Wednesday, April 20, 2005
I killed My TV, and You Can Too!
I Killed My TV, and You Can Too! by M L Shannon.
...Commercial Music
Another way that these insidious Madison Avenue people get you to buy their products is with music. I remember a program on Public Broadcasting that was about the use of music in advertising. A number of students were shown a series of film clips of a snake, swimming in a pond. The first was silent, the others included different kinds of music. After viewing them, the students were asked to write a sentence or two describing what they thought the snake was feeling.
In one clip, our friend the aquatic reptile was enjoying his carefree swim. In another, he was filled with fear, trying to get away from something unknown. In another, he was the aggressor, chasing something unknown. And all the film clips were identical- except for the music.
Certain types of music can effect your mood, your feelings. Some of it is written specifically to arouse feelings of anxiety and used in commercials that want to make you afraid not to buy the product. Music within a commercial can change, and with it your emotions change. Poor Kitty won't eat what you have offered her. Sad depressing music to set the mood of Poor Kitty. So you open a can of Friskies Beef 'n Liver and Poor Kitty is gobbling it up. To a much livlier tune...
Reading this page reminds me how addicted to TV I was back in my 20s. If someone asked "What are you doing tonite?" I would respond by trying to think of what was on TV. I had favorite shows that could not be missed. Or if there was something (like a softball game or volleyball game that I was playing in) I would be upset because I missed my shows - that was way back before they discovered VCRs. I finally disconnected the cable and lost touch with television. I still have a TV and watch a favorite show or two, but it no longer matters if I miss them.
...Commercial Music
Another way that these insidious Madison Avenue people get you to buy their products is with music. I remember a program on Public Broadcasting that was about the use of music in advertising. A number of students were shown a series of film clips of a snake, swimming in a pond. The first was silent, the others included different kinds of music. After viewing them, the students were asked to write a sentence or two describing what they thought the snake was feeling.
In one clip, our friend the aquatic reptile was enjoying his carefree swim. In another, he was filled with fear, trying to get away from something unknown. In another, he was the aggressor, chasing something unknown. And all the film clips were identical- except for the music.
Certain types of music can effect your mood, your feelings. Some of it is written specifically to arouse feelings of anxiety and used in commercials that want to make you afraid not to buy the product. Music within a commercial can change, and with it your emotions change. Poor Kitty won't eat what you have offered her. Sad depressing music to set the mood of Poor Kitty. So you open a can of Friskies Beef 'n Liver and Poor Kitty is gobbling it up. To a much livlier tune...
Reading this page reminds me how addicted to TV I was back in my 20s. If someone asked "What are you doing tonite?" I would respond by trying to think of what was on TV. I had favorite shows that could not be missed. Or if there was something (like a softball game or volleyball game that I was playing in) I would be upset because I missed my shows - that was way back before they discovered VCRs. I finally disconnected the cable and lost touch with television. I still have a TV and watch a favorite show or two, but it no longer matters if I miss them.
