Robert Scholes Theories, Essay Example

Robert Schole presents important claims concerning the commercial video that is presented on the televisions that demonstrates the dynamic power that the video has on the subconscious level of the humans. According to Schole, the use of particular tools in advertising has important implications on the minds of the recipients through captivating as well as controlling their potentials for rational thinking. The use of visual fascination in advertisements is an important tool that is believed to have the abilities of capturing the full attention of the recipient according to Schole. The author believes that, a video that is intended for advertisements can be edited to produce amazing effects through converting it in to a sturdy scene that captures the full attention of the viewer. Schole also thinks that, the use of narratives in commercial videos to achieve the goal of advertising has the aptitude of capturing the minds of the viewer. This can be achieved through the use of predetermined words, statements, music as well as sounds to attract the full concentration of the audience for a substantial time to the extent that, the viewer is confused and deceived in to purchasing a specific product without a valid reason for the product.

The Budweiser commercial has been used as an example of a video advertisement for demonstrating the Scholes’ claims. With the use of the Budweiser commercial, Robert Schole further demonstrates that, commercial videos are associated with some powers that influence the entire population through cultural reinforcement. The Budweiser commercial is a commercial video that serves as a source of human relations that connects the thinking of the masses to an individual recipient at equal levels. Robert Schole takes the Budweiser commercial as an illustration that can effectively proof the statements that are associated with the tools that have been mentioned.

The video in the Budweiser commercial is a clear indication of moments that are marked by acts of surrender although complex dynamic involving pleasure as well as power is also clearly evident. Robert realizes the importance of advertisements in the growth of business and therefore is very keen in the use of video text in demonstrating his claims. The power offered in this case is manifested as an improvement of vision with a slow motion that potentially permits for an unusual penetration in to some mechanisms involving movement.

Robert Schole attributes visual fascination in the Budweiser commercial to a matrix of pleasure as well as power in a video text. In addition, Robert Schole is also keen to mention the contribution of narrativity as well as cultural reinforcement. In this regard, the implication of narrativity according to the argument of Robert Schole involves the pleasures as well as the powers that are associated with the stories that are the basis of a video text. On the other hand, Robert Schole uses cultural reinforcement to imply to the process that are used by the video text to confirm the ideological positions of the viewer as well as reassuring their membership with regard to an amalgamated cultural body. The function of cultural reinforcement is operational in an ethical-political dominion and plays a very important role in the textuality of the video and it is a crucial element in mass media. The function has been an important aspect of literature in the history of human beings and the role has been taken up by the mass media as a result of the function being estranged and opposed by culture.

The Budweiser commercial depicts a black man’s life history in twenty eight seconds whose career has involved baseball umpire. Although there is a longer version of the Budweiser commercial text, the 28 seconds text is sufficient in demonstrating the entire life of the black man and enough information can be captured in the text. Sufficient cultural knowledge of the black man is demonstrated as he rises to achieve the echelon of a profession. The man works extremely hard in minor leagues that are played in small towns in a relaxed pace of events until he acquires some chances to ascend to success. The voice used in the video text also plays a crucial role in construction o the entire life of the black man. Quoting Scholes and using his terms in discussing the video to help make clear how the analysis of it relates to Scholes’ theories,  “In the minors you got to make all the calls, and then one day you get the call” this voice is followed by the real test by the black man.

The significance of the Budweiser commercial in this situation is based on the fact that, a black man is seen in competition with his mind, emotions as well as judgments and not the body in a public arena that is really cruelly testing (Scholes, 1991). The Americans in attendance of this even are informed that the black athletes are beginners in identifying their positions that can be accepted in leadership including profession football and that, active scandals still exist over the representation of the black people in the corporate as well as managerial positions of baseball. The scenario presented by the black umpire is a good reminder to the viewers about the problems that exist and a suggestion of the ultimate prevailing of the talent. The career that has been presented by the black man plays a crucial role in enhancing the decision of the viewers. The story therefore initiates an ordeal of the ump acquiring success with an old man against youth and white against black being very important aspects of the text  (Scholes, 1967). The umpire plays an important role in demonstrating the functioning of the system and not only in baseball but in the entire of America (Scholes, 1986).

The audiences who are able to fully understand the contents of this commercial with a successful construction of the story of the ump out of the scenes of the text as well as the voice of the narrative has the potentials of understanding the structure of a narrative as well as the relevant cultural knowledge. Although some people downplay the existence of culture among Americans, it is important to acknowledge the presence of culture in America (Genette, 1986). They may however lack the skills of criticizing as well as analyzing the text in the Budweiser commercial as a power of selling the nation. They actually need to be supplied with the tools that facilitate ideological criticism.

It is clearly evident that Robert Schole has demonstrated the effectiveness of commercials in holding specific power that facilitates in changing the decisions of human beings in regard to buy or not to buy a particular commodity. Visual fascination is an important element in the commercials that offers some images in to the mind of people that were initially nonexistent. Robert Schole also uses the concept of narrativity to dictate what to think as well as how to think about it. The use cultural relativity has also been demonstrated by Robert Schole as an equally important aspect of linking individuals to the entire world. Robert Schole has demonstrated the influence of the above three forces which act in combination at the time of advertisements to totally influence the brains of an individual. This subsequently translates to a situation where an individual are brainwashed by the corporate world (Stein, 2010). As a result, Robert Schole clearly thinks that it is prudent to incorporate video text reading in the school curriculum.

Works cited

Genette, Gérard, H.-R. Jauss, J.-M. Schaeffer, R. Scholes, W. D. Stempel, K. Vietör. Théorie des genres. (Poétique). Paris: Seuil, 1986.

Scholes, Robert, and Nancy R. Comley. The Practice of Writing. 2nd ed. New York: St Martin’s, 1986.

Scholes, Robert, Carl H. Klaus, Nancy R. Comley, and Michael Silverman, eds. Elements of Literature. 4th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 1991.

Scholes, Robert. The Fabulators. 1963. New York: Oxford UP, 1967.

Stein, Lorin. “New Books: Modernism in the Magazines: An Introduction”. Harper’s (Harper’s Magazine Foundation) 321 (1,927): 75, 2010.