Project 1- Critical Regionalism and Darius Rucker

In this project I wrote a thesis first paper which analyzed Darius Rucker’s music video Wagon Wheel (posted below) through the lens of critical regionalism.

My initial outline and notes for the project

How Rucker then challenges that
How does your chosen document sustain, reject, or complicate the regionalist tradition?
Does it seem to confirm some critics’ suspicion of regionalism or justify other critics’ endorsement?
Eggener- further marginalizing
Powell- 2 sides, #1-ignoring the trends of history, #2 societal invention
INTRO- with summary
PH- SUMMARIZING LENS
PH- IS A REGIONALIST PIECE
– Evokes images of identity and belonging
– Purple tigers
– ‘neighborly behavior’
– American flags
– Lyrics: escaping busy life in the NorthEast for life the the South
PH- IMAGE IS COMPLICATED BY RACE
– White woman
– Only black man
– Would not have been as nicely received
– Lyrics: “I will die free”
PH- SUPPRESION
– Damaging to black community
– Further marginalizing
– Whose interests are being served?
– Eggener
PH- SOCIAL INVENTION
– Powell
– Alternative history
– Making a point
– Could have been different
– Just a dream that he wakes up form
CONCLUSION
– Striking lack of criticism for the piece or Rucker’s work in general
– Other pieces similarly ignore race
– What country music could be?
– Although regionalist- inaccurately represents history. Helpful or Harmful?
– I’m a black guy in country music and there are people who don’t like that. But it’s not going to make me quit.
– “We work so hard to stay true to country music,” Rucker concludes. 2013

My first draft was peer reviewed. In the following images is a copy of the text and the comments I received.

 

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The plan that I made based on my peers commentary was:

Based on my peer review suggestions I will mention my argument more strongly from the beginning. Also, I will look for the greater effects of the piece, especially through the lens which Austin offered of resisting vs. conforming.

Conference Draft and Comments

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My Final Draft and Grade

Darius Rucker’s Uneasy Regionalist Celebration

Darius Rucker’s music video Wagon Wheel begins with Rucker turning back the hands of an antique clock and reappearing as a down-on-his-luck musician walking the rails. With a black and white picture of a southern belle in his pocket, the artist hitchhikes his way through a stereotypical Americana landscape taking advantage of every opportunity for an impromptu performance along the way. Although the physical setting of Wagon Wheel is clearly an example of a regionalism, the overt disregard of the region’s history and racial diversity complicates regionalist tradition and substantiates some critics’ wariness of the movement. If we subscribe to the theory that “[art] does not simply reflect culture; it shapes it” (Eggener 231) it is evident that such deliberate disregard for accuracy, characteristic of the country genre, can hurt the community it, in this case, fails to portray. When examined through the lens of critical regionalism, the image of life in the American South as depicted in the music video Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker could be considered a wholly damaging portrayal.
. Critical Regionalism originated as a way to craft contemporary works, namely architecture, in a manner that would appropriately represent the setting where the piece was located. Since its genesis in the mid-60s this theory has been applied over a wide range of medium, varying from performances to political speeches. However, the ways in which this theory has been applied have been greatly contested, the main objection being that this technique ends up further marginalizing an already peripheral place instead of celebrating it. Critic Keith Eggener warns against sentimental regionalism, or the process of distilling the intricacy of a place and culture to its most basic characteristics. These one-dimensional simplifications typically align with an outsider’s already established perception of a place and ignore its complexities. By romanticizing a living, growing, changing community one reduces it to a stagnant, ‘ahistoric’ idea, disconnected from the grander trends of history (Powell 6). Although the intention may be to immortalize and thus preserve an important part of regional identity, it instead perpetuates the believed ‘otherness’ of a place and further distances it from cosmopolitan hubs. More than just a physical separation, this idea of ‘other’ brands peripheral regions as “deviant from, and lesser than the center, the norm” (Eggener 232). According to Eggener, the perpetrators of such marginalization are outsiders or foreigners who impose their perception of the region onto society’s collective consciousness without regard for accuracy; however, as demonstrated in this work, the local community may also work to preserve harmful stereotypes.
Paralleling the narrative of most country music videos, Wagon Wheel is a perfect illustration of regionalism. Region in this case being defined as more than just a geographic boundary but as a unique sub-culture, distinctively set apart from the more modern and widespread culture for its history and way of life (Powell). In this document such strong sentiments of belonging and definition are evoked through a nostalgic portrayal of the American South, and by defining the region with a few common cultural forms- as is typical in regionalist works. Similar to other works which espouse Southern pride Wagon Wheel relies heavily on the rosy depiction of ‘yester-years’. Specifically the 1940s-1950s, as evidenced by the use of dated car models and other similarly antiquated details. As is typical of the country music genre, this piece appears to be a ‘snapshot in time’ which shows us a simpler age when life was easy and people more genuine. As Rucker continues along his journey he is met by only happy townspeople with nothing better to do than help a stranger along his way. The simplicity of the time is emphasized by the small main street which is home to an empty coin laundry and a decrepit country store. Additionally, a billboard displaying “we believe in our purple tigers” solidifies the idea of community and group coherence. These highly-romanticized details of supposed Southern American culture are mirrored in the lyrics which spurn the “north country weather” and tell of a better future in the South.
At the same time the piece represents some critical regionalist background by hinting at tensions between this insular region and greater global trends. There is a very conscious display of patriotism: all car models present (Ford, Chevrolet and Buick) are American made, and one of the most prominently featured men sports an American flag bandana. Although these details may not be interpreted as strictly regionalist, they give evidence to a resistance against the “hegemony of globalization”. The niches’ rejection of more mainstream culture, in this case foreign influences, is agreed to be characteristic of the critical regionalist movement.
However, although the background of this piece is congruent with our definition of regionalism, it cannot be considered fully critical regionalist as it ignores the history of the place it features. Critical regionalist debate asks that we look for the larger trends and influences surrounding the perception of a place, therefore when taken into consideration that the protagonist of this piece, Darius Rucker, is a black man we must question how accurately this document reflects the reality of life in this era. Drawn to its logical conclusion, and in recognition of this region’s persistent legacy of racism, the glossy view of the south as a care-free and welcoming place, as presented in the video, crumbles. Had this been an accurate portrayal of the region during the 1940s-1950s we can assume that Rucker’s journey might not have gone as smoothly. Animosities were such that a lone black traveler would have been at the very least scorned or ignored by his white countrymen, and at worst met with open hostility and possibly violence. Even more blatantly incongruous with history is that Rucker’s significant other is a white woman. Although inter-racial couples have become normalized in contemporary culture, during the ‘days-gone-by’ era depicted in this piece it would have been at least controversial, if not dangerous. Emmet Till, was a young black boy who was lynched for purportedly whistling at a white woman in Mississippi, 1955 (“The Murder of Emmet Till”). His story gives insight to the violence that could result from breaks in the rigid social status quo. More than just the actions of the characters in this video, the setting itself deserves criticism for its seemingly calculated effort to erase the presence of blacks in the region altogether. Rucker is the only black individual in the entire piece, disregarding the fact that the American South at this time was home to a substantial black population. This historically erroneous scene is further misconstrued by the lyrics, “And if I die in Raleigh at least I will die free” for when considering the social and political climate of the early 1950s, most southern black men would not have considered themselves truly liberated from this prejudiced society.
Although critical regionalists’ perspective urges us to challenge the author’s motive, when accounting for broader trends the harmful consequences of this piece are revealed as unintentional. The rosy light shone on a place which was rife with racial tension and the general ‘absence of color’ in the video (the artist being the only black person represented) could be seen as Rucker trying to appeal to the traditionally white audience of country music. In a 2013 Rolling Stones interview Rucker acknowledges the closed-mindedness that he comes in contact with in the business with his statement, “I’m a black guy in country music and there are people who don’t like that. But it’s not going to make me quit.” However instead of suggesting an effort to reinvent the genre or to make it more racially inclusive, he claims that he “work[s] so hard to stay true to country music.” Eggner reminds his readers that it is important to be aware that where one uncontested image of a culture prevails others are inevitably suppressed (231). According to this line of thought, no matter the rationale, such an attempt at ‘stylistic authenticity’, or conforming to the genre’s norms is evidently detrimental- by only showing us this narrow depiction of history, the experiences of the African American community in this region are entirely marginalized. Current race conflicts, suggest that this easy dismissal of an ugly history has resounding effects on the public conscious.
However, an argument in support of Rucker’s piece could be based on the theory of ‘social invention’, or the notion of the ongoing creation of regional histories such that the definition of a place is forever in flux (Powell 5). Using this logic and the idea that to represent is to create (26), one could propose that Darius Rucker is reclaiming a genre which has consistently ignored the black community. Alternative History, a version of social invention which also subscribes to the idea of altering an accepted narrative, could also be used as a lens to interpret this piece. Alternative History is a subgenre of fiction which asks ‘What could have been if historical events had unfolded differently?’ Support for this theory comes from the plot of the music video being framed as a dream. The first scene shows Rucker falling asleep and awakening as an old-time traveler, and in the final shot the artists is being woken up from his long nap. In the very last scene, post-slumber, Rucker is surrounded by his friends, all of whom are white. These same individuals were featured in the flashback-like dream as helpful townspeople. The use of the same actors might suggests an alternative, color-blind, past in which race was not a factor. This revisionist view allows us to imagine new futures or alternate realities that are currently unfathomable due to our concrete hold on historical contexts.
Yet Wagon Wheel is not unique in its depiction of an entirely white South. Instead of disturbing the status quo, as Alternative History requires, this video merely perpetuates an already pervasive image in country music. Given Rucker’s statement (above) regarding his effort to honor the classic country genre, Eggener may have accused the singer of creating an artificial or “counterfeit-setting” (230) for his uncritical representation of the American South considering the region’s history. However, given his audience one could say that Rucker had no choice but to comply with accepted country music style. To buck the established system would probably have resulted in a significant loss in his viewer and fan base. The general yield to popular Southern themes and images is exemplified in Rucker’s other works as well, songs such as Home Grown Honey and This, which similarly contain principally white casts. The country music industry monopolizes Southern regional imagery and prevents those who do not follow its constructed narrative from succeeding. In a genre which demands conformity, regional identity is not allowed to evolve as social progress requires, allowing outdated societal norms to stagnate.
Wagon Wheel confirms Eggener’s suspicion that the regionalist movement leads to “a single, correct regional style [being] implied or imposed” (230). While obviously a product of regionalism, a critical lens forces us to question who sets the norms or the accepted view of a place, in this case the American South. Rucker’s video contains all of the components typical of the country genre, a rustic town, a pretty girl, vintage cars and most notably, a ‘white-washed’ town. None of these features would surprise or confuse a viewer as they have been perpetuated throughout the genre and are widely accepted as fundamental country traits. Yet whether these features were included by the artist’s own volition or by the mandates of a closed business is unclear. By giving viewers what they expect, and trying to “stay true to country music” Darius Rucker feeds the outside’s positive feedback loop by presenting them with features which can be readily understood and appreciated. In contrast, had Rucker been given the liberty to depict the true landscape of this time, in all its political and social complexity, his piece would have resisted the culturally bulldozing effect of the romantic tendencies of popular country culture, instead of being a work of conformity as it is now.

Works Cited

• Eggener, Keith L. “Placing Resistance: A Critique of Critical Regionalism.” Journal of Architectural Education 55.4 (2002): 228-37. Print.

• Douglas Reichert Powell. “Critical Regionalism: Connecting Politics and Culture in the American Landscape.” The Journal of Southern History 74.2 (2008): 525. Print.

• “The Murder of Emmet Till.” PBS. PBS, 2009. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
Final Project Reflection
I think that with this piece I was successfully appealed to an audience unfamiliar with both my archive and critical regionalism. I tried to clarify main ideas by providing ample definitions for new terms and by describing essential aspects of the video and how they related back to the critical lens. My paper begins with an explanation of how Wagon Wheel could be considered a regionalist document for its romanticized depiction of a stereotypical Southern landscape. I then go on to describe how this portrayal is not based on historical fact- given that the artist is a black man and in consideration of the racial tension of the time. By ignoring the larger context of this region Rucker feeds critical regionalist concerns regarding regional tradition. I then offer two possible explanations as to why he does so, the first being the implementation of Alternative History, to allow viewers to imagine a different present. With the second argument I negate this idea of social invention, due to the fact that a white dominated setting is the norm in the country music genre. The idea is explored that to succeed in this industry and in order to cater to his audience Rucker had no choice but to comply with the status quo. The conclusion is ultimately reached that instead of being a work of critical regionalist resistance, that Wagon Wheel is a work of conformity to the revisionist and oppressive standards of country music.