An individual’s voice. What makes it so controversial? Why does the expression of someone’s voice cause so many problems in our society? How come it is so hard for people to accept the beliefs of others without a problem? I think about these questions constantly and the solutions to these problems will be an ongoing task. For me, these questions apply to the artist’s role as a political activist because it is the voice that makes this role so controversial.
The answer to those questions in my opinion are the different beliefs people have. No matter where you go or how simple the question, it is always a challenge to get the same answer from people. On most issues and topics, people can not have one uniform opinion. There is always a slight difference or change from one opinion to the other. For example, for our class when we created the spectrum, no two people liked “Metal Children” or “Kissing Fidel” exactly the same. All of us had a slight difference to our opinion and no two were the same. This is the same thing for many issues in a society. We have so many different opinions about every single thing. From politics to something as simple as food, we have different preferences. Especially when it comes to politics which is such a sensitive subject for many because it sparks so many issues and problems in our society.
As a nation, politics creates so much tension and debate. What caused the recession?, Is Obama doing what he can to help us through the recession?, and Is Obama a good president at all? are some of the many issues that we hear in the media. Personally, I think that politics goes back to the individual voice. It is the individual’s voice that causes all this tension over the field of politics. People each have a different side on issues of politics with our own solution that they believe in. That is why when a debate comes along they argue that belief constantly because they believe in it. I mean I know when I have an opinion of my own I share it. This goes for others in terms of debating. We want our freedom of expression and our voice to be heard because it is our right.
This is what makes the artist’s political voice so controversial. As an artist, he or she does not just entertain but they express their opinion about a certain subject. The artist often addresses political issues in his or her work. They take a risk of exposing their opinion to the public. Usually many people who have an opinion do talk about it; however, it is rare that they publish it or post it for a wide audience to see. Artists’ take on this responsibility and take on political issues in writing, acting, music, filming, or drawing. By expressing their voice to the public, people who have a different opinion judge the work differently. This becomes the center of controversy. Different opinions clash with one another because artists place their political voice on display. I have seen people talk about several pieces of art on display in a way that opposes the piece. You can see controversy about any article or film right on the sidewalk We all see it and is probably happening as we speak.
Michael Moore is a great example of the use of political voice in Farenheit 9/11. It was a documentary filled with so much controversy. The reason is just like any other artist. We all have different voices and some did not agree with how Michael Moore portrayed the war and 9/11 event. Yet he took the risk and put his voice out there to create controversy among the public because once again we all have an opinion of our own. It makes you wonder when can we have some kind of issue that we will all agree on. Hopefully someday we can.
