Critical Review: McClary 1994

Critical Review: McClary 1994

In “Same as it Ever Was” McClary discusses the connection between music and the body. She discusses how music has been seen as an enabler of behavior deemed wrong and seen as sensual, rebellious or emasculate. She discusses "In the Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett and how this song crossed over into the "whiter" airwaves of radio and caused a dance sensation across the nation.
While reading this article, I was reminded very much of a main opposition to hip hop by some of today's "Church-like" groups: the opposition of the sensuality of the music and the dances that come with it. This is often opposed not just by white conservatives, but members of the Black Church as well.

Discussion Question:
Why is so much focus in this day and age on the sensual/sexual aspect of music by both the proponents and the opponents? Where is the focus on the rebellious aspect of music? Is there not enough music in the mainstream to warrant any sort of public outcry?