James Hess comm3460: April 2012

Metaphor Artifact:

Here is some context to the artifact that I have chosen. During high school I was the bass guitarist in a band with some of my friends. I also was in charge of writing most of the lyrics for our songs. During this time in my life I was also dating my wife, and the majority of the songs reflected some aspect of our relationship, many metaphorically. The artifact I chose was the last song that my band would write. My friends and I were all preparing to serve LDS missions and we would soon say goodbye to the band, friends, family. I also had to say goodbye to my future Wife for 2 years.

My main goal for the song was to be able to leave something with my girlfriend that would stir her up each time she heard it, and think twice before she ever decided to leave me. It must have worked because we got married immediately after I got home. I wrote the song about 7 years ago, so I don’t remember every reason why I wrote what I wrote. That is probably why I chose this song, because the metaphors I used help me remember the feeling of having to say goodbye to someone I loved and not knowing if our relationship would still exist in a similar way 2 years later.

Metaphors:

I shiver like a kid in the rain, soaking wet - Knowing some of the context of the song and the path I was about to embark on. It is a little easier to see how I might be feeling similar to a child, left out in the coldness of rain. I felt alone. I didn’t want to say goodbye to my best friend. I was trembling on the inside and sometimes on the out.

This is the sound of my heart & Here is my heart in a song - This is used throughout the song. It doesn’t mean the actual noise of a beating heart, but is meant to symbolize that the music and lyrics are how I am feeling. It is putting my thoughts and feelings to music.

Words on my tongue pleading - The words sung are also asking my girlfriend to stay with me. They are in a sense begging or pleading her not to leave me while I am gone.

Say goodnight to your eyes - The eyes of a person seem like they pretty much allow you to see who they are. I love my Wife’s eyes they are extremely beautiful and I wanted to use them as a metaphor for who she is. So when I am saying goodbye to her eye’s I am having to say goodbye to everything about her.

Note: The slides in the video have nothing to do with the song, or the artifact, just the music.

Ideological Artifact - Brasil's Official Website

I don't think I am going out on a limb with this, but I am looking at this artifact through a hegemonic lens. I know it isn't a religious, or political ideology, but Soccer, or Futbal in Brasil is a hegemony. Looking simply at the countries official website there is a link to sports. It is dominated by Soccer. Sure you can play other sports in Brasil, but soccer is what is promoted, it is what is transmitted by the media, and is the pride of the nation.

You are among the minority in Brasil if you don't follow the sport. It is everywhere you look and almost from birth it is a part of you. In the USA it is very different, on any given sunday you may see basketball, football, golf, soccer, baseball, racing, track and field, etc. on the front page of the sports section, but in Brasil it would be extremely rare to see anything but soccer in the news.

I couldn't get the whole page to fit on the post, so it might not look like a major hegemonic sport, so here is the link to the website: http://www.brasil.gov.br/sobre/sports