"Where is the Love?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc&ob=av2e 

To follow up on what my last blog was talking about, I’d like to present an example of a song that I think comes close to civic engagement.  “Where is the Love” by the Black Eyed Peas has a message that, in my opinion, comes across very clearly in the lyrics.  Even without watching the music video or checking someone else’s analysis of the song, listeners can see they are looking at the world and its lack of togetherness.  The lyrics mention gangs, violence, people killing each other, children crying and hurt, hypocrisy, and yet how we all share the world.  Those are undeniable parts of life as we know it, and their negative connotation brings emotions of disappointment, sadness, regret, and more.

Even to people who just sing along or listen because the song is catchy, it is hard to miss the idea of people hating and mistreating each other for no reason.  Merely the repetition of “Where is the love?” throughout the song establishes some type of thought or connection to the problem at hand, making people think, and opening a possibility for a perspective change. 

Additionally, when they say, “ask yourself,” “we,” and “one” in phrases throughout the song, they establish a connection with listeners which can make them feel more connected to the song, artist, and issue; listeners realize they are not hearing about someone else’s breakup, love story, etc., but are part of the issue and its solution. 

Also, the lyrics create an appeal to logos in the way they slip in explanations.  For example, there is a verse that goes, “But if you only have love for your own race, then you leave space to discriminate, and to discriminate only generates hate, and when you hate you’re bound to get irate.”  The progression is simple and makes sense, allowing it to be understood in a song.

In terms of this song as a means of civic engagement, I think it is effective because it points out a problem to which almost anyone can relate.  The feelings of disappointment, sadness, and exclusion have been familiarized with everyone at one time or another.  Using relatable emotions, and also children as examples, creates an appeal to ethos, and motivates change among people; since everyone knows the feeling, people may realize they shouldn’t try to bring that upon others; by not creating it, they can work to eliminate it.  If that happens, people may treat each other more nicely, and perhaps we can discover “the love” that the Black Eyed Peas cannot find.