I am not sure if this will help you, but when I looked over your source "Karaoke: Culture with a Two Drink Minimum", especially the conclusion, I thought about the movie "Duets" with Gwyneth Paltrow. If you don't already know, in "Duets", amateur singers compete in a Karaoke contest at a Karaoke Bar. Coming from different backgrounds, these people all enter the bar to do one thing...sing their hearts out and win the grand prize. In "Karaoke: Culture with a Two Drink Minimum", Burns mentions that "No matter what social status regulars have outside of the bar, once they enter into the karaoke society, their status becomes one of importance. Non regulars can also achieve that feeling of empowerment simply by doing what they are expected to do, sing." I think the characters in the movie, that range from a show girl to and an ex-con, are a good example of how people let go of their inhibitions, forget their lives outside the bar, and do what they feel is right -- sing. Again I am not sure if this will help you or give you any ideas, but maybe you could explore how karaoke is used in movies to offer you some examples.
Posted by shari at November 2, 2004 11:51 AMJust wanted to say thank you for throwing some ideas around for me. I will definately take a look at karaoke in movies to perhaps gain a different understanding of the impact of Karaoke.
-- Bob
Posted by: Bob at November 8, 2004 12:03 AM