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Written Communications

Green Day’s Uses of Rhetoric in “American Idiot”

Jackson Walters

University of Alabama - College of Communication and Information Sciences

COM 310-001: Rhetorical Criticism

Dr. Noor Ghazal Aswad

Introduction

Music has always been a powerful medium for people to express feelings, ideologies, and emotions. Bands and solo artists tend to utilize their skills with the purpose of self-expression and, in some cases, a catalyst for communication.  Green Day, for instance, released their album, “American Idiot,” in 2004 with the intent to spread awareness about their feelings of opposition towards their current politics. As a whole, the piece was strongly politically charged and resonated with the American youth. Between the lyrics written and the power behind the music throughout “American Idiot,” there is a plethora of room for rhetorical analysis as well as further exploration and analysis beyond the first listen.

Artifact

To provide context, Green Day released “American Idiot” in the early 2000s when there was much sociopolitical turmoil in the United States. A Newsweek article written shortly after the release of this album introduces the idea that, “With magical timing, "American Idiot" became a soundtrack for anyone disillusioned by millennial America ("Now everybody do the propaganda and sing along in the age of paranoia"). Bush had recently been re-elected, however, that only elevated the album into protest art. "American Idiot" wasn't especially subtle or eloquent--if you want poetry, stick with Springsteen. But it mattered simply because somebody finally said something, and, of all people, it was Green Day” (Ali, 2008). Following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the United States was deeply shaken as the attacks prompted many political decisions. For instance, one prime example includes the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The presidency of George Bush was also a very divisive topic among American citizens. Green Day's album, “American Idiot" was released in 2004 and served as a significant moment for American youth. The album embodied the spirit of rebellion that characterized the culture of that time and provided a voice for those struggling with the upsetting events who felt disillusioned with the state of the nation. With time, “American Idiot,’  became something to rally around for the frustrated youth who were searching for an outlet to articulate their frustrations.

“American Idiot’s” rhetorical significance may engage listeners in important dialogue about both the political and social climate of the United States through using lyrics including social commentary, emotionally charged instrumentals, the unity of the concepts discussed, and its overall cultural impact. The album is filled with political and social commentary in the lyrics. The title track criticizes the mass media and its use of fearmongering while "Holiday" critiques the Bush administration and the Iraq War. As stated by Bridgett Henwood: “American Idiot took aim at the war in Iraq, with singer Billie Joe Armstrong specifically targeting the 24-hour news cycle and how constant coverage and media “propaganda” brainwashed the nation into believing whatever they saw on TV” (Henwood, 2017). Through the lyrics, the album serves as a powerful message in conveying the band's dissatisfaction with the status quo as well as inspiring listeners to question what is going on around them. Green Day gave a passionate performance on the album, which makes the message even more compelling. The emotional turmoil of the times resonates through the music, drawing listeners into the experience and increasing the potency of the intended rhetoric. The album has a very cohesive narrative, and each song is another chapter in the story. To this day, many people still enjoy the overall sound of “American Idiot” and see these songs as applicable to social and political issues today.

The album “American Idiot” by Green Day is a valid artifact for rhetorical criticism due to its ability to unify listeners during a time of great turmoil as it did in 2004 when it was released. Its use of lyrics as social commentary, the emotionally charged instrumentals, the unity of the concepts discussed, and its cultural impact have a lot of rhetorical substance to be analyzed.

This argument examines the idea that Green Day could have added more credibility to their claims in “American Idiot,” by simply adding a subtle counterargument and a rebuttal.

Method

While several rhetorical methods could potentially apply to this album as a whole, “American Idiot,” is set up well for an ideological criticism. In specific terms, the artifact in question includes the entire Green Day album mentioned as the band utilizes their music to provoke further thinking about political powers and how the mass media portrays them. Ideological criticism is described by Sarah Kornfield as this: “A mode of criticism that focuses on understanding the system of beliefs and assumptions that guide a rhetorical discourse in its interpretation of reality” (Kornfield, 2021). Considering the direct purpose behind using ideological criticism perfectly suits the purpose behind “American Idiot,” as the tone is set to be, in some ways, rebellious and hypercritical of Bush’s motives and actions at the time.

Sarah Kornfield also brings up the concept of dominant ideologies in her book. She says this about what exactly a dominant ideology is: “Ideologies that reflect perspectives and experiences of ruling groups, whose members construct and circulate beliefs that will most benefit them” (Kornfield, 2021). This applies well to “American Idiot” given the subject matter of the album is the Bush administration taking the US into a war in Iraq and the mass media using fearmongering to spread propaganda in support of the administration’s decision.

Analysis

            Green Day is not the first band to use their platform as musicians to take a political stance, however, how the band went about producing and releasing, “American Idiot,” made the album unique and effective. While designing and creating the album, Green Day utilized what is called a rock opera format to have one cohesive theme that ties all nine song songs together. This allows for listeners to develop a sense of the general purpose in addition to the other, smaller pieces of their overall argument through each individual song. While it may appear counterintuitive to create several songs about the same concept, this technique furthers the argument’s emphasis. Ideological criticism may also be found in all of Taylor Swift’s discography as she focuses solely on one type of genre and a limited variety of struggles to allow her listeners more opportunity to relate to the idea she was communicating as opposed to making a song for every feeling in every. It could be argued that this technique will tire people out of the ideas being expressed, however, this could later result in a stronger fan base and general attention given to the writer in question.

At its core, “American Idiot,” expresses a deep distrust of mainstream media and the influence of corporations. Some of the songs featured, including "Holiday," and "Jesus of Suburbia," delve into the role of media in shaping public opinion, and the impact of corporate interests on American culture. This album specifically catered to the younger generations of voters as they are naturally more impressionable when it comes to political objections, which furthers the effectiveness of ideological criticism. For instance, the character described in “Jesus of Suburbia,” can be interpreted as a representation of disillusioned youth who reject societal norms and consumer culture. In general terms, the album vividly captures the frustration and disillusionment of the younger generation at the time, often referred to as Generation Y. The characters in the songs, such as St. Jimmy and Whatsername, struggle with identity and a sense of purpose, which reflects the broader societal issues faced by young people in a rapidly changing world.

While “American Idiot,” provides a clear explanation about Green Day’s feelings on the new and upcoming changes in American politics, there are places in which the argument is weak throughout the album. One of the most important components of a strong argument is a consideration of what the other side of the spectrum sees. First and foremost, this shows that the argument is not being built on minimal knowledge; an argument based solely on opinion, in simple terms, is not much of an argument at all. With that, the inclusion of a counterargument in any form of presented speech leaves room for a rebuttal that will ultimately strengthen the claims being made.  That being said, Green Day put a heavy emphasis on the thoughts and feelings they had on the matter, however, they did not take any opportunities to acknowledge opposing points of view, which left their claims with little to no backbone or evidence. While “American Idiot,” remains to be one of the most influential and prominent political statements made by a band of their capacity, there are areas in which their arguments could have been strengthened using counterarguments that were entirely omitted.

Conclusion

To conclude, Green Day's "American Idiot" is a significant work of art that skillfully integrates a meaningful critique of American society, politics, and culture during the political turmoil of the early 2000s. The album is a masterful blend of thought-provoking lyrics, a well-crafted narrative structure, and thematic elements that resonate with the broader socio-political landscape. Despite the omission of counterarguments, “American Idiot,” goes beyond being just music and becomes a powerful medium for challenging conformity, examining political systems, and capturing the palpable discontent of a whole generation.

References

Ali, Lorraine (2008, December 22). “Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://search-ebscohost-com.libdata.lib.ua.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=35740246&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Taghon, Maureen. (2016). How Green Day Impacted the way People View Politics and the Media. American Long Form. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://diocesefwsb2.instructure.com/courses/6077/pages/how-green-day-impacted-the-way-people-view-politics-and-the-media

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Sociopolitical definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sociopolitical

Henwood, Bridgett. (2017) The History of American Protest Music, from “Yankee Doodle” to Kendrick Lamar. Vox. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/4/12/14462948/protest-music-history-america-trump-beyonce-dylan-misty

Long, Lacey. (2011). AMERICAN IDIOT TO THE "AMERICAN EULOGY": GREEN DAY'S ROCK OPERAS AS APOCALYPTIC POLITICAL PROTEST DURING THE GEORGE W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION. University of Georgia Library Database. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/long_lacey_b_201108_ma.pdf

Kornfield, Sarah. Contemporary Rhetorical Criticism. Strata Publishing, Inc., 2021.