I’m gonna start off by saying this has nothing to do with Star Wars. Sorry. I didn’t know what to title this. Syllogism is an interesting word. Actual syllogisms are even more intriguing. For instance, one states, “All men are mortal. I am a man. Therefore, I am mortal.” Fancy. Now, I could analyze this immediately and bore readers, ORRRR I could go off on one of my infamous tangents. I personally think that the concept of mortality is worth talking about. This syllogism says that all men are mortal. This is technically correct and valid, but what if technology Improves as time goes on, and humans can achieve immortality with ease? Besides possibly ruining the planet as we know it, it kind of defeats the logic behind the syllogism. Syllogisms in their own right are odd in nature. I’ve never been a fan (shockingly). I apologize, I’m really trying to be engaged in this topic, but I’m currently at a parade because I forgot this was due. Yes, it is all my fault for procrastinating. No, I will not learn. Anyway, the major premise, “all men are mortal,” exemplifies the mortality of all men. The minor premise, “I am a man,” gives the obvious conclusion that “I am mortal.” But what about women? This argument isn’t really sound, because the first premise is too specific, and if one were to say “I am a woman.” One would assume that they weren’t mortal. Women aren’t immortal (as far as I know). Let’s end on my very own syllogism. All people who are lazy and forgetful have trouble with assignments. I am lazy and forgetful. Therefore, I struggle with assignments. Thank you, and happy Mardi Gras!

The prompt for my class’s first essay is, “Analyze the rhetoric used in a music video of your choice.” For the life of me, I couldn’t think of a good music video to write about, because my young and feeble mind was scarred immensely a few years ago when I watched the video of a song I liked. Little 10 year old Mikey wanted to listen to this song while doing homework, and because he didn’t have money on his iTunes account, he turned to YouTube. He searched for the song and saw the music video pop up as the first result, and when he clicked on it, he was greeted by two people getting their limbs ripped off and being stitched back together (rather poorly too). Since that incident, I never really watched music videos, with the (very) occasional exception every now and then. Anyway, It took me a while to figure out which video to use, and I finally decided to use the song “I Want to Break Free” by Queen. I saw the video when I was much older, thankfully, because as a kid I probably wouldn’t have been able to grasp much of the meaning behind the unorthodox imagery. ANYWAY, as I studied both the video and analyses by other contributors, I picked up on much more meaning than I first imagined.

So, this is supposed to be an annotation of the lyrics, so I’ll start annotating. After all, the song is about more than Freddie Mercury’s excellent voice and dressing in drag.

I want to break free
I want to break free
I want to break free from your lies
You’re so self satisfied I don’t need you
I’ve got to break free
God knows, God knows I want to break free

I’ve fallen in love
I’ve fallen in love for the first time
And this time I know it’s for real
I’ve fallen in love, yeah
God knows, God knows I’ve fallen in love

It’s strange but it’s true, yeah
I can’t get over the way you love me like you do
But I have to be sure
When I walk out that door
Oh, how I want to be free, baby
Oh, how I want to be free
Oh, how I want to break free

But life still goes on
I can’t get used to living without, living without
Living without you by my side
I don’t want to live alone, hey
God knows, got to make it on my own

So baby can’t you see
I’ve got to break free
I’ve got to break free
I want to break free, yeah
I want, I want, I want, I want to break free

First, what issue is the band focusing on? Well, this is one of the most common debates regarding the song. Some argue that the issue is the discrimination of homosexuals in the 70s and 80s. Others believe that it touches on the feeling of being trapped in a mundane or boring life with no relief. I personally agree with the latter, mostly because Mercury didn’t even write the lyrics, but rather the band’s base player did. The main thesis of the lyric could be broken down into a simple and obvious phrase: “I want to break free.” The repetition of this phrase as well as the naming of the song point to it pretty vividly. This song was most likely written as a way to express their message of escaping from the “ordinary.” I mean, I can’t think of another reason to release a song, other than making money (but in my opinion, anybody can write an easy repeatable song with no deeper meaning and still make millions. Look at any pop star ever). Songs ARE expressions of thoughts and emotions. Moving on, the intended audience was most likely fans of Queen, both old and new. Popular bands release their songs to be shared and to grow their fanbase. More fans = more people to reach out to with your song’s message.

Overall, I think the band’s message, while controversial (especially at the time) opened an avenue of thought for those who listen. Whoever hears the song, watches the video, and/or reads the lyrics obtains a different and unique perspective of Queen’s main point. If you haven’t heard the song, give it a listen, and watch the video. The lyrics are here but with all 3 you have the complete picture.

I still don’t know how to end a blog, so i guess happy Valentine’s Day?

Upon reading the second blog prompt for my English class, which instructs us to write about and rhetorically analyze a billboard that we have seen, I realized that I barely pay attention to billboards while I’m driving, as the only one that came to mind was the advertisement for Buc-ee’s (a magnificently delightful gas station/superstore full of novelties and snacks). The board wasn’t even a full advertisement, just the logo and “In however-many miles.” After spending the day wondering why I couldn’t think of any other billboards besides that one, I left my last class and went to pick up my sister from her rehearsal. With billboards on the mind, I drive for about ten minutes when something catches my eye…

An enormous colorful piece, seemingly straight from a comic book, caught my attention. An advertisement for an injury lawyer, Juan Lafonta. I recognize the name from a friend of mine’s online profile name, but I never knew who he was until seeing this absolute masterpiece. The billboard shows a very animated car crash with a cartoon explosion shown in bright and vibrant colors, immediately drawing the attention of many people who look in that general direction. A splash of reds and yellows with “JUAN LAFONTA” in great big red letters streak across the middle, while two caricatures decorate the two sides with their differing facial expressions. The man on the left, most likely Mr. Lafonta himself, holds a fighting stance and throws a right punch forward, maybe to punch the other lawyers? Or the competition? Fist-bumping? I have no idea why he’s punching, but it catches attention I suppose. What intrigued me the most was the woman on the right, with her hand up in an almost dismissive manner, yelling, “He FIGHT! He don’t play!” The impeccable grammar of her speech bubble really convinced me to take the entire billboard seriously. But maybe that was the point? Absurdity usually succeeds in captivating an audience, and I can’t imagine a billboard like this being ignored. That being said, I would personally never in a million years hire this man. He doesn’t exactly strike me as a hard worker, but rather a buffoon who relies solely on absurdity for attention and clients, which is not what I would want in a lawyer. This billboard’s attempted rhetoric, while attention-grabbing, just feels empty and flashy.