Tuesday, July 03, 2007

What do people actually see in this video




Call me a cynic, a bastard, or normal, opportunistic, I don't care. But I think people may actually see different things in this touching clip.

For me, it is touching and has received much care and attention from the editors is because supposedly he is a person who is a bit of deformed, looking kinda retarded, having a not so glamorous life and yet can sing kinda well. "Gasp" yeah, how shitty do I sound, how LA am I? But really isn't this why the video got so much editing? I mean if you look at American Idol, the Monkey boy only got a mocking monkey comment that was it. Not much editing. Things that are valuable will sell for good ratings and this is an classic Hunch Back of the Notre Dame story for pop TV.

It is beautiful, it is tragic, and it is good TV. If it were Jason Lewis who sang like that, Simon would probably have just said pretty good and move on. The whole story telling, the stereo button starting, and the audiences' detailed expression capturing, all seem to be just too much for what it is. The only reason it is gaining so much attention from the editors and the audiences for is because this is an actual tragedy. It makes us emotional. We wonder how wonderful it COULD have been if he were good looking, how much better his life would have become, and at the same time it makes us feel good too. We invoke our own sympathy that has been deeply buried by our fast paced life style and progressive selfishness. We can only feel humanity while we watch something tragic happens despite how we mocked or ignore the issue. Quick example, Princess Diana or 9/11. We are happy that we still have a heart; we aren't as barbaric as we suspected to be. At the peak of this glorious moment of self righteousness, we also feel the beauty of this happy moment, this double sugar coated pill can't be any better.

I am genuinely happy for this man, for his voice and his exposure. Yet I feel bad because the money that the producer, editors, and directors are making off his personal tragedy is so little compared to the loss of integrity. In another word, he's been sold cheap in a freak show by some cold hearted bastards and the audience bought it. And GUESS WHAT, this is probably the best he can ever get professionally speaking.

The reason that I am ranting about this now at this god forsaken hour is because I just read this post at Nothing Golden Stays. JR's friend said that JR is not emotional. But I think it might be because that he tends to let logic go first and leave emotions a step behind so that he actually sees what is behind this?

The first time I have seen this video I truly felt like crying too. But today when I watched it again totally out of randomness, I suddenly found it so repugnant since my logic was alert and my emotion has been already paralyzed by all the expected twists and turns in the video.

I wonder what other people see in this video? Just a good singing? or a guy who has a boring job, tough life is singing great? or like what I see, a socially handicapped person has been used like a fish lure?

Now, I wonder what other people have seen in this video.

I present Jason Lewis


1 comment:

J.R. said...

Nice analysis, bud. Thanks for giving me credit for being logical, but I'm not sure that's entirely it. I certainly wasn't thinking as in-depth as all of that about it! An ugly duckling overcoming self-doubt and and achieving a moderate triumph, while touching, just isn't nearly enough to make me cry. Old Yeller, maybe... guy singing well on reality TV competition? Not so much.