Superficial Scents

A commercial I found interesting is one for axe. Axe is a company that makes deodorant, body wash and body spray for men. A similar theme in all of their advertisements is that when using their product, beautiful women will want to be with you. As untrue as this theme is, one specific commercial shows a dressed up man riding his bike down the street while various women desire him. Some people can’t help but compare this man to Mormons who often ride their bikes door to door and try to share their religious belief. At the end of his bike ride filled with attention, he opens up a holy bible that is cut out and contains a can of axe body spray. I can see the comparison to the Mormons way of sharing as well as trying to symbolize axe as being holy by helping this man gain all the attention of gorgeous females. This commercial could be an insult to Mormons as well as women. It sends the superficial message that only the attention of beautiful women is desired. The commercial states when you “spray more” you “get more”. Although I don’t truly believe this, some people think of this commercial showing the truth of polygamy.

I concluded that this advertisement from Axe is trying to sell their masculine smelling products as a way to improve men’s love life. As stated earlier, their commercials always view men getting attention from beautiful women wanting to be with this man. They continue to advertise as men getting the confidence to speak to women and help attract them. Some Axe commercials even advertise it as nice women showing their “naughty” side. Having cultural knowledge of Axe helps your understand their constant theme of their advertisements. Being displayed on television and the Internet, many people have seen a minimum of one Axe commercial or advertisement. A great amount of men have at least looked at an Axe product at the store. This idea has been imprinted in our brain that this company is foolishly selling their product as a female attractant. I will admit their product does have a great masculine scent but does not differ from any other deodorant or body wash on the market in quality. A lot of people buy certain products based on their advertisement or simply just good prices ☺. The idea of this commercial reminded me of the Dove commercials displaying real beauty. They are trying to promote to young women that beauty is skin deep and that we should love ourselves for the way we are. Commercials such as Axe’s show only beautiful women throwing themselves at a man. As repetitive as this battle will continue in the media it is up to us to make the final decision.

Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbU_j0bxWpU

Pantene commercial

The commercial starts out without a hint of its intention or direction, just a heartwarming story of promise and inspiration. A little girl gazing up in admiration at violinist playing on the street, it’s a moving picture that inspires a hope that one day she will strive to play with the power and feeling the man standing in front of possesses. The commercial is a classic American tale of fighting to be great at what you desire, and in the end succeeding. The little girl from the street turns out to be deaf with little hope of mastering the instrument. She is tormented in school, ridiculed for attempting to play by feeling the music instead of hearing. The pain she feels is poured into her work and practice but the scorn of others gets to her; in attempt to fit the standard of social normative the little girl quits playing. Then at the last string of hope she runs into the older man who plays for people on the streets, he asked if she still plays, she looks up at him with big sorrowful eyes and asks in return, why can’t I just be like everyone else. The old man becomes her inspiration once again by persuading the girl to reach her potential and following her the whole way through. The girl fights through the struggle of school and ignoring her peers. The journey seems to end when right before her recital a rough gang surrounds her and breaks the girls violin. The show goes on with out the girl’s big coming out, and instead of her starting with her violin the girl who ridiculed her throughout her childhood ends the show with a bang. Until, right before the curtain closes the girl comes out at steals the stage. While she plays images of challenges she over came getting to this moment flash by, her hair is whirling around her in a majestic flow, and then as she concluded her piece the image of a butterfly coming out of a cocoon. Everyone stands and applauds; they feel the emotion that she released playing for them. Finally, the Pantene slogan appears and the girl’s success is explained by the use of their quality hair product and final quote “you can shine.”

The commercial gives the impression that everyone can succeed if it is their dream, and that Pantene can help you to reach these goals. The way that Pantene portrays their product was by paralleling it to the dream that inspires so many people to keep going when they lose hope, or to strive to reach those goals that are set just out of their reach. It is set as a symbol of hope and inspiration, love and courage. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI2A2_d8CNA&feature=related

Video Text Response

Shae Hughes English 100A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crTCgkjX9K0

As America has advanced over the years so have its ways and techniques of influencing those who are a part of it. Since the time of our own birth, we have grown up to media on several levels, each of which have founds ways on reaching out to people and their attention. More importantly, those industries have learned to fine tune those skills and apply more adhesiveness to that ever sticky web of what we call commercials. Being aware of that looming fact that average people don’t need the newest car on the market or the fanciest meal to eat, the commercial industry knows they must come find us. They must search us out, but most importantly they must make us believe that we as Americans need that 2010 SUV. That we are not full until we have eaten an $80.00 meal.
They have become experts in the field of convincing.
It is now time to look at just how they can suck us in and make us believe that we need that certain thing that we never knew existed. Let’s look at a Captain Morgan’s rum commercial that applies to the traditional relationship between a young man and equivalent women. It begins where a man and his friends are having fun in a noisy over crowed bar. He receives a call from his partner who is attending her cousins wedding where the man should have accompanied her. As it is known to the common American this man is now what we would say, “in trouble.” Attempting to avoid the outcome of this surprise situation, he begins to pretend that he is in fact at home sick and those non-mistaking bar sounds are actually the television. His friends then to come to his aid and begin to act as if though they were channels that he is flipping through on the T.V. and the rest of the bar goers chime in to help with this charade. After it all works out and the woman agrees that he is actually at home sick, we see this bottle of Captain Morgan’s rum appear on the screen.
After dissecting this commercial we can begin to see how they were able to reach out and understand us so well. It begins with us knowing that in relationships the female figure is always looking towards time together with their other. Always looking to be emotional and caring and being together. The man on the other hand is perceived as the person that wants to just hang out with his friends instead of spending, “together time.” We know that the man is going to find the excuses to get away and even though women don’t agree with this, they accept it. The alcohol company reaches out to say that even though men have that probing, clinging relationship partner; their friends are there to help them out as team. The commercial even goes as far to say that, “while you drink Captain Morgan’s, even the people you don’t know become your friends.” It is saying that while you drink their brand, you will always have friends there to help you out.
Whether or not we accept this, the fact is that we want friends. We want someone there to stick up for us. Someone to say, “Hey, as long as this guy is here we have his back.” The truth is that we can’t avoid this. We can’t say no. We can’t push them away and try to deal with the problem ourselves. We can’t turn our backs and give them the cold shoulder and just head back to that wedding we were supposed to go to. We can’t say no. We can’t say no, because we don’t want to. Those marketers trying to reach out to us and pull us in know this. They know that we associate a good time with our friends and a good time with drinking. They know that if they were to throw the two together it would be something that we couldn’t resist. This they have convinced us.

Visual/Video Text: Diet Pepsi Max Super Bowl Ad

DIET PEPSI MAX SUPER BOWL AD: WAKE UP PEOPLE!

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=27485659

In this video, the people were constantly falling asleep and couldn't keep up with their daily lives. They were miserable, until they tried the amazing Diet Pepsi Max, which guarantees immediate energy and revival from your drowsiness! Like magic, the sleepy and slow people were dancing and happy with just a sip!

America today takes pride and joy in keeping up with our fast moving culture and society, but many aren't able to quite keep up like they want to. Of course, this commercial is exaggerating the rate at which people are slowing down, and the extreme affect this drink has upon their lives. People today seem to want fast, immediate results from whatever ails them, even just being tired. Pepsi wanted to not only show off their product, but create a need within people's lives for their product. They wanted people to see that without the Diet Pepsi Max, society can't function at all.

To show how popular and tasty Diet Pepsi Max is, they even incorporated celebrities into their commercial. They show people from every occupation, race, gender, people with long hair, short hair, no hair, rich people, poor people; people with pets, people at work, people off the job, etc. It doesn't matter who you are or who you aren't, Diet Pepsi Max is for you! They created this myth that America needs to liven up and their product can and will drastically change the lives of many for the better! It will make you a happier and better you!

Society in the United States today tells us that we can always improve ourselves; that we aren't already the best we can be; that their is more out their for us. Americans are looking for that sure fire formula; that pill that will make you skinnier, jeans that will make you look cooler, energy drink that will actually improve your energy level for once. The problem with this myth, is that no matter how many things we invest in today to make our lives better, there will always be more for us as Americans to improve on. There can never be that perfect person who has it all; the person that everyone loves because in this materialistic world, the old is constantly being thrown out as the new arises.

Diet Pepsi Max was not just looking to sell it's product as a drink, it was selling happiness in a bottle; the true "American Life/Dream" of keeping up or staying in the fast lane.

On Reading a Video Text...The Lion King

Images are all around us. They are everywhere, and take part in our every day lives. influencing us in ways we know not. constantly suggesting, convincing and possessing a power that we are sometimes unaware of. Some more or less than others. At times a picture or video can have a very clear, obvious message. On the contrary, it can also hold a vague hidden motive, or even multiple meanings were we catch only some of their message, and lose the rest. due to the bombardment of information that we have a limited time to process. Often we disregard them if we have no interest, but if we can relate to it we will give it are attention, consider what we saw. either stay neutral, agree, or disagree. Then make a judgment, or action based on what we saw, and can understand.
In some advertisements we think we are receiving a certain suggestion when in reality we are receiving another one. An example of this would be the famous scene from the Walt Disney movie “The Lion King” this scene takes place about halfway in the film. Simba, (who at the time is in line to be the next Lion King) is lying on his back with two of his friends. He gets up, walks to the edge of a cliff and lies down. When he does this his movement creates a swirling cloud of dust that briefly forms the letters s-e-x. This can be seen when you pause the movie or watch it in slow motion. You can view this picture if you go the website http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Disney/Lion.html or you can probably find this scene on youtube since it caused so much controversy.
Obviously to ''get'' what this scene is suggesting you have to know what sex is and how it works. To be offended by this scene even being in the movie you have to accept the majority opinion that the topic of sex is not appropriate for children. entertainment is a big part of the American culture today. With movies being one of it's leading entertainment fields. Glorified and glamorous sex has become a major part of American movies, but sex is usually classified as an adult subject and not suitable for children. Movies, games, and shows usually rate whether or not their product is appropriate for children based on sex, violence, scary images, and language. Isn't “The Lion King” and most cartoons Disney creates supposed to be clean, wholesome, and unbiased? wasn't this movie made, as well as advertised for children? What justification can the makers of this film find for putting that in a kids movie? These are all questions to which the answer for some is unclear.
Apparently a four year old with his head tilted to the left saw this word in the dust, and asked his mother (or aunt) what it was, and what it meant. So the outrage began with this movie. if one four year old could see s-e-x in the dust. It's possible other kids could to. Since we do not know why this word was put in a kids movie, because traditionally it does not belong in a kids movie. We do not know really what it is suggesting directly. Which is why their motive is being questioned. Are they suggesting that children should find out what s-e-x means, and maybe go try it when they ''grow up'' we do not know. So we can exaggerate and take it out of context because the motive is unclear.
A quote my brother uses a lot is “believe nothing that you hear, and only half of what you see” this could apply in this situation. For when we analyze this scene from “The Lion King” we think we are seeing a cute innocent Disney film for kids. When in fact it has a hidden message which is considered ''bad'' because it's a subject for adults. Another reason this could be viewed as offensive is because the Walt Disney company has been trusted to create meaningful films that teaches good morals and values to children. Therefore, this movie opens itself to criticism in order to find out what in fact is its suggestion, and whether or not their motive is appropriate, or if it is possible for us to make a correct analysis based on the information shown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdW1CjbCNxw&NR=1

Molly Scott
English 100 A

Trying Out "Ideological Criticism" in an Analysis of a Visual/Video Text of Your Choice

I choose the Levi Jeans commercial, because at first they make you think that it isn't even a add for jeans, when I first saw it on TV I thought it was for a movie or a documentary, or something political. It made me think that it was for a donation towards something happening in another country.
Then they show peoples pants specifically a lot but not the Levi brand at first, it started out with just the lower parts on everyones body, like from the waist down. Its kind of relaxing and meaning full for me to watch, because they make me comfortable by using certain methods, the black
and white photography and Walt Whitman's voice from one of his own poems, I feel like I can relax while watching it. They are obviously trying to sell a product here but they do a good job of selling it, they are just proving that Levi jeans are one of the last original possessions that
are old school and straight from America, not made in other countries where people are being payed practically nothing to make clothing for us that is costing way to much money. The point is bottom line to sell pants, but before you see straight to the bottom, they seem like they are
trying send out a message, that this country started with diversity and freedom, and that's how we need to keep it now. Some how wearing these jeans will make this country a better place and keep up the freedom and diversity that we have had for the past years. To understand this
commercial, you really don't have to know a whole lot about anything because they basically tell you, the sales pitch is based just on America and what it stands for. However they did a good job because all audiences would probably get it, no matter what the age or what country they
are from. Although sometimes people might not understand the importance of the message that they are trying to send out, that is the only draw back from the commercial. Over all though like I said before, they are just trying to sell jeans and kind of expensive ones at that, from watching this commercial i feel like buying these jeans is a life style not necessarily a fashion statement, its supporting what they think is noble, to support something as traditional as Levi jeans made many years ago. Over all this commercial is sending out a good message about how people should buy their jeans to keep the momentum going for this life style of being a true American and wearing these jeans.

The Evian Commercial

A screen shows up that says “Let’s observe the effect of Evian on your body.” As a man says this out loud there is water dripping in the background. Then a stereo shows up and you see a hand hit the stereo on the play button. A baby is shown leaning on the stereo with roller blades on listening to the music. The next scene shows a baby rollerblading, with lots of energy, jumping over a fence. Then it shows two babies dancing to the music in their roller blades. All the happy babies soon do much more though. They start to jump over each other, climb fences and do flips to. The babies start break dancing and one of them is doing an arm stand. Then a pink screen comes up that says, “Naturally pure and mineral-balanced water supports your body’s youth.” As it shows this they have the sound of water dripping. A group of babies dancing to the song again on the stairs then show up. A baby slides down the rail and runs into another group of babies standing there watching. Then it shows a group of rollerblading babies circled around a line up of Evian water bottles. One baby roller blades around the water bottles by crisscrossing his legs in between each one. A white screen with the logo of Evian then shows up. Under the logo it says “Live Young.” As it shows this a voice says, “Live Young” twice with water dripping sounds in the back ground.

In this commercial it is easy to tell they are trying to sell water. They way they do it is pretty simple. They make it obvious. When they say “Let’s observe the effect of Evian on your body” they then show babies happy and full of energy. They get you to think that if you drink this water that you will be happy and full of energy just like these little babies. They put the water dripping in the background because they want to make you thirsty so you go out and buy their water. Then they go on about how “Naturally pure and mineral-balanced water supports your body’s youth.” After hearing that and watching the babies it makes you feel like you can keep going. They are making you see that even people as young as babies that drink the water can get up and get moving. It doesn’t matter your size or age. It then shows a baby dance around the bottle. That way when your in the store you can recognize the bottle and now what to get even if you do forget the name of it. They have the person saying “live young” at the end to get it into your head so you think that if you drink it you feel good, energetic and young. It’s a catchy phrase that will stay in your head so you remember it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQcVllWpwGs&feature=fvw