When the Sia music video "Elastic Heart" first came out, there was much controversy and talk about it being strange or inappropriate. Much of this was settled by explaining the actual meaning of the choice of dancers and setting. I heard all sorts of rumors about what the video actually meant and even what the words of the song actually meant. Some said it was about Sia growing up with a bad relationship with her father. Some insisted it is about her internal struggles with her past self. I didn't know what explanation she meant to convey, until I recently came across a video where she explains it.
The young girl in the video is portraying a werewolf type animal and is terrorizing the man in the cage with her. The wolf represents the one of the man's self states, according to Sia. She states, ”we thought it would be interesting if it was as if she is one of his self states, maybe an inner child, maybe like one of his demons." During the video the girl and man are fighting but it seems they possibly resolve their issues towards the end (3:22). This could in some way represent the man being accepting of his other self state. It seems he is in a battle with himself during the video, but maybe tries to accept it.
The BYU website suggests a rhetorical analysis should show opportunity for persuasion. In this case, Sia is persuading her audience of the message she is trying to convey. Though, the messages in the lyrics and the actual video are slightly different. The lyrics were written about the artist and and the music video uses the lyrics to tell a story about the two characters. Apparently when the lyrics read "you did not break me,” or “I’ve got thick skin” Sia is referring to her past self. She is conveying a message of survival of the past.
The Texas A&M University Writing Center website talks about how writers use words to influence an audience. This can be related because of the influence and impact the release of this video had on Sia’s fans. People were instantly influenced to search for meaning in the video.
I myself still do not completely understand the video, especially the scene (4:15) in which the girl escapes from the cage and the man reaches for her. Although, it is easier to explain things when using guidelines such as the steps in Compose, Design, Advocate. One of the steps involves searching for the purpose of the text. When I look at the lyrics of the song on Sia’s official website, it seems the purpose is to get her audience to understand how she struggled, but came out on top. I think she brought this message to the music video and found a way to bring her personal story to a story between two dancers. Her words are powerful and people believe in what she says because they respect her as an artist.
Sia - Elastic Heart feat. Shia LaBeouf & Maddie Ziegler (Official Video). YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWZGAExj-es>.
"University Writing Center - Rhetorical Analysis." University Writing Center - Rhetorical Analysis. Texas A&M, 2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2015. <http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/Students/Handouts
-Guides/Guides-(What-Are-You-Writing-)/Academic-Writing/Analysis/Rhetorical-Analysis>.
Burton, Gideon, Dr. "Basic Questions for Rhetorical Analysis." Basic Questions for Rhetorical Analysis. Silva Rhetoricae, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015<http://rhetoric.byu.edu/pedagogy/rhetorical%20analysis
%20heuristic.htm>.
Watson, Meg. "Watch Sia Explain The Meaning Of ‘Elastic Heart’ With Bananas Over Her Face." Junkee. Disqus, 21 Jan. 2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2015. <http://junkee.com/watch-sia-explain-the-meaning-of-elastic-heart-with-bananas-over-her-face/49420>.
Wysocki, Anne Frances, and Dennis A. Lynch. "Rhetorical Analysis." Compose, Design, Advocate: A Rhetoric for Integrating Written, Visual, and Oral Communication. Second Edition ed. New York: Longman, 2007. 316-317. Print.
Although I chose not to analyze the Elastic Heart video, I also think that the lyrics are referencing a struggle of some sort but that she overcame it
ReplyDeleteWhat elements of the video (such as the cage, costumes, dancing) help explain her message, and how? You discussed the lyrics and how they describe the scene taking place, but what is the scene? What's happening? You gave a few suggestions (relationship between father and daughter, internal struggles), but how does the video show how she "struggled but came out on top"?
ReplyDeleteI analyzed the same video and you had really good points that were interesting to compare to what I wrote. Everyone had a very different take on what was happening in the video which I thought was awesome. The lyrics are definitely very important in conveying the message of the song. More detail describing what was going on specifically would be helpful.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your tone throughout the passage, you seemed to have really researched and been truly involved in the music video. I think the paragraph about the BYU rhetorical analysis was very good, and I also liked how you used another article outside of the two rhetorical ones.
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