The Kellog's commercial began with pretty music and green grass growing in the sun. The grass slowly grew up and two blades wrapped together, almost like a grass hug! How lovely. Then to my horror, the long grass turned into a chain-link fence and a big metal fence post, and white paint formed on the shorter grass. A baseball field. All I could think of was this class and how "unnatural" metal and toxic-fumed paint was in the middle of the "natural" world.
Then some kids with baseball gloves run out onto the field yelling and smiling and having fun. The ad promises that Kellog's will help your kids "to play, to grow, to be their very best." I remember how much baseball meant to my older brothers growing up, and what great memories it made for us as a family. Contradicting my initial feelings about the commercial, just because there is a chain-link fence doesn't mean playing the outdoor sport isn't natural. It helps kids who might otherwise be watching TV inside connect with nature without even realizing it. It isn't until a rainy day when they truly miss the outdoors and all that is has to offer.
Even though things like hiking and running seem more "natural" to me than some sports, anything that gets kids and parents (and students) off of the couch and outside playing is a step (pun!) in the right direction.
It's kind of funny you mentioned this commercial, I was thinking the same thing. The only difference was I hated going to my brother's baseball games :-). But anyways I agree in what you say. Yes some things associated with baseball is unnatural but it is a nice way to get people out and exercising and enjoying the outdoors. Everyone, not just the youth, needs to get outside and enjoy it more. We need more education on nature to motivate more people to enjoy it rather than sit inside and watch TV or whatever they like to do.
ReplyDeleteI just don't know. I can understand that it isn't a natural process to build a fence, but I really don't think that the problem with our environment is that there are too many baseball fields. I guess the problem with the video is essentially that the commercial begins making you feel good about nature, then suddenly changes into making a baseball field. Maybe it wasn't the best approach, but I thought it was a pretty cool effect.
ReplyDeleteI think that the commercial was just Kellog's way of trying to connect the public with nature in order to make us feel like we one with nature. With this portrait of nature and human interactions it seems as if we (Americans) couldn't possible be the cause for global warming since as the commercial portrays we are one with nature rather than the forces counteracting her greatness.
ReplyDeleteI too thought it was a pretty good commercial. Getting people outside enjoying the fresh air and grass is always a good thing. Especially in our society, baseball is an immense part of the "American leisure time." I remember one day in class when we were reading the chapter on sweetness, we were discussing what nature was exactly and if everything manufactured was from natural substances than could we determine almost anything nature. At the time I thought we may have been getting a little carried away. This commercial confirmed that notion for me! A chain link fence is not natural. It may be made from natural substances but it does not grow out of the ground as grass does. All in all it was a good commercial with a good message I feel.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I wasn't able to view this commercial, I agree with Morgan; it would have left me feeling more disappointed than anything. I'm sure, as others have mentioned, that Kellogg was only trying to instill good nostalgic feelings in viewers, but it is sad to see nature placed on a lesser scale than baseball, or any sport. If we want our children to grow up to be better, healthier people overall, wouldn't it be better to create their own pleasure in the world with the understanding not to alter the lives of other living creatures? We don't need a baseball field to play baseball, why can't things be left as un-altered as possible, while still allowing humans to flourish? Maybe I'm taking this a bit out of context, but this commercial would have left me feeling much happier if the fence and paint had been left out of the equation :)
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