English 2100 x 81: Fall 2020

Author: S

All-Star Blog Spotlight: Music Rhetorical Analysis

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Cult of Personality by Living Colour

Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0

 

The Cult of Personality is a song written by the band Living Colour in 1988. This time period was a time of high tension and great uncertainty. Additionally, the artists experienced the terrifying events of the cold war which increased their disgust for leaders since a great deal of lives and funds were wasted. As illustrated at 4:35 in the piece, it displays the Vietnam War with a quote from Kennedy stating “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. Furthermore, Kennedy is mentioned at 0:54 when he is compared to Musolini in reference to their control over their followers. These examples illustrate how leaders use the manipulation of their followers beliefs and personality to maintain power. Nevertheless, at 0:12 and at 4:43, the song repeats this message by showing a series of masks representing that although leaders have different appearances and agendas, all leaders are the same in that they use their followers for their own motivations.

The audience of this piece is children. As shown in the start of the video, there is a girl who is watching the television screen and is being exposed to these events. Moreover, at 0:30, the female’s eyes appear on top of an image where everyone is a white male in the same outfit and completing the same activities. Therefore, when there are no dissenting views, it is dangerous to the country because it becomes more radicalized and could possibly become a fasicst state. At the end, the girl is shaking her head to show her disapproval of the events that occurred. As a result, Living Colour desires for children to analyze and oppose these events since they have the ability to prevent them in the future..

The genre of the video is 1980’s rock music. This stylistic choice was made in order to attract many listeners and to demonstrate the turmoil through the music. In the 1980’s rock music was the most popular type of music. Consequently, this artistic decision enticed a larger portion of the population in comparison to if the song was composed by an orchestra or electronically which allowed the band to spread their message to a greater number of people. Additionally, the high tempo and high dynamics of the music forces the listener to internalize the context of the piece and understand the danger of the times. 

The purpose is to persuade the listeners that politicians and leaders come in many forms, and they attempt to use their supporters’ view points and personality for their own benefit. At multiple times in the piece, 0:30, 0:43, and 1:15, the video illustrates the extreme similarity of the people, and how it is used to radicalize the country. Furthermore, at 2:46, the song juxtaposes Martin Luther King Jr who wears the same outfit and has the same hair as his constituents with white police officers are dressed in the same manner with the same hats and weapons. Living Colour blends the lines between good and bad, and portrays that both individuals who are considered “good” or “bad” exploit their supporters. Nevertheless, the influence over their followers leads to radical behavior from their opposition demonstrated through the assasinations of both Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy as shown in the song through the quote “When a leader speaks that leader dies” (2:46).

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This post stands out to me because I have never really analyzed music in a thematic fashion. Personally, I have only listened to music just for pleasure and because it sounds good. Consequently, this activity made me realize that music has a deeper meaning and could be used in a political fashion to create change and inspire the lives of its listeners. I liked that the activity obligated me to think critically and analyze a different work in a new manner. Additionally, I am satisfied to how I adapted to the new challenge of analyzing the arts and perceiving it in a critical method.

 

 

The Lost Moral Standard —- Accountability

“ Bryant issued a statement to address the conclusion of the trial. ‘Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did,’ the statement read in part. ‘After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.’    “

 

I think this quote truly highlights something special. Accountability. Unfortunately, accountability is something lost in America. Where accountability fades, self interest replaces it. In the United States, it is very common for one to wait until the police arrests them, the court sentences them, and the community imprisons them in order to finally admit your mistakes; however, even then some still cry innocent when clearly guilty. Although it is one’s legal right to go through these proceedings and hold onto life, the morality of accountability has been lost in the social sphere. By not taking accountability, the perpetrator further aggresses the victim and its family by removing the closure which the victim and his or her family requires and the possibility of peace. 

Whether or not Kobe Bryant sexually assaulted this lady, he admits the uncertainty of the situation. He reveals that both their views on the incident clashes and that he empathizes with how she feels. Evidently, he regrets his actions in the manner and understands the mistakes he made which led to the confusion between the two perspectives. Unlike others, he displays public remorse for the situation. Even though Bryant allegedly assaulted the lady and his actions are unforgivable, this statement attempts to open the door to do so.

Snowpiercer

LINK: https://medium.com/@MattyJay/snowpiercer-film-analysis-f32ec16240ac

James compares the train in Snowpiercer to the capitalistic society. He believes that the working class receives the scraps the of the upper class and nobility. Additionally, he believes that the upper class only looks forward to the future represented by the conductor section of the train, and that the upper class is oblivious to the tribulations of the working class due to their lavish lifestyle. Thus, the upper class is ignorant of the working class’ condition. However, he compares the middle class to the mixture of the two where they analyze their surroundings  to promote change but have the benefits of the high quality of life of the upper class. Furthermore, James specifically compares the location of one to their class. The upper class have clubs, salons and steak, the working class have bed sheets, ripped clothing, and “protein” bars, and the middle class have education, gardens, and fish bar.

I agree with James’ argument because the color and other dialogues support’s his belief. The differences between the upper class and the working class are distinct. When Wilford’s wife comes to take children, the color variations are apparent. Moreover, the wife is wearing a fancy yellow dress and has blond hair in a sea of grey and black. Every individual in the tail section has colorless outfits and the setting was colorless. Consequently, the color difference reveals the wealth gap between the 2 classes since the tail section does not have the ability to acquire such fancy colorful clothing. Also Wilford controls the population, fear, and anxiety of the tail section which is similar to how upper classes usually and have controlled the working class.

Module #3: “Everything is in the Language We do not Use”

The quote “everything is in the language we do NOT use” refers to the idea that through the absence of diction one is able to distort the truth. For instance, one could say “It is raining, and I am outside”. This statement implies that the speaker was wet, but if the speaker was under a tent shielded from the rain then the statement might deceive the reader without the speaker ever lying. The absence of a causation implies a statement without explicitly mentioning it. Nevertheless, Balko argues that the police department uses this same idea, but in a different fashion in order to shield it from responsibility. Specifically, Balko discusses that the police department’s use of passive voice creates doubt among what occurred shifting blame away from the deputy who was involved. Furthermore, Balko mentions that instead of directly stating that the deputy fired at the child, it says that the situation is “unclear” and it is unknown whether the deputy was responsible for the accident. Therefore, the police department is able to avoid the backlash of its negligence while accepting that the incident occurred. 

The writer sheds light on these practices in order to expose the police department and reveal to the public the truth behind the vague language. Additionally, Balko believes that the police department is deceptive in an attempt to hide the truth and protect themselves without obtaining justice for the victim. Consequently, these articles raise awareness for these issues which will eventually produce change and end this deceitful nature.

Module #2 Blog Post: “38” by Long Soldier

The quote “everything is in the language that we use” is referencing the idea that in the English language there are many synonyms for a specific word. However, each word has a distinct meaning that is subtly different from the previous. For instance, the poem cites the word “unclear” and states it is synonymous with “confused”, but “unclear” implies the situation is ambiguous while “confused” implies that a party did not comprehend the situation. Furthermore, in this context, one word may significantly defuse the severity of the situation while another may clearly display it. The quote refers to the word “treaty” in that while a treaty is “a contract between two sovereign nations”, the use of the word implies that the Natives willingly chose to sign this agreement and downplays the coercion that occurred. 

Long Soldier argues that the United States subjected the Natives Americans to unjust treaties in order to acquire their land and obligate the natives to cede their land in the future. Additionally, she wants the reader to understand that while the natives received money in exchange for the land they sacrificed their future income because the land in the treaty contained the hunting grounds which the natives used to live off of. Consequently, the natives starved because they were not able to hunt or acquire credit to purchase food which caused them to attack the settlers to do so. Nevertheless, Long Soldier desires that the readers reflect upon the hanging of the 38 natives in order to prevent the abuse of Native Americans in the future and alter the policy towards them.