Relating Media To Interpersonal Concepts

*Magazine Advertisement*

Kate Spade New York ~ VOGUE Magazine Sept. 2005

Social Expectations ~ Jealousy Textbook, Page 196

This advertisement demonstrates the interpersonal concept of social expectations. I believe the ad is unique because it depicts a sequence of events that convey how social factors mold feelings and expressions. It vaguely shows how two different models are competing for the same job. The occurrence of this Kate Spade photo shoot quickly leads to argument, jealously, and drastic decision-making. This advertisement directly relates to how women face certain limitations on the feelings that our society permits them. The theory behind this concept is explained in our Interpersonal Communication - Everyday Encounters text book in Chapter 7 on page 196. The emotion of anger is one that women are normally "taught" they should not communicate in any way. According to the text, anger expressed by women is deemed by our society to be unattractive and disadvantageous. Controversially, this advertisement portrays women feeling and acting out the anger sentiment and response. This cultural "rule" daunts women from even acknowledging their resentment and fury towards others, let alone actually asserting it. Because of this "rule", women tend to tune into their feelings of jealousy, which may only trigger worse consequential results when expressed. The ad shows how dealing with an angry/jealous situation improperly will only lead to horrible conclusions. One of the models seems to become so extremely jealous of the other that she ends up committing the regretful act of murder (or assault to some degree) just so she will be able to assume the center position of the photo shoot. According to the text, refusing to act on competitive feelings correctly can restrict a woman's career advancement. Also, not dealing openly with feelings of envy in any relationship can create barriers and detachment. The directly illustrates what is going on in the advertisement. Model A appears to become so overwhelmed with competitiveness involving Model B that she succumbs to physically hurting Model B merely so she can obtain the Kate Spade spotlight. Why this interpersonal concept is used to advertise Kate Spade products, I am not quite sure. Maybe the ad is supposed to show how women will do anything to be associated with the Kate Spade name. Nonetheless, the advertisement is an accurate representation of how society pressures women to hold back feelings of anger, which can only result in acts of danger or violence.

*Song Lyrics*

Typical Situation ~ Dave Matthews Band

Commitment and Trust Textbook, page 213~214

This is my favorite DMB song because of its use of complex interpersonal notions. A variety of relational concepts are expressed through these lyrics, but I am focusing on the commitment and trust aspects that the song portrays. Typical Situation was inspired by the poem Prayer in the Pentagon by Robert Dederick. First of all, the song is so intellectually written. The band bases segments of the song off of this poem, as the lyrics count down from ten to one. I have always interpreted the song's refrain to mean that commitment is such a hard component to maintain in a romantic relationship, because there are just "too many choices", as in too many people to choose from to be the one-and-only person. I believe this song is written for someone who has been violated in their relationship because the other person has cheated or conveyed romantic feelings to someone other than he, or she. It is meant to help the one who's been cheated on feel better, because the good will "come around" somehow. "Why are you different, why are you that way" is speaking to the one who has cheated. According to page 213 of the textbook, partners assume they will continue on together in committed relationships. But while commitment is a decision, love is a feeling we cannot control. Along these lines, trust involves believing in another's reliability (page 214). Trust is so vital in relationships for the reason that it allows us to take risks. The song speaks to someone who is dealing with the "typical situation" of trusting another, followed by the breaking of trust, since it is so mainstream and predictable in our society today that the other person in the relationship may cheat or feel love for others besides the partner. I believe it gives the offended person hope, since "we can't do a thing about it". This song also aids the person who has been hurt by helping he/she feel like it is okay to continue establishing individuality without a partner ("two's a perfect number, but one..."). The lyrics bring comfort by concentrating on the bigger picture of the world and how some mishaps are simply inevitably going to happen. The concepts of commitment and trust explained in the textbook suggest how easily they can be defied in relationships, as shown through these lyrics.

*Movie*

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Memories Textbook, page 172

Cognitive Abilities Textbook, page 86

This film, by Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry, transports the audience into the innermost realms of the mind. It demonstrates the rupture of identity, memory, and the human psyche. The movie is imaginatively assembled and beautifully shot. To one degree, it is a simple 'boy meets girl' case, which follows the conventional typology of romance ~ encounter, attraction, excitement, relational growth, conflict, suspension, reconciliation, and the likelihood of reunion. What totally shuns this standard typology is the way the movie develops ~ a fairly "Freudian" voyage through the psychic craziness of character Joel Barrish's (Jim Carrey) mind.

Joel and Clementine (Kate Winslet) meet unexpectedly, and an extensive and chaotic romance proceeds. When their relationship ends painfully, Clementine, with the help of the business "Lacuna, Inc," erases Joel from her memory. Lacuna's Dr. Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson) helps clients by eliminating unwanted memories through a "high-tech neurological procedure". After Clementine has completely forgotten Joel, he is devastated, and decides to endure the procedure himself. But, even as his memories of Clementine are being systematically destroyed, he comes to his senses, and admits that, despite his pain, these memories are dear to him and worth keeping. The majority