I am sure that everyone is aware of the two concerts that will take place in Singapore on 6th and 13th Sep separately. The celebrities which I have mentioned are as such in the images, Avril Lavigne, the canadian rock sensation, and MISIA, the japanese songbird.There are a few reasons to why I chose to link celebrities with what we have learnt so far in COM 101. I realized celebrities make use of the few kinds of existing communication models, such as the linear model. As we know, linear models include a one-way communication route from the sender to the receiver. Celebrities and artistes use this model through the music they produce. The lyrics written in their songs will be the message they wish to convey to their fans or as an alternative to express their feelings and opinions. When people listen to their songs, the responsibility of decoding the message (lyrics) lies on them, the receiver. Besides lyrics, promotional posters also play a role to inform people of the upcoming concerts or new music releases.
Next will be the interactive model. Fans are able to communicate with the celebrities they support by visiting their blogs (if they have one) or by simply supporting them. By posting comments (feedback) at their blogs, fans are free to give their opinions and pass their message to their idols. By buying their albums and concert tickets is another interactive model between fans and celebs. If many are willing to spend money to show their support, singers in turn get the idea that their music is popular, and yet another form of an interactive model.
Then, the transactional model is seen in the concerts held in various locations. Being at the same place (same psysical state), fans and celebrities are able to communicate simultaneously even when on stage. It is therefore important to have a good surrounding sound system in order to minimize unwanted noise as a good environment is essential to avoid miscommunication.
Lastly, celebrities use several ways of persuasion to attract their audience too. They often use the appeal to emotions (pathos) and their credibility (ethos). Pathos can be seen in the songs they publish, whether a lively rock song or a sad one. Whereas ethos refers to their character or personality and influence they bring to the society, very often their lifestyles and reputation. Thus, the principles of communication can be used in a way that most of us have never expected.
17 comments:
Hi Amanda!
Interesting post to highlight the concepts learnt thus far.
With regard to the models of communictation, I think that the best situation in which we can have a transactional conversation with them is during the autograph sessions in which they may have time to answer our 1/2 questions personally.
And true enough, some singers release albums with very emotional songs, and that appeal to emotions (pathos), for it is usually people who are feeling down themselves who listen to those songs.
Like what i wrote on my blog, it is without a doubt that music is an essential part of our life. Personally i listen to music depending on how i feel that day. music also helps to invoke a certain emotions. like in movies and photo slideshows, they help to put you in a certain mood. be it happy or sad. music, a form of communication from the encoder to the decoder.
Lastly i think that like singers we also go to KTV to sing out hearts out! yet another form of pathos!
Hi Amanda!
I thought it was rather interesting that you viewed concerts as transactional. It always seemed a more distant thing with me. However, I guess the fans can communicate across by the loudness of their cheers, or the gay waving of their handphones/lighters and what have you. Shows that not all communication is verbal or 'obvious'.
I agree on the first point you brought up, the one about artistes writing songs to express their feelings an emotions and how at the end of the day it lies in the hands of the fans to decide upon how they want to interpret the artistes message. Definitely people are bound to interpret the same things differently.
Straying slightly off topic, I can’t help but to question the point you brought up in your last paragraph. The point about how they “use several ways of persuasion to attract their audience too”. The question here is where these “artists” draw the line between calling themselves “creative professionals” and “business professionals”. Are artist these days doing what they do because of genuine passion for what they do, or do they see it as a slingshot to fame and fortune. The part you mentioned “their character or personality and influence they bring to the society, very often their lifestyles and reputation” also got me thinking as artists wouldn’t these factors curb and limit their creativity. They would have to start expressing themselves bearing in mind their reputation and their influence to a society. They end up changing their personality and character to what we would like to see. The original artists’ personality gets tainted. Fans for some reason don’t get this. They think their idols lead fantastic lives and what not. Looks a lot like a miscommunication doesn’t you think? haha so much for the principles of communication .
Very interesting choice of relation...
And yes I have to agree to the above-posted comment, partially. It is somewhat true that it SEEMS like a lot of miscommunications between the fans and the celebrities.
However, the difference is the artists change their superficial character in accordance with the advancement of globalization. The messages which originally meant to be conveyed otherwise is altered into another form of communication, whereby they encored the society's mindset. And if they are changing for the better, then why not?
Thus, celebrities still do influence the society in every possible way, be it genuine or not, miscommunication does not actually occur here, and the principles of communication still hold.
vernon you are right in your own way, but the fact that some celebs have better moral & societal values than others cannot be denied. there are some who just have a bad reputation and lead promiscuous lifestyles. the persuasion techniques i meant refer to the way to make their music marketable, either through writing appealing songs or by the popularity they have established.
but yeah, celebs too differ in the attitudes they have for their career. be it intrinsic or extrinsic motivations =)
Wow Amanda, you definitely have been paying attention in class. It's interesting how you related the communication models to celebrities (singers, in your case), but you have forgotten one aspect. Commercialism.
Most of what these singers do and how they are portrayed is often orchestrated by the PR team and manager to sell the singer to be more popular. For instance, some of the songs the singers sing may not even be their own original work. the song may have been written by a separate song writer.
Also, in interview sessions, the questions and answers may be pre planned. what you read in the magazines may not be the singer's true thoughts.
At the end of the day, the people backing these singers are looking for profit, and everything is said and done to ensure money rolls in while these singers are still popular!
yes i do agree with you zed, but there is no doubt those are forms of communication models involved in these. and don't we, too, rehearse in some sort before an important interview or presentation?
just like advertisements and celebrity endorsements, they are commercialised events bnut no doubt an important form of communication we encounter everyday =)
Cool...
Linear model
Interactive model
Transactional model
didn't knew there's so many kinds of communication.
i agree that artiste convey their message or their feeling through their lyrics,but it seems most of the songs lyric now, doesn't have any meaning at all.
Hi Big Red Ribbon...
Interesting to read on views commerical entertainment communication procedures. You sure disect them well and keep up the good work~!
Storyboard...
Hi Amanda!
Well thought out & written from my point of view.
I've always enjoyed music & songs as they can help to put one in the right mood. And helps one to unwind at the end of a hard day's work. Wonder what we will turn to if it weren't for singers & their songs.
Music in itself is already a form of communication as it's a magical unspoken language. Adding on lyrics is just conveying additional message to the piece. It brings about more life and emotions to the audience once it's sung.
Similary, music which accompany scene in TV serials or movies, it helps support the emotion the producers wnat to portray. Even music played in shopping centers, it is meant for a certain kind of effect.
All in all, it means that communication is all around us, be it in whatever forms.
boo!
Interesting post you have here. After your explanation I can definitely see clearer on how the different communication models have been used by the celebrities =D
Many of these celebrities also have their own official websites too. This I feel can be classified as a linear model of communication. Don't you think so?
I didn't realize that the celebs' official websites is another form of linear communication model..
and yes, you are right about that
thanks for informing,jasper
celebrities too, adopt different personae to tie in their image with the type of music they perform.
for example, avril lavigne, takes on a rather punk rock image with the thick black eye liner around her eyes.
unfortunately, i'm not familiar with the Japanese entertainment scene. so, i can only guess, from my perception of Misia's poster that she probably does pop songs?
this in itself is a form of non-verbal communication.
Celebrities are also usually spokesman for certain products. Companies make use of celebrities as spokesman because of the reputation they have built up during their career. I believe this is another example in which ethos is at work.
Hi Amanda. From my personal experience, I would have to agree with you that the songs sang by singers usually have a certain mood or feeling to it. This is because musicians most of the time would write music based on their personal experiences, thus, we could easily relate to some of them, hence, affecting our own emotions. And when it comes to being at their concert,the interaction between the singers and the fans is really AMAZING. And for those lucky ones who gets to meet these celebrities up close for autographs and picture takings, it's the best moment where fans could actually talk to the singers themselves.
Unfortunately for me, when I got the chance to meet the Click Five, I was too shaken up and simply froze up. Thus, didn't have a chance to talk to them. Anyways, cheers on your entry. :)
Post a Comment