Robert Scholes Critic on "Reading a Video Text"

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Kyrsten Maiolo English 106 Do you really want that sports car? When someone talks about “The American Dream,” what are some of the first things that come to mind? That white-picket-fence perfect life with the perfect job, and the perfect family? These things are time and time again portrayed through the media in movies, and television shows. Commercial advertisements often focus on aspects of “The American Dream” in order to persuade viewers to purchase whatever the product may be. The advertisement I’ve selected is an advertisement for the new Arbarth FIAT, a 2013 sports car. The commercial features well known TV star, Charlie Sheen. The ad begins with the view of an enormous mansion full of women and a party of people. Everyone is watching the game, and dancing to the music and just having a good time, while a loud, appealing sports car rushes around the house at an accelerating speed. The car comes to a stop in the lobby area of the home, where Sheen then opens the door and steps out of the car with his alleged house arrest ankle bracelet in plain sight. Sheen then goes on to say, while surrounded by a group of women, “I love being under house arrest.” He turns to the woman on his arm and asks her “What do I get for good behavior?” Sheen’s happiness in the advertisement suggests that he loves his life on house arrest due to the fact that he has a large home, lots of women and friends, and the Arbarth FIAT. The commercial goes on to produce the slogan “Not all bad boys are created equal” for the car. Perhaps the commercial is reaching out more to male consumers rather than female, however, it presses on main things that sell most products in present time; money, sex, women, and popularity. These are all things that the majority of Americans long to have. Robert Scholes, in his critique on reading a video text, mentions that television commercials, and

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