Camouflage as Communicator of Survivor Mentality in Contemporary Popular Music: Destiny's Child on the Cusp of Gender, Urban-Combat Attitude, Fashion and Politics

TY - GEN

T1 - Camouflage as Communicator of Survivor Mentality in Contemporary Popular Music

T2 - Camouflage takes centre stage

AU - Langkjær, Michael Alexander

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Michael A. Langkjær wants to know why military style in general and camouflage in particular have become true pillars of pop and rock culture. How is this prolonged influence to be explained? He places rock and camouflage in the larger framework of "military rock" since the sixties. Contrary to what is generally accepted, the uniform-look as a sign of protest was an exception rather than the rule. Uniforms were popular because they provided a visual rallying point, projected an image of masculinity and eroticism and referred to fighters of times past (image promoted by movies). They were also used as identification marks in the transatlantic battle opposing various music groups. The military look transmitted a political message and the camouflage style referred to the Mods' parkas. The permanent influence of the camouflage look is indissolubly linked to revolution, to resistance fighters and to the mystique of urban guerilla, particularly with the Afro-Americans. According to Michael Langkjær women use the look as a symbol of newly-found female empowerment. The aesthetic aspect is not to be forgotten either, as the prints are quite seductive. Ecology also plays a part, with the recycling of camouflaged garments sold in army surplusses. Emo-tv links camouflage to survival, as in the clip "Survivor" by Destiny's Child, in which the concept of the American frontier is glorified.

AB - Michael A. Langkjær wants to know why military style in general and camouflage in particular have become true pillars of pop and rock culture. How is this prolonged influence to be explained? He places rock and camouflage in the larger framework of "military rock" since the sixties. Contrary to what is generally accepted, the uniform-look as a sign of protest was an exception rather than the rule. Uniforms were popular because they provided a visual rallying point, projected an image of masculinity and eroticism and referred to fighters of times past (image promoted by movies). They were also used as identification marks in the transatlantic battle opposing various music groups. The military look transmitted a political message and the camouflage style referred to the Mods' parkas. The permanent influence of the camouflage look is indissolubly linked to revolution, to resistance fighters and to the mystique of urban guerilla, particularly with the Afro-Americans. According to Michael Langkjær women use the look as a symbol of newly-found female empowerment. The aesthetic aspect is not to be forgotten either, as the prints are quite seductive. Ecology also plays a part, with the recycling of camouflaged garments sold in army surplusses. Emo-tv links camouflage to survival, as in the clip "Survivor" by Destiny's Child, in which the concept of the American frontier is glorified.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - Camouflage

KW - Destiny's Child

KW - Gendered fashion

KW - Rock military style

KW - American frontier mentality

KW - Popular music studies

KW - Mods

KW - Popular music and reality television

KW - Fashion and politics

KW - African-American fashion

M3 - Article in proceedings

SN - 2-87051-056-X

SP - 109

EP - 117

BT - Proceedings of the International Symposium 'Camouflage takes centre stage,' Brussels, October 13-15, 2010

A2 - Bogaerts, Ilse

A2 - Palinckx, Werner

PB - Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History, Brussels/Musée royal de l'Armée et d'Histoire militaire à Bruxelles/Koninklijk Museum van het Leger en de Krijgsgeschiedenis te Brussel

CY - Brussels/Bruxelles/Brussel

Y2 - 13 October 2010 through 15 October 2010

ER -