Weekly Blog Post 6

The evocation of emotions and feelings from an audience does not occur solely from the producer’s utilization of pathos within a text, but also from his or her more structured and physical utilization of logos. Case in point, the music video interpretation of Garth Brooks’ “The Thunder Rolls” is very controversial and naturally induces some strong feelings regarding spousal abuse and the topic of revenge through its composition and the arrangement of certain visual elements.

The producers of this music video first limit the number of elements in this composition by not making it too complex or overwhelming, allowing the viewer to follow along and receive the message that Garth Brooks and his video production crew are trying to convey without having to try too hard to do so. The plotline is simple and follows the lyrics of the song quite accurately. More specifically, the majority of the music video consists of the three main characters – the husband, the wife, and the mistress. Again, it is easy to follow along here and the simplicity of the visual information the audience is receiving makes the image of the message much clearer. The remainder of the music video visually consists of Garth Brooks alone, or with the attention focused on him, dressed in all black, singing the song, and playing his acoustic guitar. Even down to the clothing he is wearing and the instrument he is playing, the number of elements being utilized is limited.

Furthermore, visual unity is created in the piece, bringing the different aspects of the man’s life together in order to make one main argument describing this man’s and his family’s lives. This visual unity is literally created through the drive the man takes from the cheap motel with his mistress to his grandeur of a home in his car. The story shifts and his actions are carried with him in the car; bringing the audience along with him to his – and the story’s – final destination. This drive also symbolizes all of the pain and betrayal this man is bringing home to his wife and daughter, especially after just being with his blond-haired mistress.

Another aspect of the video that is further developed through logos is the somber and even angry overall mood of the text. This aspect is brought about through repetition. The story is being visually laid out for us as the viewers to follow along with, but the constant flashes back to Garth Brooks wearing his tilted, black cowboy hat, singing in the horrible rainy weather contributes to our negative mood that is already being provoked by the other negative facets that have been created in the video.

In conclusion, the carefully thought out, structural organization of texts, such as this music video, through logos surprisingly has the capacity to bring about some strong emotions and feelings in the viewer; and Garth Brooks and his video crew successfully accomplish this intended evocation of emotion by doing so.

Weekly Blog Post 5

In the production of a music video depicting a song involving spousal abuse, or domestic violence, one must realize that it is impossible to do so without evoking some type of feeling or emotion. Throughout the entire music video, the producers incorporate strategies to try to present to the viewers the negative consequences of, and in this case the victim’s partial triumph over, domestic violence.

In the very beginning of the music video, the character of the cheating and abusive husband is seen in a motel room with what the viewers would conclude to be his mistress based on their conversation and physical interaction. The situation in general immediately presents to the audience some level of an ethos of the husband. He comes across as apathetic and inconsiderate when bluntly disregarding even his mistress after she communicates the feelings she has for him. This first impression of the husband is carried on with the viewers throughout the remainder of the song and music video, influencing their reactions to the actions of each character involved. For example, the man’s wife throws all of the family pictures off of a nearby desk and retrieves a gun after hearing of the affair. Because of the actions of the husband, the audience feels a stronger sense of sympathy and empathy for the betrayed woman. His ethos is carried on and contributes to the pathos of the situation as a whole. That is to say, the negative qualities he possesses produces feelings of anger and resentment within the audience.

Furthermore, on the topic of pathos used in the music video, certain physical aspects of the production contribute to the evocation of negative emotions toward the husband – such as anger and resentment – in the viewers. Namely, the black eye his wife is seen donning while in her home expresses to the viewers the type of man her husband is as well as it produces some level of sympathy felt toward the woman. Another physical example is the gloomy, dark, and rainy setting of the music video. This setting automatically brings out from within us sadness and feelings of ominous doom.

Overall, the creators of this video utilize successfully the different strategies – ethos and pathos – to produce within the viewers different emotions that lead to their acceptance of their argument against domestic violence through Garth Brooks’ “The Thunder Rolls.”