Songs with Hidden Meanings

     I love doing blog posts about music, so here's another one. Everybody listens to music but do we actually realize what we are listening to? We memorize the lyrics to a number of songs but do we actually know what they mean? For example, songs like "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Umbrella," have a whole other figurative meaning that drastically differs from the lyrics. I've always loved songs that have a hidden meaning because it makes the song deeper and more interesting.


     Okay, so for starters I'm going to analyze the song "Umbrella" by Rihanna. The lyrics to this song go something:


      "You have my heart, and we’ll never be worlds apart.
Maybe in magazines, but you’ll still be my star.
Baby, ‘cause in the dark,
You can’t see shiny cars.
And that’s when you need me there,
With you I’ll always share.
Because when the sun shines, we shine together,
Told you I’ll be here forever,
Said I’ll always be your friend,
Took an oath that I’m a stick it out till the end.
Now that it’s raining more than ever,
Know that we still have each other."


     This song can be interpreted in two ways. One, Rihanna is singing about a rainy day while she is with the one she loves under an umbrella. The second option is just a little more deep. The other meaning of the song is even when everything is down and going wrong or through all the bad things in life the love they have for each other will prevail. Rihanna is using rain to symbolize all the bad things in life and is using the umbrella to symbolize their love. Love will keep them together through all the bad things life may bring.


     The next song I'm going to analyze is Poison's "Every Rose Has It's Thorn." Here are some of the lyrics for this song:


"Every rose has its thorn,
Just like every night has it’s dawn,
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song,
Every rose has its thorn"


     We all know roses have thorns on them that can hurt to grab. Therefore, the song can be taken literally in that every rose has its thorn just like how everything in life has something that happens. Now the figurative meaning is pretty interesting. When Poison says "Every rose has its thorn" it is figuratively using it to symbolize that appearances can be deceiving and that even the most beautiful things in the world have a down side. Poison continues this statement by naming things that inevitably happen such as dawn after night. With good there always come bad and sometimes you have to look past the appearances to see it.


    These were two pretty simple hidden meanings to figure out but there are thousands of songs out there today that mean something totally different from what their lyrics literally say. Its these hidden meanings that makes songs so deep and interesting.

Presentations- Steve Jobs Outfit

Tuesday’s class about presentations really made me think about what presenters should do when talking to a crowd and what is acceptable and not. I mean Steve Jobs presented the iPhone in nothing but jeans and a T-shirt. Did that take away from his credibility? Should he have been dressed up?

I know that people’s opinions vary on this topic but in my opinion I believe that his attire didn’t take anything away from his presentation at all. I actually found it nice that bhe was dressed so casually because I think it related to the everyday person. I think if he dressed up in a business suit he would have been portraying the upper class who wears suit and ties to work everyday. It would have came off as if though he was talking down to everybody even though we know Steve Jobs wouldn’t do that. I think that his outfit selection was done purposely to show that this smart phone is for everybody not just the upper class so I think it was a benefit for his presentation.

            Steve Jobs was able to pull this off; however, I don’t thibnk just anybody can. Steve Jobs has already established his ethos with his intelligence with Apple so he doesn’t need to dress up to establish his credibility. Who you are plays a big part in how you should look presenting. For example, if an unknown presenter I think that you must be dressed up to look nice, clean and educated. If you showed up in sweatpants and T-shirt you would already turn your audience off just by your appearance. However, if you come dressed presentably and you know what youre talking aboput I still think that your presentation will be a hit. After all, its all about the presentation in the end, so if you know what you are talking about, and can show it and share your idea with your audience effectively then I don’t think your clothes take much away from the presentation.

           Clothes do not make the presentation, the facts and ideas do.

Monsters University

   I know I've been writing a lot about Disney/Pixar movies lately so I figured why stop now. Recently, I watched the prequel to one of my favorite childhood movies...Monsters Inc. I couldn't wait for this movie to come out but I never expected it to be as good as it was. I know most people would think you would outgrow some movies but I think this movie was here to stay. Not only was the movie good but I was fairly impressed on how creative the storyline was. I was amazed about how someone to come up with this incredible story that explains the story leading up to Monsters Inc. The movie answers questions about how Sully and Mike became friends and partners, how they came to work at Monsters Inc, and why Randall Boggs hates Sully. The set up for the story is totally different because the story is revolved around Mike, who as a kid was alienated by the other monsters because he wasn't scary. Although he wasn't scary he wished to shoot for every monster's dream job which is to become a "scarer". In order to become a scarer though, you must go to a college that is renowned for its scare school and no school is better in the monster world than Monster's University. Mike works his hardest to get into the scare program and succeeds. Once he gets into the school that is where the story starts to take place. The cool thing is that Randall Boggs and Mike were actually roommates and that Sully was actually his worst enemy because he was the naturally scarer monster that didn't try or care about anything. Mike and Sully go at each other in everything, but when the dean of the school kicks them out of the scaring program they wish to get back in. The school sponsors the annual scare games which is a challenge for fraternities and sororities to prove they are the scariest monsters on campus. Mike challenges the Dean making a deal that if his team wins that he and his whole team gets to go into the scare program but if they lose he would leave the school. However, his team needs one more player and out of all the monsters to step up its Sully. At first they do horrible in the games getting by the first round off of another team's disqualification; however, as the games go on they become the surprise of the games passing round by round. Mike is their leader who works harder than everybody to accomplish his goal and make his team the best they can be. He is the heart and the soul of the team. He uses their monsters differences to their advantage and once he comes to this realization him and Sully become great friends. In the end, they are in the finals with the top or "elite" fraternity on campus, Roar Omega Roar. Mike and Sully's "misfit" team ends up winning the games but Sully cheated by lowering the scare level of Mike's scare simulator. Infuriated Mike steals a card and goes into a door to the real world only to realize that he is not scary like everybody else. He would have been trapped there by himself if Sully didn't go in after them. They have a heart to heart and try to come back to the monster world but they realize that the door is turned off. Therefore, in order to get home they need to pull off the scare of a lifetime to power the door from the other side but the only problem is they have to scare adults!
    One thing that seems interesting about Monster's University is not only that its the prequel to Monsters Inc but the fact that Disney/Pixar waited this long to make it. I think that it was one of their ingenious plans to identify themselves with their former audience along with their new ones. I mean I was around 6 or 7 when I saw it and now I'm getting ready to go to college so a story about our favorite monsters going to college is the perfect way to say farewell to the kids around when Monsters Inc came out. This may not be true but I think its a cool parallel to see.

Movies and Music

       Okay well recently I watched the movie "Friends with Benefits," starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. The movie is about two people that have had a bad history with relationships become best friends. In their friendship they start messing around giving the movie its title but in the end they start developing feelings for each other. But that's not what I want to focus on. In the movie, the couple watches a romantic comedy that Justin Timberlake's character, Dylan, mocks. He says that these movies play music to try and make you feel they way they want you to at different parts of the movie. I remember when the movie ends he says something about a very upbeat and cheery pop song that has nothing to do with the plot is put at the end to make you feel like you had a good time.
       I've always heard songs in movies but I never realized the effect they had on the audience manipulating their feelings to make them feel a certain way. For example, in "Jaws" when the shark is coming you hear the classic suspenseful and fearful music of the theme song. It starts out slow and then gets faster and faster as the feeling of the shark gets closer. This is put in there to make you feel the suspense and fear of getting attacked. Picture the scenes without the music and you wouldn't even get close to the same effect you would with the music. Music plays a vital role in your mood throughout the movie and since it plays this role it is also vital to the movie as well.
      Next, in "Titanic" we all know the story and the romance between Jack and Rose. The most famous song from this movie is Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," which is a very emotional and deep song that I think completes the movie. This song describes how strong the love is between Jack and Rose and I think perfect compliments the emotions of the movie. The scenes make you feel one thing but when added to this song it really brings out the emotions in you and makes you feel the way the movie should. Not only does this song make you feel the way you should but it also affects you outside of the movie. Now almost every time you hear that song you associate it with "Titanic" and you picture Jack and Rose in the freezing water holding hands trying to stay alive. Music plays a big role in how you feel in movies and even helps you remember key scenes by linking it to the song.
      Lastly, the final example I'm going to use is two songs from Disney's "Frozen." The first is " Do You Want to Build a Snowman" This song starts the movie off and a sad note. The song starts out with Anne wanting to play with Elsa but due to her uncontrollable powers she doesn't want to hurt Anna so she just ignores her for years. The song starts out on a happier note showing them as kids but then shows how lonely both of them are over the years. The song starts to get extremely sad in the end when they are grown up and you figure out the parents just died so now they only have each other. It's a tearjerker. The next song that the movie is probably most known for is the song "Let It Go," a song sung by Elsa once she ran away to the mountains after her powers were revealed. The song is a very happy and powerful song that says she's not going to hide anymore she is going to let it all out and be herself. The song makes you feel empowered and makes you think you can do things that you normally wouldn't do because you don't have to hide anymore. It makes you not are what others think which is exactly the way the movie wants you to feel. Music in movies play a vital role in making you feel the way the producers want you to.

Heres the video for "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?"

Evolution of Characters- Disney

        Story has evolved over time and the portrayal of female characters in movies have slowly been changing as well. The best example I can think of that portrays this point is the evolution of the Disney "princess" films. I believe all Disney movies are great and I love the stories but the older Disney princess films always portrayed the females as a damsel n distress waiting for a guy to save her. They make the princesses these perfect little girls that never do anything wrong. They never give the princess power or control. Well today Disney is starting to change this trend.
         A perfect example of this is the 2012 film, "Brave, " one of the newest Disney movies. In this story the princess, Merida, is a disobedient and powerful princess. She is forced by her mother to learn all of the things a princess should do but she really just loves to go out with her bow and explore. The problem in the story is that her parents, the king and queen, are about to pick who she maries and say that it her fate and that the princess must do it. However, Merida wishes to change her fate. The story revolves around her trying to take control and change her fate and break traditions. She runs into many obstacles with this decision and she has to be brave and mature to overcome them. Merida was a breath of fresh air because of how different she was from previous princess characters. She took control of her life and didn't wait for a guy to do her work. Another thing was different was that true love or marriage never happened in the end. I think that this is another way of showing the power of the women as well.
         Next, the Disney take on  Rapunzel is another new take on the original Disney princess movies. In Disney's "Tangled" Rapunzel has been locked up in a tower for years and years and wishes to see the lights she sees once a year. She finally works up the courage to leave the tower and explore it for herself with the help of guy she just met. She uses the crown to make the guy taker her to the lights and throughout this journey she finds love and the truth about her life. She finally realizes who she is and fights against the person who has been holding her captive for years. In the end she sacrifices her magic hair to save the guy that she loves. Disney's "Tangled" was probably the start of the new movement to stronger female characters in Disney movies because it was the first tie the princess had power and took a stand.
        Another Disney movie that has stepped outside the box is Disney's newest hit "Frozen." Frozen is the take on the Ice Queen and it has Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. At first glance they are both sisters, daughters of the Kind and Queen of Arendelle but Elsa actually has powers over snow and ice. The movies starts out sad with the death of the parents forcing Anna and Elsa to grow up alone and the fact that Elsa can't control her powers makes it even harder for Anna. They are forced to stay in the castle lonely until Elsa's coronation day and that's when everything starts to happen. Her powers slip out and she runs away to hide and live in the  mountains where she can't let her powers out and not have to hide them anymore. This story revolves around Anna's trip to bring Elsa back home and throughout this journey she overcomes obstacles and even meets a guy that she might like. I don't want to ruin the movie for anybody who hasn't seen it so I won't say anymore, buy that it is another example of new take on the Disney princess movies.
         These are just some examples of how story an characters have evolved over time. It's evident in the Disney princess movies the change in the female characters over time At first, Disney portrayed them as the perfect girls always dressed up to make them look the most attractive and made them seem like a damsel in distress. Now, Disney has given the princesses ore power and makes them disobedient and more adventurous. The girls take control of their own life and try to break traditions. It's nice to see these new and empowered characters because they are a brush of fresh air and appeal to more people. People like characters that are different and Merida, Rapunzel, Elsa, and Anna all are unique so a lot of people like them. Disney is on the right path with these characters and I m interested to see what they come up with next!

Mystery and Suspense

Why are we attracted to mysteries? Is there something in our brain that is wired for thrillers and suspense stories? The answer to that is yes, we love to be able to live out a murder mystery or suspense without actually experiencing it.  There’s something about mystery or suspenseful thrillers that gets our blood pumping, goose bumps rising and heart racing. We live out the scene through the eyes of the character. For example, the first time I saw the movie Disturbia I loved it because I was totally immersed in the movie. It is about a troublesome kid who figures out a serial killer lives next to him but nobody believes him. Once he finds out, he sees all of his victims die from across the street but when he calls the police they don’t find anything. Then the killer befriends his mom and plans to make her his next victim but the kid has to stop him. The movie is very good and it can really get your heart racing once he is the killer’s house because there are surprises at every turn.

There’s something about mysteries that just attract our interest. We like trying to predict what happens next, who the killer is, and who is going to end up doing what. No matter who you are, you always try to deduct or predict what is going to happen it’s in our nature. We always put ourselves in the characters shoes and end up saying things like “No don’t do that, don’t go in there, or what are you doing?” because we are so into the stories. We even end up saying things like if I were in that situation I would have run or done this or that. We’ve all done it. But that is the purpose of these mystery and suspense stories, they give us an opportunity to live out dangerous or thrilling situations without actually experiencing it. It gives you a nice escape from reality and gives you a chance to live out a dangerous murder mystery and allows you to be the sleuth or savior to solve everything. I always loved that feeling of solving the mystery or putting all the clues together to find out the culprit, it kind of ties up the loose ends throughout the story to me and makes it all makes sense.

In conclusion, there is something about murder mystery and suspenseful thrillers they get our blood pumping and attract our attention. I think it’s the fact that it gives us a chance to live out dangerous situations without actually experiencing them in reality but it could be for other reasons to.