Dido - See the Sun Again

I'm comin' 'round to open the blinds
You can't hide here any longer
My God you need to rinse those puffy eyes
You can't last here any longer

Chorus:

And yes they'll ask you where you've been
And you'll have to tell them again and again
And you probably don't want to hear tomorrow's another day
Well I promise you you'll see the sun again
And you're asking me why pain's the only way to happiness
And I promise you you'll see the sun again

Come on take my hand
We're going for a walk, I know you can
You can wear anything as long as it's not black
Please don't mourn forever
She's not coming back

Chorus

Do you remember telling me you found the sweetest thing of all
You said one day this was worth dying for
So be thankful you knew her at all
But it's no more

Chorus

Analysis

Word Count: 333

 

1.      Argument:   Losing someone is painful, but there is hope and there is goodness in store.

2.      Audience:   The audience is people who are heartbroken because they have lost someone very close to them.  These people are having a hard time dealing with the pain and feel hopeless and alone.

3.      Goal:   To encourage the audience to start moving on, to see that there is hope, and that their sadness will end.

4.      How:

·        Logos:   Dido uses logical statements in the lyrics.  For example when she asks her friend to recall the time he told her he had found the “sweetest thing of all” and that it was “worth dying for,” she suggests that he should be thankful he knew her at all instead of missing out on the great experiences.

·        Pathos:   She paints pictures of her helping her friend through the hard times.  Phrases like “come on take my hand” give a feeling of hope and that there are people willing to help through the hard times.  The thought of seeing the sun again also gives a feeling of hope to those who feel like they are in the dark.

·        Accurate:   Dido’s argument is accurate, because many people lose loved ones and have to continue living somehow.

·        Relevant:   The argument is relevant to the intended audience.  They have probably experienced similar emotions to the ones Dido is describing her friend having and have similar desires such as shutting down and staying inside their homes all day.

5.      Effective or Not:   I think the argument is fairly effective.  It is an encouraging song and I think that it will give hope to many people in the audience.  It lets them know that there are other people who have had to go through/are going through similar things and that there are people who care and would like to help.   The song could, however, even further depress people who don’t feel like they have someone to help them through the sadness.

1.      

Beauty Pressure

Word Count: 401

1.     

1.    

1.      Argument:  Young girls need to be taught about inner beauty because the beauty industry has an unhealthy image of what is beautiful that will negatively affect young girls’ self-esteem.

2.      Audience:  The audience is primarily mothers of daughters, but I think that it is also directed to women in general, who are concerned about the rising generation.

3.      Goal: To build the Dove brand’s reputation by getting viewers to recognize that Dove values self esteem and inner beauty.  Also to promote their “Real Beauty” campaign and get the viewer to visit their website.

4.      How:

-          Logos:  The flow of the argument was very logical and many women can see it in their own lives.  It shows the progression from a little girl to her exposure to the idea of beauty in the media, to all the products and unhealthy habits to help her achieve and maintain that image.  Also, by using real commercials and advertisements, the audience can see clearly that the argument is a valid concern.

-          Pathos:  The shot of the little girl in the beginning gives a feeling of innocence.  The “onslaught” of beauty industry images and clips coupled with the intense music feel overwhelming and familiar to women.  The plastic surgery images and sounds are graphic and disgusting. It then suddenly goes back to some innocent little girls slowly crossing the street as the music mellows out a bit, bringing the viewer back to the original innocence of little girls.  This makes women want to protect the little girls from the repulsiveness that was just presented.

-          Sufficient:  The sheer number of printed ads and video commercial clips included in the montage were sufficient to prove their point. 

-          Accurate:  By using actual advertisements found in the beauty industry, they stayed very accurate to what people are truly exposed to every day in the media. 

5.      Effective or not:  I think the ad is fairly effective.  It definitely grabs the attention of women, and especially mothers.  Women have been bombarded by the media all their lives and can definitely relate to the pressures presented in the ad.  I think that it makes women want to protect the rising generation from the terrible things in the media and they will have more respect for the Dove name because they are interested in this too.  I don’t know how many women will actually visit Dove’s website though.

JELL-O Chocolate Sugar Free Pudding

Word Count : 393

1.      1.    Argument:  JELL-O sugar-free chocolate pudding is a healthy dessert choice because it is low in calories.

2.      2.    Audience:  This ad is aimed toward an audience of weight-conscious women.  These women are probably between the ages of 18-50 and are either currently overweight, or are concerned with becoming so.  More specifically targeted are women who are currently dieting and not enjoying it.

3.      3.    Goal: To get the reader to buy JELL-O sugar-free chocolate pudding

4.      4.    How:

-          Ethos:  There is not a strong element of ethos in this advertisement, however JELL-O is a very well known brand and most people will recognize and trust the JELL-O name.

-          Logos:  Showing the calorie count and corresponding portion size gives a compelling visual comparison of the two dessert options.  It makes the pudding seem like the obvious smart choice, since you can eat so much more of it for the same amount of calories.  The ad also mentions that the pudding is “loved by lips and hips alike.”  This implies that it is delicious and will not make you gain weight.  Although this claim is not backed by any concrete scientific proof, it does reinforce the calorie count shown above and will probably be enough to convince a chocolate starved woman to buy the product.

-          Pathos:  The ad uses words and phrases like “milky smooth to dark and decadent” to describe their product.  These words imply a luxurious experience that would be very appealing to women who are dieting and feel like they have to deny themselves such experiences.  This idea is enforced by using the word “denial” coupled with a tiny chocolate ice cream cone to show the alternative.  This evokes feelings of dissatisfaction and possibly hunger.   

5.    5.      Effective or not:  I think this advertisement is very effective for women who are on a diet and struggling with it.  These women are all too familiar with the negative feelings of hunger and denial and would be excited to find a delicious dessert that would let them stay on their diet and still feel satisfied and luxurious.  I think the ad would also be somewhat effective on women who are eating a healthy diet and enjoying it, because although they don’t have the same negative feelings about denying themselves delicious food, they could see the pudding as another healthy option for them to consider.