iMedia: Apeman2 - The song

iMedia: Apeman

I shall hopefully be brief, because I don’t want to waste my day when my long lengthy blog wouldn’t post, and blogger decided to delete my saves…. For this reason I will also post the video in a separate post, because I didn’t have problems until I tried to include the media.

Apeman, by the Kinks, is one of those seventies songs that includes one word for the title which the lyrics had repeated a good dozen or so times. Lightweight, slow song that is easy to follow along to. How hard is it to memorize the chorus?:

“I'm an ape man, I'm an ape ape man
I'm an ape man I'm a king kong man I'm ape ape man
I'm an ape man”

*Now would be a good time to listen to the song in the other post. :]

A personal reason I like it is because it not only conveys a message I enjoy, but the means of getting the message across enacts it. Like what we learned about literature, there are words that when spoken, sound like their definition. The tempo and lyrics are relaxing and slow, just like how we have to slow down and enjoy life. Singing and dancing along, I forget a little about the homework I have to do and role in society I have to fill (dependent and me doing this blog, to get the grades, to go to college, to get a job). It’s a song I can just revert back too.

Probably the most universal aspect of this song is the criticism of human kind. We think we’re so “civilized” that we’re doing the world more good than harm. We’re more sophisticated than the other animals such as gorillas and elephants. The song contests this by saying “I am an apeman.” When it comes to comparison to nature or the sun, we will always be uncivilized. Even if we think that we are doing good by recycling or planting trees, we must not forget who creates the trash and cuts down the trees in the first place. We have lost our connection to nature.

“I think I'm so educated and I'm so civilized
cos I'm a strict vegetarian
But with the over-population and inflation and starvation
And the crazy politicians
I dont feel safe in this world no more
I dont want to die in a nuclear war
I want to sail away to a distant shore
and make like an ape man”

The above stanza from the song, captures most of the criticism. The irony, that we think we are the best for this earth, while we destroy it. The Kinks talk about wishing to go back where they can relax and swing in the trees. De-evolution. When man was one with nature, and away from an industrialized society on the run. Why, you say this is living like a primate? You’re the one living like an apeman, it can’t be any worse that that.

Dialectic: Winning and Success

After being a quarter finalist and awarded fifth best speaker in the junior varsity division at the Illinois state debate tournament, heck, I won a few rounds. Was I successful? I didn’t consider myself to be in the slightest.

The two friends I had been defeated by in the elimination round concluded the opposite; I did better than expected even though I lost my last round.

This dialectic, made me curious about the delineation between the two. They are words that surely everyone has some different setting where they would consider one would be more appropriately used than the other. I just couldn’t place my finger on why, or how. I started with looking them up, to have a base work for each.

To win: “to finish first in a race, contest, or the like”

Success: “The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted”

Success is something I desire, what I aim for, my goal. Arguably, most people want to win. They share a similar common aspiration, to be the best. What made this dialectic for me, over interchangeable synonyms, is when your personal desires run deeper than a simple win. I didn’t think I was successful because I felt the wins I had were shallow. I debated teams that were not very good, making a win easy but did not confirm that I had any debate talent myself (these teams were bad, and I wouldn’t just say that). Even though I technically won a few rounds, it was not what I wanted. I wanted to feel like a good debater; that even if the other team was one of the best in the state, I could overcome it all to beat them. What must have made my friends conclude the opposite is I did do better than many kids at the tournament. Not everyone can be a quarterfinalist, only eight teams. I haven’t even done very well this year, meaning I exceeded expectations which were true. I succeeded because I broke, which was what I originally wanted, even though I lost my last round knocking me out from eliminations.

To succeed is to achieve what you want. To win is being better in a round, or event, than the competition. Many times they may reach the same ends, but when they don’t, is what makes us so complex.

Blogging Around: 3-3-2009 - A day late b/c I hate the internet

I started out replying to Mitch Hochberg's post on Best of the Week: Onion Skins. I found it interesting because I chose the same best of the week; however, Mitch had a slightly different inside and was effected in a different way as well. The underlying goal has the same purpose though, people have mamy layers, we should be tolerant of all of them.

"MITCH!
I think you should give yourself more credit; I know you atleast tolerate my many layers of being loud and annoying, and quiet and shy. However, I do like how you embrace this change by trying to be more understanding. I found it interesting how having this discussion in class had a different effect on you than when you watched shrek. The link included helped you go an extra step in connecting your concept to the reader. Good job. :]"


I also posted on Stephanie's Best of the week, the short story Boys. I loved reading this short story in class, so it was interesting to be reminded of the lessons we went over, and how she will apply them.

"Stephanie love - this is great!! I felt that you really captured some of the techniques we went over and learned in class. I loved hearing how you will encorporate this in your short story. It reminded me of all the opportunities we are presented with to apply what we learn in class. There's a point to Mr. Allen's madness!! I look forward to reading this story now. (And the way you had multiple reasons behind your best of the week was nice analysis)."