Post 15: A video from the past

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It’s funny to think that music videos did not really become popular until a few years ago. When I was a pre-teen I remember renting music videos from Blockbuster. “Back then”, they made VHS tapes with music videos on them. One music video by Backstreet Boys I remember particularly well was the video Everybody. This particular VHS tape had all the music videos of songs from one of their albums. I remember this video particularly well because the music videos took place in the old, haunted house that Casper the Friendly Ghost was filmed in. I really liked this music video because I was in love with the Backstreet Boys and one of my favorite movies as a child was Casper the Friendly Ghost.

I remember thinking this music video was one of the coolest things ever. As a boy- crazy pre-teen I was in love with Nick Carter and thought that one-day we would get married. I remember sitting in front of the TV for hours with my older sister, trying to learn all of the dance moves. I wanted to dress up and be in costume and dance just like all the people in the movie.

Looking back on my boy-band crazed days, I remember how happy and cool I felt listening to the Backstreet Boys CD. I think that at one point every little girl goes through the boy-band obsessed phase. I also think that we never really grow out of this phase. From time to time, I bring out those old CDS, and revisit many fond memories from my childhood of singing in my room or in the school talent show with friends.

It’s been years since I’ve watched the Everybody music video. Now that I’m older, and the boy-band singers are well into their 30’s, the music videos don’t impress me as much. However, I’ll never forget the feeling of giddiness that I would feel after watching that old VHS tape.

Post 14: Most ANNOYING music video ever

This is my least favorite music video because it is so ANNOYING!!! I have to say that I hate country music and therefore I strongly dislike any country music video, but this video has earned itself a spot on the top of my list of things that annoy me most. The song that they sing in this video is that annoying song they make you learn at summer camp. They teach you all the actions, and every time they make you sing it you just dread the thought of hearing it again. The counselors teach you to flap your arms like you are a chicken from KFC. They make you make an "M" over your head for McDonalds; it's almost like you're doing the YMCA, except your cheering for McDonalds!

This is the worst music video I have ever seen because it is so bizarre. It reminds me of a crazy version of the Wiggles except for adults. It so random that the dancers are driving a bus called the “Happy Wheels” bus (I’m assuming they got that from “Happy Meals”) and then all of the sudden a random blue dog appears as the driver. In the next few scenes the blue dog starts dancing with them. Too much randomness confuses the viewer.

This song is the type that you never want to hear a friend singing for fun. It’s the type of song that gets stuck in your head for a week after watching this video music. All of the bright colors make me think that I’ve been placed on the set of Barney taping a sing-along session. The obnoxious costumes in the video make you want to dress up and win the most ugly costume award at a Halloween party. This is definitely one of those movies you have to watch ten times because you are wondering WHAT WERE THEY THINKING WHEN THEY MADE THIS!

Post 13: OK Go- Here it Goes Again

I like to call this the treadmill song. When I talk about this video it seems that everyone has seen it and knows that I’m talking about when I say the “treadmill” song. This music video by OK Go is my favorite music video because it is so catchy! The song, Here It Goes Again, is a great song and it is matched by an equally entertaining video. This video is so unique because it uses treadmills as the main attention grabber. The way the singers move around the treadmills is so coordinated and unique. In some parts it almost looks like they are gracefully ice-skating from treadmill to treadmill. The part where the singers are dancing around in circles on the treadmills makes me want to get up and dance! This movie is appealing to the audience because the viewers have fun watching because singers in the video are having fun.

This music video is a great example of what viewers want to see. It grabs your attention from the beginning moment because you are wondering why four guys are standing on a whole bunch of treadmills. Viewers want to see music videos that make them feel upbeat and good. This video makes me happy because the beat of the song is so lively. I don’t really like the message of the song, but the lyrics flow so smoothly and the rhythm of the music is so likeable. The refrain of the song, “Here it goes, here it goes, here it goes again” is so catchy!

This music video is so unique compared to others that I have seen because most music videos contain the singer in different settings with back up dancers. This video however features the four singers of OK Go with no back up dancers. The setting for the video is very orginal and plain. This video is creative and needs minimal special effects to spice it up. I like how sometimes all four of them do the same motions and other times they split up into pairs and two different actions are going on at the same time. The fact that four guys are dancing on treadmills is a very original and imaginative idea. I wonder how many people after seeing this movie tried to dance on treadmills while working out at the gym?

Post 12: Project 2 Human Right #26 The Right to an Education

Every human being on this earth has human rights that cannot be taken away from him or her. These rights allow us to live freely in a just and peaceful society. The Universal Declaration for Human Rights is a document that was created in 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. This document specifically lists thirty human rights developed “as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations…that every individual…shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms” (http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html). Every human is protected with these rights because every person deserves to be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Everyday activities such as freedom of religion or the right to a fair trial are rights that many human beings have never experienced. For example, a person in the United States is able to freely speak out about their religious beliefs, however in another country someone else might be persecuted for their religious beliefs and for standing up for what they believe in. By showing each human being the dignity they deserve, we can make the world a more tolerable place.

Youth for Human Rights International is an organization that has created thirty public service announcements to raise awareness about an individual’s human rights. These commercials are made to teach people how to create a more tolerable world and a more inclusive society. All thirty of the commercials focus on specific injustices in the world; and how prevalent they are in today’s society. One commercial in particular focuses on the human right to an education. The right to an education is a human right that cannot be taken away because each human being deserves to be shown dignity and respect.

Human right number twenty-six is the right to an education; one freedom that many Americans abuse. There are so many human beings on this earth that are denied their right to attend school. This commercial uses narration to argue that denial of a proper education is a reality. The following short conversation that occurs at the end of the commercial is the most powerful part of the movie. It shows how big of an impact education can have on someone’s life.
“How many schools are there in your village?”
“None,” she replied.
This example of narration shows that this problem really exists in the world. This conversation is so powerful because the viewer can see the excitement in the little girl’s eyes because this school is her chance to prove herself to the world.

The mother and daughter in this commercial contribute to the narration portion of the commercial. The beginning of the commercial starts off with the mom saying, “Make sure you stay with her the whole time. She’s new to the country, it’s a whole different culture.” There are several different aspects that suggest this is a whole new culture for the girl. As the exchange student is walking up to the school, she is taking in all of the new sights and sounds. The biggest change in this girl’s life is that she is going to school for the first time.

The Youth for Human Rights International organization does a great job of relating human right number twenty-six, the right to an education, to the audience. This commercial uses example by using a typical situation to show how this human right can impact someone’s life. Most viewers can easily relate to this situation because at one point they have sat through boring classes wishing they did not have to be at school. Illustration is another type of argument used in this commercial. Illustration is used to show how an education can make a difference in someone’s life. When the two girls walk into the school, it appears that there is a golden light that illuminates the building. The creator manipulates an ordinary school building into a building that looks like a dream castle. The creator enhanced the glory of the building to emphasize the rhetorical effect of illustration. To an ordinary person, it is just a building, but to this one little girl, her eyes light up because it is a dream come true.

There is also a compare and contrast aspect of this commercial. It is easy to compare the exchange student’s life to the American girl’s life. The exchange student is entering a completely new environment because she has never attended a school before. In contrast, the American girl is ignorant to the fact that not everyone has the chance to attend a “boring” school. Just like this little girl did not know about the background of her visitor, many American’s do not know that it is a human right for all to receive an education. These elements add to the persuasion effect because they are forcing viewers to go outside of their comfort zones to see reality for what it really is.

This public service announcement uses the rhetorical appeal of pathos to connect with the audience’s emotions. Emotions such as guilt may occur for some viewers because they may feel guilty that they take their educational opportunities for granted. Others might feel a sense of happiness that a child has been given the opportunity for a successful future. This public service announcement has a powerful message that will ignite feelings in everyone who watches it.

This commercial also uses the logos effect to persuade the audience through fact. Specific statistics aren’t given during the commercial; however, the fact that there are no schools in the little girl’s village is hard evidence that this human right is being violated. The rhetorical appeal of logos supports the fact that this is a local and worldly problem that needs to be fixed.

The right to an education is an opportunity that opens doors to a brighter future. Human rights give us security and a fair chance to make ourselves known in the world. Denying someone his or her right to an education is a social injustice that violates the moral order of society. Seeing the reality of a social injustice such as this, is the first thing we can do to make a difference.


Works Cited
"Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 30 Oct. 2007.

Post 11: A new baseball stadium, Is it a waste of money?

A heated controversy that has surrounded the Omaha area for months now, is the proposal of building a new baseball stadium. This new stadium would replace Rosenblatt Stadium which has been the home of the NCAA Men's College World Series for fifty-seven years. Omaha is thinking about building this new stadium because there has been talk that the NCAA will move the location of future College World Series. The College World Series draws thousands of visitors to Omaha each year and millions of dollars is made during this two-week event for the city of Omaha. The removal of this event would cause a great decrease in revenue for the city of Omaha.

The controversy with this issue stands in the fact that the city of Omaha wants to spend over $50 million dollars to pay for the new stadium. $50 million dollars is a lot of money to spend considering the fact that Omaha has put about $35 million dollars into repairs and updates of Rosenblatt over the last decade. I think it is ridiculous that City Officials think it is ok to lay off policemen and fire fighters because there is not enough money in the city budget to pay their salaries, yet they think its ok to build a new baseball stadium that is used primarily for a two week event held each summer. Although city officials are recommending other ways the stadium could be used, I think city officials need to reevaluate where they spend their money.

The money that would be used for the new stadium could be used for more public issues that affect the city as a whole. Poverty and numbers of homeless people are on the rise. I think the city should focus on getting these people back on their feet so generation after generation doesn't have to keep living in poverty. Starting more after school and educational programs would be beneficial for the members of Omaha's poor community. More money could be pumped into Omaha's education system to give all students equal learning opportunities. Data shows that students in the Omaha Public School system have on average lower test scores than students in the Millard Public School system. If more money were used to help these students, more students would be able to attend college and having a better life. I think if we paid more attention to issues like homelessness and education our city would be a more attractive place to live. City officials need to stop wasting our tax dollars and they need to decide if building a new baseball stadium is the most beneficial thing for our city.