WP3

Forever in Motion, “Hot Air Balloon”: This video shows a tiny red and white balloon with a miniature wicker basket floating across beautiful landscape. The lyrics of this song describe a hot air balloon, lifting you away from your problems and setting you free. This is the feeling that hot air balloons used to give me. When I was younger, every year my family would travel to the Aksarben area in Omaha to watch the annual balloon show. Our day started early in the morning because the balloons would take off just after sunrise. We picked up donuts and juice and eat as we watched dozens of massive, Technicolor balloons majestically rise from the ground. When we arrived the majority of the balloons were laid across the huge field, waiting for life to be injected into them. We picked a spot and watched as the balloons were slowly filled until the massive, multicolor canvases were upright and ready to take off. It was amazing to watch as these enormous balloons rose from the ground as if they were weightless. As the final balloon became a distant spot on the horizon, we gathered our blankets and chairs and headed home. I have not been able to ride in a hot air balloon, but this experience gave me a feeling similar to that described in the song. It was so much fun to be able to spend the morning together as a family and just take time off to enjoy watching something so simple and beautiful.

Aqua, “Barbie Girl”:Ken pulls up to Barbie’s bright pink house in his equally pink convertible. At the sight of Ken she drops everything and jumps in the car to cruise the palm tree lined streets. The video continues with scenes of them partying in Barbie’s pool, sunbathing beside the pool or roller blading around the house. These scenes calls to mind the endless hours I spent with my sisters creating similar scenes with our own Barbie dolls. My sisters and I would spend hours setting up a small town for our Barbies to inhabit, the center of which was our Barbie Dream House. With plastic pink floors, pink flowery cardboard walls and a full set of pastel furniture, this house was all a Barbie could ask for. The town was completed with a swimming pool constructed out of a large blue dish, situated under our bunk bed, which served as a diving board for the dolls to be catapulted off of,. This tiny town was surrounded by any other landscape that we could imagine, such as a forest, mountains or a beautiful beach. After the setup of the town was complete, the drama began. We always imagined vivid, intricate plots similar to the soap operas that mom would watch as we played. After playing for hours, we would have to demolish the town and put the toys away, only to reconstruct a new town tomorrow. This elaborate play kept us entertained for hours and provided many wonderful memories.

Nsync, “Gone”: This video reminds me of my first ever concert, it was my favorite Nsync song and the song I most vividly remember from the concert. During middle school my two best friends were obsessed with Nsync, I liked them too, but I was not that interested in them. My friends mothers decided to surprise them with a trip to Kansas City to see their concert at Arrowhead Stadium, they also bought me a ticket so I ended up getting dragged along. But I really ended up having a lot of fun. The night before we left we stayed up the whole night making posters for our favorite band members and chatting excitedly about our favorite songs. My sign was probably the ugliest thing I could have created, but I think it is still in my attic somewhere, tucked away as a memory of our little adventure. I painted the entire background electric blue and glued a huge picture of Justin Timberlake on one side, surrounded by glitter. Over the picture in neon yellow was a ridiculous message, probably something like “I love you Justin” or “You rock Justin.” While the paint was still wet I threw handfuls of glitter onto the sign, making it even more gaudy. Having completed our signs, we left them to dry and got a couple hours of sleep. In the morning we jumped into the car and played games and chatted throughout the three hour trip. We got to the stadium and bought some souvenirs then headed to our sits. Just as the concert was about to start I unrolled my poster, only to find that the paint was not fully dry and had gotten all over the picture of Justin. I was a little disappointed after all my hard work, but it did not really matter, I doubt Justin could see my poster anyways.

The Coors, “At your side”: This song was my class song during high school. We first picked this song during Sophomore year. It was sung after every class play with pride. The first time we sang it together was after our Sophomore Talent Show. Our voices were a little shaky because we had not practiced that much, but it did not matter, we just belted out the words and hoped they were right. The final time we sang this song our voices where once again shaky and uncertain, like when we had first sang together as a class. It was not because we did not know the words but because we could not get them out through the tears. It was Farewell Day and it was the last time we would be together as a class besides graduation. My graduating class of sixty-four girls were squeezed together onto the three large steps of the stage after the final scene, still dressed in our ridiculous costumes, arms around each other with the stages lights glaring in our eyes. When the music started, our voices were strong, singing comically both the high and low parts, but as the song progressed, our voices lost their strength as one by one we began to cry. After the last refrain, there were more tears and plenty of hugs. I was sad that high school was ending, but excited for a new adventure and I will always have great memories of my four years at Mercy.

Fort Minor, “Remember the Name”: “This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill/Fifteen percent concentrated power of will/Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain/And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!” These lyrics embody this past soccer season and my first season playing for Nebraska Wesleyan. I did not know what to expect when we gathered for our preseason meeting, I only knew a few a the girls and had not meet two of the coaches, but I was excited for the season. The meeting started with the introductions, then the head coach played several songs to inspire the team. The final song was “Remember the Name” and definitely pumped up the whole group. Our gathering ended with the new players having to do a short skit, which was slightly embarrassing, but mostly hilarious. From that moment on a new that the season would be a lot of fun. At our first practice the next morning I realized how much work the season would be. Practice started out with fitness test, which was basically tons of running. I also knew that it would take some time and a lot of work for us to play well as a team. There were ten new players and only eight returning players, so the first few weeks were a little rough as we struggled to communicate and come together as a team. We needed that extra will power and a little luck to win some games and by the end of the season, we were playing very well and winning most of our games. And with this came the pleasure of knowing that we were playing our best.

Michael Buble, “Home” : The video shows Buble traveling across the globe having the time of his life, but he still misses those who he left behind. His lyrics talk about his longing to return home and see his loved ones. “And I’m surrounded by, A million people I, Still feel all alone, Oh, let me go home, Oh, I miss you, you know.” This is the first year that I am living away from my family and even though they are only an hour away, there are times when a feel alone and just want to be home. When I do get the chance to go home, me and my sisters try to go out together. Last weekend we were all crammed on a small sofa, flipping through the newspaper trying to pick a movie to see. Because it was her only night off that week, my older sister, Katy, tried to convince us to see her choice. After a long debate, we all decided to stay home and rent a movie, all of us except Katy. This did not go over well with her because she thought we were flaking on plans and this was the only night she could go out. This escalated to and argument that ended with her storming off to her room. This may not sound like as story of a family that is close, but it is because we are close that me and my siblings argue, but we always reconcile within several hours. After several hours in her room, Katy emerged and she sat down with us to watch the end of the movie, and that was the end of the fight.

Chris Brown, “This Christmas”: As Brown sings “This Christmas, And as we trim the tree, How much fun its, gonna be together, yeah ha, this Christmas” there are scenes of a family bringing in their Christmas tree and decorating it with all the trimmings. Christmas is a very important holiday for my family and we spend hours decorating our tree. Every year, the weekend after Christmas, we all pile into the car and head out to the tree farm. After nearly an hour running around, looking for the perfect tree, we settle for a short, fat and usually lopsided tree. When we get home, the tree is immediately set up, the Christmas music is turned up and several boxes filled with decorations are dug out of storage. Dozens of ornaments, accumulated over the years are delicately lifted from the tattered boxes and unwrapped from the aged newspaper wrappings. The blue, red, green, gold and silver bulbs are carefully placed on the branches. Every child is handed their special ornaments to place in near the top of the tree. I gently place the beautiful angel onto a sturdy looking branch. I have had this ornament since I was a baby and all eleven members of the family have a similar one. Mine is a chubby cherub, clothed in a beautiful pick dress and a delicate golden halo hovering over its curly blond locks, resting on a yellow half moon, with my name scrawled across it. After the final ornaments have been placed, we all pose in front of the tree for a family photo. This is one of my favorite family traditions during my favorite time of the year.

John Mayer, “Daughters”: This simple video features Mayer playing his guitar and singing the lyrics in a dark room shown in black and white. The image of a beautiful but melancholy woman also flash across the screen. This video is simple and does not distract from the beauty of the lyrics of this song. Mayer sings, “Fathers, be good to your daughters, Daughters will love like you do, Girls become lovers who turn into mothers, So mothers, be good to your daughters too” These lyrics reflect how important having a good relationship with your parents can be. I am fortunate enough to have a very good relationship with both of my parents, especially my mother. She is very important to me and I know that my life would be so much different if our relationship was not as strong as it is. The line “Girls become lovers, who turn into mothers/ so mothers, be good to your daughters too” is one of the most striking in the song. My relationship with my mother will shape the relationship that I will have with my daughters when I have children. I want to be as important to my children as my parents are to me and my siblings. My mother is someone that I can always turn to no matter what and I will trust her advice. She is the leader of our family and has the strength to hold our family together and keep us close. Whenever I have problems, I know that I can turn to my mother and her advice will help me.

Rough Draft

1. John Mayer, “Daughters”

This simple video features Mayer playing his guitar and singing the lyrics in a dark room shown in black and white. The image of a beautiful but melancholy woman also flash across the screen. This video is simple and does not distract from the beauty of the lyrics of this song. I like this song because of the message that Mayer is trying to send., reminding people of the importance of relationships and the lasting affects that they can have on a person, especially relationships with your parents.
I am fortunate enough to have a very good relationship with both of my parents, especially my mother. She is very important to me and I know that my life would be so much different if our relationship was not as strong as it is. The line “Girls become lovers, who turn into mothers/ so mothers, be good to your daughters too” is one of the most striking in the song. My relationship with my mother will shape the relationship that I will have with my daughters when I have children. I want to be as important to my children as my parents are to me and my siblings.
My mother is someone that I can always turn to no matter what and I will trust her advice. She is the leader of our family and has the strength to hold our family together and keep us close.

2. Nsync, “Gone”:

This video reminds me of my first ever concert. During middle school my two best friends were obsessed with Nsync, I liked them too, but I was not that interested in them. My friends mothers decided to surprise them with a trip to Kansas City to see their concert at Arrowhead Stadium, they also bought me a ticket so I ended up getting dragged along. But I really ended up having a lot of fun. The night before we left we stayed up the whole night making posters for our favorite band members and chatting excitedly about our favorite songs.
My sign was probably the ugliest thing I could have created, but I think it is still in my attic somewhere, tucked away as a memory of our little adventure. I painted the entire background electric blue and glued a huge picture of Justin Timberlake on one side, surrounded by glitter. Over the picture in neon yellow was a ridiculous message, probably something like “I love you Justin” or “You rock Justin.” Having completed our signs, we left them to dry and got a couple hours of sleep. In the morning we jumped into the car and played games and chatted throughout the three hour trip. We got to the stadium and bought some souvenirs then headed to our sits. Just as the concert was about to start I unrolled my poster, only to find that the paint was not fully dry and had gotten all over the picture of Justin. I was a little disappointed after all my hard work, but it did not really matter, I doubt Justin could see my poster anyways.


3. The Coors, “At your side”:

This song was my class song during high school. We first picked this song during Sophomore year. It was sung after every class play with pride. The first time we sang it together was after our Sophomore Talent Show. Our voices were a little shaky because we had not practiced that much, but it did not matter, we just belted out the words and hoped they were right. The next time we sang our class song our voices were strong and we knew all the words. It was after P.A., the traditional play put on by the junior class to announce the location and date of prom as well as the theme and colors to the seniors. Our play was Footloose and it was the best P.A. I watched in my four years at Mercy and we were so proud of our play and that we kept the secret of prom from the seniors.
When we next sang this song our voices where once again shaky and uncertain, like when we had first sang together as a class. It was not because we did not know the words but because we could not get them out through the tears. It was Farewell Day and it was the last time we would be together as a class besides graduation. Nearly the entire class was crying after our final play, a production which summed up our four years at Mercy, including our Sophomore Talent Show and P.A.. I was lucky enough to go to a high school where I had a lot of fun and was close to both my classmates and the teachers and this song reminds me of all of the good memories I have from that time.


4. Michael Buble, “Home” :

This song reminds me of my home and how important my family is to me. I came from a large family and I have always been close to my parents and siblings, especially my sisters. My older sister is probably my best friends, she was definitely my first friends. I can remember getting into so much trouble with her when we were younger or fighting with her, but we always ended up just as close as before the fight. It is the same today. I spend a lot of time with Katy and with my two sisters in high school, Becky and Amy. We like to go to the movies together, go shopping or play soccer together. We are all so similar that we always have fun when we are together, but we also end up fighting each other sometimes too. Usually we fight about something stupid but we can only stay made at each other for a few minutes, then we will be back laughing and joking. Whenever I here this song it reminds me of home and how much I enjoy spending time at home with my family.


5. Forever in Motion, “Hot Air Balloon”:

The lyrics of this song describe a hot air balloon, lifting you away from your problems and setting you free. This is the feeling that hot air balloons used to give me. When I was younger, every year my family would travel to the Aksarben area in Omaha to watch the annual balloon show. Our day started early in the morning because the balloons would take off just after sunrise. We picked up donuts and juice and eat as we watched dozens of massive, Technicolor balloons majestically rise from the ground. I have not been able to ride in a hot air balloon, but this experience gave me a feeling similar to that described in the song. It was so much fun to be able to spend the morning together as a family and just take time off to enjoy watching something so simple and beautiful.


6. Fort Minor, “Remember the Name”:

“This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill/Fifteen percent concentrated power of will/Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain/And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!” These lyrics embody this past soccer season and my first season playing for Nebraska Wesleyan. I have been playing soccer for 15 years, that is longer than I have like almost anything else. Soccer is such a huge part of my life. If I am not playing soccer, I am probably watching soccer or reading the latest news about my favorite teams. This past season was one of the best seasons I have ever had, not be cause we were a great team, we did not win very many games, but because it was a lot of fun.

Worst Music Video Ever

This was a little hard for me to choose because I do not usually watch music videos and I especially try to avoid the bad ones, so I just picked my least favorite artist and her newest video. I have always hated Britney Spears. I think that she is an awful role model for her young fans and she is not even that talented. Being a popular popstar comes with some responsibility because you have thousands of kids and teenagers looking up to you and trying to be like you. As a star Spears could have done a lot of good by being a good person and a positive influence on her fans lives. Instead she went in the total opposite direction. She is now a wreck both on and off the stage. Maybe instead of making crappy music videos and giving horrible live performances she should be at home with her children trying to get her life together.

This video is one of the worst videos I have even seen, not just because Britney Spears is in it, but because the song lyrics are bad and the singing is even worse. Its terrible that despite her awful performance at the Video Music Awards and her obvious behavioral problems that people still support her and spend their money on her CD’s. Parents will still buy their young girls her CD’s despite the fact that she is a terrible role model. I think that people should not support her and her appalling example that she is setting for her young fans. Parents should not let their children watch this music video, buy Spear’s CD or listen to her music. She is a bad singer and she is a horrible role model for all of her fans and for other young celebrities.

Music Video I

I do not watch music videos that often, so it was not easy for me to pick a video, but whenever I watch this video it makes me laugh. Christopher Walken is on of my favorite actors, especially after seeing him in Hairspray. I am not really sure what a dancing Christopher Walken has to do with the song Weapon of Choice and it seems somewhat odd for Walken to be in a music video, especially Fat Boy Slim’s, but it seems to work. I like this video because its different from most of the videos that are made today.
One of the main reasons that I like this video is because of Walken’s performance in Hairspray. I did not see this music video until after I saw Hairspray, but I really like both. Walken’s dancing in the movie and in the music video always makes me laugh because the steps are good and so is the choreography, but he looks so funny and awkward when he dances.
Even though I don’t usually watch music videos, if I do watch them, I want to see ones that will make me laugh or entertain me. I want to see videos that are original and entertaining, not copies of every other video that is being made. There are not very many unique and interesting music videos, I think that most are just stupid or boring, which is probably why I do not watch music videos that much, but this video is different and that is why I like it.

Argumentation & the Public Sphere

Everyday we are bombarded with thousands of images and arguments urging us to do something, buy a certain product, support a cause or belief. Almost everything that we see or hear throughout our days is an argument, supporting a certain idea. One of the most obvious forms of argumentation that is everywhere we look is advertisement. Some ads that are particularly striking are anti-smoking television ads and billboards. These advertising campaigns use strategies and rhetoric to influence their audience.
The majority of people know that smoking is detrimental to their health, but still people continue to smoke, over 45 million people in the United States alone are smokers. Smoking tobacco contributes to a higher risk of cancer, including lung, throat and mouth cancer. It also increases risks of heart disease and stroke (1). Not only are these 45 million Americans suffering from cigarette smoke, but second-hand smoke is just as deadly. Second-hand smoke can also cause heart disease, stroke, cancer and sudden infant death syndrome. Between 1997 and 2001, nearly half a million people died annually from smoking related diseases in the United States, making cigarette smoking the largest preventable cause of illness and premature death in the United States (2). Despite all of these statistics and information, millions of Americans smoke, despite the risks. Because of this there has been an increase in advertisements aiming to counter these unnecessary deaths.
One of the most well known advertising campaign is Truth run by American Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on preventing teen smoking and encouraging smokers to quit. Along with billboards and television advertisements, Truth also runs a website that contains facts and statistics about the affects of smoking on both smokers and nonsmokers. This website is the next logical step after using billboards and television advertisement to combat teenage smoking. The main page of the website offers the viewer the option of looking at facts, or watching television ads. You can even download wallpapers or play antismoking games.
The website is an effective advertising tool because it offers dozens of facts about cigarettes and cigarettes smoking. These facts are presented in a very interesting way, comparing the contents of cigarettes to hazardous chemicals and common items that website users will recognize. By making the effects of cigarettes and the contents of cigarettes more familiar to the website users, this ad campaign makes it easy for people to see the effects cigarettes and smoking can have on their lives and the lives of those close to them.
This website uses several methods of argumentation in an attempt to sway the website users. The most obvious method is cause and effect. The aim of the website is to prevent people from smoking and to encourage current smokers to quit. This is done by showing what effects smoking and tobacco use can have on your life or on the lives of your friends and family. This strong message may seem obvious to most, but by using creative and engaging ways to present the facts, it can be effective. The website also appeals to logos. This approach tries to engage the logic of those who see the website. The logic is something that most people will have of knowledge of in this case, which is that smoking can cause disease and for some tobacco users, may cause death. This appeals to the most basic instinct of humans, self-preservation and staying alive.
One of the videos that can be found on the website is one that has also aired on television. This video features two cowboys singing in the middle of New York. Two cowboys in New York instantly grab the attention of the many people walking through the streets. One of the cowboys pulls off his scarf to reveal a large hole in his neck, then he begins to sing with the aid of a machine. He songs send a message about regretting smoking and that smoking does not always kill, it leaves many disfigured or disabled for the rest of their lives. This video uses several technique to send their message to the audience.
The entire argument is an example or illustration that tells the story of one man and how his life was affected by tobacco use. Cause and effect is also used as the audience sees that the man was disfigured because of cigarette smoking. The ad appeals to the logical side of the viewers because those who see this ad will want to avoid suffering the same fate as the cowboy. This ad featuring a man who is very affected by cigarette smoking is just one of the television ads that is sponsored by this campaign. This campaign also utilizes a website that contains much more information than a TV ad or billboard could provide. This website contains facts, statistics and testimonials about all of the damaging affects of smoking and using tobacco.
These advertising campaign sponsored by American Legacy Foundation uses hard-hitting and shocking methods to catch the attention of viewers and to make it easier to understand the facts that are being presented. Many of the videos use hundreds of people to illustrate statistics, such as having hundreds of people drop to the ground on the streets to represent the number of people killed by tobacco or piling body bags outside tobacco companies to show those killed by tobacco. By presenting a visual representation of facts and statistics, this appeals to ethos. Most people are affected by seeing such strong visuals that represent the damages that smoking can cause. The website also uses a parody of pathos to reach out to the viewers. The video of the two cowboys is the most obvious use of this. Original cigarette advertising featured cowboys and by featuring cowboys in antismoking ads, they are making a parody of tobacco companies. Such strong and hard-hitting advertisement has created some controversy.
Many have made arguments both for and against such aggressive advertising against smoking. Some feel that such television advertisements and billboards are aimed at children and may inadvertently encourage children to experiment with smoking. This argument creates a problem because these advertisements may not be aimed at children, but that does not prevent kids from seeing the ads and perhaps even being negatively influenced by the message the ads are sending.
Together, the use of billboards, television ads and a website can reach a very large audience. This campaign uses shock value to get viewers interested and they also provide accurate statistics and facts about the affects of cigarette smoking and tobacco use. This argument can become a really affective method of reaching out to smokers and people who are likely to start smoking by informing them of the risks that they face by using tobacco.

Works Cited
(1) "Cigarette Smoking Statistics." Diseases and Condtitions. American Heart Association. 26 Oct. 2007 .

(2) "Health Effects of Smoking and Tobacco." Smoking and Tobacco Use. 28 Feb. 2007. Center for Disease Control. 26 Oct. 2007 .