Sunday, May 3, 2009
Will it blend?
The sender of this message comes in the form of Tom Dickson, but in reality he acts as a puppet of the company Blendtec in advertising for its heavy duty blender. This company, like all others, tries to make a profit for its efforts. To gain its profit, Blendtec attempts to prove the viability and usefulness of one of its blenders.
The sample above is just one of multiple advertising messages of the same variety. Each attempts to show the durability, power, and dependability of a Blendtec blender. In this particular version of the commercial, Blendtec makes use of a popular cultural figure to spread appeal. With the popularity of Chuck Norris jokes among the younger demographics, trying to blend Chuck gives the message of a great blender which can blend almost anything, excluded Chuck Norris. Also, since these commercials primarily show up on the internet, the company targets computer users which means mostly younger generations. Blendtec subtly insinuates that their blenders kill the bad things in the world.
The message itself is composed of basic language. The host uses little, if any, examples of higher vocabulary or language. Tom attempts to appeal to the viewers with slower, deliberate speaking. This achieves a false sense of elevation; however, as false as it may be, it works for its purpose. This purpose of the simplistic language is to help the viewer connect and not feel separated from the sellers of the product.
This commercial uses logic to appeal to the younger generation. As stated previously, this advertisement utilizes the infamy of a celebrity, Chuck Norris. Also, the company attempts to associate its name with that same infamy to add prestige. As with many other commercials of today, comedic value also plays a part as it tries to appeal to the humor of the viewers. Blendtec targeted a certain viewer and modified its advertisement to appeal to that demographic.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
The Welcome Home debuted on the 1986 Metallica album, Master of Puppets. The song was passed over and not given as much recognition on the album because most of the fans at the time were the metal heads that craved for another thrash single that would rock their musical souls. What Welcome Home lacked in speed, it made up with rhythm changes and cadences that matched the lyrics and the intensity of the song. The lyricist of song, James Hetfield, drew upon the Ken Kesey novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest for inspiration for this particular single. The lyrics and matching emotion from the vocals and instrumentals builds Welcome Home into a masterfully created song.
As the inspiration to the song was One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, not surprisingly the speaker comes in the form of a inmate who has a grip upon reality. In keeping with the spirit of the novel, those in control of the facility restrict all from leaving that place. “Welcome to where time stands still, No one leaves and no one will.” The second line tells this in blunt words, that escape from this place never happens. The first line of that quote works in conjunction with another to illustrate a different aspect of the facility. “Whisper things into my brain, Assuring me that I'm insane.” The time standing still, meaning he loses touch with reality and nature, along with the words from his jailors pushes the speaker closer to insanity than he was whenever he entered into the facility. The last stanza of the song pays tribute to Kesey’s novel. Much like in the novel, the speaker has a fear of living on, but in this it is unlike Kesey’s novel because he does not suffer from lobotomy, rather he fears insanity. Much like how Chief Bromden kills to save others from the terrors of the facility, the speaker appears to plan to do the same.
While striking similarities take place within the lyrics, Hetfield manages to create he own work with some of his inventions in the song. He makes use of apostrophe whenever the speaker calls out to Sanitarium in the chorus. In this way the speaker not only faults the people in the facility for keeping him locked up, but also places blame to the physical place as though it acts a being that torments him. The speaker also challenges those in charge saying, “They see it right, they see it well, But they think this saves us from our hell.” He uses a sarcastic tone with this line, mimicking how the doctors believe they know what ails those in the facility when they really can not see what goes on inside of everyone’s minds. The speaker in the song escapes from this insanity with his dreams, which he sees freedom and things the way he desires. “Dream the same thing every night, I see our freedom in my sight, No locked doors, No windows barred, No things to make my brain seem scarred” He also alludes to his sanity when he mentions, that nothing makes his brain “seem” scarred. Use of the word seem instead of some affirmative word leaves it open to interpretation to whether he has gone mad.
At key moments in the song the rhythm helps to create the mood which the speaker feels. From the beginning the song sounds sad and somber, almost as if depressed. During the second stanza the beat picks up and the singer makes use of a more harsh tone that finishes on an elongated delivery of the word “rage.” This channels the frustration which the speaker experiences within the Sanitarium. During the first chorus, this passionate sound continues until the singer mutters the words, “just leave me alone.” During these words his voice trails off, almost as if the he were losing the hope and inspiration which he had moments ago. In the next stanza, his stress upon the word insane makes the listener more aware to the situation which the speaker can not escape. During the next stanza, the increased tempo and once again harsh singing exposes the emotion of the speaker and creates a sound like the speaker attempts to rally the other inmates to rise against the jailors. In the second chorus, in juxtaposition to the first, when the speaker addresses the Sanitarium, instead of trailing off on his command he stands firm and yells it to his target. After this point the rhythm of the instruments speeds up significantly in comparison to the rest of the song, which helps to illustrate the unrest which the speaker experiences. For the last stanza, the speaker does not back down at all and tells the himself in the mirror that he will do what it takes to escape, which then crescendos into a speedy guitar solo to cap off the emotions which have been building for the entire song. After the solo the same music utilized for the entire songs plays again but with different distortion and tempo as to illustrate that the speaker’s emotions from the beginning in a similar yet entirely different light. Then the beat slows at the end as though the speaker gained control of his emotions.
All of these different elements create a song that one the surface appears as a song about just a crazy man locked up. However, the deeper that one digs into the lyrics and the use of the musical elements the more one can see how all are used to create a song which goes beneath the surface and offers more than just face value.
Welcome to where time stands still
No one leaves and no one will
Moon is full, never seems to change
Just labeled mentally deranged
Dream the same thing every night
I see our freedom in my sight
No locked doors, No windows barred
No things to make my brain seem scarred
Sleep my friend and you will see
That dream is my reality
They keep me locked up in this cage
Can't they see it's why my brain says Rage
Sanitarium, leave me be
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Build my fear of what's out there
And cannot breathe the open air
Whisper things into my brain
Assuring me that I'm insane
They think our heads are in their hands
But violent use brings violent plans
Keep him tied, it makes him well
He's getting better, can't you tell?
No more can they keep us in
Listen, damn it, we will win
They see it right, they see it well
But they think this saves us from our hell
Sanitarium, leave me be
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Fear of living on
Natives getting restless now
Mutiny in the air
Got some death to do
Mirror stares back hard
Kill, it's such a friendly word
Seems the only way
For reaching out again.
As the inspiration to the song was One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, not surprisingly the speaker comes in the form of a inmate who has a grip upon reality. In keeping with the spirit of the novel, those in control of the facility restrict all from leaving that place. “Welcome to where time stands still, No one leaves and no one will.” The second line tells this in blunt words, that escape from this place never happens. The first line of that quote works in conjunction with another to illustrate a different aspect of the facility. “Whisper things into my brain, Assuring me that I'm insane.” The time standing still, meaning he loses touch with reality and nature, along with the words from his jailors pushes the speaker closer to insanity than he was whenever he entered into the facility. The last stanza of the song pays tribute to Kesey’s novel. Much like in the novel, the speaker has a fear of living on, but in this it is unlike Kesey’s novel because he does not suffer from lobotomy, rather he fears insanity. Much like how Chief Bromden kills to save others from the terrors of the facility, the speaker appears to plan to do the same.
While striking similarities take place within the lyrics, Hetfield manages to create he own work with some of his inventions in the song. He makes use of apostrophe whenever the speaker calls out to Sanitarium in the chorus. In this way the speaker not only faults the people in the facility for keeping him locked up, but also places blame to the physical place as though it acts a being that torments him. The speaker also challenges those in charge saying, “They see it right, they see it well, But they think this saves us from our hell.” He uses a sarcastic tone with this line, mimicking how the doctors believe they know what ails those in the facility when they really can not see what goes on inside of everyone’s minds. The speaker in the song escapes from this insanity with his dreams, which he sees freedom and things the way he desires. “Dream the same thing every night, I see our freedom in my sight, No locked doors, No windows barred, No things to make my brain seem scarred” He also alludes to his sanity when he mentions, that nothing makes his brain “seem” scarred. Use of the word seem instead of some affirmative word leaves it open to interpretation to whether he has gone mad.
At key moments in the song the rhythm helps to create the mood which the speaker feels. From the beginning the song sounds sad and somber, almost as if depressed. During the second stanza the beat picks up and the singer makes use of a more harsh tone that finishes on an elongated delivery of the word “rage.” This channels the frustration which the speaker experiences within the Sanitarium. During the first chorus, this passionate sound continues until the singer mutters the words, “just leave me alone.” During these words his voice trails off, almost as if the he were losing the hope and inspiration which he had moments ago. In the next stanza, his stress upon the word insane makes the listener more aware to the situation which the speaker can not escape. During the next stanza, the increased tempo and once again harsh singing exposes the emotion of the speaker and creates a sound like the speaker attempts to rally the other inmates to rise against the jailors. In the second chorus, in juxtaposition to the first, when the speaker addresses the Sanitarium, instead of trailing off on his command he stands firm and yells it to his target. After this point the rhythm of the instruments speeds up significantly in comparison to the rest of the song, which helps to illustrate the unrest which the speaker experiences. For the last stanza, the speaker does not back down at all and tells the himself in the mirror that he will do what it takes to escape, which then crescendos into a speedy guitar solo to cap off the emotions which have been building for the entire song. After the solo the same music utilized for the entire songs plays again but with different distortion and tempo as to illustrate that the speaker’s emotions from the beginning in a similar yet entirely different light. Then the beat slows at the end as though the speaker gained control of his emotions.
All of these different elements create a song that one the surface appears as a song about just a crazy man locked up. However, the deeper that one digs into the lyrics and the use of the musical elements the more one can see how all are used to create a song which goes beneath the surface and offers more than just face value.
Welcome to where time stands still
No one leaves and no one will
Moon is full, never seems to change
Just labeled mentally deranged
Dream the same thing every night
I see our freedom in my sight
No locked doors, No windows barred
No things to make my brain seem scarred
Sleep my friend and you will see
That dream is my reality
They keep me locked up in this cage
Can't they see it's why my brain says Rage
Sanitarium, leave me be
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Build my fear of what's out there
And cannot breathe the open air
Whisper things into my brain
Assuring me that I'm insane
They think our heads are in their hands
But violent use brings violent plans
Keep him tied, it makes him well
He's getting better, can't you tell?
No more can they keep us in
Listen, damn it, we will win
They see it right, they see it well
But they think this saves us from our hell
Sanitarium, leave me be
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Fear of living on
Natives getting restless now
Mutiny in the air
Got some death to do
Mirror stares back hard
Kill, it's such a friendly word
Seems the only way
For reaching out again.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Dreams
We should have known from the beginning
In this dying light
This is the dream to end our dreaming
See you standing there beaming
We are falling without a fight
We should have known from the beginning
From the start, it was all gleaming
Everything felt so right
This is the dream to end our dreaming
The chalice is now teeming
Its contents staining white
We should have known from the beginning
Now I just want to start screaming
But my mouth is shut tight
This is the dream to end our dreaming
This is something worth redeeming
But it is fading into night
We should have known from the beginning
This is the dream to end our dreaming
In this dying light
This is the dream to end our dreaming
See you standing there beaming
We are falling without a fight
We should have known from the beginning
From the start, it was all gleaming
Everything felt so right
This is the dream to end our dreaming
The chalice is now teeming
Its contents staining white
We should have known from the beginning
Now I just want to start screaming
But my mouth is shut tight
This is the dream to end our dreaming
This is something worth redeeming
But it is fading into night
We should have known from the beginning
This is the dream to end our dreaming
Friday, February 13, 2009
Found Poem
Waiting for what future waits over the horizon
We might wait for eternity
Or it could be here in a heartbeat
No matter it is always in Motion
Liberate te ex paradiso inferno
Escape from where the diesel fuel burns your eyes
Where wild things haunt the land
Retreat to the open fields
Watch the luminous moon settle in the dying night
We might wait for eternity
Or it could be here in a heartbeat
No matter it is always in Motion
Liberate te ex paradiso inferno
Escape from where the diesel fuel burns your eyes
Where wild things haunt the land
Retreat to the open fields
Watch the luminous moon settle in the dying night
Friday, December 5, 2008
Vocab Poem
I close my eyes to the orotund voice resonating from the corner of the room. As my attention began to divaricate, questions began to mount. How did I get here? What are you plans? Where am I going? How are you going to get there? Why don't you do something? Questions attempting to irradiate my future only makes me extremely irascible. My face becomes florid and tepid from my anger and embarrassment from my lack of answers. Even though I fight and larrup, I can not escape this place for hours. The apparitions harbingers of what these hours would hold. The endless possibilities, the two ever haunting words, what if. Is fate fictile or always set in time? No one knows. I try to reason with my friends, but that is impossible for they are not here. Only my doubts exist here. Then in the distant I hear a noise and it increases with time. I open my eyes as my ritual reveille alerts me to the start of a new day.
Reveille-n., a signal to arise
Irascible-adj., easily provoked to anger, very irritable
Irradiate-v., to shed rays of light upon; illuminate
Orotund-adj., (of the voice or speech) characterized by strength, fullness, richness, and clearness
Apparition-n., ghost
Divaricate-v., to spread apart; branch; diverge
Fictile-adj., capable of being molded
Florid-adj., reddish; ruddy; rosy
Larrup-v., to beat or thrash
Tepid-adj., moderately warm; lukewarm
Reveille-n., a signal to arise
Irascible-adj., easily provoked to anger, very irritable
Irradiate-v., to shed rays of light upon; illuminate
Orotund-adj., (of the voice or speech) characterized by strength, fullness, richness, and clearness
Apparition-n., ghost
Divaricate-v., to spread apart; branch; diverge
Fictile-adj., capable of being molded
Florid-adj., reddish; ruddy; rosy
Larrup-v., to beat or thrash
Tepid-adj., moderately warm; lukewarm
Monday, November 24, 2008
Music
Nearly twenty-seven years ago, in Los Angeles, a metal quartet was forming that goes by the name of Metallica. It all started when an aspiring tennis player and drummer on the side put out an ad to The Recycler, looking for other musician to play music with. Answering his first and second ads, respectively, were James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine. After forming the band, the members recruited Cliff Burton to play the bass. A year later the band kicked Mustaine out for drug and alcohol abuse, then recruited Kirk Hammett to replace him. After gaining popularity for their albums, Burton was killed when the tour bus flipped in Sweden. The banded contemplated breaking up after the incident but ultimately decided to continue. Needing a new bassist, Jason Newsted took the spot. Years later Newsted left the band to start his own project, and he was replaced with Robert Trujillo. This has remained their line up since 2003.
The band lists multiple artists as influences. They range far and wide with soloist such as Johnny Cash to bands like Iron Maiden, The Misfits, Motorhead, and Venom. Some of these bands influenced the band with their ability to perform live or with one of the band's particular style and individuality. Metallica also has influenced its fair share of bands. Along with Slayer and Anthrax, Metallica was one of the pioneers in the metal sub-genre thrash during the 80's. Fast tempos, extensive instrumentals, concise lyrics, and longer than average song lengths. In recent years, Metallica has evolved musically. Instead of keeping the song at one tempo the entire song, the band will slow down and speed up to add variety to each song. Metallica also has been known for some of the band's unique approaches. All members attribute this to Cliff Burton, potentially one of the most talented modern bassist, who fought against the conventional productions encouraged by music labels.
The common fan of Metallica rarely takes notice of the lyrical intricatices that James Hetfield weaves into the songs. He provides the majority of the lyrics for any Metallica song, often putting many of his emotions and experiences into them. Several of the push anti-war sentiments, often through the use of the point of view of a common foot soldier as seen in the songs "Metal Militia" and "Disposable Heroes." Also Hetfield has written a couple of songs about religion, most that came from the death of his mother. The song "The God That Failed," while on the surface looks like another song, actually deals entirely with his mother. Another, "Leper Messiah,"Hetfield criticizes religious hypocracy and organized religion. One of Metallica's most popular song, "Master of Puppets," is one of, if not the only, anti-drug songs written by Metallica. The entire song, except for one stanza, comes from the point of view of a drug. He masterfully pits the user against the drug but the confrontation represents more of something along the lines of stupidity versus exploitation.
It is particularly hard to find explicit defining of any lyrics of any songs by Hetfield or other members of the band. They will discuss member dynamics, writing the music, and what goes on behind the scenes, but hardly talk about the lyrics. Overall, many of the songs have positive messages or neutral and depends upon the listener's interpretation. Though alot depth exists in the lyrics, many of the casual fans do not notice or appreciate these hidden gems. From the outset, the band was regarded as outsiders that did not fall under the norms of curren music. This limited the artist ability found in the lyrics by the critics, and only recently since finding more widespread success has Hetfield's skill been recognized. This stigmatism stuck with the band for a while which created a negative view of the band, backed by problems with alcoholism the band experienced, that now has begun to change as critics look back upon their older works.
End of passion play, crumbling away
I'm your source of self-destruction
Veins that pump with fear, sucking dark is clear
Leading on your deaths construction
Taste me you will see
More is all you need
Dedicated to
How I'm killing you
Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Needlework the way, never you betray
Life of death becoming clearer
Pain monopoly, ritual misery
Chop your breakfast on a mirror
Taste me you will see
More is all you need
Dedicated to
How I'm killing you
Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Master, Master, where's the dreams that I've been after?
Master, Master, you promised only lies
Laughter, Laughter, all I hear or see is laughter
Laughter, Laughter, laughing at my cries
Hell is worth all that, natural habitat
Just a rhyme without a reason
Neverending maze, drift on numbered days
now your life is out of season
I will occupy
I will help you die
I will run through you
Now I rule you too
Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
The band lists multiple artists as influences. They range far and wide with soloist such as Johnny Cash to bands like Iron Maiden, The Misfits, Motorhead, and Venom. Some of these bands influenced the band with their ability to perform live or with one of the band's particular style and individuality. Metallica also has influenced its fair share of bands. Along with Slayer and Anthrax, Metallica was one of the pioneers in the metal sub-genre thrash during the 80's. Fast tempos, extensive instrumentals, concise lyrics, and longer than average song lengths. In recent years, Metallica has evolved musically. Instead of keeping the song at one tempo the entire song, the band will slow down and speed up to add variety to each song. Metallica also has been known for some of the band's unique approaches. All members attribute this to Cliff Burton, potentially one of the most talented modern bassist, who fought against the conventional productions encouraged by music labels.
The common fan of Metallica rarely takes notice of the lyrical intricatices that James Hetfield weaves into the songs. He provides the majority of the lyrics for any Metallica song, often putting many of his emotions and experiences into them. Several of the push anti-war sentiments, often through the use of the point of view of a common foot soldier as seen in the songs "Metal Militia" and "Disposable Heroes." Also Hetfield has written a couple of songs about religion, most that came from the death of his mother. The song "The God That Failed," while on the surface looks like another song, actually deals entirely with his mother. Another, "Leper Messiah,"Hetfield criticizes religious hypocracy and organized religion. One of Metallica's most popular song, "Master of Puppets," is one of, if not the only, anti-drug songs written by Metallica. The entire song, except for one stanza, comes from the point of view of a drug. He masterfully pits the user against the drug but the confrontation represents more of something along the lines of stupidity versus exploitation.
It is particularly hard to find explicit defining of any lyrics of any songs by Hetfield or other members of the band. They will discuss member dynamics, writing the music, and what goes on behind the scenes, but hardly talk about the lyrics. Overall, many of the songs have positive messages or neutral and depends upon the listener's interpretation. Though alot depth exists in the lyrics, many of the casual fans do not notice or appreciate these hidden gems. From the outset, the band was regarded as outsiders that did not fall under the norms of curren music. This limited the artist ability found in the lyrics by the critics, and only recently since finding more widespread success has Hetfield's skill been recognized. This stigmatism stuck with the band for a while which created a negative view of the band, backed by problems with alcoholism the band experienced, that now has begun to change as critics look back upon their older works.
End of passion play, crumbling away
I'm your source of self-destruction
Veins that pump with fear, sucking dark is clear
Leading on your deaths construction
Taste me you will see
More is all you need
Dedicated to
How I'm killing you
Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Needlework the way, never you betray
Life of death becoming clearer
Pain monopoly, ritual misery
Chop your breakfast on a mirror
Taste me you will see
More is all you need
Dedicated to
How I'm killing you
Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Master, Master, where's the dreams that I've been after?
Master, Master, you promised only lies
Laughter, Laughter, all I hear or see is laughter
Laughter, Laughter, laughing at my cries
Hell is worth all that, natural habitat
Just a rhyme without a reason
Neverending maze, drift on numbered days
now your life is out of season
I will occupy
I will help you die
I will run through you
Now I rule you too
Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Hypno Paragraph
The point of this video is to emphasize the fact that humans ultimately will be responsible for our own. The words echoed in the song,"I am war, I am pain," tells of how we bring evil to our world. All people are capable of both good and evil, but sometimes the atrocities committed outweigh the good seen in the world. As science continues to evolve, so does our understanding of how to use it for destruction. Instead of looking to God for the end of humanity, we should look at our own volatile nature. When we understand this, perhaps we can work to avoid our own end.
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