Netflix debuted its trailer for season two of Stranger Things during the 2017 Super Bowl (“Netflix Super Bowl”). The commercial employs strong references to the experiences of 1980’s youth. Before being introduced to the subject of the message, viewers are compelled by a grainy clip from a vintage 1980 Kellogg’s Eggo commercial, with the famous phrase “L’eggo my Eggo”, followed by the rapid sight of a rotating neon arcade sign (Grebey). The name “Eleven” is shouted, a group of prepubescent boys in Ghostbusters costumes pedal frantically on their bikes, a hazmat-suited individual dons a flamethrower, and a succession of clips build suspense towards the unveiling of a looming figure in the distant sky. Finally, the Stranger Things theme song
Aristotle argued that effective speakers understand the emotions of their audiences and that they can use those emotions to persuade them (40). Nostalgia is a complicated emotion, defined as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past” (“Nostalgia | Definition”). Due to the fact that there is no official research done on the nostalgic marketing techniques employed by Netflix, one must infer their intentions based on the trends identified by sources focusing on behavioral phenomena and marketing. Psychology Today said that “Marketers rely on nostalgia to sell us everything”, and it’s no new trick (Burton). An independent study found that 8.5% of 401 shows introduced on all platforms between 2015 and 2017 used nostalgia as a selling point or storytelling tool (Bojalad). The nostalgia emulated by Stranger Things may attach to the audiences hope for or anticipation of a positive future event (Burton). This could be a longing for a return to simpler times, as contrasted against the norms of today in which the media portrays youth as being constantly connected to technology, forsaking the charms of the great outdoors and the freedom in staying out until sunset cued us to return home for dinner. Stranger Things is littered with intentional, and perhaps subliminal, connections to past pop culture references. The group of tenacious children reminds of the adventurous boys in Stand by Me. The characters riding bicycles at night is reminiscent of E.T. Eleven, the telekinetic heroine, reminds of Drew Barrymore in Firestarter. The mother who challenges and communicates with the supernatural reminds of JoBeth Williams in Poltergeist (Stewart). The nostalgic connections are plentiful, and each has the potential to catch the attention and pull the heartstrings of the
The second saying, "Add two more features to your controller", is displayed in white text positioned just below the image. Although it seemed as if the purpose of the ad was to notify the public about a contest, the image indicated its actual purpose. The significance of the phrase, "two more features", are the two Heineken bottles shown in the image. Heineken used logos to cite a "fact" to not only the grand prize winner, but to the young gamers as well;
The article Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King distinguishes why we truly do crave horror movies. Stephen King goes into depth on the many reasons on why we, as humans, find horror movies intriguing and how we all have some sort of insanity within us. He does this by using different rhetorical techniques and appealing to the audience through ways such as experience, emotion and logic. Apart from that he also relates a numerous amount of aspects on why we crave horror movies to our lives. Throughout this essay I will be evaluating the authors arguments and points on why society finds horror movies so desirable and captivating.
In the late 1880's in Missouri two men named Chris L. Rutt and Charles G. Underwood created a revolutionary instant pancake flour mix. They created the trademark after visiting a theater and seeing women in blackface, aprons, and red bandanas doing a performance of a song entitled "Old Aunt Jemima." This popular song of the time inspired them to use this very image as their company logo.
“Why We Crave Horror Movies,” an essay by the legendary Stephen King, explains two challenging concepts to understand: why people like gory horror movies and how people are able to control their darkest desires. “I think that we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better – and maybe not all that much better, after all.” King opens the essay by addressing the hard truth- we are all insane. People have dull lives, and often it’s the little bit of crazy within in us tha...
Horror is one of many fears humans have. We all have many terrors, but horror is the one that gets the best of us. Some crave, while others resent, the feeling horror movies bring to our body and the emotions that we experience. In Stephen King’s article, “Why We Crave Horror,” he explains that it is a part of the “Human Condition,” to crave the horror. King gives many strong and accurate claims on why we crave the horror movies, such as; testing our ability to face our fears, to re-establish our feelings of normality, and to experience a peculiar sort of fun.
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” a quote that sums up humanity’s unchanged love for horror movies. Over the years, as millions of people have watched horror movies the graphics, special effects, and sounds have changed for the better. While scenes have intensified yet remained the same someone gets stabbed, butchered or killed violently. It’s hard to imagine how anyone in their right mind could choose to see such violent acts. Which is the reason why Stephen Kings say’s “I think we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better- and maybe not all that much better after all” (405). That sentence provides us with his twisted example of “Why we crave Horror Movies” claiming it’s mainly a matter of our mental state. King includes examples of reasons people continue to go, he says it’s to have fun, to dare the nightmare, and to re-establish our sense of normalcy. Kings arguments within this essay are strong enough to prove his thesis making this a well written essay. He easily convinces normal people that they are mentally ill, with his use of analogy’s, comparisons, and logos. Stephen King’s use of practical wisdom leads his audience to believe that without horror films, humans are all emotional ticking time bombs waiting to explode.
The theory of symbolic convergence was developed by University of Minnesota professor, Ernest Bormann. Originally called fantasy theme analysis, Bormann set out to develop a method of rhetorical criticism, which uses a dramatistic approach (Griffin, 2009, p. 27). While completing his research, he noticed a distinct connection between the use dramatic imagery and the degree of group consciousness and solidarity. He named this connection symbolic convergence, meaning “The linguistic process by which group members develop a sense of community or closeness; cohesiveness, unity, solidarity,” (Griffin, 2009, p. 29). The driving force of symbolic convergence is the fantasy. Bormann defines the fantasy as, “The crea...
...er apparently created successful persuasive appeals for the crowd to be attracted and enjoy a movie that will be funny, colorful, and full of adventures that eventually will teach a life experience to the public.
“Why We Crave Horror Movies,“ written by Steven King, is both an informative and persuasive essay. King uses his writing skills and charming sense of humor to explain why
I chose to analyze Despicable Me, an animated film geared towards a younger audience, because I was interested in examining underlying theories and messages that this film would be relaying to its viewers. Often times, when watching animated films, children are not aware of these messages, as they are absorbed by the characters, special effects, and humor. But as we have learned throughout this semester, our brains are subconsciously primed by the various surroundings we are exposed to. Since we also studied the impacts of entertainment, such as television and video games, on children, I wanted to see how a popular children’s film might also affect them.
A small smile, a booming laugh, and a little play on words helped Pepsi’s ad “Scary Halloween” reach viral status on social media in 2013. Ads can be a triumph or a failure depending on how well the rhetorical appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos are used to convey an ad’s message. This ad’s largest draw was its use of pathos, making the viewers laugh and smile alongside Pepsi over their sly jokes.. “Scary Halloween” also engaged the audience by causing the viewers to cringe at the thought of their chosen soft drink being replaced. Pepsi also has massive amounts of credibility in the soda industry since it has been on the market for over 100 years, giving it ample room to poke at its competitors. Pepsi’s Halloween ad was successful because of
Since I was a little girl, my mother always made it clear that a husband was unobtainable if a woman could not properly tend to his needs. I learned how to cook, how to clean, how to do laundry, and I even learned how to take care of my younger siblings all because, according to my mother, these responsibilities were a woman’s duty; it was her job. For centuries, this has been the mindset of every woman, which has been passed down from generation to generation. A stereotype that has influenced a culture and defined a human being. In this 1930’s Kellogg’s PEP Cereal advertisement we witness yet another stereotype defining women into this sexist housewife persona. Through the use of clothing and appearance, text and audience the ad conveys a
The appeal of horror film is effective due to the traits of the human mind. Filmgoers of horror leave theaters with a positive train of thought, yet the negative nature of the content presented points to psychological factors which cause their enjoyment. Answers are found by looking at the psychological factors, how an individual processes emotional arousal, identifies with issues that they consider relevant, and perceives reality, help to explain why films presenting such horrific imagery excites many people. Many horror franchises create a level of violence and gore that is offensive to most, yet viewers continue to swarm theaters, making the horror film industry extremely profitable. Graphic horror cinema relies on shocking imagery as much as storytelling to create an effective type of entertainment. The subject matter, alone, does not provide enough attraction to bring back viewers. When looking at the psychological drivers behind the films, it can be seen that the composition addresses a level much deeper than the entertainment that makes horror
In his book, Horror and the Horror Film, author Bruce F. Kawin remarked “horror itself resists formulation and can be difficult and unpleasant to contemplate.” This year was a phenomenal year for both horror and contemplative movies. Two prime examples: Get Out and mother!. Despite being both horror films with subliminal messaging and allegories, they had drastically different reactions and box office performances. To understand why this happened, it is imperative to analyze marketing, storyline, climate, and audience interpretation.
Do you remember watching scary movies when you were little? You would sit close to your parents and hide behind a pillow, covering your eyes enough just to barely see. As people grow older they either love horror movies or they hate them. There is no inbetween. As the years have progressed horror movies have gained popularity. They attract young adults, teenagers, and the occasional middle age group. In the 1930’s horror movies attracted middle aged adults rather than young adults. People were attracted to the films for reasons like: the history of horror movies, the popular movie Dracula, and the appeal of fantasy.