Get Happy, Get Jamaican

What does Minnesota and Jamaica have in common?
What does going to work on a Monday morning and a positive attitude have in common?
These things have absolutely nothing in common unless you have see the Volkswagen: Get Happy commercial.

As you begin to watch the commercial, many viewers can relate to the mundane Monday morning feeling at your job. It is easy for people to relate to these emotions, but what usually does not happen is a Caucasian man bringing encouragement to all of his coworkers in a Jamaican accent. This is so odd that people continue to watch with a smile on there face.

Now why such the stark contrast between cultures? We find out in one scene that this man is from Minnesota and makes his coworkers even more confused because they should have a distinct accent themselves. Now some might say this is racist because the advertisers are using the stereotype that all Jamaicans have this care-free attitude. But it gets their point in that even in the most dismal settings you can find something to smile about.

Even with the simplest of task in the office such as getting a snack or drinking a cup of coffee to more serious scenes such as getting news that their company is losing money, the Caucasian man always has something positive to say and wants his coworkers to share his enthusiasm. It is not until the end of the commercial when we find his boss and another coworker in the car and now talking in a Jamaican accent.

Bob Marley

The Jamaican lifestyle goes perfectly with this commercial and people are familiar with it because of the famous singer Bob Marley. He is known for his happy and laid back songs and Volkswagen showed the world that if you buy this car then you will be able to change your perspective in life and make it much more enjoyable.

Life is a journey. We can either go about it in a negative way where we can always find a reason to complain, or, we can start to appreciate the little things in life and bring a positive feeling to everyone we come in contact to. It's your choice, how do you want to live it?

Society and its Lies

If anyone is familiar with the kind of music the Caucasian rapper Macklemore puts out, one automatically thinks of the crazy and random songs such as his most famous "Thrift Shop". But if you listen to more of his songs, you will soon discover that he does have songs in which he focuses on more deeper issues such as homosexuality and how to achieve our dreams. Now some tend to think that the rap industry should focus mainly on what it is know for: sex, drugs and possessions, but Macklemore changes the perspective of listeners in the way we look at certain topics.


The first time I heard this song it really caught my attention because the explicit message was talking about Nike basketball shoes and how he bought into the lie that he could achieve his goals by simply buying a pair of shoes. On one side as a young male I could relate to what Macklemore was saying but on the other side I was shocked in how he was attacking companies so blatantly in the song and that is what caught my interest even more.

His message is simple: don't let society trick you into thinking you can reach your dreams by letting your possessions take you there, because it can get in the way of what is truly important in our lives. The question that lends itself to this statement is if we do let materialistic things control us then what are we as humans in fact losing?

He gives us a hint of what is important in our lives in the line that says, "And then my friend Carlos’ brother got murdered for his Fours, whoa”. When he discovered that people were losing loved ones over a pair of shoes his whole perspective changed and realized people were losing sight of our relationships with each other. He did not want to go down this path and throughout his song is imploring kids to not buy into society and what it has to offer.


To reach our dreams takes time, effort, and dedication. Macklemore uses the metaphor of an "air bubble" to show how he was going achieve his dreams of being cool and popular in school. The shoes were his "air bubble", the thing that was going to elevate him above his peers with as less effort as possible. Unfortunately his "air bubble" was sucking the life out of him because he was so engrossed int the shoes that not only his dreams collapses but also the friends he     thought were closest to him.
We still have a choice to make ourselves… Will we let our possessions define who we are or will we overcome the lies that our culture gives to us and keep focused on what is truly important?

x

The Few, The Proud, The Craftsman

Qualities of a "true" American worker:

• Determined
• Hard working
• Dependable
• Reliable
• Durable
• Resilient

What ever happened to the "true" workers of society? The men who weren't afraid to get dirty for the work that they loved to do? Whether that be a carpenter, blade smith, welders or any other type of craftsmen, we are starting to see a diminishing number in these men as our culture becomes engrossed more and more in technology and multimedia.

Instead of finding men being creative and innovated with their hands, we find more and more people finding work behind a desk to keep up with the demand of our faced paced society. I am not saying there isn't a need for these people as times have definitely changed, but we seem to be losing this sense of a what a"blue collar" worker is. The Dickies jean company does not want Americans to lose sight of what our ancestors worked so hard for in building the country we have today.

The first thing that caught my eye in the advertisement was the blue pattern scheme throughout the advertisement. This color pattern pushed their idea of what a "blue collar" worker should look like. They captured a "Master Bladesmith" Dan Frazee in his workshop working hard on his next creation. They do not want to embellish their product because they know there audience does not want style or class, they want reliable and comfortable jeans. They show this by having none of the machines shined and sparks flying everywhere, everything you are seeing is in a "real" workshop.

The top text is very short and simple, it says, "A REPUTATION BUILT ON QUALITY". Any reputation takes a lot of time, effort and determination. Those qualities go hand in hand with any type of work a craftsman does. Anything below those standards will lend itself to a product that is less than acceptable. Dickies wants to tie themselves in with the rich history and status of a "true" American worker, and buying a pair of their jeans will do exactly that.

Dickies goes to great lengths in their advertisements to bring back the idea of what it means to be a "true" American worker. Many of their advertisements including this one, shows Dickies portrayal of masculinity in what it means to be a "real" man. If you want to be a "real" man, then you must have what "real" men wear.

A Journey of a Lifetime

Disappointment.
Hope.
Encouragement.
Frustration.
Inspiration.
Determination.
Faith.
Breaking stereotypes.
True love.
Change in perspective.

What do all these things have in common you ask? It might look like the criteria for a big time movie, or maybe the perfect recipe for a best selling book. But it is actually all part of the package when it comes to raising a special needs child.

In the blog, "Our Journey Through Life", Melanie, the blogger, took me on a roller coaster of a ride in raising her Down syndrome baby boy named Eli. Her major target audience is other families who are going through similar issues. All these families are in what Melanie calls an "exclusive club". She is really trying to bring hope and encouragement for those who do not see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, she too had her dark days at the beginning of the journey, but pushing forward with a positive attitude has seen Eli overcoming obstacles no one ever thought possible. She uses beautiful pictures of her family doing everyday things to portray the new perspective on life she has: appreciating the little things.

She did not only use the support from her family and friends to help her with this unique journey, but relied on an even greater strength; God. From the very beginning of her blog she writes about this faith she has in Him. The quote I love is, "We were chosen by God to be this child’s parents. He knows we are capable of loving this child unconditionally. He picked us for him and him for us." (Melanie,Acceptance)

Throughout her blog she is ultimately saying that even though you have to go through the pain and hardship, overcoming these adversities is what makes this journey for her so rewarding. You start to gain a new perspective on life in enjoying the simple things life has to offer, and this is why Melanie considers herself one "lucky" mother.She has learned to stop and take in all small blessings that God has given her and take the challenges head on. She is proud of what her son has accomplished and knows there is a long but rewarding road ahead of them. 


You can follow Melanie's blog at     http://mellbugg.wordpress.com