A lifelong devotion to criticizing American values

Frank Zappa, it seems, has always had it out for America. Every one of his songs has in some way or another exposed the American Dream to be fraudulent. He wrote songs from within the umbrella of American popular culture in order to lay it out naked for all who cared to see. Though, it could be argued, his grotesque methods of doing so often prevented his overall message from being taken seriously, he now leaves behind a legacy of the most raw, ugly, and (in many opinions) truthful portrayals of the flaws of a society during one of its most artistically developmental periods, the 1960-70's.

Often, I have wondered where Zappa's unrelenting America-bashing nature originated. Was it just who he was? Did he just have a keen sense of the overall affects of various cultural movements on their more broad surroundings? Did he think that the kind of music he was making would sell? Did he truly believe that America was ready for such strong critiquing of Punks and Hippies and Flower Children, etc, etc, etc, even as those groups were only just emerging? Obviously, he was aware of the negative impact his music was having in that he starved through most of the beginning of his career in the spotlight. So, then why did he so strongly commit to his charge, as though it were a calling, a duty bestowed to him alone?

The answer for many is that Zappa's unrelenting commitment came from his 10 day period of incarceration early in his adult life, a time where he was only just starting to shape into the man he would become. Though I don't entirely agree, it is worth while to identify this incident, and to consider its affect on Zappa. After all, he was not necessarily treated well in prison. The experience of being thrown into a cage with many others, fed slop with cockroaches crawling around at the bottom, and not being able to sleep because the lights don't turn off, must not have been a positive one. But where I disagree is that I believe that anyone can get over physical discomfort and misfortune. In my mind, what must have really got to him was his reason for incarceration. He made a fake porn tape! And the law was laid down heavy on him for it. He was treated as a serious offender in a case in which even the judge himself thought ridiculous! Zappa was directly exposed to the truths behind the American network of justice and free speech and saw it for what it really was: UGLY!

From all of this, I truly admire Zappa. For many, this experience would have been traumatizing; enough to scare anyone off from working in the kind of creative mind frame that Zappa was in for the rest of his life. Zappa was not scared off. Although in his personal and professional life, he made sure to stay on the side of the law, especially when it came to drugs, his creative mandate was only strengthened. He quickly built the confidence to lay right into mainstream American culture and he never again laid up.

For me, one song of Zappa's that truly sums up his entire perspective on the American Dream, and one that--on top of it all--does so from the perspective of a model American figure, a handsome man with shiny teeth, and a fast car (and a twisted mind), is "Bobby Brown Goes Down" from Sheik Yerbouti:

Bobby Brown Goes Down

Hey there, people, I'm bobby brown
They say I'm the cutest boy in town
My car is fast, my teeth is shiny
I tell all the girls they can kiss my heinie
Here I am at a famous school
I'm dressin' sharp
I'm actin' cool
I got a cheerleader here wants to help with my paper
Let her do all the work 'n' maybe later I'll rape her

Oh God I am the American dream
I do not think I'm too extreme
An' I'm a handsome sonofabitch
I'm gonna get a good job 'n' be real rich
Get a good, get a good, get a good, get a good job...

Women's liberation
Came creepin' all across the nation
I tell you people, I was not ready
When I fucked this dyke by the name of Freddie
She made a little speech then,
Aw, she tried to make me say when
She had my balls in a vice, but she left the dick
I guess it's still hooked on, but now it shoots too quick

Oh God I am the American dream,
But now I smell like vaseline
An' I'm a miserable sonofabitch
Am I a boy or a lady...I don't know which
I wonder...wonder...wonder...wonder

So I went out 'n' bought me a leisure suit
I jingle my change, but I'm still kinda cute
Got a job doin' radio promo
An' none of the jocks can even tell I'm a homo
Eventually me 'n' a friend
Sorta drifted along into s&m
I can take about an hour on the tower of power
'long as I gets a little golden shower
Oh God I am the american dream
With a spindle up my butt till it makes me scream
An' I'll do anything to get ahead
I lay awake at night sayin' thank you Fred

Oh god, oh god, I'm so fantastic!
Thanks to Freddie I'm a sexual spastic
And my name is bobby brown
Watch me now, I'm goin down
And my name is bobby brown
Watch me now, I'm goin down
And my name is bobby brown
Watch me now, I'm goin down