This ad featuring Jay-Z is a great example of horizontal intertextuality because the connections the viewer makes all happen within the genre of music (and Jay-Z in particular). Each of Jay-Z's different poses is supposed to mimic his poses on each of his past album covers. Because this commercial for Rhapsody is in effect comparing Jay-Z's new CD to his previous CDs, the viewer brings their past experiences with Jay-Z and his music (the old texts) to their interpretation of his new album (the new text). I love the line that says "Jay-Z fans get it" because it shows that fans have to draw on their previous knowledge of Jay-Z to understand the commercial.
For vertical intertextuality, this Volkswagen ad is a great example of the reader having to make connections across genres. The ad is meant to imitate the work of M. C. Escher, so the viewer has to compare cultural texts from two different genres (advertising and art). M. C. Escher created a series of prints depicting impossible scenarios, such as "Relativity," the source for this ad, in which people climbed stairways going in all directions. Only if the reader is familiar with M. C. Escher's work will they completely understand the message of the ad.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Things That Make Us [Sic]
I love grammar. I love punctuation and big words and editing. If I'm not clear on a grammar rule, I search for it on Google, and I usually end up finding a whole lot of things I wasn't even looking for. (Yes, I know that I just ended a sentence with a preposition.) For example, one of my most recent searches took me to a site for a book about grammar. This isn't just any old boring book. This is one of the coolest books I've ever seen. It's called-- get ready for it-- Things That Make Us [Sic].
First of all, I LOVE the title. It completely conveys what the book is about, but it also makes an amazing play on words. Such a skillful use of a pun should not go unnoticed.
Secondly, I'm so excited that someone is making a book about grammar that's both informative and interesting. In the book, the author also calls out famous people who have made their share of grammar mistakes. Actually, the full title of the book is Things That Make Us (Sic): The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar Takes on Madison Avenue, Hollywood, the White House, and the World, which suggests that she also points out mistakes that have been made in advertising (Madison Avenue). I think it's really important for people in advertising to make sure they're using the language properly because I know every time I see a typo or a grammatical error in an ad, I automatically ignore the rest of the message. If advertisers can't take the time to proof their ads, what does that say about the products they're advertising?
And yes, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar is real. They even have a website.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Full of Color
The other day, as I was standing in line at Subway, I saw a guy who was wearing a bright pink shirt and matching pink and purple shoes. After I had been looking at him for a few seconds, I thought, "Why is he wearing that?" Then I caught myself and thought, "Why does it matter?" So what if he wants to wear pink? Why has society decided that it's weird for guys to wear pink?
Later that week, I saw one of the coolest rainbows I'd ever seen as I was driving home. It was a full arch, something that you rarely have enough rain to see in Texas. It was only there for a few minutes because the sun was setting, so I knew I had to enjoy it. It was so neat to be able to see how one color faded to the next. That got me thinking more about the pink shirt issue. All of these colors in the rainbow seemed to have equal importance. So how did we ascribe different meanings to these colors? Why is blue a baby boy color and pink a baby girl color from the beginning? Do these colors have inherent meanings? The only difference between colors is their wavelength, so where do ideas about colors come from? If all of the colors are good enough to be in the rainbow, I think we should be able to wear whatever we want.
Later that week, I saw one of the coolest rainbows I'd ever seen as I was driving home. It was a full arch, something that you rarely have enough rain to see in Texas. It was only there for a few minutes because the sun was setting, so I knew I had to enjoy it. It was so neat to be able to see how one color faded to the next. That got me thinking more about the pink shirt issue. All of these colors in the rainbow seemed to have equal importance. So how did we ascribe different meanings to these colors? Why is blue a baby boy color and pink a baby girl color from the beginning? Do these colors have inherent meanings? The only difference between colors is their wavelength, so where do ideas about colors come from? If all of the colors are good enough to be in the rainbow, I think we should be able to wear whatever we want.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Inside the Lines
Driving is sort of like coloring. You have to stay inside the lines. From the time you start both, you're told to stay inside the boundaries that are provided for you. Just as a picture is only recognizable if you use the appropriate colors in the appropriate places, our roads and highways can only function if everyone agrees to stay within the lines. If there were no lanes for traffic, imagine the chaos that would result on the highway. There would be incredible delays and much confusion. The road system simply would not work. Similarly, a tree that's colored with no regard for its outline would be unrecognizable, having no meaning to the rest of society. While some may say this stifles creativity, these activities that involve motor skills (pun intended) still allow you to be creative. A child can decide what color the picture should be, and he or she can even add to the drawing. Drivers can create their own route and vary the way they go each time. Maybe they want to take the fastest route one day and the scenic route the next.
Just think of all of the cool things you can do between lines. You can read between lines; you can play music in lines; you can even dance in lines. Sometimes it's finding ways to be creative within the lines that's most impressive.
Just think of all of the cool things you can do between lines. You can read between lines; you can play music in lines; you can even dance in lines. Sometimes it's finding ways to be creative within the lines that's most impressive.
Friday, September 18, 2009
It's All in How You Say It
You can change the meaning of just about anything with phrasing. Depending on the intended effect, the proper word choice can put a positive spin on something that really isn't that positive. Take the United States economy. Few would argue that the past few months haven't been trying economically. Earlier this year, politicians and journalists alike rattled off depressing facts about the housing market and the stock market. Companies are shutting down. People's houses are being foreclosed. Some economists predict that the recovery may take a while, and the stimulus money that Congress fought over for so long seems nowhere to be found. Why is it that news that US new jobless claims fell to 545,000 this past week is so exciting? In case the politicians and pundits didn't get it, we're still losing jobs, and for every person who's unemployed, there's probably someone who's underemployed. I guess they never stopped to think that with each passing week, there are less jobs to lose. Of course the jobless claims are going down. That's like saying, "We're getting worse at a slower rate!" By emphasizing that the new jobless claims "fell" and going on and on about how wonderful that is, pundits and federal officials have been able to make the fact that people are still losing their jobs and receiving unemployment something to celebrate.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090917/bs_afp/useconomyunemployment_20090917140130
Monday, September 7, 2009
The Spoils of Our Labor
Today, my family had a cookout to celebrate Labor Day, as we normally do every year. When my mom asked my six-year-old cousin, "Do you know what Labor Day means?" she thought for a second and said, "No." Embarrassed, I realized I couldn't answer that question either. I've always confused Memorial Day with Labor Day, and I've just thought of them as days people got off work. It seems to me that the original intents of these holidays are wasted when people have no idea what their significance is. They've simply turned into party days. (Not that I don't enjoy days off.) I love getting to see my family and eat really good food. It's part of Labor Day. I just think that these holidays would be a lot more meaningful if people knew what they meant and why they were created.
According to the United States Department of Labor website, "Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."
According to the United States Department of Labor website, "Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."
"The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television."
How come I've never seen stuff like that on the news? I know I'm not the only one who confuses Memorial Day with Labor Day. Maybe it's the whole Monday thing.Friday, September 4, 2009
It's All in the Surprise
Now, I don't normally advocate people hurting themselves, but I couldn't stop laughing when I saw this video. It was a relatively quiet night, and my friend said she'd send me some YouTube videos to keep me entertained. This was the first one. We've all seen the various versions of the dance to Beyonce's "Single Ladies," including the famous Saturday Night Live skit with Justin Timberlake, so I wasn't expecting much from this one. At first I thought, "Yeah, yeah. Another person who has way too much time on her hands trying to copy Beyonce. A clown mask? Really?" In fact, I was about to close the video, thinking I'd seen all there was to see, disappointed at the been-there-seen-that feeling I got, but then, 22 seconds into the video, sitting by myself, I burst out laughing. 0:22 made it a completely different video. I mean COMPLETELY. At that moment, I realized that sometimes a surprise is worth waiting for. Had I closed the video, I would have missed out on one of the funniest videos I've ever seen. Had I known what was coming, it wouldn't have been nearly as hilarious. (Although, when I showed it to my friends the next day, even though I knew what was coming, I definitely laughed with them.) It's all in the surprise.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)