This Sunday, the 2011 Grammy Award Ceremony took place. And while I was thoroughly amused by Lady Gaga's latest shenanigans, I was happily shocked when they announced the winner for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Wake Up Everybody by John Legend & The Roots (Feat. Common & Melanie Fiona) took home the Grammy much to my personal satisfaction. Now perhaps I should explain my happiness..... It seems to me that nowadays, the subject matter of most successful songs is all the same. Everywhere I look (or listen in this case), all I hear is someone singing or rapping about how much money they have or their bedroom escapades or how many drugs they have done/sold. And while I am certainly not opposed to all songs that may concern these topics, in my opinion it is getting a little old. That's why I was so excited when Wake Up Everybody won. Here is the video and the lyrics (originally written for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in 1975 - except Common's verse) :
Wake up everybody
No more sleeping in bed
No more backward thinking,
Time for thinking ahead
The world has changed
So very much
From what is used to be
There is so much hatred
War and poverty
Wake up all the teachers
Time to teach a new way
Maybe then they'll listen
To what you have to say
'Cause they're the ones who's coming now
When the world is in their hands
When you teach the children
Teach the very best you can
[Chorus - John Legend & Melanie Fiona]
The world won't get no better
If we just let it be
The world won't get no better
We gotta change it, yeah
Just you and me
Wake up all the doctors,
Make the old people well
They're the ones who suffer
And who catch all the hell
But they don't have so very long
Before the Judgement Day
So won't you make them happy
Before they pass away
Wake up all the builders
Time to build a new land
I know we can do it
If we all lend a hand
The only thing we have to do
Is put it in our minds
Surely things will work out
'Cause they do everytime
(Chorus)
[Common]
It's the God hour
The morning I wake up
Just for the breath of life I thank my maker
My mom say I come from hustlers and shakers
My mom built it on skyscrapers and acres
He said take us back to where we belong
I try to write a song
As sweet as these arms the one the type to bare arms
And wear my heart on my sleeve
Even when I fell in God I believe
Read the days that weave through the maze
The seasons so amazing
Feed them and raised them
Seasons are aging
Earthquakes, wars, and rumors
I want us to get by but
We're more than consumers
We more than shooters, more than looters
Created in His image so God live through us
And even in this generation, living through computers
Only love love love can reboot us
Ohh Wake up, everybody
No more sleeping in bed
Ohh Wake up, everybody
I said I need a little help, y'all
Ohh need a little help, y'all
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Need a little help y'all
Ohh Need a little help, y'all
Wake up everybody
Wake up everybody
Wake up everybody
Celebrities and musicians have had a prominent place in American society for a long time. And like a wise man once said, "with great power comes great responsibility." Now more than ever, they are constantly in the public eye and influence over millions of people across the globe with the language in their songs. The last thing we need is for more musicians to fill the heads of Americans with songs that glorify drugs, sex, violence, etc. The more we hear this type of language, the more we believe it. Let's get this straight, I am not censuring these types of songs in any way (I know I have several on my iPod). But the incredible onslaught of music with this sort of subject matter is certainly not good, especially for young and impressionable kids. That's why the emowering, positive message of Wake Up Everybody was such breath of fresh air. The fact that it won a Grammy tells me that there is hope for the music industry yet.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Commercial Language
Lately, I've been doing a lot of analyzing and commenting on issues and whatnot. So, I've decided to bring it all back down to Earth and talk a little bit about me and what has been on my mind lately (with a language twist of course).
Being a sports fan, this weekend I watched the Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl XLV. Now, I won't say I was happy that the Packers won, but I was thrilled that the Steelers lost. Moving on, what really inspired me to write this blog was of course.......Super Bowl commercials. Gotta love 'em right? Anyways, as I was watching them, I realized how numb I have become to the actual words being uttered in each commercial. The sensory overload that happens as a result of constant advertisements, causes me to completely tune out any commercials unless they are 1) funny or 2) have high enough shock value. Nowadays, it seems as if many companies are dead set on creating a commercial that is as funny as possible, and then, they slap their name at the end of it.
When I thought about why that is, I came to a conclusion: obviously, the funny/shocking commercials are the ones I remember and even if I don't know what the advertisement is promoting, I remember the company's name. However, it doesn't stop there. Commercials that try simply using language to describe a product, without humor or shock value, are dull and obsolete. We have been overloaded by so many advertisements that the words in commercials are no longer important because everyone is saying the exact same thing: their product is the best. This can be seen almost everywhere, especially with car commercials. With out even listening to a commercial, I can already assume that a classic car advertisement is going to mention the car's awesome performance, excellent safety rating, great fuel efficiency and likely some sort of sale or promotion going on at the dealerships. What else is new? Subconsciously, I know what these car/beer/paper towel/fertilizer/etc. commercials are all going to say, so I tune out.
It seems companies have begun to realize this and thus, are focusing more and more on the funny/shock factor and less and less on the words. I will tell you this, I can only remember two car commercials the Super Bowl off the top of my head. Neither of them said one word about the actual car.
The first is the Volkswagen commercial with the kid dressed as Darth Vader.
The second was a Kia commercial where the car was "caught" by a helicopter but then Poseiden came out and grabbed it, sent it into a UFO where it drove into a black hole and emerged in a Mayan-like civilization. Yeah, quite strange, but I remembered it for some reason.
In a nutshell, thinking about this new breed of commercial made me recognize the limitations of language in our modern society due to information overload. However, understanding this concept made me further appreciate the power of language that comes in the form of a great book. It is unparalleled.
Being a sports fan, this weekend I watched the Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl XLV. Now, I won't say I was happy that the Packers won, but I was thrilled that the Steelers lost. Moving on, what really inspired me to write this blog was of course.......Super Bowl commercials. Gotta love 'em right? Anyways, as I was watching them, I realized how numb I have become to the actual words being uttered in each commercial. The sensory overload that happens as a result of constant advertisements, causes me to completely tune out any commercials unless they are 1) funny or 2) have high enough shock value. Nowadays, it seems as if many companies are dead set on creating a commercial that is as funny as possible, and then, they slap their name at the end of it.
When I thought about why that is, I came to a conclusion: obviously, the funny/shocking commercials are the ones I remember and even if I don't know what the advertisement is promoting, I remember the company's name. However, it doesn't stop there. Commercials that try simply using language to describe a product, without humor or shock value, are dull and obsolete. We have been overloaded by so many advertisements that the words in commercials are no longer important because everyone is saying the exact same thing: their product is the best. This can be seen almost everywhere, especially with car commercials. With out even listening to a commercial, I can already assume that a classic car advertisement is going to mention the car's awesome performance, excellent safety rating, great fuel efficiency and likely some sort of sale or promotion going on at the dealerships. What else is new? Subconsciously, I know what these car/beer/paper towel/fertilizer/etc. commercials are all going to say, so I tune out.
It seems companies have begun to realize this and thus, are focusing more and more on the funny/shock factor and less and less on the words. I will tell you this, I can only remember two car commercials the Super Bowl off the top of my head. Neither of them said one word about the actual car.
The first is the Volkswagen commercial with the kid dressed as Darth Vader.
The second was a Kia commercial where the car was "caught" by a helicopter but then Poseiden came out and grabbed it, sent it into a UFO where it drove into a black hole and emerged in a Mayan-like civilization. Yeah, quite strange, but I remembered it for some reason.
In a nutshell, thinking about this new breed of commercial made me recognize the limitations of language in our modern society due to information overload. However, understanding this concept made me further appreciate the power of language that comes in the form of a great book. It is unparalleled.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Winning the Future
Yesterday, like many Americans, I watched President Obama's 2011 State of the Union and Republican Representative Paul Ryan's response. While it did give me a little hope, I was still frustrated with the mixed signals regarding the economy and the budget deficit. Obama stated that we are going to reduce spending, while investing in the future. Huh? And, the Republicans are convinced that cutting spending will create jobs. I'm not so sure about that one either. AND, everyone is talking about reducing the deficit but there are no concrete plans to touch Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Despite all this, there was one idea that Obama carried throughout his speech that resonated with me:
"Winning the Future"
Now, this is a language blog. So, let's talk a little about the language here. President Obama (+ his speechwriter) is an excellent speech writer and he chose these words for a reason. Beginning with this phrase, the speech placed an overwhelming emphasis on the future. This may seem a little obvious because the high unemployment levels and ballooning deficit are major threats to the country's wellbeing. However, we should note that there was almost no mention of Obama's accomplishments to this point aside from his defense of health care reform from Republicans attempting to repeal it. Obama showed that he has felt the people's sense of urgency and by using the entire speech to address fears about the deficit, unemployment and America's weakening hegemony.
Winning is the other key piece of this phrase. By declaring that we must win the future, Obama has simplified the fate of America into a game. By doing this, Obama skillfully unifies the American people by putting them all on the same "team."
There are two different ways Obama employs this game metaphor. The first is a sort of competition where our opponents are China, India and the other nations on the rise that are threatening American dominance. In his speech Obama acknowledged the competition and identified where we need to focus our attention in order to "win." His strategies included investing in education and small businesses to encourage innovation.
However, the other game is a little more like Tetris. It is a one-player game where America is given a domestic puzzle that we have to solve: how to fix the economy, create jobs and reduce the deficit all at the same time. A game like this demands efficiency and foresight. However, the strategies that Obama offered in his speech to solve this puzzle were lacking in these areas and it was frustrating. I did not hear any concrete plans or specific moves to solve these major problems. Despite this, I thought the idea of winning the future was a very effective way of uniting the country.
"Winning the Future"
Now, this is a language blog. So, let's talk a little about the language here. President Obama (+ his speechwriter) is an excellent speech writer and he chose these words for a reason. Beginning with this phrase, the speech placed an overwhelming emphasis on the future. This may seem a little obvious because the high unemployment levels and ballooning deficit are major threats to the country's wellbeing. However, we should note that there was almost no mention of Obama's accomplishments to this point aside from his defense of health care reform from Republicans attempting to repeal it. Obama showed that he has felt the people's sense of urgency and by using the entire speech to address fears about the deficit, unemployment and America's weakening hegemony.
Winning is the other key piece of this phrase. By declaring that we must win the future, Obama has simplified the fate of America into a game. By doing this, Obama skillfully unifies the American people by putting them all on the same "team."
There are two different ways Obama employs this game metaphor. The first is a sort of competition where our opponents are China, India and the other nations on the rise that are threatening American dominance. In his speech Obama acknowledged the competition and identified where we need to focus our attention in order to "win." His strategies included investing in education and small businesses to encourage innovation.
However, the other game is a little more like Tetris. It is a one-player game where America is given a domestic puzzle that we have to solve: how to fix the economy, create jobs and reduce the deficit all at the same time. A game like this demands efficiency and foresight. However, the strategies that Obama offered in his speech to solve this puzzle were lacking in these areas and it was frustrating. I did not hear any concrete plans or specific moves to solve these major problems. Despite this, I thought the idea of winning the future was a very effective way of uniting the country.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Book Review: The 7 Habits...
A lot of the literature that I have discussed on my blog has been from my English class. So, I figured it was time to mix things up a bit and share some of my thoughts on a book that I read over the summer. It is called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Now, I know what you're probably thinking. Why would I ever consider reading some lame self-help book for teens? And, even worse, what was I thinking when I decided to write a post about it on my highly respectable blog? Well, I will answer both those questions (and any others if you decide to comment on this post). First, I was required to read it for my school-sponsored Habitat for Humanity trip. Second, I am writing this post because 7 Habits is a worthwhile read.
When I found out I had to read this book, it did not go over well. I was expecting a cheesy, condescending tone from an author that preached all about how to be a good kid that never breaks any rules or has any fun. I think that's why I liked it so much. The author, Sean Covey, does his best to actually connect with teenagers, mixing in humor and stories from his own life. I'd say that he does a fairly decent job keeping his writing style engaging and not annoying or preachy. However, there were certain points when his language made me feel like I was being given a lecture. Since my expectations were already low, these instances didn't come as a surprise and I didn't let them ruin the book for me. There IS a lot of good stuff in this book and I think that the best way to approach reading 7 Habits is to take it with a tiny grain of salt.
The entire book may not apply to you. There may be areas of your life where you are completely satisfied: school or friends or family, etc. But, for the areas that you are not happy with, I think this book offers some great strategies and basic attitudes/philosophies that can be really useful. Reading this book gave me an opportunity to take a step back and look at many of the aspects of my life. I was able to see where I wanted to improve myself. And that's the great thing: I saw where I wanted to improve. Don't view this book as the Bible or an instruction manual. Use it to your benefit. Pick and choose what you want to take away from it.
I realize I haven't talked much about the actual book. I'm not going to give you much because the experience of reading 7 Habits is much better than any quick summary I could give. The best part is being able to connect to all Covey's tips, suggestions and strategies and seeing where they fit in your own life. However if you must know, some of the basic concepts in this book include being proactive, prioritizing, dependency, relationships, self-worth and lots of other things every teen should think about. All in all, if you read this book right, I think you can get a lot out of it.
Sean Covey's website
FYI - Sean Covey is the son of Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If any of you have read this book and/or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, feel free to comment with your views on the books and this post. Thanks!
When I found out I had to read this book, it did not go over well. I was expecting a cheesy, condescending tone from an author that preached all about how to be a good kid that never breaks any rules or has any fun. I think that's why I liked it so much. The author, Sean Covey, does his best to actually connect with teenagers, mixing in humor and stories from his own life. I'd say that he does a fairly decent job keeping his writing style engaging and not annoying or preachy. However, there were certain points when his language made me feel like I was being given a lecture. Since my expectations were already low, these instances didn't come as a surprise and I didn't let them ruin the book for me. There IS a lot of good stuff in this book and I think that the best way to approach reading 7 Habits is to take it with a tiny grain of salt.
The entire book may not apply to you. There may be areas of your life where you are completely satisfied: school or friends or family, etc. But, for the areas that you are not happy with, I think this book offers some great strategies and basic attitudes/philosophies that can be really useful. Reading this book gave me an opportunity to take a step back and look at many of the aspects of my life. I was able to see where I wanted to improve myself. And that's the great thing: I saw where I wanted to improve. Don't view this book as the Bible or an instruction manual. Use it to your benefit. Pick and choose what you want to take away from it.
I realize I haven't talked much about the actual book. I'm not going to give you much because the experience of reading 7 Habits is much better than any quick summary I could give. The best part is being able to connect to all Covey's tips, suggestions and strategies and seeing where they fit in your own life. However if you must know, some of the basic concepts in this book include being proactive, prioritizing, dependency, relationships, self-worth and lots of other things every teen should think about. All in all, if you read this book right, I think you can get a lot out of it.
Sean Covey's website
FYI - Sean Covey is the son of Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If any of you have read this book and/or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, feel free to comment with your views on the books and this post. Thanks!
Friday, December 31, 2010
URL change!!!
Hey all! I have just changed my URL to http://languageartsandcrafts.blogspot.com/. Considering that is the title of my blog, I thought it would be more convenient for web surfers across the globe.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sup? Nmu? Nm. Aight ttyl.
Recently, I was exploring the world wide web and blogosphere in search of ideas for my blog. My quest was momentarily interrupted by an instant message on Facebook sent by one of my friends. It read: sup dood, howd the test go 2day? ugh i effing hate dat class... * I was absolutely appalled at his abuse of the English language. Haha, only kidding. Truthfully, I talk like that all the time over the internet. However, this is the first time that I've ever wondered about the ramafications of chat-speak.
After some perusing (if you haven't noticed from my past posts, I like that word a lot), I found this little number: Social Criticisms of Chat Rooms and Texting Language. One of the major concerns brought up in the article is how writing is changing as it aquires "some of the functions and figures of speech." The critics fear that this new branch of hybrid-English made up of slang words and abbreviations is gradually taking over common grammar. Adolescents, the most egregious offenders, are "changing the face of literacy" worldwide.
Now, for my big two questions:Is this a bad thing?
What are the implications of this phenomenon?
Despite this, I cannot say that I am vehimently opposed to chat-speak. It's convenience is unmatched, (especially on my old, keyboard-less phone). In fact, it is very probable, perhaps inevitable, that I will continue to use slang words and abbreviations. In today's world where time is money, it pays to be quick. The world is becoming faster-paced each day as technology advances. Young people are simply adapting to what they are given and in doing so, they have become innovators in many fields including communication and lanuage.
I find that a similar connection can be made to the evolution of music. As technology has advanced, the sound of music (no pun intended) has changed dramatically. From the electric guitar to the 808 drum machine to music computer programs that autotune sounds, music has progressed over time. Young people of each generation have adapted to these technological developments and changed the way we listen to music. Now, y music-language metaphor is not perfect and eventually breaks down. It is easy enough to continue listening to music from the past. Not as easy to speak in a language from the past. But, this metaphor has helped me keep an open mind to chat-speak. I like music from many time periods and appreciate the different styles and genres. If music can go through such significant transformations and still be "good" (very subjective), then I think it's possible that language can as well.
Feel free to COMMENT with your view on the evolution of the English language regarding chat-speak
Also, I stumbled across Peter Lee Johnson on Youtube.com. He is an extraordinary violinist in the Popular Music Performance Program at USC. In his videos, he takes a traditionally classical instrument and improvises over pop songs, creating something incredible.
Evolution and adaptation at their finest:
*I'm going to be completely honest. I made up that message entirely because I couldn't remember any of my recent instant message conversations. However, a message like that could have easily been sent by one of my friends; of that I am certain.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Why Memoir?
If you have been keeping up with my blog, then you'll know that I am currently reading a memoir entitled Reading Lolita in Tehran for my English class. Now, I have not had a ton of experience with memoir, so I set off to learn a little more about it. As I was perusing the blogosphere, I came across the blog of one of my classmates: Style and Structure: The Art of Writing (it's a quality blog that I suggest you check out in addition to mine). She had written a nice post about what makes a good memoir. It seemed to me that what makes a good memoir is almost the same as what makes a good novel: the story must not be too mundane, it must have structure along with developed characters and should include "situations with high-stakes circumstances." The question I still have though, is why memoir?
Throughout RLiT, Nafisi praises fiction and novels to the highest degree. Perhaps she is a little biased being an English professor, but I tend to agree with her when she discusses the power of great novels including their ablity to make us question reality. I don't want to dishonor her by paraphrasing so I'll just list a few choice quotes where her affinity for fiction is apparent...
I guess the obvious answer to "why memoir?" is that memoirs do not allow the reader to dismiss the story if it makes him/her uncomfortable. The reader cannot merely brush it aside by labeling it made-up or pretend. Memoirs force you to acknowledge the reality of the story being told. But, I felt like there was something more. So I typed in "why memoir?" into google, and this blog post showed up right away: Why Memoir? by Louise DeSalvo on Writingalife's Blog.
Despite the typo in the first paragraph ;), it gives some quality insight into the benefits of memoir. DeSalvo, asserts that memoir is about revealing the experience of life through memory. Memoir creates an intimate connection between the author and reader. Because the author is writing from their own memory, the reader sees everything the author sees, feels everything the author feels. The reader of a good memoir will get to know the author, empathize with them and become a witness to their story. This direct connection to the reader is what allows the author to effectively "transmit to humankind the memory of what we endured in body and soul." Empathy and connection to characters are big parts of fiction as well, but I believe that the level of intimacy between author and reader is unique to memoir and Nafisi probably realized this when deciding how to best tell her story.
Throughout RLiT, Nafisi praises fiction and novels to the highest degree. Perhaps she is a little biased being an English professor, but I tend to agree with her when she discusses the power of great novels including their ablity to make us question reality. I don't want to dishonor her by paraphrasing so I'll just list a few choice quotes where her affinity for fiction is apparent...
- "Every fairy tale offers the potential to surpass present limits, so in a sense the fair tale offers you freedoms that reality denies."
- "There is an affirmation of life [which] lies in the way the author takes control of reality by retelling it in his own way, thus creating a new world."
- "The perfection and beauty of form rebels against the ugliness and shabbiness of the subject matter"
- "This other world that is only attainable through fiction...becomes their refuge in a life that is constantly brutal."
I guess the obvious answer to "why memoir?" is that memoirs do not allow the reader to dismiss the story if it makes him/her uncomfortable. The reader cannot merely brush it aside by labeling it made-up or pretend. Memoirs force you to acknowledge the reality of the story being told. But, I felt like there was something more. So I typed in "why memoir?" into google, and this blog post showed up right away: Why Memoir? by Louise DeSalvo on Writingalife's Blog.
Despite the typo in the first paragraph ;), it gives some quality insight into the benefits of memoir. DeSalvo, asserts that memoir is about revealing the experience of life through memory. Memoir creates an intimate connection between the author and reader. Because the author is writing from their own memory, the reader sees everything the author sees, feels everything the author feels. The reader of a good memoir will get to know the author, empathize with them and become a witness to their story. This direct connection to the reader is what allows the author to effectively "transmit to humankind the memory of what we endured in body and soul." Empathy and connection to characters are big parts of fiction as well, but I believe that the level of intimacy between author and reader is unique to memoir and Nafisi probably realized this when deciding how to best tell her story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)