Entry #2: Music Videos

"Coffee and TV" by Blur.

Initial reaction: As I watched the music video, most of my attention was focused on how nicely the production team made the dancing milk character the star of the show, which made the video unique and very entertaining to watch.

Analysis and interpretation: I'll admit that while watching the video for the first time, I wasn't so sure of how the journey of a milk carton had to do with what they were singing about. But in in the end, I interpret that the message that "Coffee and TV" tries to convey has to do with forgetting about all of the bad things in life and starting anew. The last bit of the chorus says,

Take me away from this big bad world

And agree to marry me

So we can start all over again

and it expresses the longing of a person who waits for someone or something special to save them so that they will be able to live a new life and "start over again." In the video, the missing person, who is acted by Graham Coxon, the band's guitarist, represents this theme. He has run away from home to take a break, something many teenagers do, yet he was unaware that his family had been searching for him. The milk carton represents "something special" which calls him to go back to his family, and once he walked through the doors of his house and his family ran to him, we conclude that he must have been able to start over again with his family and live a more certain life. I take that the for the most part, the character of the milk carton and the events that it faced were simply to make the video more creative and entertaining.

Consideration of cultural context: After doing some research on the song, I have discovered that Graham Coxon wrote the lyrics to "Coffee and TV" after he had given up alcohol. He must have went through a lot of pain while he was an alcoholic and must have felt all of the feelings he had sung about in the song. One verse expresses the feeling of being intoxicated and says,

Your ears are full of the language

There's wisdom there you're sure

'Til the words start slurring

And you can't find the door

but realizing that being sober brings him a fresh, new beginning was probably what inspired him to write this song.

Expression of aesthetic judgment: I noticed that the scenes of the video did not match the lyrics of the song. However, the fun journey of the lighthearted milk carton complimented the bouncy tune of the song very well. I do not normally listen to Blur or their genre of music, but because of the creative visuals, the interesting character development of the milk carton and the underlying meaning of the work, I was able to enjoy listening to "Coffee and TV" just as well as I would enjoy listening to one of my favourite songs.

Ongoing reflection: I wouldn't have come across this song if it wasn't for the music video. The music video has made a lasting impression on me and the song is paired with it. The music video has allowed me to open up to a new, different, song that I enjoy listening to. Now I find myself humming the chorus of "Coffee and TV" every once in a while!