Morphin' Time - Comm 403

 

Nearly every narrative we find today follows the same system.  The "beginning" "middle" and "end" theory we've developed spawns from Aristotle.  His idea was known as Aristotle's poetics, and declared that narratives, or media that tells a story, are usually broken up into three Acts. 

Act I is the opening act, and focuses on introducing characters, settings, and basic plot.  This act describes what life is currently like for the hero and/or other main characters.  This is quickly interrupted by trouble of some sort creeping it's way into the plot.  The characters will be challenged with a decision that will take them out of their comfort zone.  Act II is the amplification of this trouble, and the trials presented to the characters will seem impossible.  Act III is the conclusion of the story, involving the characters ending the trouble and usually putting them at a higher level of morale than the beginning when they were just going about their everyday lives.

I chose a favorite movie from my childhood for the nostalgia I'll have discussing it.  The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers movie put my VCR to work when I was a kid.  If you weren't a fan of the Power Rangers as a kid, here's a little back story for you:
     Six teenagers have a device that can transform them into the Power Rangers - meaning they put on spandex with a helmet.  These wacky costumes are adaptations of their Japanese counterparts.  They do more for hiding their identity.  These Morphing Devices were given to them by Zordon, their leader and takes his form as a giant face made in a tube of light.  The Power Rangers fight intergalactic crime in the form of martial arts and summoning giant "Zords" which are robotic animals they can control.like vehicles.  These Zords can combine together to make the Megazord, which usually is enough to take care of any problem they may face.

In the movie, this plot that we find in a basic episode of this show is expanded to movie length. 

Act I - The six rangers (Tommy the white, Jason the red, Billy the blue, Aisha the yellow, Adam the black, and Kimberly the Pink) are enjoying their life and hanging out as normal in their city, Angel Grove.  At a construction site a giant egg is found containing purple ooze.  The ooze forms into Ivan Ooze, the films main antagonist.  

Ivan Ooze

Act II - Ivan sends out minions to keep the Rangers busy while he destroys their base containing Zordon.  Because of the destruction, they cannot Morph and must search for a new solution to defeating Ivan.  Meanwhile, Ivan disguises himself and sells ooze to the children of Angel Grove that turns all of their parents into slave once they touch it. 

             The Rangers travel to the distant planet Phaedos.  A woman there named Dulcea guides them and tells them of the new power that awaits them.  After various physical trials the rangers are granted their new costumes (based on modern animals rather than dinosaurs as previous) and consequently new Zords as well. One of the young boys in town realizes that the parents are being mind controlled and try to keep them safe with the other children.  Ivan orders the parents to 'leap to their doom' and the kids try their best to keep them away from a nearby cliff.


Act III - The Rangers return to Angel Grove, which is completely overtaken by Ivan and his ooze.  In their respective Zords, they fight Ivan and his minions until only Ivan is left.  He grows to an enormous size and the Rangers realize that forming the Megazord is their only option.  The fight becomes fierce and mobilizes to out space.  While in space Billy suggests that they use a nearby comet to destroy Ivan.  Aisha presses a button to kick Ivan in the crotch and he is flung into the comet, which explodes with him along with it.  The parents are returned to normal and the children know of the Rangers' bravery. 
            While the day may have been saved for everyone else, it still isn't over for the Rangers.  They return to their base to find a deceased Zordon in a human form which has never been seen before.  They discover that their newfound powers have the power to heal, and with Zordon's life restored, peace is finally returned to their lives and they are stronger physically and emotionally .

Made with the Freshest Squeezed Corn

   

     Framing is an act used by many politicians and advertising campaigns across the country, but what is this clever tactic?  By using the concept of framing, individuals can pick and choose, essentially, what they want to get across to their listener without compromising their integrity.  As George Lakoff states in his book Don't Think of an Elephant!, "Framing is about getting language that fits your worldview.  It's not just language.  The ideas are primary - and the language carries those ideas, evokes those ideas."  So to expand on his thoughts, framing takes the idea you want to present and does so in a manner that would be best accepted by your ideal audience.

     The example I chose to exemplify framing is found in nearly every vending machine here at Shepherd University.  Minute Maid brand fruit drinks (as well as many others, but I chose this one in particular) mention 'being made with real fruit juice' and 'made with all natural ingredients', but how much of it is fruit and how much is sugar water?

     The addition of high fructose corn syrup into beverages is not the problem here as nearly every one of them does.  In this case, it is the fact that Minute Maid claims to be made with 100% fruit juice, but only because the amount of corn syrup added into the mix makes up a fraction of the juice that is apparently small enough to remain uncounted.  So just because you only add a little bit of it means it can be left out of the statistics altogether?  When questioned about the usage of high fructose corn syrup in their products, The Head of Industry & Consumer Affairs, Johnetta D. Lewis stated:
                "High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is the sweetener we use in the United States because it is an available, affordable sweetener which, in solution, tastes like sugar. The entire supply of sugar in the United States would not be enough to produce our products alone, much less in addition to those of other companies. The United States must import sugar for its domestic needs but corn is grown so abundantly, we export it overseas."
     So just because corn is more abundant here in the United States, Minute Maid (and Coca-Cola by proxy) are endorsing the idea of using corn syrup in their beverages, but then lying about it afterwards.  If Johnetta's response to the use of corn syrup in their beverages was so matter-of-fact, then why can't they out the same thing on their beverages.  The answer is the American Dollar, unfortunately. 
     To elaborate, this is not a stab at Minute Maid or Coca-Cola directly, but to basically any and all companies that use this practice.  If we are all adults of sound mind, it is ironic that the use of lies and trickery is what is fueling the consumer economy.  Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle highlights the other aspects of the shortcuts that food processing companies use, and was a strong inspiration for this blog.  It definitely is an encouraged read to discover what these companies will do just to get in your wallet.

Find out what's really going into your burger in Upton Sinclair's novel, The Jungle.

By the Horns - Comm 403

     I decided to dive into semiotics this time with something that reflects myself internally (you know, if you're into this sort of thing).  Horoscopes have been around for centuries used as means of future telling, fortune reading, behavior, and even health concerns.  Apparently, there are very distinct traits for every Horoscope, so what better way to illuminate them then by semiotics.

     The sign:  The Taurus is represented by a bull with massive horns.  The bull itself may even be huge to take into consideration its "power", but this could be purely speculative.  The Taurus is represented also by a more common, simpler design:  a circle with two curved horns coming out on top. 

This symbol is considered "feminine"and "introverted" because Tauruses are reflective and thinkers..

     The signifier:  This horoscope is represented very well in both denotation and connotation.  The denotation of a bull would be a stubborn animal that does not migrate too far from its surroundings of a grassy, open area.  The connotative description of the Taurus reflects these traits, in that persons who are Tauruses are supposed to be stubborn, earthy, and yearn for stability in their lives.  Though is is a vague description, I feel as if I fit it perfectly - but doesn't everyone? These ideas expand into the more specific ones, such as"Tauruses are thinkers rather than do-ers",  "They are slow to anger but if pushed too far will erupt",  and "taking pleasure in simple comforts". Traits like this fit a tighter niche of people, but they still fit the description of a bull.  The sense that the Taurus (and maybe the other Horoscopes) took a lot of thinking and evaluating before this practice came into play, so why don't we take them more seriously?

     The signified:  We, as humans on planet Earth today (as opposed to our ancestors) have plenty of access to technology, and therefore more logical explanations for phenomenon we face in our lives.  In the times when stars themselves were a mystery, finding answers in these ethereal balls of light was deemed as an effective way to interpret an answer to your questions.  Nowadays, we see horoscopes in magazines and newspapers and see them as little hints or ideas to help you manage your day.  They literally lie in the same field as fortune cookies in this aspect; how could something that used to answer our insights of the future be reduced to a mere section of a newspaper?
     The aforementioned trait that horoscopes are flawed on is their vagueness.  The traits described by most horoscopes are usually hit-and-miss, and this could be from years of misinterpretation or just a change in cultural behaviors and beliefs.  A horoscope nowadays is about two sentences long, and will usually tell you to "reconnect with an old friend" or "look out for a potential love interest".  You can look up countless different horoscopes in a day from various sources, so which one is right?  The variation we find in the media is another flaw in our ability to believe horoscopes - there's a million of them.

     The mythos behind this horoscope is interesting because it was introduced with the 11 other Zodiac members.  In Greek mythology, Zues disguised himself as a stunning white bull that carries Europa across the ocean with an attempt to seduce her (an attempt that succeeds mind you).  So how does this tie in with any of the connotation or denotation?  It could be seen that this entire scheme of Zeus's was all a part of successful planning on his part, which ties into a Taurus's reflective thought process.  The other end of this would be the animal in choice for the Taurus, a bull.  Since they represent the docile, and stationary nature, the bull may have seemed to be a gentle spirit that would aid Europa across the sea.  Lastly the ties between the animal and the earth may come from relating earth to life.  Earth is life incarnate, and by Zeus helping Europa, he was giving her life as well. 

Europa, as she rides on the Taurus (Zeus).

    Zodiac symbols are definitely far from a religious collection at this point in time; however, it's never bad to have a little bit of a confidence boost in your life.  If anything, horoscopes help us think in a different way for a second.  They remind us of different priorities or abilities we have that we may have forgotten about.  To make the best use out of them would be to read them and to not take anything to heart, but rather to divert your attention and do a mental "sort out your mind" kind of routine. 

Behind the Tinted Lense - Comm 403

The semiotics of sunglasses struck me as interesting because I wanted to find a product that we use for entirely the wrong reason most of the time.  They look cool.  Here is a deeper dive into this simple yet effective phenomenon in fashion.

The sign:  Sun-glasses.  In the most literal sense what do they do?  They block the sun from your eyes so you can continue in safely with your current sunshine-ridden task.  Often useful for driving and other outdoor activities.

The signifier: The sunglasses signify that you are in a situation involving an intense amount of light that needs shading.  But how true is this to today's culture?  With the concept of sunglasses in mind (being that they dim light) there should be few types of sunglasses - those ranging from barely dimming to nearly blocking out all light.  Since we are interested in appearance, however, we have countless different sunglasses in various brands to fit everyone's style and needs.  Why do we need different types of glasses when they all serve the same purpose?  Because we don't use them to block the sun' we use them as a fashion statement.

The signified:  The concept of sunglasses refers to giving you an advantage in sight during a sunny situation, but the connotative reason for wearing sunglasses is both anonymity and a general "cool" factor.  As the video provided shows,  the hit series CSI: Miami utilized a clever one liner in the beginning of every episode.  What makes this one liner significant is that it is always accompanied by the same motion of putting his sunglasses on before delivering the pun.  This definitely adds emphasis to the cool factor, as the addition of the sunglasses and the pun go hand in hand.  What is also to be noticed is that he puts the glasses on regardless of the weather conditions are around him.  Granted it is in Miami Florida. but the mention of the sun being in his eyes is never an issue, he simply puts the glasses on to emphasize the point he is making - and that is what appropriately describes why sunglasses have turned into more of a statement of "coolness" than a device to protect ourselves from harmful ultraviolet rays. 

     The mythos regarding sunglasses is that while wearing them you can protect your identity for the most part, and I agree with this entirely.  The idea of wearing these devices to not only shield the suns rays but to also have yours eyes be completely concealed is a lot more than just an added bonus, as we often buy sunglassses based moreso on style than actual effectiveness.  This thoroughly explains how America views our safety products.  Sacrificing safety for beauty is a perfect explanation for sunglasses and other products of the like.

How Low Can You Go?

     Rap videos are some of my favorite inspiration to the same basic idea creatively redone over and over.  In this video, rapper Ludacris plays a "Bloody Mary" type of entity.  It is said that he appears in your mirror if you "drop it low" enough.  Three friends are excited to test out this theory, but they find that summoning Ludacris isn't all fun and games.

     The girls in this video definitely fit both roles of women in music videos.  The original three girls dancing in the bedroom "summon" Ludacris, but then immediately become frightened and completely negative towards the situation.  Meanwhile the other girls shown in the video are merely the dancing nobodies found in many rap videos.  These girls are perky, ready to party, and perfectly fit the descriptions that Ludacris describes them as he is rapping.  They all have gyrating, stripper like movements that are so prevalent of these "dream girls" we have learned about. 

"Cause I like that french vanilla, that caramel, but when it comes to Chocolate, I know that very well" - Ludacris

     So we have the dream girls gyrating, some other male figures assumed to be Ludacris's possy around to add some numbers.  What happens to the previous innocent girls?  They are changed into party girls themselves, and therefore become desirable objects like their ghostly counterparts.  Now they are free to grind, shake, and drop it low in the freedom of their own house with this newfound confidence.   They don the similar attire of the previous girls as well: skin tight spandex leggings in bright colors, and very revealing tops. 

     While all of this lovely metamorphosis is going on, we have random shots of Ludacris rapping under a blacklight.  This effect makes him look like he's in a very ambiguous, but obviously very fun environment that you probably wish you were in.  He is seen constantly rapping while beautiful dream girls are dancing around him and competing over who can drop it the lowest for him.  This sort of rivalry between the girls shows off another side of the dream girls, their competitive side where they compete over men.  Ludacris does not seem to mind, and probably is not complaining in the slightest.

     This kind of video feels very reminiscent to rap videos in the late 90's and early 00's in that it follows a very simple plot that involves women seeing just how low they can go.  While newer rap videos usually focus on the wealth of the rapper and his status among his community/crew, this video follows Ludacris's theme of southern style dirty rap that can be first seen by artists like 2 Live Crew.  Ludacris's modernization of a simple (and clever, I'll admit) idea of the Bloody Mary myth and turning it into a 4 minute long parade of girls just breaking loose, having fun, and gettin' low.

Wii Would Like to Play - Comm 403

 

The new console from Japan sparks interest in American households.

     By using semiotics, we can find the relationship between the signs found in this advertisement, the audience it is directed towards, and the message that the symbol is trying to extend.  

The Sign:  The main sign within this advertisement is obviously the Wii console.  It is a sign of a new entertainment system unlike one that had ever been seen before thanks to its wireless capabilities.  It has a simple, sleek design that does not feel bulky like other systems. The smart car used by the Japanese businessmen could also be seen as a symbol as well.

The simple design makes it look approachable for any age. Photo credit goes to La Ignorancia Mata

The Signifier:  When this commercial aired, the Wii signified the absolute future in gaming technology.  A new innovative way to play games by utilizing body movement was unheard of, and it piqued the interest of everyone for just that reason.  This was by far the most advanced leap in technology most average households had heard of, and the excitement ad hype created for the system made it practically sell itself.  These little thirty second commercials were all most people needed to see to want this in their house as soon as possible.
      To highlight the Smart Car, it goes along with the the Wii system with its equally sleek and modern design.  It is a very futuristic car, and is driven by two Japanese men.  Japan is often used as a symbol of technological advances, and in this commercial the case is very much the same.

The Signified:  Like most video game paraphernalia, the Wii could be seen as a target for anyone between the ages of fifteen to twenty-five; however, Nintendo modeled the Wii to be an enjoyable system for all ages, including children, parents, and even grandparents.  With games ranging from simple puzzles to bloody, zombie-filled shooters, Nintendo made sure there was something for everyone in this little titan.