"Jeremy" by Pearl Jam by Casey LaScola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4 Rhetorical Analysis of How Pearl Jam uses Music and Music Video to Convey their Message en-us 2018-02-01 19:21:42 UTC 2018-02-09 04:33:02 UTC hello@padlet.com The Song caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227240076 Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" was featured on the album Ten, released in 1991.

Lyrics
At home, drawing pictures of mountain tops with him on top / Lemon yellow sun / Arms raised in a “V” / The dead lay in pools of maroon below / Daddy didn’t give attention to the fact that mommy didn’t care / King Jeremy the Wicked ruled, ruled his world / Jeremy spoke in class today / Jeremy spoke in class today

(more oohs and screaming)
(dramatic violin harmonies)
(more screaming)
(really intense screaming)

Full lyrics: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/pearljam/jeremy.html

Lyrics by Eddie Vedder
Video directed by Mark Pellington 
]]> 2018-02-01 19:29:29 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227240076 Context caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227253769 The song was written when lyricist Eddie Vedder read a newspaper article about Jeremy Delle.

Delle struggled with a troubled childhood. His parents were divorced and did not give him the attention he needed growing  up. At school, Delle was teased for being quiet and different. He was labeled as a "loner." 

Warning signs going unnoticed, at age 16, Jeremy Delle took his life on January 8, 1991, in front of his English class.]]> 2018-02-01 19:54:10 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227253769 Audience caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227253874 As a song that was released into the media, "Jeremy" is a message to the general public.
Knowing PJ's main consuming group, the song was directed toward the younger, "alternative, grunge" generation.
In light of the context of the song, the secondary audience is anyone who has any connection to those who suffer from depression or show warning signs.
If a tertiary audience is possible, it would be the United States government, as shown through images relating to it throughout the video.]]> 2018-02-01 19:54:22 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227253874 Purpose caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227254892 The purpose of "Jeremy" is to inform the audience of tragedies that can occur when people-- specifically children-- are depressed or suicidal and the signs that they show of this go unnoticed or are not acted on. ]]> 2018-02-01 19:56:17 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227254892 Intro Imagery caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227255142 The imagery is the introduction of the music video includes a series of newspaper clippings. The clippings are both from the article that Vedder read, announcing Delle's death and from other articles about violence and suicides-- mostly revolving around children.

Examples
"Death of Another Girl"
"64 degrees and cloudy"
"3:30 in the afternoon"
"The woman was killed instantly"

This adds context to the song for the audience, but also shows some images that give insight that would otherwise be unknown to the audience.

Examples
"The White House declined comment"
an image of the White House

These images show that Vedder-- at least in part-- blames the government and the nation's leaders for allowing the violence and tragic events to go on.]]> 2018-02-01 19:56:53 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227255142 Intro Audio caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227255347 The audio that plays during the intro of the video sets the context of the song before it begins.

"--and the news media with a lot more." --> a news anchor introducing a story

There are school bells ringing and loud drumming the resembles gunshots.

"It is very relevant in America today." --> another news anchor]]> 2018-02-01 19:57:20 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227255347 Words shown in Video caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227255470 Throughout the video, there are 18 words and phrases that flash on the screen. They are meant to give more context to the song and to draw more emotion from the viewer. There are words from the article on Jeremy Delle, religious references, and others phrases that Vedder seemed fit for the song.

Examples
"Genesis 3:6"
     --> In this, a woman eats a poisonous fruit and gives some to her husband. This shows how one can kill themselves and other without necessarily meaning to-- perhaps an allusion to how children when taking lives and their own lives may not entirely understand what they are doing.

"Described as... bored / ignored / harmless."
     --> how Delle was           described by peers in the article

"Because I say so"
     --> This is something parents often say to their children when they do not want to give an actual reason for why they are asking something of the child. It shows superiority and authority over the child. Likely, Delle felt much like how a child feels when told this.

"90210"
     --> Beverly Hills zip code

"The unclean spirit entered."
 --> Another reference to in the Bible when evil spirits posses pigs and cause them to drown themselves. A suicide like Delle's.]]> 2018-02-01 19:57:38 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227255470 On the Chalkboard caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227255867 In the main setting of the video, a classroom, there are words written on the chalkboard in the background.

"Life crisis"
"Anxiety disorders"
"Hereditary factors"
"Personality"

The children were learning about detecting signs of depression and suicidal behavior in class that day. This is something that Eddie Vedder wanted everyone to learn about in an attempt to prevent more deaths like Jeremy's.]]> 2018-02-01 19:58:33 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227255867 Importance of Video caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227264783 The music video plays a major role in expressing the purpose of "Jeremy" to the audience. It shows things that the audience would not necessarily know from the music alone.
The class pledges allegiance, and the boy playing Jeremy wraps himself in an American flag before he kills himself, showing how the children believe that their country will protect them. In reality, their country's leaders do nothing to help their situations.
During the pledge, the students flash from their hands over their hearts to their arms outstretched in a "heil Hitler" fashion, then back to the pledge. This gives more insight to Vedder's views on the government and the way people worship it.
The video also shows outright scenes of Jeremy walking into class and shooting himself, just in case the listener did not pick up on the fact that that is what this song is about.]]> 2018-02-01 20:14:28 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227264783 Sources caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227272650 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfo3g_MsccM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS91knuzoOA
http://www.fivehorizons.com/songs/aug99/jeremy_article.shtml]]> 2018-02-01 20:29:43 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/227272650 Conclusion caseylascola https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/229399972 Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam wrote "Jeremy" during a time in which he felt very passionate about violence among the youth, specifically self-inflicted violence out of depression and suicidal thoughts. He read the article about Jeremy Delle and was moved to spread his message with the public-- the message being that cases like Delle's could be prevented. There are often warning signs that go unnoticed or ignored. Using the song as a medium for the outlet of this message enabled Vedder to reach a wide audience. The accompaniment of the music video heightens the message and highlights certain points that Vedder wanted to make to his audience.]]> 2018-02-08 02:22:40 UTC https://padlet.com/caseylascola/p2jaqv2nwvb4/wish/229399972