On Reading a Video Text

There are different ways Advertising companies design commercials to sell their merchandise, and they will do anything to accomplish this. In his article, “On Reading a Video Text” Robert Scholes begins by summarizing that video text gives us visual emotion, such as close-ups, and slow motions. Giving it a touch of narrativity combined with music. They apply these methods to the product being advertised to have a better sense of feeling for it, a unique desire to want to buy it. In this case the manufactured article is Budweiser. In the commercial they narrate the story of black man from the provinces whose dream is to make it to Major League Baseball as an umpire. When he finally is in that position he must face a hard decision on a close play call.  Withstanding the pressure from the crowd and an angry manager he makes the right decision. Through this passage, we can see a black man fighting for what he wants. Facing racial pressures and even challenging his own integrity. The visual emotion methods come into play being utilized to evidently guarantee that the umpire had made the right call. It concludes when the angry manager “toasts” the umpire with a bottle of Budweiser beer and the commercial elaborating “You keep America working. This Bud’s for you.” This allows people to put themselves in the story and relate to it. Scholes then implies, “We root for the umpire because we want the system to work – not just baseball but the whole thing: America.” Giving us a strong message that talent must prevail over anything, and that it can. This quote also points directly to the American dream (a better lifestyle, a dream that has many opportunities). The idea that with hard work and dedication no matter the circumstances you can accomplish it. Advertisers here are no longer selling their product; they are selling a strong message. “The American dream, a different and a better lifestyle.” Indicating that buying Budweiser will allow you to accomplish all of your goals and dreams. Evidently we can observe here that advertisers fist intent to catch your attention through the emotional story, and at the end it all directs to the product they want to sell you.

Budweiser

In his essay titled “On Reading A Video Text” author Robert Scholes attempts to bring to mind his views on the content of a certain commercial aired in 1982.  On overview of the commercial, written by Scholes, is a look into the life of an everyday man attempting to remove himself from the “small time” world of minor league baseball into the big city like atmosphere of the major leagues.  Laid out before the viewer is the journey of one man against certain odds. 

In Scholes’ opinion this commercial uses emotions to point the viewer toward a certain mindset; attempting to tug at heartstrings and turn emotion toward their product.  Consumers are shown a time of a simpler America, where hard work, integrity, and perseverance paid off in the end.  Transporting an umpire from simple beginnings through the hardships of trial and finally acceptance in the “big leagues” is simply one way of showing this use of the emotional technique.

Diving deeper into the text a reader might infer that Scholes has a slightly limited respect for today’s consumers.  It can be assumed that by his thinking, we as consumers, lack the ability to dig deeper into commercials and see what it really is that we’re being sold.  Scholes then goes on to state that while we might have culture that has changed through the ages, we by no means have the ability for analyzing and criticizing product ads and the like for a deeper, underlying theme.

He almost insists that instead of just pushing a brand commercials are trying to push a feeling, a life style, and a feeling of a job well done, along with the notion of uniting us as American people in a way that subconsciously makes us want to be part of something bigger than ourselves; something like part of a certain product family.  I wouldn’t doubt it that if asked, some Americans today would admit to wanting to be part of a certain group, or family.  This feeling of need seems to be used by corporations attempting to create a bond between consumer and product.  Scholes seems to support this idea when he states that, “[T]he process through which video texts confirm viewers in their ideological positions and reassure them as to their membership in a collective cultural body” (Par. 2).  Most people tend to be emotional, caring beings for the most part and crave a certain bond that can’t be replaced by a product.  That doesn’t quite mean that ad agencies will stop their use of this tactic in bringing in new fans.

As funny as it seems, it’s not until the very end of the commercial that we find out what exactly is being sold.  It seems that Budweiser is to be the winner of this commercial!  Despite the fact that it’s just a beer being sold, Budweiser feels the need to attempt to push an entire life style to go along with it.

Personally, I’ll take a Mac and Jacks any day.

Advertising world through the eyes of Scholes

In our society today advertisement is everywhere, even where you least expect to see it. Commercials are designed by talented individuals to wrap you up in the 30 sec world they have created and entice you into buying their latest trend. In the article “On Reading a Video Text” author Robert Scholes brings you through the autopsy of a commercial, picking apart the advertisement to show you what exactly you may of been drawn too. Through reading this article my discovery was that you don’t always know why you may be drawn to in a 30 second life.
Scholes walks you through a Budweiser commercial, showing you piece by piece what you might not have even noticed without his dissection. Scholes discusses how the advertisement world is designing a myth of what you might want from life (sometimes not even knowing that is what you want) showing you how all dreams are possible with just even a Budweiser Beer. Scholes states “Not its power to sell beer, which is easily resisted, especially once you have tasted better beer-but its power to sell America.” Scholes is explaining that to sell the American dream in a commercial, may just be the ticket they need to get you to buy the product (Budweiser) with just even the hope of experiencing what the man in the add experienced….The All American Dream.

you can buy love and happiness

I have heard my whole life that you can not buy things such as love and happiness. According to today's advertising companies, you can. Advertising companies sell everything from beer to happiness. In the article "On Reading a Video Text" by Robert Scholes, the author examines one particular advertisement from the ninteen eighties. In this advertisement there is a black man with dreams to be a umpire in a major baseball league. He overcomes racial and other problems and becomes an umpire. We don't find out until the end of this advertisement that the ad is for Budweiser beer. The advertisers are not just selling beer the7y are selling a lifestyle. They are tellingyou that if you buy and drink Budweiser, you will accomplish the American Dream. You will be succesful and live a happily ever after fairy tale life. The author talks about the relationship between the American dream and beer when he says, "But surely it sells the American way first and then seeks to sellits brand of beer by establishing a metonymic connection between the product and the nation". By getting the audience emotionaly involved with a product, story, or ad you are able to sell them ther product that you want. Which is what Budweiser accomplishes with this ad. The author goes on to talk about how to critizize a video and how to see beyond the product in an advertisement.

On Reading a Video Text

In his article, “On Reading a Video Text” Robert Scholes emphasizes the change which video text have imposed on our everyday life. He claims that “it is important to realize that many Americans are not without culture; they simply have a different culture (Par. 9).” In addition, Scholes also states the importance to have the ability of “critical analysis.” He asserts that “before moving on to the consideration of a more complex textual economy, we would do well to pause and consider the necessity of ideological criticism (Par. 10)”.

By using an 80’s Budweiser commercial as an example, Scholes observes that the advertisement is using several important techniques to connect with consumers. Scholes describes the commercial in detail as it focus on a baseball hero’s life story in a total of twenty-eight seconds. Since the ordinary young man works hard in a minor league from a small town who gets his chance for success, Scholes makes his point on how hard work will pay off in America no matter who you are or where you come from. The young man is acknowledged and accepted by the manager who toasts with a bottle of Budweiser beer in the end. By means of baseball as a popular American sports, the consumer can relate with the emotion especially the chorus in the background singing “You keep America working. This Bud’s for you (Par. 3)”. Basically, in Scholes view is that the marketing professionals are not only making text into films to maximize the pleasure of understanding of the content and product; furthermore, they use the video texts which consumer can relate or are familiar with through their belief and value system that they apply to their lives, in which technique Scholes called “cultural reinforcement.”

A powerful commercial like this one which is not only selling the product, with the deeper “culture reinforcement” approach, it can sell you a certain belief and value. As Scholes says “it surely sells the American way first and then seeks to see its brand of beer by establishing a metonymic connection between the product and the nation (Par. 8).” Scholes is right that critical thinking skills are imperative as we are exposed to much more video text in this day and age. As we are easily influenced by what we see, we need to wisely choose what we eat, drink, use and wear with more awareness and considerations. Our choices impact our images as our images represent our lifestyle, characteristics and a culture.

On Reading A Video Text

In the article written by Robert Scholes called "On Reading A Video Text" I had a harder time getting the message he was trying to send. He refers to a Budwiser commercial from the early 8o's involving a African American man who had a dream to make it to major league baseball as an umpire. Put together with the right music and just enough to tell a part of his story that as we all watch the commercial we put his story together, most of us making him in to one of "us" that we all cheer for, or relate to with our own hopes and dreams. Watching commercials today and through the years it seems that advertisers were in a way playing with our minds. Selling that warm fuzzy feeling was the ultimate goal of the advertising community, no matter what the product was. In his own words Scholes says " the analysis of video text needs to be taught in all our schools" It the advertising community that plays on this. The "stupider" they think people are more they can sell the warm fuzzy feelings. As time goes on we are getting smarter and realizing these games, if we are going to be taught about video text this would level the playing field and then what would the advertisers have then.

"Reading a video text"

Robert Scholes’ essay “On Reading a Video Text” mainly explains how advertisers reel in consumers using “visual fascination” offering us “a kind of power through the enhancement of our vision” (Pg 1 Par 1). In Scholes’ view he talks about different forms of visual fascination which includes cultural reinforcement, “The process through which video texts confirm viewers in their ideological positions and reassure them as to their membership in a collective cultural body” (Pg 1 Par 2). In making this comment Schole urges us to notice that cultural reinforcement is an important element when it comes to commercials, and that it means when a commercial is played back usually it’s something u agree with, excepted or known to be true already its reinforcing and reminding you what you might of forgotten. He also then tells us how it progresses to commercials that are only 30 seconds long (myth narrative with cultural knowledge). A young black man trying to make it as an umpire coming from a small town finally one day he gets the call and is tested to see if he can make the call under pressure, his passing of the test and exceptance is shown in a later scene where the manager who gave the umpire a hard time is toasting him with a bottle of Budweiser with a background singing “You keep America working. This buds for you” (Pg 2). Schole himself writes, “We are given enough information to construct an entire life story. Provided we have the cultural knowledge upon which this construction depends” (Pg 1 Par 3). Scholes’ point is that advertisers count on that we the viewers understand and have the common sense to know there was a happy ending and by selling us this “American dream” that hard work pays off and we are rewarded they are selling us the product as well. (we will be rewarded..with beer?)