Hello All,
Monday's post is an easy one.
1. Choose a commercial that appeals to you.
2. Provide a link to the commercial through youtube.
3. Briefly explain why that commercial appeals to you.
I'll get you started.
One of my favorite commercials is the Geico caveman. The tagline's fairly stupid--"Even a caveman can do it"--but the execution of the commercial itself never fails to make me laugh.
My favorite of all of these is the one with the song "Let Me Be Myself" playing. It's pretty funny that the song advocates individualism, but the commerical is trying to get everyone to be the same (by buying Geico insurance). Here's a link to it.
What gets me the most, though, is the satire of the "being true to oneself" narrative. This archetypal plotline occurs throughout television and movies as well as song: a person has adopted a Persona that isn't "true" and must reconnect with his or her roots. In this case, our caveman has tried to be someone he's not; his setting, clothes, and facial grooming imply that he is trying to climb the social ladder and has betrayed his soul . . . But in the commercial he is able to break free and return to his Self, which of course occurs in a bowling alley (I am also a fan of the film The Big Lebowski, so that may be another reason I like this commercial).
I especially like the visuals of this commerical: the lonely escalator, the scattering doves, the ripping off of the shirt, the buddy-bonding at the bowling alley. Again, these are all images that other films and commercials have used, but they are usually meant to indicate "deep" emotional connections and experiences. Here, of course, it is a caveman who is having this epiphany. The disjunction between the expectation (seriousness) and the reality (humor and caveman) is the perfect image of irony.
Finally, I like the commercial because it makes me laugh at myself. I, too, struggle with remaining true to my vision for my Self (i.e., "What should I be doing with my life?"), so this is a great way of making me laugh at myself as well.
...But I don't have Geico insurance...
Friday, May 21, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Post for May 17
Hello All,
1. Give me the title of the film you will be analyzing.
2. List the archetypes/symbols/concepts you will be using in your analysis. Remember that at least one of these concepts must come from Eliade's Myth of the Eternal Return.
Take care, and have a good weekend.
m
1. Give me the title of the film you will be analyzing.
2. List the archetypes/symbols/concepts you will be using in your analysis. Remember that at least one of these concepts must come from Eliade's Myth of the Eternal Return.
Take care, and have a good weekend.
m
Monday, May 10, 2010
Post for Friday, May 14
Hello All,
As Eliade discusses in the section titled "Archetypes and Repetition," one method people use to make meaning is to imitate a "celestial archetype," "primordial act," or "mythical example.”
As we discussed in class, this can take many forms (art, architecture, narrative); it occurs clearly in the process of naming: we give names based on the celestial, primordial, or mythical connotations the name suggests. Thus, we have New England modeled after England.
This process occurs on the individual level as well: my name, Matthew, is not original or unique. Rather, it dervies from the
"English form of Ματθαιος (Matthaios), which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Mattityahu) meaning 'gift of YAHWEH'. Saint Matthew, also called Levi, was one of the twelve apostles. He was a tax collector, and supposedly the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament. As an English name, Matthew has been in use since the Middle Ages." (Behind the Name n. pag.)
My last name, Woodman, is compound: Wood + man. The name is a relic from when people took names from their professions; in this case, one of my ancestors was a man who worked in the woods (probably some sort of logger or rough carpenter).
The film Sunshine is filled with names:
Icarus I and II (the name of the ship)
Capa (or Kappa)
Kaneda
Mace
Searle
Cassie (or Cassandra)
Corazon
Trey
Harvey
Pinbacker
Your assignment is two-fold:
1. Choose one of the names from Sunshine, and analyze its etymology (word origin). Where does the word come from? What does it mean? Does it refer to any specific religion or myth?
2. Analyze the etymology of your own name. Where does your name come from? What does it mean? Does it refer to any specific religion or myth? Were you named after a relative (i.e., are any of you "Junior")?
Here are a couple of sites to get you started:
Behind the Name
Wikipedia
Oxford English Dictionary
Remember that Wednesday is a furlough day, so I'll see you all on Friday.
Take care.
As Eliade discusses in the section titled "Archetypes and Repetition," one method people use to make meaning is to imitate a "celestial archetype," "primordial act," or "mythical example.”
As we discussed in class, this can take many forms (art, architecture, narrative); it occurs clearly in the process of naming: we give names based on the celestial, primordial, or mythical connotations the name suggests. Thus, we have New England modeled after England.
This process occurs on the individual level as well: my name, Matthew, is not original or unique. Rather, it dervies from the
"English form of Ματθαιος (Matthaios), which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Mattityahu) meaning 'gift of YAHWEH'. Saint Matthew, also called Levi, was one of the twelve apostles. He was a tax collector, and supposedly the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament. As an English name, Matthew has been in use since the Middle Ages." (Behind the Name n. pag.)
My last name, Woodman, is compound: Wood + man. The name is a relic from when people took names from their professions; in this case, one of my ancestors was a man who worked in the woods (probably some sort of logger or rough carpenter).
The film Sunshine is filled with names:
Icarus I and II (the name of the ship)
Capa (or Kappa)
Kaneda
Mace
Searle
Cassie (or Cassandra)
Corazon
Trey
Harvey
Pinbacker
Your assignment is two-fold:
1. Choose one of the names from Sunshine, and analyze its etymology (word origin). Where does the word come from? What does it mean? Does it refer to any specific religion or myth?
2. Analyze the etymology of your own name. Where does your name come from? What does it mean? Does it refer to any specific religion or myth? Were you named after a relative (i.e., are any of you "Junior")?
Here are a couple of sites to get you started:
Behind the Name
Wikipedia
Oxford English Dictionary
Remember that Wednesday is a furlough day, so I'll see you all on Friday.
Take care.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Post for May 10
Hello All,
One concept Eliade elucidates is the "Restoration of Primordial Chaos" and the idea that society needs these moments and figures of chaos in order to rejeuvenate its "soul."
Our modern society has largely tamed these chaotic holidays ("Holy days"), but we still have one day that maintains its chaotic nature: Halloween.
This chaotic element is also why some religious fundamentalists oppose its observance: it is a day of "demonic energy" (which is just a synonym for chaos).
Needless to say, for many children, Halloween is the preeminent holiday: a day of excitement and breaking society's norms.
For this post, give one example of how Halloween embodies the idea of chaos. I'll start you off:
The idea of "Trick or Treat" is itself a threat; children are quite literally blackmailers: "If you don't give me candy (the treat), I'm going to do something bad to you (the trick)." This could be egging the house, toilet-papering the tree, or smashing a pumpkin. In other words, for this night (unlike the rest of the year) the kids are in the position of power . . . and they demand chocolate!
One concept Eliade elucidates is the "Restoration of Primordial Chaos" and the idea that society needs these moments and figures of chaos in order to rejeuvenate its "soul."
Our modern society has largely tamed these chaotic holidays ("Holy days"), but we still have one day that maintains its chaotic nature: Halloween.
This chaotic element is also why some religious fundamentalists oppose its observance: it is a day of "demonic energy" (which is just a synonym for chaos).
Needless to say, for many children, Halloween is the preeminent holiday: a day of excitement and breaking society's norms.
For this post, give one example of how Halloween embodies the idea of chaos. I'll start you off:
The idea of "Trick or Treat" is itself a threat; children are quite literally blackmailers: "If you don't give me candy (the treat), I'm going to do something bad to you (the trick)." This could be egging the house, toilet-papering the tree, or smashing a pumpkin. In other words, for this night (unlike the rest of the year) the kids are in the position of power . . . and they demand chocolate!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Post for May 5
Hello All,
This post is an easy one:
How do you celebrate New Year's?
Take care, and I'll see you on Wednesday.
This post is an easy one:
How do you celebrate New Year's?
Take care, and I'll see you on Wednesday.
May 3
Hello All,
For today's in-class blog, explain how Robert Frost's poem uses concepts from the first chapter of Eliade's Myth of the Eternal Return.
For today's in-class blog, explain how Robert Frost's poem uses concepts from the first chapter of Eliade's Myth of the Eternal Return.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Post for May 3
We will discuss the chapter "Archetypes and Repetition" on Monday (there will be a Powerpoint); there are many different examples and allusions to different religious figures, but don't be confused by that.
Instead, focus on the essential concepts:
1. Imitation or emulation of a "celestial archetype," "primordial act," or "mythical example";
2. "Symbolism of the center";
3. Chaos of "undifferentiated, formless premodality";
4. Road leading to the Center;
5. Profane vs. Sacred time and space.
The Center can be a literal space or object (as in holy sites), or it can be a metaphorical center: i.e., the core of the Self.
The episode of This American Life that we watched, "John Smith," features traditional symbols of the center: trees, the home. The episode also featured frequent images of the road: John Smith driving (or being driven) from one place to another.
Your blog question is this: why did the director/producer of the episode choose to feature so many images of the road, and how do these images of the road contribute to the concept of the Center?
Enjoy your weekend!
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