I don't know if it's necessarily the commercial that irritates me. I think it's more peoples' reactions to this commercial. The first time I saw this commercial I kind of had that, "Aaah...I see what they're trying to do here." vibe come over me. I can see through Discovery's crap.
But the problem was that I saw what they were getting at but I couldn't seem to accurately and completely describe it in words. Until tonight. I was going through the comments on this video thinking "I have to find something that will help me put my finger on what this is." Then I came across Greenlightgo31's comment and it all fell into place.
Bingo. The fact is, a lot of times I seem to miss out on "feel-good" emotions that the media is trying to convey because I've seen it done before. I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but sometimes I think I'm too smart for my own good and I look at these things from a psychological standpoint. Believe me, sometimes I'd love to get caught up in the hype because apparently this stuff is feel-good. I like feeling good. But I always seem to watch these things and make mental notes to myself regarding why they make people feel good instead of simply feeling good. And when it's over I'm just left with, "Okay...I get it. Kind of cheesy."
Let me break down "I Love the World."
1)The feeling I get from this commercial is that it's trying to push a sense of oneness. It wants viewers to see beyond their own point of view and see "the giant community that is earth." Each scene it cuts to is completely different yet all of it is happening on this one planet. Each person sings a different line of the song. Again, oneness. Each person in a different part of the world in a different situation collectively singing the same song.
There is diversity. People from all walks of life. You've even got the African tribe in there. Culture, diversity, we are all one, we are all sharing this awesome planet. People feel good about that shit.
2)The song itself is feel-good. It uses a feel-good chord progression. It uses the same chord progression of endless sappy love songs from the '50s and early '60s. I really don't have to desire to start thinking of examples because that's not the point of this, but Earth Angel comes to mind. Those songs made people feel good and they still do.
A wide variety of different types of singing are used. You've go some people shouting their lines to you, you've got some people quietly singing their lines to themselves, you've got hoarse voices, you've got "Egyptian kings" woman's soft, sweet voice. You've got people who can't really sing, you've got people who can, you've got a couple "walkie talkie" voices. Everyone's different, yet we're all the same. Feel-good.
It all comes together with this sense of oneness and a feel good song. Everyone chanting the song at the end. We're finally all together and "The World is Just Awesome." We feel good.
I can't really blame Discovery Channel. They obviously put a lot of work into the ad and it looks good and sounds good and overall it's just done well. I just get kind of irritated when people melt over it.
I don't know, maybe I'm just a bitter fuck who has a problem with people feeling good. I should probably lighten up and stop overthinking things. Yeah, that's likely it.
I'm still right though. And Earth Angel makes me weep every time.
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