Fwd: another possible idea

[Laurence Horn]

Dear flingsters,

Since everyone was so helpful last time I asked for suggestions for
research relating to student project topics, and since there did seem to be
widespread interest on the list in those topics (gender differences in
computer-mediated conversation and in speech to children), I thought I'd
try again with a new topic.  This is the project as currently conceived by
one of my students; she'll be very grateful for any pointers on what to
read or look for.

larry

>I had another idea for something interesting to look at for my final paper.
>It would be an unscientific study of popular music from each of the last...
>five? decades, maybe the top ten songs of each year.  The things that men
>and women sing about are different, as are the ways they express the things
>they sing about (even when they are the same, such as about a lover giving
>the cold shoulder or something).  Personally, I perceive stuff sung by men
>and women differently too (for instance, if a woman really misses a man, she's
>weak and pathetic, if a man really misses a woman, he's a romantic), and
>imagine other people do too.  So it'd be cool to see what kinds of songs
>from men and women the masses have wanted, and how that's changed over the
>years.  Has this been extensively studied already that you know of?
>