Randomly this is the first music video I actually remember seeing this video on MTV. I thought it was really crazy. I remember being creeped out by Marilyn Manson and his entire band while sitting on the couch of my Aunt’s house downstairs. The video is definitely very creepy as he is dressed goth for the entire video and is just kinda playing with the most random things that are found in medical centers. Marilyn Manson definitely has some issues, but I think he has great insight into the world we live in and is one of the most vocally talented artists to live.
The Beautiful People can be considered the people of America. He is showing that all of the people of America are restrained like those of either a prison or a insane asluym. In reality he is right. He is saying that although we are told that we are free, we still must abide by so many laws that we are in effect in a straight jacket that restrains us from true freedom. He definitely is talking about the extremes of life and capitalism, but the music is great especially with John 5 on guitar. He is simply amazing and I think the goth dress makes for irony in the whole Beautiful People thing because in the video there is no one that would be considered beautiful. I think he is very intelligent and makes good points about the life we live in even though some of his beliefs put him outside of the normal realm of society.
Marilyn Manson definitely has the widest range of vocals of all time. In his remake of the Nightmare Before Christmas, he sings in at least five different voices to imitate the different characters of the movie. The voices are not just any random voices but are harmonic and very soothing if you listen to his music. I respect the man and I really do like a lot of his music.
Afroman is a great rap artist. Most of his songs ring true to man people and focus on the more humorous side of life. I have always loved “Crazy Rap” ever since the first night I heard it. I was with a few of my friends on the way to my girlfriend’s birthday party. Ever since then the song has been played multiple times in my car or room or sang during track practice. In reality, he is singing every man’s dreams while making fun of the fact that none of it would ever occur to any real man.
This video is the worst that I have ever seen because for a rap video it does not objectify women enough to be legitimate. Nor does it really follow the story that I had created when I listened to it over and over. I had imagined that he was traveling across the world and getting with all of these ladies. Rather than getting all of these women he just orders take-out from multiple different restaurants of different types. I just hoped to see all of these exotic areas and was severely disappointed in the video. He could have shown the volcanoes or Hawaii or the big cities of Japan or even Rodeo drive of California, but instead it’s all at his house. The other thing that I had a problem with is that there are just four random guys chilling in a backyard, which is not even his. By the way his house is portrayed it definitely was a lot larger than the one in those scenes.
Otherwise, the song is still a great song and the car was definitely an Afroman car. But then again, he seems poor in the song when he has to be selling his cds on a corner or will have to sell his Cadillac for weed money. This does not match up with his portrayal of himself in the video. All around the video just doesn’t follow the song very well and that’s why it’s the worst music video I’ve ever seen.
The night is cool and clear. A gentle breeze crosses the plains in front of the great doors. Many torches lit the night along the cobblestone path before the charging people. On both sides, the warriors new the score-- win or death. One side armed with well-crafted swords and lances opposing the peasants with their not so well-crafted pitch forks and normal tools not meant for war. Its training and weaponry against the massive numbers of the upset peasants. The St. George's Night Uprising in Estonia would have started out similarly to this as the peasants had become vexed by their foreign lords. Peasant revolts were common during the Middle Ages when the feudal system allowed lords to impose conditions that many put many people in dire straights. These reasons were usually because of taxation, religious enforcements, or an increasing gap between the wealthy and poor (Popular revolt). Drew Litton makes a good argument of Bill Callahan's situation with the Husker fans through analogy and visual narration, also using two of the rhetorical themes.
The fans are all ready to go. The season is looking to be a great one again. Another bid for the the national title because we are the best around. No one can defeat us. We will beat down all of the competition and make everyone look like fools against our sea of red. We will score touchdown after touchdown. The great defense will make stop after stop to hold all the teams to zero. We are the greatest and no one can stand is our way to victory. Not Nevada, or Iowa, or USC, or any team. We will be the best because we are the Nebraska Corn huskers! But that isn't how it happened this season. Unfortunately, Bill Callahan and his boys could not seem to win much of anything and that's what has got his always devoted Husker fans ready to revolt and tear down the castle.
The cartoon is a perfect example of what Bill Callahan is experiencing. The many Nebraska Corn husker fans are creating an old-fashioned revolt with torches and pitch forks. The kind of revolt seen in the Middle Ages. In the night, all of the Husker fans illustrated by the “N” are on the warpath towards Callahan's castle. On the outside of the castle, its printed “House of Callahan” to show that the greatness that Callahan has created is being revolted against for his inability to create a winning team this season although he has proven very worthy in past seasons. The dialogue bubble explains it all saying, “You know, they are a rather impatient group”. The Corn husker fans all want success and an immediate national title. Even though Callahan has created success as illustrated by the castle, Nebraska fans are not satisfied anymore and want him out. This is the path that the fans have chosen for Callahan a full revolt to get him and out and find some one new who can make a good team for them to cheer for again.
The main rhetorical device the Litton is using is the analogy between Husker fans as peasants in a Middle Age revolt. As stated before, the peasants would revolt because they were no longer satisfied with their lives under the lord of the land. The feudal system worked with the lord on top who then had vassals beneath him. They all lived in the castle together and then there was open area to allow merchants to sell their wares during the days and in time of war this served as protection. Otherwise, most people lived outside of the castle in the surrounding fields were they normally would farm or do their work. Here Litton is showing a scene where the peasants are heading toward the castle in revolt. Although the peasants are Husker fans who are upset about the losing season and the lord is Callahan, the idea is still the same that they are trying to remove him from power. Litton does a good job of showing what the fans want through an analogy to past times although this is not practiced in modern times.
The second rhetorical device Litton uses is visual narration. Litton draws the viewer's eye in a counter-clockwise rotation to get the whole story. It begins in the top left where the viewer can see that its night outside. Then the viewer follows the trails of smoke down to the Husker fans and takes in the looks of disappointment and anger. Also, the viewer can see the pitchforks and that many fans have gathered in a revolt. Next the viewer follows the path up to the castle, which is a sign of power and dominance. It is shown as Callahan's castle and that they are heading there to throw him out of power or attempt to. Often, the peasant revolts in the Middle Ages were suppressed by the powerful lords, but Callahan is quickly losing his power and may be unseated (Popular Revolt). Finally, the counter-clockwise rotation is completed by moving to the dialogue bubble, which shows Callahan's fears and inability to meet with the Husker fan's demands. Litton creates this story in which two possible endings may come to pass, but it shows that Callahan is in trouble with the Husker fans, which is his main argument.
The picture uses pathos to create feelings of anger, dissatisfaction, and fear. Again, the revolt clearly showing that these people are upset and heading on a rampage for Callahan. The faces of the fans are all shown as frowning and looking very angry or upset. These details create the feelings of wonder as to why the characters are upset and where they are heading. Then the viewer's eyes follow the path upward to the House of Callahan, which shows two little eyes peeking out of a window. The eyes show fear of the oncoming revolt in that the character is hidden in the shadows and not willing to come out. Through the faces and hidden persons, the artist creates the multiple moods of fans and Callahan.
The artist creates ethos through a few images and playing on the viewer's being knowledgeable of Middle Age revolts. First, the artist is showing how the fans are from Nebraska through the sweaters. People seeing this will make the connection and often understand that the Nebraska fans have reason to be upset with the poor season so far. Second, the artist establishes ethos through the mob scene. The scene is not credible in the fact that it is true because everyone knows Callahan does not live in a castle nor will the fans rally together in a revolt to come after him. The revolt is used in a connection to the old revolts to remove horrible lords from power and satisfy the peasants demands. The viewers will make this connection and see how it does relate to the Nebraska fans and their coach. It is used as a metaphor with the Nebraska fans as the revolters and Callahan as a king in his castle. In these two ways, the artist creates credibility in displaying the situation.
