In John Lennon’s
“Imagine” music video, Lennon promotes his idea of living simply to create
world peace by appealing to logos. One of his main appeals to logos is his use
of the color archetype white. Since it took place in an entirely white house,
the video evokes in its audience the feelings of purity, goodness, and
innocence that are often associated with the color white. Not only is the house
completely white, but it is almost empty, excluding the piano John plays and a
few pieces of furniture. The audience links this emptiness to John’s promotion
of simplicity. The video also features Yoko Ono, a Japanese peace activist and
Lennon’s wife. While Lennon is singing and playing the piano, Yoko opens the
blinds as if she is “sharing all the world,” letting in light and creating an
even happier mood in the video and for the audience. Finally, the video
concludes with a shot of Lennon and Ono happily kissing. In summary, John uses
his video to display his life as an example of how to reach peace and
happiness. The audience sees John’s life and believes that by living simply
like him, they, too, can live in harmony.
-Madi
-Madi
It had never occurred to that the all white theme of the video does create a feelings of purity, goodness, and innocence. When I watched the video after reading your post I did notice the white-out. The key word is feelings, I think this would fall under the category of pathos. The color white has no logic behind it, rather emotions. Your analysis is correct, yet i don't know if it falls under the category of logos.
ReplyDeleteI thought about his use of the color white as an appeal to pathos rather than to logos when writing this (I actually used it in my pathos post as well), but I think it overlaps/connects with logos. I probably should have been more specific. By portraying his simple life as happy and peaceful using the color white, he persuades the audience that living simply like him will lead to happiness. In other words, he uses the audience's perception of the color white in order to appeal to logos. Whether the audience's perception of the color white is more dependent on logic or on emotion, I'm not sure. It may depend on the individual.
DeleteYour post was very good and thoroughly summarized much of the logos that was present in Lennon's video. I wonder what you think is the point of Lennon and Ono walking to the house in the very beginning of the video? Personally, I believe that it's a representation of being reborn into this whole "world peace" and "living in harmony" idea and ideal. You might want to add something along the lines of the logos of walking to the house symbolizes the rebirth from all of the negativity that Lennon currently believes the world has.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you. I think the color and emptiness of the house also supports your idea of rebirth/new beginnings.
Delete