Everyday we are bombarded with messages: music, television shows, commercials, snapchats, etc. These messages are rooted in the agendas of others and attempt to persuade us to think and feel a certain way. This week, look at the world around you. Choose one thing in your world that you want to analyze. It can be a song, a movie, a commercial, or anything else you think is appropriate.
Briefly describe it to us and then explain the purpose behind it. In other words, what message is being communicated?
For example: The musical Hamilton has the song "My Shot." Throughout the entire song, Alexander Hamilton shouts at the world that he is "not throwing away [his] shot." This has so many connotations: his chance for success, his shot in a duel, his ultimate death in a duel. In the end, it is about not wasting the life you have been given and always pushing yourself to give your best.
The next part of your post should entail the following: begin to analyze the piece you have chosen. Look at rhetorical devices used, images, camera angles, and the like. Explain it to us.
This should be about two solid paragraphs.
After reading this prompt, I immediately thought of the movie Hairspray. Originally on Broadway, made into a movie, and now airing in December as “Hairspray Live” on NBC, the story is a true classic and can be interpreted in many ways. The underlying theme is overcoming segregation, even all stereotypes and groups for that matter. Tracy Turnblad, the main character, is criticized for her weight and is sometimes insecure. Along with the outcasting of Tracy is the blacks in the Baltimore community (multiple songs reference these two issues). On the Corny Collins’ dance show, only white, skinny teenagers play a role. This inspires Tracy to step up and make a difference, hopefully sending the message to others to fight for equality no matter the size of the situation.
ReplyDeleteIn the opening song, “Good Morning Baltimore”, Tracy already references her weight in the first few lines: “Oh, oh, oh woke up today feeling the way I always do. Oh, oh, oh hungry for something that I can't eat.” This is a symbol for her acknowledging the outcast she has at her school, but then goes on in the song to say how she dances and doesn’t really care about how others see her. Another song “Run and Tell That” in the script demonstrates the push towards integration, the most evident theme in Hairspray. Seaweed sings, “‘Cause all things are equal when it comes to love” towards the end of the song, which represents that the divide between the two races does not have to be there, and with a bit of respect/love for one another, separation can be minimized. This song is iconic in the novel because it first shows the bridge between Tracy, Link, Penny (white) and Seaweed and the other black students.
The makers of Hairspray do an amazing job in displaying the different sides of the story, and bringing the point together to pass on the message: Everyone can have fun together, no matter the differences. I am looking forward to watching and analyzing “Hairspray Live” when it comes out in a few months.
Tangled is a Disney film released in November of 2010. This animated movie is based off of the well known Grimm fairy tale Rapunzel, but it adds beautiful and unique twists to the already written story. The movie revolves around the main character Rapunzel, an 18 year old girl who has had magic healing hair ever since she was born. She has been trapped in a tower her whole life by Gothel, a woman pretending to be her mother in order to use Rapunzel’s magic hair to make her young. Rapunzel desperately wants to see the outside world, especially lanterns that are released into the sky on her birthday every year. But Gothel continually refuses, and claims that the world is a “dangerous place” . Eventually, Rapunzel runs away with the help of Flynn Rider, a mysterious man who wandered across Rapunzel’s tower. Long story short, Rapunzel and Flynn experience an amazing adventure together and fall in love, all while Rapunzel finds her real family and discovers where she belongs in the world. This movie is meant to encourage children to never be afraid of their dreams; Rapunzel would never be where she is if she hadn’t taken a leap of faith and followed her heart. The beautiful animation and funny script add to the inspirational message, causing it to be a great and heartfelt movie.
ReplyDeleteThe movie is a musical, each song having a purpose of furthering the storyline, and eventually the final message of following your dreams. Songs such as “Mother Knows Best” and “I See the Light” are important aspects of the movie and help viewers connect to the characters. The kingdom in the movie has a sun emblem, meant to symbolize Rapunzel and the light she brings into people’s lives. The lanterns (“floating lights”) are what ultimately get Rapunzel to leave her tower, hence making her herself a floating light, escaping from the captivity she was previously in. The animation continuously focuses on Rapunzel’s hair and the importance it carries. It also focuses on Flynn and how he evolves throughout the story; starting as a thief in the beginning of the story, the only person he cares for is himself. As the movie goes on, his actions/facial expressions start to change, and begin to show love for Rapunzel and the passion that she carries. It is meant to show that Rapunzel has magic not only in her hair, but in her heart. Tangled is a beautiful Disney movie filled with laughs, love, and the determination to follow your dreams.
“Eleanor Rigby” is a song by the British rock band The Beatles. It tells the story of a woman who is incredibly lonely and all of her monotonous actions throughout the song, her mindset, and the isolated nature of society. The song poses this thought: “Look at all the lonely people… where do they all come from?” “Eleanor Rigby” is an anomaly out of the Beatles songs at the time; most were upbeat and positive, and this song sends a depressive, isolated message to the listeners, commenting on all the negativity in society.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that jumps out to me, being a musician, is the repetitiveness of the strings in this piece. They keep playing the same staccato eighth notes on the same pitch, even if some of the other strings change their melody. It shows that even if things in life change, Eleanor Rigby’s life is the same, days ending all the same, with the same thoughts in her mind being drilled into her head, which are depressing and lonesome. The song states, “Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice / in the church where a wedding has been / lives in a dream.” This could emphasize the broken dreams in life. Perhaps Eleanor has had some bad luck with relationships and wishes it were her in the wedding. The part that goes “lives in a dream” could suggest that Eleanor Rigby may be delusional, a shut-in who only lives in her own world, which is much different from and more idealistic than reality. Eleanor “wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door” is a metaphor for depression; in order to seem “normal” in society, one must mask their true emotions from others. Eleanor can express herself as she pleases while in her home, but as soon as she goes outside, she has to change herself to fits society’s standards, showing that society is unsupportive and judgmental; this reinforces Eleanor’s negative outlook on life, which could either be her distorting reality, or how life actually is. The song suggests that everyone else is lonely, showing that lonely people are self-obsessed, only wishing to help themselves and unwilling to help others who may even be in the same position, which is why everyone is so negative. Father McKenzie, who works at the church where Eleanor picked up the rice, is mentioned “writing the words of the sermon that no one will hear.” This expresses the anxiety of humanity; oftentimes I (and many others, I’m sure) will plan out something significant to say, only to not voice it due to the fear of judgment from others. The song ends with Eleanor dying “along with her name.” Nobody came to the funeral, and the only person there is Father McKenzie, who could have possibly written a eulogy of some sort, hence the sermon “no one will hear.” Overall, I think this song expresses all the depressing parts of society, and maybe how mental disorders go untreated. I know that in this time period (50s and 60s), people who showed even the slightest signs of being abnormal were locked away into mental institutions, being forced to conform to how society believes they should be before they can be released. It shows how lonely life really is when people don’t come together (pun intended) to support one another. I think Eleanor was a dreamer - a well-meaning girl - and her dreams were crushed by the harshness of society.
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ReplyDeleteThe movie The Giver is based off of the novel by Lois Lowry. It takes place in a dystopian society where no one has any memories of the past, and everything is controlled and monitored to the very last detail. People are taught to use precision of language, and they have no knowledge of true emotions. The movie follows the life of 12 year old Jonas. He is being assigned a job in the Ceremony of Twelves, but his name is not called out in the order. He is singled out and told that he is to be the Receiver of Memories. Jonas has to go to the Giver and receive all the memories of the old world. Once his training is complete he will be able to give the Elders of the city advice using the knowledge that he has gained from these memories. Jonas is hesitant at first, but becomes more excited to go as the Giver shows him all the wonderful things from the past. He stops taking his medicine that prevents him from having emotions, and he starts to experience the world differently. One day, however, Jonas sees war and destruction through the Giver. It terrifies Jonas and he vows never to return, but he does because he has so many unanswered questions. The Giver explains the awful images to him, and then shows him Jonas’ father who is unknowingly killing babies as he ‘releases’ them. Jonas now understands the concept of death and this image destroys him. He returns home and finds that Gabriel, the baby boy who had been living with him was going to be released. Jonas loved him like a brother so he went to the Giver for help. Together they made a plan to save Gabriel and the entire Community. Jonas was to go to the infantry and take Gabriel. Then they would escape to Elsewhere, the land beyond the Community. If Jonas made it passed the border of memories everyone in the Community would receive them. During this time, Jonas was being tracked by the Elders who wanted to kill him. Jonas managed to escape with Gabriel, and he made it passed the border. The memories were released to the entire Community, and they saw what life should really be.
ReplyDeleteThe movie depicted the different views (Jonas’ and the other members of the Community) in a very unique way. The movie begins in black and white, showing the plain and sameness the Community wants to achieve. Jonas sees in black and white in the beginning of the movie, but as he gains more memories he starts to see more colors. By the end of the movie, everything that is seen from his point of view is in full color. This represents his understanding and knowledge of the world. The movie comments on society and how we have to remember the past. It is not something that we can throw away, as it teaches us all lessons that we have to learn from. Society cannot be contained into the standard of sameness. People have a natural desire to be unique and find a way to express themselves. People lack emotions in the story, which makes their lives empty. They lack sympathy and don't understand right from wrong. We see Jonas develop this understanding throughout the movie and watch him as he makes choices to help others. The movie embodies the saying “knowledge is power”. Jonas is given all these memories and he can choose what to do with them and how to interpret them. He knows that it is vital that everyone is aware of the past, and all the experiences they are missing so he fights to share them with the community. The Giver is a movie and novel that express a message of how one must remember the past and learn from it. They must take a message from it in order to have a full understanding of life and everything it entails, good and bad.
In the age of the internet, many of the outlets where we would normally get news are becoming outdated. Today, if you are like me, many get their news from social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. Within these sites are account that claim to be news accounts, in which they share stories concerning popular culture and occasional global issues. On Facebook a popular account is Buzzfeed. This site mixes quizzes, celebrity news and political issues together in a way that is easily accessible and frequently viewed by younger generations. However, on sites like Buzzfeed, important news is sometimes disregarded for the articles that will receive the most “likes” and “retweets.” Too often will the major articles coming out of news sites will be concerning Taylor Swift’s new hair or a new life hack for cooking breakfast, rather than news about recent airstrikes in Syria or how the Brexit will affect and already is affecting america and other countries.
ReplyDeleteThese modern news outlets now catch readers with misleading headlines and pictures. They attract the attention of readers and lead them to articles that rarely described what is advertised. When on the front page of the actual Buzzfeed site, there are colorful logos that appear and headlines grabbing your attention by font size and placement, just as a normal newspaper would do; however, these articles concern issues such as “5 Minute Hair Tips” and Quizzes about what your favorite dessert says about you. The reason these sites have become so obsessed with pop culture is because its readers have as well. The average viewer on the internet are young teens and adults. Many have become accustomed to scrolling the internet and absent- mindedly clicking on stories. It is due to the viewers, who use social media, that inspire news accounts to strive for popularity and views, rather than to fulfill a need for pressing journalism. The sites focus on the eye-catching graphics and titles, while stories are often short and dull. Even major news sites, such as CNN, are hoping to gain younger views by adding articles about Iphones and funny videos of young children.
While it is obvious that the age of the internet is changing many aspects of our lives, the internet is also affecting the way we view the world around us. The internet, although it stands for something that connects the world, is continuously sheltering us from the important events happening all around us.
AJJ is a musical constant in my life. From their extensive metaphors, to their use of vivid and beautiful imagery, they manage to package incredible amounts of philosophy and wit into their lyrics.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I’ve always believed that when an artist releases an album, the album is a whole, a culmination of pieces that represent one idea. Then, it doesn’t seem appropriate to analyze one song without the context of the rest of the album.
AJJ’s newest album, The Bible 2, is a perfect example of an album working together to create a story. Starting with the title, it is evident that the band is about to share a lot of philosophy, values they think highly of.
Some of the more colorful imagery includes these lines from “Junkie Church,”
My tongue rolling around
In the void inside my mouth
It was infinite and brown and kind of weird
And these lines from “Small Red Boy”
And his eyes became a beacon, an LCD projector
Broadcasting all my memories in a clear and vivid picture
His tongue became a staircase, his uvula the knocker
Of an ornate wooden door that led me straight into my future
His throat became a hallway with a thousand baby pictures.
As the listener, I can see very clear images of what AJJ is portraying, the story they are telling.
A few of the more powerful metaphors include these lines from “No More Shame, No More Fear, No More Dread,”
If my ugly had a shape it would be a spiral
Moving forward as it spins around
It’s all that I can do to break the cycle
Just veer hard as I can then keep from crashing to the ground
And these lines from “Terrifyer”
Some days you're a member of Queen
Other days you're a Kottonmouth King!
Some days you're Emilio Estevez
Other days you're Charlie Sheen.
The first example portrays the idea that individuals are capable of more than just one identity, and are very complex within themselves and who they are. This is shown through the use of antithesis by comparing Queen to Kottonmouth King, and Emilio Estevez to Charlie Sheen.
Further, a few lines in the album follow a sort of existential value. In these lines from “Goodbye, Oh Goodbye;”
7th grade was hard enough
Someone thought that they knew me
AJJ hints at the idea of identity, and roles assigned by outside forces. Somebody “knowing” who you are in 7th grade is representative of a society that attempts to label and classify people, assign them an identity.
Perhaps the most moving line in the whole album, that mirrors biblical passages is from “Small Red Boy:”
I am, I am, I am the Truth
This line shows self-actualization and acceptance on behalf of the artist, while paralleling the truths found in biblical figures. “I am,” shows acceptance of one’s identity.
Nate Feuerstein aka NF is a hip hop artist. In his most recent album "Therapy Session" he has a song called "Lost in the Moment". The song is all about himself and trying to deal with issues in his past and with his personality. This song is written from a very interesting point of view. “Lost in the Moment” is a conversation between Nate as an artist and Nate as a person. Nate as an artist expresses a lot of opinions, messages, and beliefs. He is challenging himself and the way that he acts in contradiction of his lyrics. He says in one line, "I don't remember cause all that we do Is go backwards but that's what you get When you live in the past". This alludes to a song called "Wake Up" in which he calls the listener to wake up and live beyond your situation. Nate has a very violent and disturbed past and he still deals with these memories and the emotional/relational scars to this day and he writes constantly about trying to get out of the vicious cycle he experiences with those memories.
ReplyDeleteNate frequently alludes back to different lines from his other songs because they are all a connected part of his “Therapy Session” so to speak. In his song “Intro” he warns, “this mic is part of my family take it away I'm coming to find you”. This corresponds with the line in “Lost in the Moment” in which he discusses the fact that he needs to be able to live life once he steps away from the mic,“But the moment that you get away from the mic, you don't know what you doing”. Nate also references the concept of being lost in the feeling of being in the spotlight on stage, “I'm starting to think that you like how I feel so be lost in the moment”, and makes that synonymous with his life and being lost in the music and not dealing with life. Due to the fact that the song is a conversation between two people, there are a lot of rhetorical questions asked. Sometimes these are answered but often they are not and they prompt the listener to contemplate the question personally. One example of this is, “Really, is this the way we wanna die?”. There is not a lot of figurative language in this song but the amount of personal investment, reflection, and the number of misconceptions and failings dealt with are painfully evident in the song. NF is an extremely talented artist with a desire to share his passion and its motivations with the world. He is an incredibly relatable guy and if you get a chance definitely go check his music out.
This past Wednesday Apple announced that the iPhone 7 will be released on September 16th 2017. That same day Apple shared a promotional video titled “iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus in 107 seconds”. The video starts off by informing the audience not to blink. Next it shows the audience something that most people would recognize, Carpool Karaoke with James Corden, in order to give them a sense of familiarity. Once the iPhone 7 appears the video quickly scrolls through features and improvement that the new iPhone will include. The iPhone 7 will be waterproof and will not include headphone jacks. The flashing words and colors along with the background music of the video captures the audience's attention and shows them that the next best thing has arrived.
ReplyDeleteIn the video words flash across the screen at a pace that is barely slow enough to read. This is used to symbolize our generation's need to have access to quick information. The commercial includes the phrase “Oh yea and the headphone jack from over 100 years ago has been removed (shocker)”. This exaggeration is used to emphasize the fact that Apple has redesigned the iPhone in order to include more up to date and innovative features. The purpose of this message is to appeal to how our generation constantly wants the newest model of things and make people excited for the launch of the iPhone 7. The news of the new iPhone has been a major topic on social media since the announcement. This proves that the methods used to make the announcement was effective.
One of the last movies I have seen that left a mark on me was Bad Moms. While not an entirely appropriate movie for school discussion, parts of it held messages that were meaningful to me and my mother, who had taken me to see the movie. The movie was about a mother who was always put down by the “perfect” mothers in the PTA group. Tired of trying to live up to their standards, she takes parenting into her own hands and does some crazy things with her kids. The mothers ridicule her and blackmail her children for her bad behavior. Wanting to rid the school of the tyranny of the “perfect” mothers, she runs for PTA president. Her PTA presidential nominee speech at the end of the movie won over the crowd, and our hearts. The message of her speech was to say that being perfect is impossible, and you should not be judge on how close to perfection you are, but how hard you work at trying to get there.
ReplyDeleteThe most notable part of her speech is when she says that, “Being a mom today is impossible.” The use of hyperbole in this sentence makes people realize that the standards they have been living up to are impossible to try and meet. Obviously, it is not impossible to be a mother, but what the speaker is saying is that trying to be the perfect mother is impossible. No one is perfect. The camera angles in the clip do a great job judging the reactions of the crowd and that of the previous PTA president who enforced all the “perfect” parenting rules in the first place. The crowd of mothers was first shocked at what the speaker was saying, but then came upon the realization that her policy of being a “bad mom” was true. This also would have an effect on the viewer, who would be more persuaded by the reactions of the crowd to also believe what the speaker is saying. Mothers in the crowd could relate to the examples of “bad parenting” that members of the crowd stood up and admitted, such as one mother who said her kids hadn’t had baths in weeks. The overall message that being perfect is impossible and that being a mom is difficult and there’s no way to be perfect at it is strengthened in the scene by the use of these devices.
Andrew Hozier-Byrne, better known as Hozier, is an Irish indie rock/folk musician. Songs written by Hozier are very melodic and flowing, with a great emphasize on the poetic nature of his lyrics and their complex meanings. He released his first EP in 2013, which included the song, Take Me to Church. This song was inspired by Hozier’s frustration with the church’s disapproval of homosexuality. Hozier has claimed in many interviews that love and sex are the most human parts of us and was disgusted that someone could be discriminated against, especially by the church, for how they choose to express this human emotion and act. The main message that Hozier is trying to explain to the world and his fans through this song is that love is love, and it is one’s human right to choose their own sexual orientation and this is being portrayed through Hozier’s song lyrics.
ReplyDeleteFrom the very beginning Hozier compares and contrasts the church and pure, human love. He creates a comparison between intimacy and worship, “‘We were born sick’ you heard them say it/ My church offers no absolutes/ She tells me ‘worship in the bedroom’/ The only heaven I'll be sent to/ Is when I'm alone with you/ I was born sick, but I love it.” This shows that even though the church believes that it is wrong, they know that something so human cannot be wrong. Through this comparison he creates a cold disconnect from the church for the audience, showing to them that love cannot constitute this kind of hate, as the church tells them that they are ‘sick.' Hozier also shows the bad parts of the church with a metaphor in the chorus, “I’ll worship like a dog in the shrine of your lies/ I’ll tell you my sins so that you can sharpen knifes.” The first line represents people who are members to the church and trapped in this kind of hate in some way, whether because of their own shame or their family. Also it alludes to the practice of confession or even information being passed around people’s sexual orientation and the terrible actions the church and its members take. Whether it is the brainwashing and traumatizing ‘therapy’ the church conducts or actual hate crimes committed. Hozier includes this part and the previous lyrics to show the terrible, intolerable parts of the church in order for people to see the flaws and hopefully change their own opinions. The main point of his lyrics to to prove that sexuality is something innocent and human, as Take Me to Church states, “There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin/ In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene/ Only then I am human/ Only then I am clean” Overall he proves the validity of homosexual’s emotions and the falsities of the church, and I believe that he accomplishes this in a very thorough and beautiful manner.
For my birthday this year, my uncle got me tickets to go see the musical Kinky Boots at Playhouse Square downtown. The story takes place in Northampton, where the main character Charlie inherits his father’s shoe factory, Price & Son, after his death. Charlie didn’t want the factory, and has no experience running a business. The factory is going downhill quickly, and Charlie is frantically laying off employees that had been there for years. Suddenly, he meets Lola, a drag queen who gives Charlie the idea to build a woman’s heel that is strong enough to hold the weight of a man. Charlie then invites Lola to come work at the factory with him, and after a lot of convincing she agrees to do so.
ReplyDeleteAt the factory, some of the men who work there make derogatory comments towards Lola, and she starts to get discouraged, and starts to come to work in “regular clothes”; dressed as a man was expected to dress, without her wig and makeup and jewelry. She explains to Charlie in the song “Not my Father’s Son” that her dad did not accept her for who she was and what she wanted to do with her life, which Charlie is able to relate to as he did not want to take over his father’s business. Eventually, Lola and Charlie are able to show the men at the factory why Lola is okay, and why she should be allowed to be whoever she wants to be. Charlie, Lola, and the rest of the factory employees go on to create the perfect line of heels that support a man’s weight (appropriately called “Kinky Boots”). The musical ends with them modeling the heels at a fashion show in Milan, and closes with the song “Raise You Up/Just Be”.
The musical is very fun and extremely “feelgood”. I noticed all the songs have a very big impact on the audience and are all very and meaningful. The message is simple; just be yourself. This is a show and experience I will not forget anytime soon!
Twenty-One pilots is an alternative band solely composed of two musicians-Tyler Joseph and Joshua Dun. In their most recently published album, “Blurryface”, Tyler details his journey dealing with his personal insecurities and inner struggles. One of the struggles he talks about can be found in the song “Stressed Out”. In this song, Tyler reminisces on his childhood, back when everything was simple and imagination and creativity were encouraged. He contrasts this image of childhood with adulthood, which he immediately rejects and expresses his desire to return back to childhood because of the ludicrous demands of society once an individual reaches adulthood.
ReplyDeleteBlurryface is a recurring metaphor throughout the entire album to represent Tyler’s fears and insecurities. In this song, Blurryface represents Tyler’s fear about growing up and not being able to fit society’s standards of what an adult should be. This is evident when Tyler sings “Used to play pretend, give each other different names, we would build a rocket ship and then we'd fly it far away/Used to dream of outer space, but now they're laughing at our face singing "wake up, you need to make money"”. Blurryface can be identified in Twenty-One Pilots’ songs when a deeper voice is singing instead of Tyler’s voice, which occurs in the aforementioned lines. By Blurryface singing these lines instead of Tyler, it symbolizes Tyler’s fears of not being able to comply with what a socially acceptable individual is supposed to behave like once they reach adulthood. This could possibly arise because of his aspiration to become a singer in a band, which is not a socially acceptable position because of this creative component of it unless the band is successful, in which wealth and fame can be gained. In the music video, these lines are sung in a hostile tone by Tyler and Josh’s family members, which was done to criticize how society pressures individuals to conform to its standards by dismissing creativity. In the music video, Tyler’s hands and neck are covered in black paint. This is done to transition blurryface from being a metaphor to a physical manifestation of his insecurities and fears that arise in response to society’s demands. His hands are covered in paint because he must strive to meet society's perception of success and the way that he does this is through his music, which he creates with the words that he writes. Thus, he is insecure about the things that he creates. His neck is covered in paint to symbolize the suffocation feeling that arises in response to the amount of pressure that he is receiving from society. Also, the music video was mainly captured in Josh’s childhood bedroom, which was done to allow the viewer to connect with the song by displaying a comfortable, youthful environment. Both Josh and Tyler also helped the viewer to connect with the song by participating in childish activities, such as drinking juice boxes on a sidewalk and riding tricycles. This action is done to help the viewer to connect this song to their own experience in childhood as well as his desire to return back to it. These scenes contrast the scene where Josh and Tyler’s families yell at them to grow up, thus, emphasizing the simplicity of childhood. Lastly, in each Twenty-One Pilots song, the beat is very upbeat and happy, however, the lyrics incessantly reveal a profound commentary about depressing topics. This is done to represent that what we as individuals portray on the outside doesn’t incessantly parallel how we feel on the inside. The beat of the song may provoke excitement and happiness, however, Tyler is truly trying to express his fear of growing up and not being able to be accepted by society.
The song ‘Pedestrian at Best’ from the album ‘Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit’ is written by Courtney Barnett, an Australian singer and songwriter. The lyrics as well as the music video are meant to display the harsh reality of the music industry. Courtney uses her music as a form of expression, and thus turns her lyrics into a source of art. She feels that if she were to give in to the music industry, she could make more money and reach more people, but her music would become meaningless. The line “it won’t be with me on my deathbed, but I’ll still be in your head” confirms this interpretation. The music she makes for the masses will be catchy, but it won’t mean anything to her. When she dies, she won’t remember her music, but it will be stuck in our heads. This song shows the struggle of keeping a balance between making true art, and influencing an audience with that art.
ReplyDeleteIn the music video, Barnett creates a visual analogy by comparing her artwork with a clown. If she gives in to the music industry, her work becomes a joke, and a simple source of entertainment rather than art. “Give me all your money, and I’ll make origami, honey”. This line is reiterating the idea that even though she’ll have lots of money by making catchy songs with no meaning, she won’t be contributing to the complexity of man, as Ralph Ellison would say. Barnett also creates another theme using the clown analogy. Her outfit includes a button which reads ‘clown of the year 2013’, yet she is hated by everyone she attempts to reach. This shows the impossible task an artist is faced with to stay relevant while still staying true to one’s own ideals, as well as the lack of loyalty in fans of popular music. The music industry has changed her dreams from the pure perspective of sharing her opinion to the tainted view that asks ‘how much money will this song make?’. “I’ve become attached to the idea, it’s all a shifting dream, a bittersweet philosophy, I’ve got no idea how I even got here”. Courtney realizes that she’s abandoned her previous principles, and that the pressure from society to make catchy popular songs has changed the purity of her goals, as well as her achievements.
One of my favorite TV shows and one which I think is very interesting to analyze is American Horror Story. Considering it is one of most popular shows on television, I would like to start my response with a spoiler alert, as I will be talking about some of the major plot points that take place in the first four seasons. American Horror Story (hereby referred to as AHS) is an anthology series that captures new characters, settings, and stories with each new season. From a Murder House that promises the death of those unlucky enough to be trapped inside, to an Asylum in the 1960’s with all of the historical context that it brings, to a Coven of witches who must fight those who hunt them, to a Freakshow that has become home for anyone that society has chewed up and spat out. AHS certainly has a wide range of points of to analyze. Beyond all of these seemingly different stories is what I feel to be the driving force behind the series: the idea of showing viewers what they do not want to see about themselves and the society they live in. In my opinion, the jump scares, gore, and supernaturality were never meant to scare anyone as much as the reality behind each of them: that we ignore the real horror around us, that we segregate those who are different from us, and that somehow we get up everyday determined to prove that everything is okay even if it is not. One of the most striking things I have seen about the series is that mental illness is a running them throughout, so that is what I will focus on in this analysis.
ReplyDeleteAs something that society often sweeps under the rug, mental illness is a very touchy subject to bring into a TV show and even when it is, most portrayals of it fail in some aspect. I’m not saying that AHS has been the best example of showcasing mental illnesses, but I do believe that it has been excellent in showing the duration, aftermath, and history of them. It is not an easy subject to broach and sometimes that best way is to “tell it like it is”, which adds to much of the horror that the show has to offer. Several episodes after a character named Violet (Murder House) kills herself, shes as a ghosts is forced to confront her own decaying corpse. When Lana Turner (Asylum) is admitted because she is a lesbian, we watch as she is forced into conversion therapy where they try to change her sexual orientation. In Coven, a witch named Myrtle, a sociopath, carves out the eyes of two other people to help a friend regain her sight. And finally, the viewers see the struggle of Twisty the Clown, a man with down syndrome, who after being outcasted at every turn tries to kill himself, but does not succeed, leaving a gaping hole in his face from the self-inflicted gunshot wound. We recognize the struggles of each of these characters, we sympathize with them, we look at the images shown to us in these scenes in disgust, we affirm that no one should have to go through what each of these characters has, but can not even say the words to describe their plights aloud. In reference to AHS, many people are afraid of ghosts, witches, and demons; the scariest part of this show is not the supernatural, but that which we are afraid to even speak of: mental illness. People with depression struggle to get out of bed, people with anxiety have to fight to leave their house, people with schizophrenia have to grapple with figuring out if what they are seeing is real or if their mind is playing tricks on them. But no one will help them. When someone commits suicide everyone rushes in with promises to never let it happen again, saying that we have to do better. But a few days letter everyone forgets, or pushes it deep in their consciousness because they do not want to face it saying it isn’t my problem, someone else will deal with it. By using this element in their series, the creator and writers of AHS have added a truly horrific element to their show.
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ReplyDeleteThis prompt made me think of the musical Finding Neverland. This production is based on the true story of J.M Barrie and his creation of Peter Pan. Barrie quickly befriends widowed Sylvia and her four sons. As he gets to know the family more, he learns about the struggles the children and Sylvia have faced. He tries to bring hope back into the family by encouraging them to always believe and stop taking life so seriously. This then inspires Barrie to develop the character of Peter Pan and the concept of Neverland. Eventually he takes this lesson to a larger group, targeting all of noble London’s theatre goers by putting on a production of his vision of Neverland. This only pushed the adult attendees to leave as the theatre was filled up with orphaned kids, Barrie’s ideal audience. The overall moral of this story is to never lose hope no matter how tough life gets, because it will always get better.
ReplyDeleteNear the middle of the production, we discover that Sylvia is ill as she fails to hide it from her boys. This greatly affects Peter because this is the same way his father died, without telling anyone about his sickness. After Peter tries to read a story he had written using his inspiration from Barrie, he notices his sick mother and begins to have a breakdown. The song “When Your Feet Don’t Touch the Ground” is a duet between Barrie and Peter. Barrie begins this song as he sees Peter crying, trying to say that there is still hope for something good to come. The lyric “I make believe I’m in control and dream it wasn’t all my fault” sung by Barrie, shows how make believe can help a person see the good in life. This is refuted by Peter’s line “make believe, but count me out”. Here he is saying that there is no reason to make believe if nothing will get better. The third phrase is sung by Barrie, telling how he used to once be like Peter, but make believing helped him find his way out of his sadness. By the end of this song, Peter forgets his sadness, taking Barrie’s advice to not give up make believing and continues writing his stories.
In “The Lion King”, the young Simba, heir to the throne of the Pridelands, embarks on a journey of self-discovery. As a cub, Simba yearns to be the King of the Pridelands like his father, Mufasa, and to take his place in the “Circle of Life”. However, with the death of his father and evil intentions of his Uncle, Scar, Simba is forced to flee his home and doubts his abilities. Enjoying a life free of responsibilities with his new friends, Timon and Pumba, Simba is surprised by a visit from his past, which leads him to rethink his previous decisions. The main message of “The Lion King” is that one cannot run away from their past, but face it and remember who they were. After Mufasa’s death and being blamed for it, Simba was afraid of what his pride would think of his role in his father’s death. Instead of confronting his problems and past in the beginning, he left his home for an easier way out. Eventually, the past is brought back into view and he must rediscover his identity as King of the Pridelands and be part of the “Circle of Life”.
ReplyDelete“The Lion King” exhibits a hero’s journey with the coming-of-age adventure of Simba from a young cub to a fierce lion. Simba lives in the ordinary world of the Pridelands, but with his father’s death the call for adventure comes, yet he refuses to take up his responsibilities. The ghost of his father provides advice as his mentor, causing Simba to cross the threshold and prepare to approach the inmost cave, his fight with Scar. In the end Simba wins as part of his ordeal and his reward his taking his role as king of the Pridelands. The Pride Lands goes back to its natural beauty, while Simba is accepted as the rightful King and the rest of the animals welcomes his daughter into the new world. The image from beneath Pride rock pointing towards Simba exemplifies the majesty of the Pride Lands and the hierarchy with the lion at the top. The entire movie of “The Lion King” is an allusion of Hamlet where the Uncle of the protagonist kills his own brother to obtain the throne and a duel erupts between the uncles and the princes. As a result, both princes overcome their struggle with morality and eventually succeed in the end.
Rent is a musical that made its Broadway debut on April 29, 1996. The musical takes place in New York city where the main characters struggle to overcome sickness, addiction, discrimination, and low incomes. This musical is one of my favorites for many reasons, one of which being that a main theme portrayed throughout the musical is the idea that love is what matters above all else. Angel, a character who crossdresses and faces the onset of AIDs, deals with people who look down upon her on a daily basis, but she doesn’t let that bother her one bit. Rather than accepting the opinions of those who look down upon her for who she chooses to love and the way she dresses, she uses that negative energy to fuel her love. She does everything she can to make the people around her feel good about themselves and values love above all else because in the end it is what makes her happy.
ReplyDeleteAnother example of this theme within the musical is in the opening song “Seasons of Love”. This song begins by asking, “525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments oh dear...how do you measure, measure a year?” The song continues, listing different ways one can try to measure a whole year of someone’s life before it settles upon love. The justification for measuring a person’s life in love in my opinion is because people always cherish the moments where they feel truly loved or have helped another feel that same way. As I mentioned before, all of the main characters in the musical are struggling through something serious, and the reason they don’t ever give up is because they are surrounded by the people they love the most. The love that you feel when you are with these people is the kind of love worth measuring a life in.
https://soundcloud.com/whisperertunes/embers
ReplyDeleteRecently in my life, I have been exploring music that blends different genres together. Because of this, the mood of the music tends to be variable, forming to whatever I am feeling at the time. It may seem impossible, but I’ve found that some of these songs can fit with a somber mood, just as easily well as a happy mood. At first, I thought it was just the instrumental aspect that had this effect on the song, but upon further inspection, I have noticed that the lyrics also play into this phenomenon.
The song “Embers” by Whisperer is a prime example of this genre-bending, mood-adapting music. Whisperer is a solo project by Connor Grant, a former member of the metal band “Prepared Like a Bride.” In an interview about Grant’s new ventures into solo-production, he stated that “I mainly just performed [with “Prepared Like a Bride”], I didn’t write music or create for myself. So when I left that project, I began exploring songwriting and investing into my own ideas for the first time in my life.” Grant’s solo projects, therefore, have been able to express his true emotions, as well as allow for an outlet to his difficulties in life. This new music project explores a calmer approach to life by using slower tempos and softer sounding instruments. While the sound is smooth, many of the beats and rhythms are still complex, which allows the listener to stay engaged.
Throughout the song, Grant uses fire as a metaphor to represent a past romance. The fire is mentioned in two forms: a flame and an ember. When Grant says, “I tried to keep the flame alight...the embers tell of its demise,” he is referring to saving a relationship. Grant sought to hide the fact that the relationship was in shambles by continuing to rebuild its structure, but in the end, Grant could not stop the flame from going out.
In an act to show the audience his current advice to his past self, Grant uses epistrophe to convey his message. All throughout the first verse, after every clause, Grant sings, “Let it die, or let it die.” In the present, Grant has realized that all he could have done was move past the relationship, as it was not possible to save.
This song can be viewed in two lights. This song could have fit with a somber mood easily, as it speaks of dead love and the song could also be seen as uplifting since from this death, Grant was able to move onto a new love. Whether it was intentional or not, I believe that this mood-bending form of music is extraordinary and that it has a longevity that “regular” music could never obtain.
Due to the popularity of visual media, ranging from television to cinema to informal video-sharing, it is only logical that businesses would attempt to capitalize on this with advertisements and commercials. One particularly egregious example from personal experience (seeing as it is the vast majority of all the ads I see on YouTube) is the commercial for Sprite's 2016 Lyrical Collection cans, which feature the designs of 16 different hip hop songs from various popular artists. For the advertisement, a young man walks into a convenience store, and goes to the fridge section, which is full of various Sprite cans. Upon making contact with one can, the song "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) by Missy Elliot begins to play. Pulling his hand away in surprise, the young man recovers, and reaches for a different can. Upon contact, this can begins to play 2Pac's "Keep Ya Head Up," and a third plays J. Cole's "Hello." Now adjusted to the nature of the cans, the young man begins to mix the songs together, until the clerk impatiently requests he choose a can. The next scene is the young man drinking Sprite, to the tune of "Keep Ya Head Up." The scene cuts to a still image of the Sprite logo, and a text box briefly explaining the collection, as the song fades off.
ReplyDeleteLikely, every aspect of this commercial was specifically chosen to maximize interest in Sprite's new can designs, and by extension, the drink itself. This would logically include these designs themselves, as they are a new and unique style to attract interest, be it sheer novelty or a fondness to the songs, to compete with Coca Cola's Share a Coke cans. The beginning of the commercial is mundane, with no background music, only the ding of the door opening, and the young man fans his shirt, to demonstrate to the audience the heat of the day, which can lead to attribute Sprite with cool refreshment. The scene suddenly cuts to the refrigerators, and here the selection of the songs becomes important. The first song played, "The Rain," has themes of empowerment and identity. "Hello" has similar themes of empowerment and motivation through analysis. Finally, the third can, "Keep Ya Head Up," has a straight-forward, motivational message that can be clearly seen in the title of the song. All three of the major songs played in the advertisement feature uplifting themes to form a connection in the viewers' minds between Sprite and motivation, in another attempt to sell their product. Fast-paced editing is in place, jumping from scene to scene quickly, to impart as much focus on the cans as possible in fifteen or thirty seconds, depending on the version of the commercial, and in the final dynamic scene, where the young man drinks the chosen can, the camera follows the can in such a way that the label is always readable, rotating the rest of the view, instead of the typical inverse. Through this emphasis on the Sprite, emphasis can be made in the mind of the audience, to imprint Sprite, and a subsequent desire for it, to the viewer. Essentially, the 2016 Sprite Lyrical Collection commercial seeks to market the product through connections to refreshment, uplifting or motivational messages, or simply direct means.
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ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite movies and books is “The Help”, written by Kathryn Stockett. Although published in 2009 and made a move in 2011, the main message I believe still holds true today. The story is told from three different first-person perspectives: from the perspectives of Aibileen, Minny - both of whom are African American women serving as “the help” to white, affluent families - and Eugenia, or Skeeter, who is a white, affluent young woman with aspirations to tell the stories of not only these two women, but all women who are “the help” to families.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book, I personally experienced life from one of the thousands of perspectives that isn’t my own. I got to live the life of an African American woman in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960’s, and see how practically every detail differs between our lives. Even their homes, described in the book as being small, run down, and closely together in bad neighborhoods where gunshots are heard, is something I have never known. Kathryn Stockett does a marvelous job of revealing parts of humanity that will change the way you see strangers on the street. The main lesson I took from the book was not only is each person fighting a battle, but each person is a living, breathing, soul, and there is no way to know their story. She uses the stories of Aibileen and Minny and their experiences with the families they help to showcase the discrimination and at times unfortunate bitterness between races, and although this story was set in the 60’s, I feel as though lessons similar to what I have shared can still be applied and be put into practice today. The book is most definitely worth the read and the movie does a wonderful job of submerging the viewer into the lives of these women.
The Scientist by Coldplay is one of my favorite songs. From me another way of interpreting this song.
ReplyDeleteI believe, the topic isn't any relationship between a man, a scientist and a woman. The song is about the divorce of religion and science. Since Descartes the human mind is divided by the human body. The scientist in this song apologizes to god for don't believing in him:
"Come up to meet you,
Tell you I'm sorry,
You don't know how lovely you are."
He wants to meet with god or the values god is described by.
"I had to find you,
Tell you I need you,
Tell you I set you apart."
Here the scientist realizes that he needs god to explain the world as a functional concept.
"Tell me your secrets,
Ask me your questions,
Oh, let's go back to the start."
He wants to start again and to see the world not in just the way science thinks, but to connect both ways of thinking. Without god science is
"Runnin' in circles,
Comin' up tails,... and it's a shame for all the years they were apart:
"Nobody said it was easy,
It's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be this hard.
Oh, take me back to the start."
The typical "Oh" can also be seen as a direct pray to god like an "Oh Lord".
"I was just guessing,
At numbers and figures,
Pulling the puzzles apart."
Without god it's just guessing what science does and that nothing speaks louder than god in his heart:
"Questions of science,
Science and progress,
could not speak as loud as my heart."
"Tell me you love me,
Come back and haunt me,
Oh, and I rush to the start."
He prays that god will forgive him and that he is going to come back, so that science and religion can be reunited:
"Runnin' in circles,
Chasin' tails,
Comin' back as we are."
I think only in this way of interpretation, the title makes sense.
In the year 1965, Godard's film Pierrot Le Fou was released. Few films I've revisited, and will revisit, as many times as I will and have Pierrot Le Fou. The film itself, as many will say (and as I will claim from what I have read of the work) of Finnegan's wake, is full of enigmas and references that escape and frustrate many. Godard had little intent of making his film especially accessible to it's audience. I doubt he even considered it! For, the film is the work of man steeped in centuries of history, philosophy, art, and literature. Especially evident is the depth of Godard's knowledge and grasp of film and it's language, for during his youthful days as a critic, like the rest of his Cahiers' fellows such as Truffaut and Rivette, Godard studied the old masters,viz. years spent at the Cinematheque screenings of Mizoguchi, Ford, Renoir, Ray, Dreyer, Hawks, &c. He is a classicist who makes evident in all of his films through allusion his admiration for the bygone filmic renaissance (1915-mid-60s), and employs it to create an odyssey of two lovers on the lam, and a critique of the turbulent times for which the film was made.
ReplyDeleteAmerican pulp,a suicide bombing,Van Gogh,Renoir (I believe both the son(indirectly) and the father(directly) painter, in the character of Marianne Renoir, the female protagonist), bleakly satirical reenactment of the Vietnam War, musical sequences, slapstick, murder, and ponderings on love's ups and downs all have a place in Godard's film. The montage, masterfully controlling what the audience gathers from every sound and every image, places the tale of the lovers on the lam in a timeless context. They are like Bonnie and Clyde,Madame Bovary, like Don Quixote and Sancho Panza( not that those two were lovers, I mean otherwise), and even Lupin III and Fujiko, two adventurers, misfits in love who wander through a turbulent world which they have given up on, rebelling against it's laws of order and and it's absurd ethics that would allow murder and killing to be seen as heroic if the context is fitting to a cause. Like all the aforementioned,Ferdinand(or Pierrot) leaves his wife and children with his old flame Marriane, and together they attempt to build a world of excitement to escape their dull, modern, western lives. They are true Romantics, as Godard attempts them, in a world in which such romanticism shall always remain implausible.
While the lovers' tale is timeless, the setting is in fact quite timely, as it deals with Godard's growing frustration with western politics, as well as a growing fascination with Marx and his youthful heirs.
ReplyDeleteLupin and Fujiko are characters from the japanese 1971 cartoon Lupin the Third. Due to the films mix of low-brow and highbrow, I felt no bit strange in mixing these two into the essay.Now I question the choice, while I do love that cartoon.
ReplyDelete