Smashing Society's Norms:
Meet The Rising Dissenter
As part of honoring our commitment to cultural humility and anti-oppressive practices in research, our team took great care in honoring the voices of all of our participants, and gained feedback each step of the way through collaboration with the Asian American community.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Elizabeth Anglin for her incredible artwork titled The Rising Dissenter!
The Rising Dissenter’s Tracklist
The Past
Perks of Being a Wallflower Scene Intro- 0:29
Falling for U- Peachy! and mxmtoon 0:29-1:31
Silly Girl- Chloe Moriondo 1:31-2:05
Television/ so Far so Good- Rex Orange County 2:05-2:50
The Present
Call Me What You Like- Lovejoy 2:50-3:52
Blow My Brains Out- Tikkle Me 3:52-4:44
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 4:45-4:53
The Future
Price of Perfection (feat. Lilianne Coeverden)- Katherine Lynn-Rose 4:53-6:20
First Love/Late Spring- Mitski 6:20-7:30
Titanic Scene- 7:30-End
A past filled with the desire to blend in with the crowd has transformed the teens into individuals who recognize and reject the limitations of society’s expectations and norms. The teens’ perception of the future is intense and uncertain, yet they will continue to reject society’s standards, knowing they will live fearlessly.
Click Below to Follow Along with the Rising Dissenter's Music Analysis
The Rising Dissenter's Past
The story of the rising dissenter’s life is about invisibility and the metamorphosis into an empowered individual who rejects social norms. Overall, the teen is guarded and does not trust their upbringing and environment. They are in control, and they see the hypocrisy in the world. They are also trying to assemble their identity through combining different parts of themself. The CIAB begins with a quote from The Perks of a Wallflower –
There are people who forget what it’s like to be 16 when they turn 17,
I know these will all be stories someday,
and our pictures will become old photographs. …
right now these moments are not stories,
this is happening.
I’m here
and I’m looking at her.
Charlie, the main character, is a shy, withdrawn freshman who finds himself in love. He bonds with a pair of seniors who help him learn about life. The music eases in. It is a slow rhythm – soft guitar playing and synth beats along with echoing vocals.
I was hangin’ with you and then I realized I didn’t think it was true,
I was surprised
When I found out
I’ve fallen for you
I didn’t wanna believe my feelings for you
I didn’t wanna believe that I could lose you If I told you just how I felt
But I can’t help it
I’m falling for you
And I can’t quit it
the song ends with –
I just want to be with you
I’m scared Of telling you how I feel
Maybe it’s better if
I just try to conceal the truth
Silly Girl by Chloe Moriondo is a ukelalei playing an earnest song by a female singing about being invisible to her crush –
Smile at him in your math class
Strive for him to do the same
Open your eyes
and realize he does not know your name
And he does not care too
‘Cause I’m just a silly girl
The listener is then offered a chance to learn more about the teen’s yearning from the song Television/ so Far so Good by Rex Orange County. A popular song from 2017, the song asks:
What about me? What about me?
What about me and you together?
Somethin’ that could really last forever
What about me? What about me?
What about me and you together? Somethin’ that could really last forever.
This feeling of doubt,
uncertainty, and isolation
will be explored more in the
teen’s present.
The Aspiring Dissenter's Present
As if announcing to the world, the teen includes the song Call Me What You Like by Lovejoy. The piece is a mix of heavy guitar, fast bass/lead guitar, and frantic drumming. The beat is strong, and the singer uses a megaphone to announce:
This just in I am a total fucking dumbass
And I’ve come to the uncomfortable conclusion I’ll be spending the rest of my life in a state of constant paranoia
Just let me follow you
And I’ll proceed to bang my head on every doorway
And door frame you see suitable for us to go through
The teen does not trust society or the “boxes” the world is trying to put them in –
I’m not paranoid, I’m a realist.
Then, to speed us through the present, the teen uses a fast-paced (to put it mildly) song (Blow My Brains Out by Tikkle Me). It is a rush through the teen’s thoughts, which focuses on wanting to be understood but knowing this will end up in failure:
Sometimes I wish I could lend you my eyes
Lend you my hips and lend you my thighs
Sometimes I wish I could take a new shape
Switch out some parts and become a big A
Sometimes I wish I could lend you my ears
Lend you my thoughts and lend you my tears
Sometimes I wish I could take a new form
Switch out some parts and become like the norm
Unlucky me, who knows way too much
Who fights to make changes and music and such
Unlucky me, aware of the pain
All ’cause I happen to have some brain
The present section ends with the insight –
Nah, Imma do my own thing
This quote from Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse affirms how the rising dissenter’s plans to start their future by going against the norm.
The Rising Dissenter's Future
The future begins with two Asian American singers. First, the song Price of Perfection (feat. Lilianne Coeverden) by Katherine Lynn-Rose. The song starts,
Dad says, “Don’t go chasing dreams if you can’t go through” “David couldn’t do it, so neither could you”
Now I’ve got something to prove
‘Cause I’m so sick of “second best”
I’m so sick of “not impressed”
This family’s obsessed
With validation
And reputation
The song theme is part of the Model Minority Myth that many Asian families and American society place on Asian American teens. It is a family’s need for the teen to excel beyond success. Work hard, harder than anyone else, uphold, and continue our family’s pride. A slow and echoey song follows – First Love/Late Spring by Mitski –
The black hole of the window where you sleep
The night breeze
Carries Something sweet
A peach tree
Wild women don’t get the blues,
But I find that,
Lately, I’ve been crying like a tall child.
The sadness of society and the Asian American family boxing the teen in is sad, lonely, and heartbreaking. But, then, there is also a last-second rejection of life as it stands and opens up a world of opportunity:
I got everything I need right here with me.
I got air in my lungs and a few blank sheets of paper.
I mean I love waking up in the morning not knowing what’s gonna happen,
who I’m gonna meet,
where I’m gonna wind up
This quote from Titanic sums up the teenager’s uncertainty about their future. Although the adolescent is aware of expectations and norms, they will reject them, knowing they will live fearlessly and on their terms.