Reinforcing what's romantic

This new Katy Perry video for the song "The One That Got Away" is very romantic. It starts off with an old Katy Perry reminiscing about when she was younger. This is already romantic; she is young and innocent rather than old and experienced. In this flashback, she is with her boyfriend at the time. They don't seem particularly well off and are very artsy. These are two more romantic notions, poor vs rich and art vs science. They eventually get into a fight and he drives off, gets in a crash, and dies. In the end, when she's older, she visits the scene of the crash and "sees" a him. He touches her hand while they look into each others eyes for a brief moment. The song changes to Johnny Cash's "You are my Sunshine", a sad yet romantic song about love lost but not forgotten.

This video displays a stereotypical idea about an old love, the one that got away. We associate all of the aforementioned concepts (young, poor, artsy, innocent) with romance. Katy seems to be unhappy with how her life turned out and she can't stop longing for the romance that she used to have. It argues that romance and love are not guaranteed. While the video uses the young, poor, artsy, innocent themes to create a romantic ideal, it also further cements the idea that those concepts are romantic. If those themes exist elsewhere in the right context, then we consider that other thing romantic as well. This cyclical nature reinforces in us how to feel about different themes when we see them around us.

The Flying Scene

Titanic

I know that Titanic is sometimes known as cheesy or cliché in regards to romance, however, James Cameron’s Titanic is undeniably one of the most famous romantic movies ever made, and one of the most well known scenes is the flying scene, where the two of them are at the bow of the boat. This scene tears at your heart strings because Jack is like the underdog in the situation, being that he is not as worldly, wealthy or as highly regarded as Rose’s current fiancé is, which is precisely why the viewer wants him to win the heart of Rose, because everyone likes to root for the underdog.

In this scene Rose is looking for Jack to tell him that she has changed her mind and decided not to marry a man that she does not love and that she wants to be with him. He tells her to close her eyes as he helps her onto the rail so that she can feel as though she’s flying, and then the two share their first kiss.

This scene is the epitome of romance for several reasons, one being that they are the star-crossed lovers that shouldn’t be together because he’s the boy from the wrong side of the tracks and she’s the innocent girl that grew up in a wealthy family that is supposed to marry a man from the same. Another reason that this scene gives off such a strong romantic feeling, is because James Cameron made the perfect song selection for the scene by having Celine Dion’s My Heart Will go on playing faintly in the background while the two share their first kiss. Also Rose choosing Jack over her current relationship supports the romantic idea that love can conquer all- from family disapproval, money issues and differences in background.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MDPeL8lpzo

Romantic Man

For this blog post, I set out to find what is considered to be the ideal "romantic man". So like anyone else in the 21st century, I went to Google and typed in "romantic man". This was my result.

Just in case this picture isn't clear enough, this is Johnny Depp and he is a romantic man. One thing I noticed right away was how feminine Johnny Depp looks in this picture. He is basically a woman with a little bit of facial hair. He has perfect skin, his hair is blowing in the wind, he is wearing a very feminine shirt with his chest exposed, and he is surrounded by flowers.

This brings us back to the question, "What exactly do heterosexual women consider to be a romantic man?" Women want their men to be big, strong, and manly all the while wanting them to be in touch with their feminine side. A woman wants a man who is sensitive and not afraid to express his emotions. He should be able to write a love song and fix her car. Women ask a lot when it comes to the ideal man. They want the best of both worlds. Everything that is good about a woman such as the ability to express emotions and affection, and everything that is good about a man such as strength and dependability. It seems as though women want their men to be as similar as possible to a woman while still maintaining their strong manly features.

The ideal romantic man is a bi-polar concoction of both socially-constructed "masculine" and "feminine" characteristics. Perhaps what is truly considered romantic is for the partners to be equal to one another. By taking on characteristics of both parties, the ideal man becomes someone who can understand the points of views of both men and women and is thus more in-tuned with his partner's feelings.

A House of Candles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye6TcG55KG8

This past summer I developed a great attraction to the show Grey’s Anatomy. Being interested

in medicine…along with having some extra time on my hands and some high recommendations
from friends, I decided to watch just a ‘couple episodes’ of the series. However…I soon became hooked. From the drama created by the medical mysteries to that created by the characters themselves, I couldn’t stop watching. My favorite by far, as is with most people who watch this show, is the chemistry between Derek Shepherd and Meredith Grey. This interaction started off immediately with the first episode…the night before Meredith’s first day as an intern at Seattle Grace. At a bar, and not knowing anyone, she ended up spending the night with who else but Derek Shepherd. Yet, the thing to note here is that Derek was Meredith’s attending (boss). And this is where the romance began. However, the one episode that I can’t get out of my head is the one where Meredith builds a house of candles for ‘McDreamy’…as he is commonly called in the show. This scene exemplifies ‘the romantic’ in more ways than one. After months of fleeing his pleas towards settling down, Meredith finally comes around. The viewers have wanted this pair to finally realize that they were meant to be. This house of candles represents an idea becoming reality. If you watch the scene, you see that Meredith explains her plans for each room in the house…including the kids’ rooms. As viewers would know, Meredith was strongly opposed to any idea of getting married or settling down. However, just this one comment shows that everything is about to change. This just adds to the reality aspect as the couple is finally planning a future for themselves.

Every girl loves this scene because it portrays the great emotion present at that exact moment. Ever since the beginning, the audience pleads for Derek and Meredith to get together. With their on and off relationships, most never thought that it would last. However, this scene creates a structure of feeling by giving that glimmer of hope…an idea emphasized by the ‘romantic.’ At this precise moment in Derek and Meredith’s lives, anything can happen and reason and fact go out the door. One more thing to note is that Meredith was always portrayed as being ‘broken’ as her mom was one of the best cardiac surgeons in the nation and extremely critical of Meredith’s every move. Yet, with Derek in her life, someone she can talk to and share anything with, Meredith finally began putting the pieces of her life together. But this scene just cements her together, and she is finally whole again with Derek permanently in her life (as the audience assumes). The romantic loves this scene where for one short-lived instant everything is perfect and nothing else can come in the way.

Oh yes...Twilight

The romance that has swept the nation. But what is it that really makes it so romantic? Why have millions of love-crazed females across the world gone completely gaga over a love story about a vampire? I've come to realize it has a lot to do with some of the topics we've discussed in class, and that cultural "I want that" reaction we seem to develop relating with the fantasy. The Twilight series fulfills many peoples longing for that one true, unbreakable, unachievable but in the end enduring, love that seems to no longer exist in this day in age. If I were to hear of a book about the tragic relationship between a teenage girl and a hundred some year old vampire my typical reaction would be..."wow that sounds dumb". But I have actually read the first book, and I must say I did enjoy it. The story has a lot of "romantic" aspects that lure in the reader, leaving them lusting for a vampire to fall in love with them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51naGuvMePQ&feature=fvsr

(Link describing a lot about Bella, the main female character, and introducing Edward)

A few aspects that make Edward and Bella's love so romantic drawn from this beginning clip/Setting leading up to first meet:

• The fact that Bella is just an average girl. She isn't the typical all American beauty. Nor is she completely outgoing, enthusiastic, or in any way overly confident. She is very reserved and border line introverted. This gives female readers the notion "hey, this could happen to anyone, maybe even someone like me". It breaks the social norms of what an extremely attractive and confident male would go for.
• The setting of the book. It takes place in a very rural, densely forested and cold town in the state of Washington. This gives the story a sort of hidden romantic feel. The characters are tucked away, surrounded by the natural world, disconnnected from most of societies typical reasoning. Many of the scenes in the story also take place in beautiful settings in a hidden meadow, thick forests, or on one of the many isolated misty beaches in Northern Washington. It adds to the overall romantic "feel" of the novel, and the idea that their (later)love is pure and above that of the "real" world.
• The two have completely different lifestyles (putting aside the whole vampire human aspect). Edward's "family" is very close, seemingly perfect in style and tastes, and appear above the "norm". Bella (an only child), on the other hand, is living with her father (divorced from mother) who she seems to have a distant and impersonal relationship with. They live in an average house, live off pretty average means, and are very... average. But this divide in lifestyle plays no hinder on their future feelings, setting up the readers for that "I wish this was me" sensation, and seeming much more attainable through Bella's ever so "average" character.

All of these romantic ideas work in a way that gives readers the typical romance story between two forbidden loves, but make it that much more alluring through the relatable characteristics the audience is able to draw to the main female of the story. It feeds our desires for forbidden love, conquering emotions, and beauty, while not completely severing our hopes that this could happen to anyone... because we all know vampires are so easy to come across these days ;)

This is a scene from Sweet Home Alabama starring Reese Witherspoon. In this scene Reese, a New York designer, is about to get married to a man who is wealthy, successful, passionate, and handsome. He is flat out perfect. However her wedding is in to be held in Alabama her birth state, where she had to divorce her ex husband before remarrying. As she walks the alter she backs out of the wedding because she finds that she is still in love with her ex husband. Reese gives up a financially sound relationships with many upsides in New York City for a selfmade buisness man in the poverty stricken state of Alabama where life would definitely have its turmoil.

For reasons unknown at times, people always tend to choose love over what is ideal and have a higher percentage to succeed. For love people do crazy things sometimes. But whats to blame for these decisions that drive parents crazy? I'd say movies just like these. Movies directed and dictated in Hollywood always have love story end with happy endings rather than what may seem logical and what many people actually do in life. But many times in real life do people really make these head scratching decisions. Say a single mother has a child with some type of disease. She meets this man that can financially provide for her son but then runs into an old old old ex boyfriend that she still loves. Who does she choose? I think 90% of the time she chooses the ex boyfriend. But why? Movies that people watch everyday whether it is a romance or not tends to have a happy ending. And everyone just wants a happy ending. Why can't romance be a logical subject? When it comes to other important things such as work, we do the logical thing. We don't always like work but we still go. This only shows that society has its ideals of what it wants the people to do and it is engraved in our minds, even though we may think it is our ideals it really isn't.

All in all, Love and romance is just a luxury where logic has no place. And those who choose logic don't usually get their happy ever after. That is why we see so many unfaithful partners and domestic troubles. We may choose what makes us feel better and a love happily ever after is more powerful than a methodically life chosen happily ever after and all of these thoughts are nothing more than ideas plotted into our very minds from the day we were born.

Hookers are romantic, right?

This is a very controversial statement, but when it comes to romantics, Charlie Harper (Sheen) is the bees knees to observe. With the events that occurred earlier this year, being his children getting taken away, Sheen gave up his role on Two and a Half Men. So I looked to the very first episode of this season as a vantage point into his love life in the show. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6Ah5Was1cU ) The episode begins with Charlie's funeral, Alan is speaking about Charlie and almost immediately, beautiful women in the crowd begin yelling out sexually transmitted infections that he had given them, or sexual quirks that he liked. And there are honestly a lot of women there, gorgeous women fill the entire left half of the seating arrangements. You may not think that this is romantic, but at one point in time, Charlie wooed those women and romanced the hell out of them. Why so many though? This is where it's really neat to look into the concept of love and romance while looking at an obvious womanizer.

People will say that the only reason he would go from woman to woman every night is to try and fill a hole in his heart. Did he take these beautiful women home and ravage them because he was empty inside or because he just loved a good rodeo? It seems to me that only he would really know which one it was. You can talk about it being pathetic and disgusting that he would do that but in reality if that's what makes him happy it shouldn't be about what anyone is judging of him. Why, if he is making the effort to go out and pick up these women, do people automatically assume that he is just trying to fill a void. Maybe he was lonely and wanted to have them around, but then again, he could also be perfectly content with the rockstar lifestyle and being independent at all times. It's also interesting to me that in Sheen's real life, which is eerily similar to his character's life on 2.5 Men, he is loved and hated simultaneously. When his kids were taken away because of his drug/hooker/alcohol problems, he didn't go into hiding, instead he made a twitter, got over a million followers in 3 days, and sparked his career a little more. The man has a crazy outlook on life, but dammit he makes it work. One pre-paid romance at a time.

Romantic Cigarette Advertisements

     When I hear the word, my mind is filled with pictures of roses, moonlit walks on the beach, fancy gifts and exotic, private vacations. It is a word with so many positive connotations, that many people long for. The word can be used and tied into other ideas, and make them more appealing. In the modern world, smoking ads are among the most regulated in terms of marketing. Some or all forms are now banned in many different countries. In these old advertisements I found, which are outlawed now, smoking is linked with romanticism/sex to create a desire to fulfill these needs with smoking.

     This first ad states "Who says length doesn't matter?". This is directly related to sex in obvious ways. The couple in this picture appears extremely happy. They both have huge smiles on their faces, and are touching in many places. They appear to be well off financially, as the man is wearing a tie and they are sitting inside with a nice breakfast. Another romantic component of this advertisement are the flowers on the table. This ad persuades the consumer that these cigarettes will make smoking better, just as longer 'equipment' will make sex better. The name also epitomizes romanticism. Eve is the known for enticing Adam in the Garden of Eden. She is the sex symbol portrayed in many famous artworks and in movies from many time periods. A consumer would be urged to buy Eve brand cigarettes to fit into this construct of romanticism as it is very desirable.

     The second two pictures have two different takes on the romantic connection made with smoking,with both men and women. The woman in the ad on the left is in the ocean (nature is romantic). She is natural as well, wearing minimal make-up. Her shirt is sheer, basically see through. The ad connects the sexual idea behind her sheer shirt with the sheer enjoyment that a smoker would experience when they smoke this brand of cigarettes. A women who smokes this brand could believe that they would make her this attractive. A man could believe he would get the same pleasure from smoking these cigarettes as he does when looking at this ad.
     The Rothmans ad on the right depicts a pilot, signified by the 4 stripes on his sleeve, smoking one of their cigarettes.  In this era, pilots were idolized by women. They were successful, and always surrounded by numerous, beautiful flight attendants. This ad appeals to both men and women. It says to men, smoke these cigarettes and you will be successful with life and with the ladies. It says to the ladies, be with a man who smokes Rothmans.

     These advertisements that link smoking to romantic endeavors are now illegal in the United States and in many countries through out Europe. I guess that means that they had a positive effect on the sales of cigarettes, and needed to be eliminated. It is very interesting the way an idea can be connected with an action and make it more desirable and irresistible.

One more time, one more chance

For those who never see this movie before, I strongly recommend this for you.
(Better version here)
The name of the movie is "Five Centimeters per Second" which is the time for a piece of sakura falling down to the ground. I don't know how romantic we are but I do know people change between the romance they pursue and the reality they live in.

The movie chooses a simple first love story to express a sophisticated life in which everyone must grow up after experiencing a sentimental love in the teenage age. As we grow up, all kinds of social issues rise up and we gradually lose the pureness of childhood. Who can still start a simple and pure love as it was in our teens?

The rhetoric of words here is just as simple as the word itself is, love. And yet, with the reality which force the love change as time passed by. The plot is mainly composed with interior monologue of the protagonist, which let you, the audience, feel like that you are reading through a secret diary written in your teens. It is so familiar that it can reach the softest part of your soul. You could take such a position to cherish your teenage love and in such a warm and beautiful way to recall him or her who is deep inside there in your memory. It just likes a time machine for you to look back yourself several years ago. Then you get a chance to remember your first love, your first romance and your first precious memory.

The music itself contributes a lot for the whole atmosphere in this movie. With the singer sings "one more time, one more chance", the video shows all the memory from a child to an adult. What is the romance? It is not the wealthy life we are seeking now but the wish that we could go to visit the cherry tree in front of your house again sometime. It is not the luxury we wanna buy but the courage a teen has to bear the cold and hunger to go such a far way for a meet.

The story ends in the crowd in Tokyo. Though the actor and the actress of the film are still in the same city, they have no chance to meet any more. Most of the first loves all ended with no results following. But luckily enough, we still have the choice to miss the romance we missed.

It is not about the result, though everyone want a perfect ending. Love is an experience more than a result since there are always other factors which contribute or block it. Once you owned it, once you lost it. One more time and one more chance, at least you were the leading actor of the memorable romance, a groovy kind of love.

Legendary Romance

Okay first of all...if you have never seen the show How I Met Your Mother, GO OUT AND RENT/BUY/WATCH IT NOW!!! Himym is absolutely amazing and it also works perfectly with blog post. On the surface this show may just look like another one of those same old same old sitcoms. However, if one were to just watch one episode they would see that not only is it about one man's search for love but it is actually three love stories. Each story is a different example of romantic in action.

The entire show follows Ted Mosby as he tells his children the story of his search for the love of his life or the story of how he met their mother. Ted is the most hopeless romantic guy you will ever meet. Throughout the whole series audiences get to see the ups and downs of Ted's search. One moment you see him fall in love and then the next you see that love be taken away. Each time fooling us into thinking we have finally met the famous mother. One would think that at one point this guy would give up yet that is not the case with Ted. Ted's purpose in life is to find that one love. He doesn't give up because every failed relationship brings him closer to the love of his life. This quote explains it all:

Robin: "You stole a blue French horn for me."

Ted: " I would have stolen you a whole orchestra"

Intertwined in Ted's memories are the love stories of his best friends. First comes the story of Marshall and Lily. Marshall and Lily are an example of a romance that lasts. They are each other's soulmates. Their relationship began as a classic "love at first sight" kind of relationship. As the story of Ted's journey goes on Marshall and Lily are there to serve as a example of what he could have in the end. They are the epitome of a romantic love story.

Second is the story of Robin and Barney. (spoiler alert!!!) These two began as just friends. Robin is extremely independent and Barney is a man whore for lack of a better word From the beginning these two had strong disdain for commitment. However, time would tell that their hate of commitment was just a face and what they yearned for was just that; commitment. So as relationships like theirs go, they end up together. They are perfect for each other because they are exactly what each other needs. Yet, at one point their romance comes to an end and now its a archetypal "will they or won't they" type of relationship.

These stories are what makes this show work. They are relatable and really have truth and heart to them. We all begin as Ted. Searching for that one person who we are meant to be with. We also at sometime might be Barney and Robin; friends at first but then a romance blossoms. And we all want in the end a relationship like Lily and Marshall.

The whole concept of How I Met Your Mother is not just a journey for Ted and his friends but for the audiences too. Because of the themes and the relevance of the show, audiences (including myslef) get attached to the characters and inevitably feel what they feel. Himym is not just a regular comedy. It isn't a show where the story lines up exactly as we want it, there are twists and turns to the story line just like in life. The show deals with the brutal truth that is life. It deals with the decisions we make and shows what comes of them. Not only are there romantic relationships and characters in the show but the overall show themes are examples of romaniticism. It shows the raw emotion of the experience and journey of life.

It will give you goose-bumps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4CQK-ML_KA

I love music. It is the one media that never ceases to give me goose-bumps. In this piece from The Phantom of the Opera called The Music of the Night, there is extreme romanticism in action with the tone and shape of the music and the words being said.

The rhetoric of words being said is a combination of true love, being with that true love forever, and overcoming great obstacles to achieve that solidarity of love. If you haven’t seen the play or the movie, the main plot is the Phantom, who is a disfigured musical genius and lives in a Paris Opera House, falls in love with Christine, the main actress of the opera company, who he has trained in secret, and then proceeds to “terrorize” the opera company for the affection of Christine. Thus the main point of the plot is the love that needs to be acquired. The words lure you in with tales of beauty, mystery, adventure and freedom (with the Phantom). But the underlying message is one of possession and abandoning your life for a new one, which in some aspects could be considered escapism; there is a looming darkness that is in between the words.

The music itself contributes to the overall feeling of the piece. With the dark, rich sound of Gerard Butler’s voice mixed with the deep tones of the brass and the sweltering, moving, and dramatic influxes of the strings and percussion the music depicts a scene of mystery and wonder and an underlying sense of warmth. The rise and fall, the swells!, of the score help define the beauty the words are conveying. The overall affect of the music and the lyrics tug on your heart strings and make you wish you had someone that close and intimate to you that you could just leave everything behind and be free.

The position the piece makes you feel is that everyone finds their true love, their soul mate: “You alone can make my soul take flight”, even a disfigured musical genius. But the argument I want to make is the underlying message that the romantic’s covers up: that of kidnapping and possibly losing oneself being okay if it’s for true love. Don’t get me wrong I love this play/movie, but there are some fundamental aspects not addressed on the surface. The song lyrics contain the message of leaving behind everything and being ‘free’, but then belonging to someone else; with the tone of the music this message is pushed under the romantic’s and is lost on the audience. The main argument is anything is okay if it’s in the name of true love. Is the possibility of losing oneself in the process a dignified loss if you achieve true love? Maybe yes, maybe no… but what do your goose-bumps tell you? *To see what those goose-bumps may mean here’s an extra article about the romanticism in connection with ones brain: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/relationships/2011/06/the-neuroscience-of-romanticized-love-part-1-emotional-taboos/

Star Crossed Lovers

Here lies the greatest love story of all time, the Shakespeare classic of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet are the most starcrossed lovers to ever walk this earth. They are banned from seeing each other since their families are rivals and they have to do anything they can in order to be with each other. What is romantic about these two is the fact that they are willing to go to any means if in the end they will have each other. It is also romantic, in a weird sense, that they are willing to die for each other because then they will even be together in death. But the most romantic part from this story is the fact that Romeo called to Juliet from outside her balcony and recited this wonderful poem he came up with. I'm pretty sure that most girls have wanted a guy to call to her from outside and to proclaim their love for her. Nonetheless if this does happen to you on a daily basis or not, Romeo and Juliet will forever be the classic romantic love story that young girls first learn about and young boys find repulsive.

Romantic Wedding

This link offers snapshots of a truly individual wedding ceremony. A truly romantic wedding ceremony, if you will.

Tahni and Joseph (the couple pictured) decided to throw a Bohemian/French inspired wedding! Take a look at the photos, they’re incredible. I’ll admit, I’m a romantic in just about all regards, and this wedding epitomizes that.

How do the pictures of this wedding scream “romantic” to me? Well, for pretty much all of these reasons:

• Tahni has no veil or tiara. She has a beautiful and natural headpiece with flowers, leaves, and winding vines around the crown of her head.
• Her makeup is minimal. No makeup on a wedding day? That’s an intimate view of the bride’s natural beauty.
• Her dress has a little lace – lace simultaneously covers and reveals physical beauty.
• The dress is white, the universal color of innocence.
• The dress also has little flounce. Who says romance has to be full of extravagant frills?
• Joseph looks barely old enough to marry Tahni. His build is still boyish, which makes me think two innocent lovers have found each other in the big world.
• Joseph isn’t wearing a tux, or even a sport coat! In the ceremony, he is still wearing his flat cap. Who used to wear flat caps? Poor little newsboys. Poor little immigrants. Flat caps have, after all, been named the “mark of a non-noble”. So romantic! He is “poor” but wants to marry her anyway.
• His hair (and hers) is clean, but a little unruly. Neither is slicked-back, pulled tight. Just loose curls and ringlets. Natural.
• Sunlight peeks through. Purple flowers everywhere. Grass that appears almost bluer than it does green. Knotted trees and branches. Everything has a golden glow.
• Butterflies. Lanterns filled with flowers.
• Tables have globes for centerpieces and repurposed kitchen pitchers for vases.
• Old, handwritten postcards. Wild flowers instead of roses.
• It is a wedding. The ultimate consecration of love.

Refer to Robin’s list of what makes something “romantic”. You’ll feel the emotions, the love. The wedding is completely individualized to their taste (when have you, or when will you, ever see a wedding with your own eyes that is just like this?) The wedding is set in nature; the entire thing is outside. It’s crafty, artistic. It looks like it was thrown together on a dime (though in reality it probably cost much more). It’s rural, they’re children, it’s all innocent. Everything looks placed, set, written, and done by hand. A bit feminine? Arguably yes, it is.

I think a political message might be that weddings don’t need to look like they cost a fortune to show the love. Love isn’t purchased, after all, it’s natural. This wedding appears to be so naturally beautiful, that the love between the couple must be equally beautiful (and equally natural). The wedding, hair, dress, and entire ceremony appears effortless. Maybe their love for each other is effortless, too.

What is the overall message? These two, out of every other person across the globe, have found each other. The four words I took away after seeing this wedding (and have used multiple times now)? Natural. Beautiful. Effortless. Romantic. By finding each other, they round beauty and love and romance. Really, what could possibly be more romantic than pure romance?

Do You Remember?

When I saw the prompt for this blog entry, I immediately thought of Jack Johnson, who is, in my opinion, one of the most romantic singers of the current time period. His lyrics are simple, to the point, and of course, romantic. Combined with the pleasant and upbeat music, his songs warm my heart (as corny as that sounds) and make me believe that there really are true romantics left in this world. One of my current favorite songs is Do You Remember (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y5kxOGhqrw&feature=related). This song is basically a love song to his wife. He combines snippets of the two of them falling in love (Do you remember when we first met? I sure do. It was sometime in early September) with reflection on how time flies (Well, all these times they come and go, and alone don’t seem so long. Over ten years have gone by….), and memories from in between (Do you remember when we first moved in together). Although I truly do love all Jack Johnson songs, this song is one of my favorites because of the specifics it includes. The specific parts of the ‘story’ told by this song closely relate it to one person, which adds to the romance of it.

Like any other song that Jack Johnson performs, the main feeling that he wants you to experience is happiness. However, happiness is a broad feeling, which can be broken down into many different emotions. What is making you happy? Being happy because you got an A on a paper or passed your midterm is a completely different happy than if your team won the big game , and feeling happy because someone took the time to tell you how they really feel, much less through a song, is completely different than that! The goal of “Do You Remember” is, as the title suggests, to make sure you remember all the wonderful times you have had with each other, and so that you can always remember exactly how he feels about you, so you can feel the same way too. Remembering this feeling should make the listener happy. Jack Johnson, a laid back former surfer, has the power to simple feelings into songs, bringing out the romantic side in the best of us.

(Full lyrics- http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jackjohnson/doyouremember.html)

Nature vs. Nurture

I chose this picture of BWCA as an argument for nature over civilization. While I have no problems laying back with my laptop, cruising the web, and my iPod listening to the rhythms of Tupac and Biggie, there aren't many other places I'd rather be than paddling a canoe down the lakes of the Boundary Waters. This picture to me sparks a sense of serenity. It brings me back to my annual trip to the boundary waters, and slips me into an alternate reality, forgetting the real one surrounding me each day. For some that don't hike, fish, camp, etc. this picture may not do the same for them as it does for me. To others, meditation may come from electronics, shopping, movies, or other modern civilization, but for me the fresh air and freedom of being in nature is what relaxes me most. I am still a little lost on the notion of "a double rainbow--wow!" but if I have any notion what-so-ever I would have to think my "wow" would come from scenery like this one. Another piece of movement, or feeling, I get from this photo is accomplishment. I labeled this blog "Nature vs. Nurture" because I feel as though whenever I'm out in nature there is a sense of achievement using the bare necessities mother nature gives you to survive the wilderness. As a romantic notion, thinking about nature vs. civilization, I have to choose the side of nature. While a main point of nature vs. civilization is leaving nature alone and relieving some construction of monuments and suburban areas, I took the nature vs. civilization aspect and turned it to humans coinciding with Mother Nature. Without this cooperation we couldn't see photos like this, or have the experiences of camping/hiking/fishing in this beautiful area of Minnesota.

I think this picture argues for a more green way of living. Not in the essence of recycling and driving a Prius, but living a life without the dependability on laptops, and phones, and iPods, etc. Finding the inner Mother Nature in all of us could lead to the perception of this photo. When looking at this picture we can see a few main points: a man alone paddling his canoe, the scenery depicting nothing but nature all around, and a lake (knowing from personal experience) that leads to nothing but more water and nature. These simple aspects of the picture show us how the world we are living in today is lacking the most essenctial aspects of life. Yes, there is a need for electronics in the world we live in today, but how did it come this way? Any why? How come we can't live a life of ease in the wilderness? While I am obviously aware that I could pack up my necessary belongings, drop my education, and move up north, but that's not the point. We see too many people rely on the luxuries they have around them, instead of finding a natural way to deal with situations. Hard work vs. ease, or nature vs. nurture. The romantic in me feels for Mother Nature, and wants to be with her. This photo argues for humans to coincide with nature, and the romantic in me wants nothing but that.

The Notebook

For me the romantic in action can be seen the best in the movie, The Notebook. Now, I know for most people this movie is lame and cheesy but who doesn’t love a magically love story, that ignores all of the facts and goes straight to the feelings and emotions. There are several emotional scenes in this movie but one of the best scenes is when Allie and Noah have reunited several years later after their romantic summer in their teens. Noah is trying to convince Allie that he should be with him and not Lon. (If you want to see the full clip check out this link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q3wmx8EBVk)

In this example our feelings and emotions are thrown for a loop. We want Allie to stay with Noah because they are amazing together. We see how passionate they are together and how much they truly love each other. However we see why Allie cannot decide. She is engaged to yet another wonderful man, Lon. She gave him a promise when she accepted that ring from him. Our emotions and feelings being pulled in every direction makes us ignore these facts and simply want Allie to pick the man she loves more. In this scene Noah also mentions how it’s all about money for Allie. But Allie doesn’t care about this fact; she makes her decision based on whom she loves more. She follows her heart and not her head.

Now I believe that the message portrayed by this scene is exactly what Allie did, follow your heart and not your head. We must ignore all the facts and follow our emotions and feelings. If Allie had not followed her heart, she would have never experienced an amazing love for Noah. She wouldn’t have had three wonderful children. Her life in general would have played out very differently. The Notebook makes us believe in this romantic idea that your heart knows best.

Posting Assignment #7 (due Sunday 11/20, 11:59 P.M.): So how Romantic are we really--and so what?

We've been working around the concept of a 'structure of feeling' as a way of getting at why some things (like movies, pictures, poems, songs, even ideas) just move us to tears or happiness or pleasure while others are just, 'like, uh, whatever.'  The key (and scary) idea here is that what we feel is as much a 'cultural construction' as anything, and that this is how 'culture gets inside us.'  It forms our feelings.  And feelings are not 'natural facts.'  And feelings are—always—tied up with ideology; they're political because they guide our actions ('what we think changes how we act' (Gang of Four)).

[Double Rainbow--Oh Wow!]

The Romantic—a short list:

• feelings or emotions over reason or fact

• the individual self over anything collective or social

• nature over civilization

• intuition over learning or knowledge

• art (big sense) over science

• rural over urban

• child over adult

• innocence over experience

• poor over rich

• 'hands' (manual labor) over 'heads' (intellectual labor)

• maybe even 'feminine' over 'masculine' (because of how they've been constructed)

Reservations and Hedges: Got to remember that no 'structure of feeling' is ever universal (lots of us don't 'like the woods').  Or better: at any one historical moment, there may be several 'structures of feeling' operating (if you're part of 'Hip-Hop Nation,' you probably don't shop at REI or NorthFace).

Scavenger Hunt:

1)  Find an example of the ROMANTIC IN ACTION—ads, songs, movie scenes (Bella and Edward got married), public spaces (parks, golf courses), and so on.  Remember that you can do the 'anti-romantic,' too—if your idea of the perfect place is a mall or a club.   Try for the small, clear and  unexpected.  Post the image, quote the words, offer a link.

2)  Analyze the RHETORIC and POLITICS.  How is 'the romantic' constructed in the example you found?  And what political / ideological position is it advancing?

3)  Based on evidence from your analysis, make an ARGUMENT about the 'message' your example conveys.  Make sure you can DEFEND every point you make with specific, detailed evidence from your analysis. 

* 300 words or more – again, you'll need some space for this.
* No keywords required -- but you're welcome to use them if they'll help you make your points.  (And whether or not you end up using words like 'intertextuality,' and 'structures of feeling' in your post, you'll want to be thinking in those terms anyway. ) '
* No text-references required — but again, you're welcome to use them if they'll help you make your points.

Happy hunting.

Taking the Plunge

This scene picks up during Jake's first visit out into Pandora as his avatar. He is exploring the new land when he is confronted by various threatening creatures. This clip comes in right as he is being chased through the forest by a thanator.

Many things are conveyed by this scene. While everything looks beautiful and welcoming, we are quickly introduced to the dangers that are ever-present. The creatures are large, aggressive, and intimidating. This makes the viewer uneasy about what may lurk out of sight.

As Jake is chased by the thanator, it crunches through trees almost entirely unimpeded. Trees are understood to be solid and unyielding but the thanator makes short work of them. This shows the strength and size of the thanator, making it very imposing. Jake seemingly has nowhere to run to and nowhere to hide. It seems to be very hopeless.

After finding brief refuge under the roots of a tree, Jake is snatched up by his backpack. However, he slips out and continues running. This offers a glimpse of his ingenuity and battle skills and offers us hope.

Eventually he comes to the top of a waterfall and with nowhere else to go he jumps to the water below. Jake is safe from the thanator and we all sigh a breath of relief. Unfortunately this is short lived. He has "taken the plunge" and is all alone in this dangerous and exotic land.

On the surface this is just an exciting chase scene, but there is more to be taken away from it than that. Like Jake, this is our first time out in the "wild" of Pandora. It quickly becomes apparent that it's not just some beautiful safe haven, but instead a dangerous place that needs to be respected.

Originally Jake set out with a crew of others, but by the end of the scene he is not only separated from them but has a physical barrier (the cliff/waterfall) preventing him from backtracking. He has reached a point of no return and will be forced to spend more time alone in what we now know is a dangerous and unfamiliar place.

Speech following the return of Toruk Makto

Toruk Makto

     I choose to analyze the scene right after Jake Sully returns on Toruk Makto. This almost mythical creature is very dangerous, and evokes fear in the clan. It had not been conquered for many generations. In fact, the last time it was captured the clan was in a similar struggle for survival. The leader of the clan of that time made a bond with Toruk Makto, just as Jake does here. The Toruk Makto is able to unite all of the clans across Pandora to fight for the Na'vi's cause. Jake's arrival on the bird signifies his ability to lead the Na'vi in the war to preserve their homeland. Prior to this scene, the Na'vi felt Jake had betrayed them because he had not warned them of the attack on their hometree, but now know he is committed to them. Jake then makes a speech, entitled "This is our land". He says, "you fly with me now, my brothers, sisters, and we will show the sky people they cannot take whatever they want, and that this is our land".

     This scene attempts to make the audience feel a sense of hope. We are placed on the side of the Na'vi by deeply involving us in their personal and emotional lives. It grabs the hearts of the audience as it relates to the lives of many. At some point in everyone's life they feel helpless. This motivational speech is very similar to speeches in the real world. The speaker stands above the people, as a symbol of dominance and strength. He has several people up on the 'stage' behind him, which shows he is supported. He has arrived from the sky to be their savior, which seems very familiar to the Christian texts speaking of the arrival of Jesus to save humanity. The last part of the speech is shot upward, as if the camera is on the ground with the Na'vi people. It is as if the audience is looking up to Jake, and it makes them feel more involved and attached to his mission.

     I have been studying philosophers in my political science class this semester, and this scene reminds me of the theories of two in particular. Ibn Khaldun, a muslim philosopher, has a theory called group feeling.  This is the strong attachment to the community, and is usually formed between people of the same culture and family. Jake proved he was worthy of belonging to their community when he conquered the Toruk Makto, and further increases group feeling with his word choice in his speech (brothers, sisters, our land, ect.). This also relates closely to the theories of John Locke. He says everyone has the right to life, liberty and property. If anyone violates these rights, it is expected that you will act in whatever means are necessary to get these rights back. The sky people are violating all three of these natural rights, and all the Na'vi people needed was Jake to step up as a leader so they could fight back. This speech is a message to the community to take action to preserve their rights. Many leaders in the history of the world have stepped up like Jake Sully did to fight for rights, with one great example being Martin Luther King Junior. I believe the message in Avatar is completely relevant to the politics of our past and present societies, and the images James Cameron created in the speech scene reinforce my argument.

A New Start

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QEFrI-D_3c

This scene represents a new beginning. It is when Jake Sully first wakes up in his new body on a new planet and runs with his own legs for the first time. It is an extremely crucial turning point in Jake's attitude towards Pandora and the people of Pandora. At first, he is seen to be extremely skeptical of the new experiences he’s having and the people he’s meeting. However, once he realizes that these ‘new people’ have provided him with the power to walk and run again, he feels a sense of jubilancy.

This scene starts off right away with various computers, electronic devices, and scientists staring intently at glowing screens. Then it jumps into the examination room where Jake Sully is laying on the table. Just watching this at first reminds me of Jake being a specimen at who the doctors and scientists are extensively scrutinizing. These signifiers, the doctors, scientists, and lab equipment, emphasize the point that Jake is an artificial being. Jake himself provides a stark contrast to the humans in the room (blue skin, height, facial features, tail, etc.) However, if looked at from an opposite perspective, this beginning of this scene can also represent ‘birth’. The signified (doctors, scientists, equipment) highlight the situation present when a child is born in a hospital. The beeping instruments, people in lab coats, and the examination table are all present during the birth of a child. To the viewers, this represents a new beginning. Yet, at this moment of transition between his old human form and his new avatar form he is at the mercy of the doctors (signified). However, he soon realizes that he can (and will) do whatever he pleases. At first, he is just occupied with brand new control in relation to his legs, especially his brand new toes (the signifier). Jake now has his liberty back, something that was taken away from him years ago. His disability left him in shambles…and extremely grumpy. But now, since his body is complete again, he can resume showing his determination that had long since evaded him (signified). This gives the viewers a great sense of hope along with a little bit of Jake’s determination. It even creates a sense of joy to see Jake finally able to walk and run. Moreover, this scene shows the great differences between a human and an avatar and illustrates the difficulties of becoming accustomed to such differences. For example, Jake has troubles just getting used to his massive height and an extra appendage…his tail. When he first gets up, he begins to accidentally destroy the machines and wires in the room. But when he runs outside, he realizes how great it feels to have such freedom. Therefore, the movie attempts to surround the viewers with a feeling of wonder and plain curiosity. From new toes to new surroundings Jake, along with the audience, is submerged into a different world. The scene endeavors to bring out the child in all of us by introducing us to so many new ideas. We are then left to use our imagination to envision the assortment of possibilities available to us.

Avatar Trailer

James Cameron and the other creators of Avatar wanted their movie to have an effect on us, and even more than that, they wanted us to pay to go see their movie. I feel like the best way to analyze how a movie works on us would be to see what it is that has convinced us to pay to see that movie in the first place. I decided to take a look at the trailer for Avatar.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi895222297/

The trailer begins with ambient music; we know already that this movie is going to be a sci-fi movie. Then we see eyes opening almost as if it is signifying that this movie is going to awaken and enlighten us. Everything else prior to seeing this movie was nothing; we were asleep until now. There is the sound of a rocket taking off. We now know that we are going to go on an adventure to a far away place. The music in the background now sounds like a heartbeat. This is to make us feel like we are the main character. We are Jake Sully and we have landed on Pandora. Once Jake arrives at the base, we see the amount of technology and this tells the audience that this movie takes place in the future. There is an image of a plane flying by floating rocks. We now know that Pandora is a very strange place that is nothing like Earth. We see an image of the general with a giant claw mark across his face. We now know that Pandora is a dangerous place. We then hear the sound of a vacuum-sealed pod opening. We now know that Jake will be a part of a scientific experiment of sorts. Jake then approaches a giant blue creature inside of a pod filled with liquid. We are uncertain of what is going to happen, but we know it is giong to be awesome. Jake smiles after seeing his avatar and then the ambient music finally ends with a bang, almost as if the door to everything we were once used to is being slammed shut. This is where the action begins. Jake is inside of a pod with wires all around his head and then it shows somewhat of a worm hole. We know that we are entering a very strange place, but we don't know what it is. Jake jerks his eyes open and then we see two large blue hands from what appears to be our point of view. We now know that Jake has become an avatar. Without using any words, the trailer has given us an understanding of what the scientific process to becoming an avatar is. We see Jake as an avatar on a hospital bed. He is moving his feet, and now we know that the possibilities are endless. He jumps up from his bed and bangs the glass with his hand, startling the scientists inside. This is foreshadowing Jake's rebellion against his people. We then hear Jake say the first and only words of the trailer, "This is great." As if we needed any more evidence that this movie is going to be great, Jake has just told us. Now the music actually starts and it is very intense and it still sounds like a heartbeat, only faster. This says that this movie is going to be pulse-pounding and exciting. Then words appear on the screen, "From the director of Titanic". Now we know for a FACT that this movie is going to be good. A plane lands into a very strange jungle. We are in Pandora. Jake is looking around and comes across a very large and very terrifying creature. We now know that Pandora is nothing like Earth, it is scary. He is now being chased by creature. This is telling the audience that there is in fact chase scenes-- one of the requirements for any movie. Then we see the face of a female character-- girls being another requirement. Then we see Neytiri jumping into the air shooting an arrow, showing the audience that, not only is the female attractive, she is a badass and there is violence in this movie. Then we see clips going back and forth of the beauty of Pandora and army men going to battle. This trailer has just made us take the side of the natives of Pandora. We see planes flying, men carrying guns, na'vi and other creatures growling, and na'vi getting on the backs of some sort of pterodactyl. We now know that there is going to be an epic battle between these two groups. As the actions builds, so does the music. It becomes more and more intense as the action becomes more climactic. We then see these pterodactyls attacking the planes and men shooting big guns-- more violence and explosions!! We then see Neytiri crying, which means there is also emotion in this movie. Women now have a reason to see it. More violence and explosions, and then the trailer ends with a clip of Jake and Neytiri leaning in for a kiss. There is a love story amongst all of this violence?! The audience is thinking "I need to see this movie what is it called?!" Then there is a title screen which reads, "Avatar".

The creators of this movie have just successfully brought together clips from a two-hour movie into a two-minute clip and shown the audience what the movie is about and that is has everything that a person looks for in a movie. There is an interesting story line, there is a sense of wonder, it is futuristic, there are chase scenes, violence, pretty girls, explosions, emotion, and a love story. They want the viewer to know that this movie appeals to everyone. More importantly, they have just used your own wants and desires to entice you to spend money on seeing this movie.