Wurlitzer

For nineteen years, the Wurlitzer in my living room has been a constant source of musical companionship. It is a small, upright piano, but holds many musical secrets. Songs ranging from "Amazing Grace" to "Fur Elise" have been produced by the eighty-eight ebony and ivory keys that make up the keyboard. They are slick, slightly rounded, perfect for precision and ease of playing. Currently, the low C string is snapped, leaving only a dull plunking sound when this key is played. The A above middle C sticks slightly and some of the lower keys buzz, but they add to the character of this old instrument.

The dull medium colored wood has been polished, and gives off a deep sheen when the low light of the piano lamp dances off it. It sets the perfect mood for a few hours of music making. Along the lid are pictures of family portraits ranging from the early 1900's up till the present. The music stand, most likely not originally with the piano, has a golden eagle fused to it. It usually sits, heavily laden with books and sheets of music. The piano bench perfectly matches the piano itself with the glossy sheen on all surfaces. The bench, like the piano, has seen much wear. It is beginning to bottom out, so full of music the staples and nails can no longer bear the weight.

This piano is a source of delight for many users, but now that I'm at college it sits dormant for weeks at a time. Whenever I go home and walk into the living room I see it begging for someone to spend some time with it, to wipe off the dust that has begun to collect and produce melodies to fill the house. So I will oblige and spend three to four hours at a time with my Wurlitzer, my friend.

N64

The hot new craze--the Nintendo 64--was upon all gamers in early 1996. A small gray box holding hours and hours of gaming pleasure was now below the TV in many homes, including mine. Of course there was a struggle over which color of controller was best. They came in a variety of colors, all of which my console has seen. The generic gray seemed to work the best. The bright green, blue, yellow, and red buttons were clearly visible for optimum reaction speed when trying to destroy mushrooms in Super Mario 64. The three handled design played a versitile role for steering, depending on personal preference. Some other popular controllers are the solid red--fine if the user doesn't need to find the start button. The transparent green is also popular, but when trying to find the "B" button in Super Smash Brothers, the blending of the green colors slows down reaction time, making it ineffective when Pikachu needs to use "thunderbolt." All of these controllers were connected to the evenly spaced plug-ins located on the face of the game system. In the middle, there is an arch with the "N" logo strategically placed in its 3-D design. Behind this arch lies the game slot. Many games have seen time here. The 2.5 x 4 inch games used in the N64 system are archaic compared to the tiny CD's used in the new-fangled Wii's, but hold a sort of nostalgic place to many gamers. The curved, arching design replicates that of the game system itself, making a complete look when the game is inserted.

Diddy Kong Racing was a popular one for many first and second graders such as myself. Each character brought something different to the race--steering ability, speed, and agility being some of the more popular. It's always a competition to see who can select Turtle as their character first as soon as the character selection screen appears. The other three players' performance is undoubtedly affected by this important selection. From this point a variety of courses are offered, one is selected, and the games begin!

Rhetorical Response

This clip uses pathos to draw the viewer in and actually feel what the song means. This is accomplished by drawing from the ethos of the movie it incorporates within it. Twilight has been established as a huge best-selling book and now a box office hit. The use of Twilight clips within Paramore's music video helps give credibility to the relationship that is being described by the lyrics of the song. It helps the viewer or listener actually picture what they are singing about because the Twilight story gives background information to understanding the lyrics that the lyrics themselves cannot say. This use of ethos will also help Paramore to sell more records with "Decode" on it because Twilight fans will associate it with the movie.

Pathos probably is the strongest rhetorical appeal to the music video. It uses a lot of artistic camera angles and effects. This all plays together to set a particular mood to the video. It is trying to invoke feelings of mystery mixed with confusion about a relationship. The lyrics are hidden with feelings of pain about the relationship not working out, and the way this is portrayed on the band member's faces is very evident. Likewise, Twilight is a very emotional book. This emotional connection of the two main characters' relationship will echo the feelings being given off by the lyrics, adding to the effect it will have on the audience. The feelings of mystery are shown by the way the band members try and recreate the images of the bad vampires in the way they walk, move, and hunt. This combination of emotions all build on each other, making the emotional feeling a viewer would get from the video very strong.

Decode

The scene opens with an aerial view of a mountain scene in Washington state. It shows the green tips of evergreens high above a river with low hanging fog creeping in the top of the screen. The fogginess gives an air of mystery to the video, which helps set the tone for rest of the song. This first image is a clip from the movie "Twilight," but the rest of the video parallels this. It cuts to a similar shot of a dark green forest, but here a guitar can be seen with the hand of the guitarist producing the music. The video then takes quick shots from different angles of the band, showing them with mysterious looks on each of their faces. Suddenly embedded within the quick camera shots of the band, a clip from "Twilight" is thrown in. It has the two main characters, Edward and Bella, perched high up in one of the original evergreens in the first shot. The evergreens remain a constant symbol of being in a dark, moist, spooky forest in both the music video of Paramore and the film Twilight.

The way the band members are portrayed is very similar to the way the vampires in the movie. One clip shoes three vampires gliding quickly the forest. They are walking, but also appear to be on a moving sidewalk their movement is so fluid. The lead singer is also shown with this same type of technique. In some shots it appears as though she, along with the camera are gliding swiftly backward through the forest. There are even more movements and camera shots that parallel the movie. There are clips that show the vampires moving quickly, as though trying to catch some prey. The video will the suddenly cut to a camera angle where it appears that the camera is in the eye of the running vampire. It is shaky and moves quickly as it weaves through the trees, almost as if it is in fast forward. Members of Paramore are also often depicted running around trees, looking like the vampires themselves, which adds to the mysteriousness.

The final part of the video brings the climax. As they hit the bridge and go into the last chorus, the music begins to speed up. The band gets more excited and into their music. The clips from "Twilight," at this point, cut to the most violent, exciting scenes of fighting and running. The vampire James is on the hunt, adding anticipation. One scene shows Edward and Bella fleeing for Bella's life, driving at fast speeds down the road. Final act of danger is a fight scene in a ballet studio. People are thrown around, and it is very dark, giving this part of the movie the most drama.

2.) The video does a very good job of relation a very popular movie to a song. Not only does it give the movie some good background music, but it helps promote the band Paramore. In one way the band could be seen as trying to be like the "bad" vampires in the movie. Their actions, gestures, and different scenes related very much to the scenes in the movie with the vampires. The lead singer could be related to Victoria, the red-headed vampire with a huge attitude. The member that is shown creeping behind trees would be related to James the hunter. The way he moves gives off that aura. This technique of trying to be like the movie will hopefully help them sell records, since "Twilight" is a wildly popular book and movie, and the audiences who would read the book are likely the audiences who would be listening to music like Paramore.

Although they relate to the bad vampires, the music's actual lyrics relate more to the protagonists--Edward and Bella. The lyrics are fairly hopeless, and deal with he star-crossed lovers: "There is something I see in you. It might kill me. I want it to be true." Throughout the film, the two struggle with the fact that Edward wants to kill Bella, yet they are so in love that it doesn't matter.

The idea of taking Twilight and trying to relate a style to it not only was tried by Paramore, but amateurs took on trying to recreate this film. Some students made a spoof of the Twilight trailer, but they were basically doing the same things as Paramore--trying to recreate the popular film to heighten their popularity.

WP2

``We are seeking to incite the (Islamic) nation to rise up to liberate its land and to (conduct) jihad (holy war) for the sake of God," said Osama Bin Laden to al-Jazeera (U.S. Veteran Dispatch). Jesus said, “In the world you will have trouble but take courage for I have conquered the world” (ThinkExist). These two quotes have similar meanings—their gods are the rulers of the world, and they will go to all the means they can to have their god in control of the world. The idea of two religious icons with the same, yet different ideals is a startling thing to compare. A painting of the morphing of Jesus Christ into Osama Bin Laden by Priscilla Bracks, gives a deep meaning to the controversies over two wildly different religious views. To understand it, however, one has to know the troubles of the world at this current time. Bin Laden is seen as a hero to many radical Muslims. He planned and ordered the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States in his “jihad,” or holy war. This act has been viewed many ways. From America it has been seen as terrible. He is seen as a threat to society. In other countries and to other cultures he is revered as someone to stand against the wrongs, things that Allah—the Muslim god—would not approve of. So what does he have to do with Jesus? Through the rhetorical strategy of compare and contrast and the rhetorical appeals the relationship of the two icons will be most apparent, and cause one to think about how Bin Laden is going to be portrayed in the future.

In the painting, one similar to a common representation of Jesus Christ, Osama Bin laden is gazing out to the audience. A halo of light surrounds his head with rays of purity beaming from it. His caring-like posture resembles the idea Christians have of Jesus, the way he would look upon a child he cared for. The rest of Bin Laden in clad in a white robe, giving off a feeling of goodness. The hair that flows on to his shoulder is distinctly Christ-like however, and the image is clearly seen as an in-between stage of the transformation of Jesus to Bin Laden.

There are many similarities between the two icons historically. They are both seen as leaders or teachers for a specific religious group. Jesus was King of the Jews, whereas Bin Laden has been a huge leader for the Muslims. Both were also frowned upon by a larger political group. Jesus was persecuted by the Romans. They feared his teachings were blasphemous to the church and that he posed a huge threat to their control if he was really the Son of God as he said he was. Bin Laden is opposed by the United States. He is in hiding for his life because the United States is afraid of him for their safety. In the end Jesus was killed by the Romans, sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate. In the end will Bin Laden be killed by America—the ruling of our government sentencing him to death out of fear?

Although they are similar, the two figures also have many extreme differences, which makes one wonder if the painting is more of a comparison of good and evil, rather than two alike things. From the perspective of a Christian, Jesus came to earth to help people. He brought Lazarus back from the dead, fed five thousand with only two fish and a few loaves of bread, and brought sinners to God. He was perfect, unlike his counterpart in the drawing. Christians see Bin Laden in another light. He preaches about his “holy war.” He wants those who are not of the Muslim faith to be killed “for Allah.” He is not merciful, he is merciless. He ordered the killing of many Americans, and has yet to perform any miracles. However, from the radical Muslim’s point of view, he has done much good to purify the world of non-believers. He is starting the fight for Allah against the Christian nation of America. Jesus is frowned upon in Bin Laden’s world, and this painting would likely be seen as an insult to the Islamic faith to see one of their heroes portrayed like Jesus Christ.

The differences in the two icons above show the rhetorical strategies of compare and contrast and analogy and begin to bring ethos, or appeal of character, into play as an important appeal to understanding this piece. Depending on the culture of the viewer, this painting could invoke different types of ethos. To a Christian it could be seen as an insult to their faith. The way a halo of light surrounds Bin Laden’s head gives him a good aura, which might be taken as offensive, just as the way his physical characteristics mimic Jesus. They might believe that the artist was trying to give Bin Laden the good ethos that they associate with Jesus. On the other side, followers of Bin Laden might see it as a detriment to his ethos. Since they believe that Islam is the right religion, they don’t hold the same ideals of good and evil associated with the two icons. They could see Bin Laden’s portrayal as being like Jesus as an insult and negative ethos.

It could mean that evil can be disguised as good. Bin Laden appears to be like Jesus, but because of the kairos, or cultural context, of the subjects, the viewer knows that not to be true. This comparison could be showing a relationship between the two people. Jesus was in a similar situation as Bin Laden, only two thousand years ago. Now he is worshipped by millions and seen as a hero for the Christian faith. Could Bin Laden be headed down the same path? Many people believe him to be a hero for the Islamic faith. So not only does the ethos of the subjects of this art piece get challenged, but the ethos of the people of the world gets challenged. Some could question if this representation of Bin Laden is how the world we think of him in two thousand years. If the trend is turning from Christianity to Islam, will ethereal portraits of the radical leader be hanging in homes being worshipped? From a Christian standpoint, the ethos of the world seems to be heading down a bad slope, their character slowly diminishing to worshipping terrorists. Radical Muslims might see the ethos of civilization in a negative way also. This painting might make them feel like the world sees their leader as a joke, giving them a negative character.

This comparison and establishment of the two icons’ ethos illustrates sets a basis for emotional connection or reaction to the piece. Seeing this comparison would inflict many emotions, or the pathos, of the viewer if he or she was American or Muslim. To any audience, this comparison will “put the audience in a particular mood or frame of mind” (Alfano and O'Brien 38). Both sides would likely be outraged at the way their heroes were made subject to a comparison. Neither side likes the idea of being associated as the same as the other, which is sure to cause resentment as well. The image could almost be an exaggerated use of pathos; the striking idea that Jesus and Bin Laden are on the same level could be argued to be a scare tactic, making the viewer look longer to figure out what is really going on.

This art piece, through compare and contrast, argues where the world is headed to—putting terrorists on the same level as prophets, or replacing a hero with a blasphemous Jew who believed he was the Son of God. This idea of Bin Laden being the same as Jesus is just an analogy for the beliefs of many people of the world and how they view their religion. As a Christian it has switched from being an idea of making miracles and loving people to holy wars, killing, and destruction. Yet, Bin Laden is still an iconic figure, and may someday two thousand years down the road have is portrait hanging in homes as a martyr and leader of a widespread religion.

Works Cited

Alfano, Christine, and Alyssa O’Brien. Envision: Persuasive Writing in a Visual World. Longman, 2005.

The U.S. Veteran Dispatch. 22 Nov. 2008. 22 Nov. 2008 http://www.usvetdsp.com/osam_qts.htm

ThinkExist. 22 Nov. 2008. 2006 http://thinkexist.com/quotes/jesus_christ/2.html