Kathy Lacey
- Rhetorical Situation
The purpose of the essay by Jon Pareles about the band Coldplay is to offer a critical analysis of the lyrics and music they produce, and reasons for his unfavorable opinion of them. The publication of the essay coincides with the release of a new album by the band. Pareles writes as a music critic for The New York Times, which helps us understand his purpose as expressive, informative, analytical, and persuasive. In the context of respected music critic, Pareles expresses his opinion, informs readers with clear descriptions, analyzes the music, lyrics, and even motives of band members, and attempts to persuade readers to agree with his views. This context is important—the same essay by an unknown author would have much less impact on readers. Those readers include his intended audience, consisting of people involved in the music and recording industry, fans (and foes) of popular music, and followers of Coldplay anticipating the new release. Other readers are part of the unintended audience, such as students reading for an assignment, or casual readers of the newspaper attracted to the essay by the title. The intended audience recognizes the author’s credentials, and understands the terminology used to convey the author’s opinion about the topic. The unintended audience may only read the first few paragraphs.
- Thesis
The thesis of the argument is that Coldplay is “the most insufferable band of the decade.” The reasons given include the voice of band member Chris Martin and the lyrics. The “evidence” given to support the author’s claims is presented as partial lyrics of old and new releases. Pareles offers his opinion of those lyrics, stating, “…the lyrics can make me wish I didn’t understand English.” Martin’s singing is described as “…a sound somewhere between a yodel and a hiccup.”
- Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
The author engages in ethos in the first paragraph of the essay, identifying different character traits (self-pity, striving for grandeur, male sensitivity) as influential factors in songwriting. Pathos is used in praise of the band: “The band proffers melodies as imposing as Romanesque architecture, solid and symmetrical.” This suggests a grand scale, as does “…sonic splendor…” Pathos is also used to offer criticism: “When he moans his verses, Mr. Martin can sound so sorry for himself that there’s hardly room to sympathize for him…” Facts (logos) are limited to a few stated numbers, such as “…third album” and “20 million albums worldwide.”
- Objections
The author acknowledges that Coldplay has “worldwide popularity” and is “admired by everyone—everyone except me.” He refutes popular opinion by first identifying great attributes of the band and then citing specific lyrics or music that seem to disappoint him, as well as the reason for his displeasure: “Coldplay’s countless fans seem to take comfort…” “Me, I hear a passive-aggressive blowhard…”
I am not familiar with the music of Coldplay, and I had never read a column by Mr. Pareles. As a member of the unintended audience, I was not convinced that this band is “insufferable.” The evidence was not sufficient to do any more than make me curious enough to seek out some of Coldplay’s music and listen for myself.
2 comments:
That's good that you aren't going to base your opinion about the band on one authors critique. Very smart, although I don't like the band either. You detailed every point very well. Good job.
First have to say. You became a critic yourself with that hefty analyzing of his essay, but you did a great job. Ya i have heard a song or two of coldplay on the radio and it did not strike anything but to change the station so coming into the review i knew i did not like the band anyways.
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