(I guess you didn't listen to the speech)(a few more words than 3)
It's a simple but seems to be a clever and modern take on a old technique of japa or repetitive mantra - with the use of inspirational emotive images and music used to re-enforce and embed the concepts; In this case to capitalise on popular sentiment of a desire for change - that Americans can do anything and that Obama=hope. It's an effective method, especially if you don't recognise it.
Starting with historical allusions, some emotive mental imagery about past social achievements (
by others):
"It was a creed written into the founding documents..."
"it was whispered by slaves and abolitionists...as the blazed a trail toward freedom..."
"it was sung by immigrants as they struck out westward..."
"it was the call for workers to organise, for women to reach for the vote..."
"...a president who chose the moon as our new frontier..."
"A king who took us to the mountain top and pointed the way to the promised land..."
I know why it used but it's a interesting religious metaphor that last one - for a nation founded on a revolution
against a monarchy and religious persecution and the separation of church and state.
To me, the the entire piece has an overly evangelical style, arms spread, awe, wonder in the faces, fisted salutes, displays of ethnic diversity and harmony to divert from the undeniable tensions. The use of mirrored imagery where the secondary players (nice celebrity types of course) mimic and re-enforce the principal.
Some nice touches..
"We will open the next chapter of the American story"
"We can heal this nation....we can repair this world.." (I'd suggest not)
"We know the battle ahead will be long...Nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices seeking change" with accompanying mindless crowd chanting
"We want change, we want change..." backed and given credence by the secondary players.
At which point it rather lost the plot with -
"We've been asked to pause for a reality check...warned against offering the people of this nation false hope..." answered with
"...but in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything remotely false about hope..." accompanied by a reprise of crowds chanting
"we want change" while a collage of singers echo the same.
"That we are not as divided as our politics suggest...we are one people, we are one nation and together we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast, from sea to shining sea...Yes We Can."
Cue more repetitive multi-layered imagery, a rising crescendo to a sound track of canned clapping, a nice little gospel-esque finale with hope becoming...
vote (interestingly, the
only color in the piece) - presumably to enforce the effect....
VOTE (Obama, naturally).Is it just me but how miserable do those people behind Obama look?
Don't misunderstand, it's well made, very effective to the right audience and I can see the appeal. But look beyond the glitz and there is nothing substantive being said and the only message appears to be, essentially:
"America has done some good stuff in the past, it'll be tough in the future but we can do it if you vote for me, let's hope."
