Hard Rock and Postmodernism

I. What is the sociological question?
What are the features of postmodern spaces?
II. What is the analytical approach?

Borchard’s approach at the opening of the Hard Rock was a participant observation approach. Borchard wanted to get into the Hard Rock Café the opening night is Las Vegas because he wanted to part of the concert, and the “once-in-a-lifetime experience” like everyone else in line. The line expanded around the 75ft spectacle of the Gibson guitar. Like everyone else, Borchard wanted to be a part of the grand opening to the most iconic and well known Rock and Roll hot spot now known. Borchard was looking to get in and have the time of his life but what he found out was very different. He found out that night that the way you looked acted and seemed to be in society gave you either extreme advantages, or extreme disadvantages. Borchard’s use of participant observation was also used when the random man, whom he has never met before in his life, so easily and eagerly talked about his life with Borchard displaying the use of microwave relationships. III. Findings

Borchard didn’t have the right “look” and didn’t act the right way to get into the concert like the blonde man behind him, who was dressed like a rocker and chosen out of everyone to go in ahead of time. The man was chosen because he had the right “look” according to the bouncer who chose him out of hundreds, and was doing for others he saw that fit the protocol. The man may not have had earned his place but in the postmodern world he didn’t have to. All the man had to do was dress different and a way that the people of the concert saw fit and he got in no questions asked. He had the look and that’s all that mattered. Hundreds of others in the crowd may have deserved that spot but may have been dressed for the weather (rain) or just dressed comfortably and because of that not chosen to go into the concert, when others who may not have; were. The postmodern world is now all about looks and how you are seen on the outside not the values and morals one has and carries themselves by. The world is depending less and less on the individual and wants people to be more like society to fit in and be how the bigger picture sees it, they want people to be seen as the famous people are and rebel or look a certain way.

If a normal man tried to get into the Hard Rock concert (like the blonde man’s friend) they were denied because their look wasn’t right for the concert and wouldn’t be acceptable. Another man that Borchard talked to showed a way that society changed. It’s called a microwave relationship and that was when the man just opened up and told Borchard his entire life story and he has never met the man before in his life. The man talked about his whole crappy life to Borchard but he didn’t care, he wasn’t interested but this proved another point of his. In the postmodern world people are becoming more and more open with complete strangers. In result the things in the world weren’t lasting people couldn’t keep secrets people just rambled on about anything and everything from their own lives even to others, and didn’t think twice about it. The new postmodern world was departing from morals and individual expectations to gossip and looks. People now want to know and are willing to tell, people are not individuals but seem to stray towards the actions of those who society now says we should act like. The things in the world are changing and seemingly not for the better according to Borchard and people either need to change or find a way to fit in. IV. Parallels

Borchard’s article fits into today’s world as well too; in many more ways than then I feel. People now have Facebook and twitter to express and live their lives on for the world to see. Or clothes and accessories they are expected to buy and wear to be cooler or better than others, when in reality this doesn’t matter. This doesn’t make you have a better job in the future, or make you liked throughout your whole life. Working hard and being respected and respecting does. Microwave relationships now days are just expected I feel because people willingly and unknowingly post their lives on Facebook, I do it myself. It’s what the population now does and it may not be right, but sometimes you need this. The hard part is, is maybe we need this to step back and realize should we be doing this because it is effecting us and how everyone acts. Maybe one person isn’t enough for change, but maybe it is we don’t know if we are all too stuck in the expectations of society instead of doing what we feel we should.