaborates on this hypocrisy by writing an entire book of poems about capital punishment, adding her disdain to each in a different way. In the poem about William Kemmler, McDonough draws a parallel between Medea and the United States, two murderers. McDonough argues that capital punishment is no more than a satisfaction that is used to set the United State’s mind at ease. By still using capital punishment, there is no difference between the justice system and a rancorous wife. 

“Cherish your solitude. Take trains by yourself to places you have never been. Sleep alone under the stars. Learn how to drive a stick shift. Go so far away that you stop being afraid of not coming back. Say no whenever you don’t want to do something. Say yes if your instincts are strong, even if everyone around you disagrees. Decided if fitting in is more important that finding out what you’re doing here. Believe in kissing. “

-Eve Ensler

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2dPXdU/vi.sualize.us/view/4cbe9ccdd83fb21125298c15d4308e5a/

For those of you who have not yet discovered the addictive (addicting?) qualities of Stumbleupon.com, I highly encourage it. One of the most entertaining pages I found while stumbling today…

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1Rt9Pj/www.insurance-quotes-for-you.com/A_must_read_Way_too_funny.html

So I realize it might be cheating a little bit but I thought this was too entertaining not to post:

http://www.wow.com/2009/06/19/blood-pact-of-spells-and-bad-metaphors/