- Presidential Primaries
- Madonna: Music & Memories
- “Big Ad” Commercial
Presidential Primaries
Context/Description:
I received a big envelope in the mail this last week. Inside, it contained my California Absentee Ballot for the Presidential Primaries coming up on February 5th, 2008. My mother forwarded it to me. In my free time from January 22nd to the 24th I did extensive research on the candidates of my political party through the news, the Web, and any other resources I could get my hands on. On January 24th I voted for the first time—and in November I will vote for the Presidential Candidate of my choice from either party for the first time. This is a monumental milestone for me in my life.
Analysis:
I have always been patriotic. I have tried to keep myself well-informed of things going on in our government and have always sought to uphold and protect our constitutional rights. But when it comes to accessing political information there seems to be a constitutional divide.
The information I received and the format in which I received it played an important roll in my interpretation and reception of the candidates ideas. I found that if candidates had video clips on websites I was more likely to pay attention, but that “reading” long details made me frustrated. On the other hand, I also got frustrated when I couldn’t find enough details on a candidates position from their own campaign. We live in a world of political vagueness when it comes to elections. Much of the information I found was credible but highly biased. That can happen with researching anything. We need to learn how to see clearly and how to access the information that will be most helpful to us.
Lesson Plan Ideas:
We must develop the necessary skills to evaluate and process the information we are presented with in order to make well-informed decisions. Plan this lesson during the time of a government election coming up. Review how our government works, the process of elections, and the voters key role in those processes. Then assign research projects involving analyzing candidates’ issues from different mediums (news, books, pamphlets, television, or the internet). Assign the research projects by pairs so that one person can analyze and focus on the pros, and the other the cons, of the candidate. Students will report their findings in a formal paper that will be followed by a class discussion on their findings. Emphasize that it is by analyzing opposing viewpoints that we are able to more clearly see where we stand on an issue and who we will support. Consider getting all the student reports bound together (after any necessary revisions) and then made available to the public as a voluntary civic duty. This would be in an effort to provide a more balanced source of reference to those who can vote but do not have enough time to do the research that students can do at this time in their lives.
Madonna: Music & Memories
Context/Description:
On Thursday my mother went in for surgery and on Friday I attended the Spanish Conversation Lab from Heck. Saturday I needed an outlet. It is times like these that I pull out an honorable CD from my shelf and pop it in for stress relief. This time it happened to be the “Ray of Light” album by Madonna that I got as a teenager.
As I listened to the music I discovered that I was recalling memories from my life that I haven’t thought about in years. I thought about not only the times that I have originally listened to the music but also obscure life experiences—most particularly I recalled how I listened to this album on family trips and how I used it to inspire my ideas for writing stories as a young adult. As a consequence I recalled specific vacations and specific stories I had written that had long seemed forgotten.
Analysis:
In psychology we learn that music has a powerful influence over memory and recall. If asked to recite the lyrics to a song it is much easier to do so within the context of the music playing than without it. If you want to retain information longer you can make up songs to do so. If you want to retain information in long term memory it is best to form mental associations to the material you are studying. Such retention capabilities have been proven through modern research. Just as association’s aid the recall of information in general, music aides recall of not only information but personal life experiences.
Lesson Plan Ideas:
Music acts as a memory trigger. I have frequently heard students complain that they cannot think of a life experience to write about in their lives. Prepare a pre-lesson that introduces the basics of writing a Personal Narrative Essay. Focus on the concepts of showing versus telling and brainstorming techniques.
During the last 15 minutes of class have students listen to two different pieces of music in class. Pick a classical song and a modern song (perhaps something popular at the time among your students). Have students take out two sheets of paper and something to write with. Before playing the songs explain to them that they are to write the thoughts that come to them as they listen to the two different songs and that they are to think about their life experiences. In the last five minutes of class briefly share one of your initial responses to the music and a life experience it makes you recall. Explain that the class will be working on writing Personal Narratives in class during the next few days and emphasize that one of the ways they can find life experiences to write about is by listening to music.
“Big ad” Commercial
See Commercial Video Clip @:
Context/Description:
I have been doing a lot of research on the initiation of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff into pop culture and advertising. In my research I came across many commercials that use Carmina Burana to promote their products to consumers. One of these commercials was the “Big Ad” for Carlton Draught beer. This commercial initially depicts two warring peoples (one in red and the other in yellow) who are running together ready to clash in arms. At the end we see that the people form a big person who drinks a glass of Carlton Draught. The lyrics to the “O Fortuna” chorus were also changed to accommodate the repetition of the idea that this is a “Big Ad” and it better darn well sell some beer.
Analysis:
There is a reliance on the use of irony in this appropriation of the work—that is, in the incorporation of Carmina Burana into the commercial. Verbal and dramatic irony can be identified. There is verbal irony because the words have been changed to speak of the “Big Ad” but it still retains the spoken implications of the fate and fortune theme of Carmina Burana as a whole. There is also dramatic irony because the people look like they are going to fight each other but instead they end up making a picture together. They aren’t after peace; they’re after beer—Carlton Draught beer—and to them (ironically) that’s a “Bottle” worth fighting for.
There are also two allusions I can identify in this “Big Ad.” First of all, the battle parallels the screenplay of the battles in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Secondly, the big picture formed at the end (of a guy swigging down a glass of beer) looks similar to the pepto bismal ads when they are explaining to you how the medicine works in your system. The Carlton Draught Corporation wants you to believe that their beer will work for you.
I do not think that Carmina Burana has reached the point of over-exposure yet. But I do think that it has been used too often for manipulatory purposes. When you hear the music of “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana you pay attention and it has a tendency to get stuck in your head. Advertisers know this too and they play it to their advantage.
Lesson Plan Ideas:
Have students investigate what makes food and beverage commercials either good or bad for promoting their products. In other words, what in a commercial makes it more likely for a brand to be purchased? What tends to bring in the cash? Have students compare two commercials of a particular brand of food or beverage (cereals, soups, chips, or coke versus sprite and so on). In their analysis have them pay particular attention to the intended audience, the tone, the images selected, and any sound manipulations. Then have them get into groups of four to five where they will prepare advertising pitches for promoting a brand of food or beverage that they do not think is selling well currently. Students should address specifically how they could help or increase the likelihood that the struggling product will be bought through advertising. Topic choices should either be cleared with the teacher or assigned directly to the students from the teacher. If your school has the resources, you could also have the students film their commercials.
