Many artists and
bands around the world write successful love songs about relationships. The
Black Eyed Peas released, Where is the
Love, their own version of a “love song” in 2003. The Peas’ song was
different from the normal love song, but it reached the top ten charts in the
U.S. regardless of its unique lyrics and video. The music video is also popular
with over 100 million views on YouTube. The video is well known because it
makes people question normal, everyday aspects of life, advertising shown in
the media.
The most prominent
symbol in the music video is a “?” mark. The question mark is supposed to ask
the question “Where is the Love”, which is asked many times in the chorus and
sung by children in the video. The video uses children to sing the chorus
because children are the victims of the reason why the question is being asked
in the first place. The Black Eyed Peas wrote the song to point out all of the
negative things in today’s society, including racism, negative media, death,
war, and even lies generated by our own government. The video shows that all of
these negative things in the world are affecting our children, the next
generation.
You might wonder
why the children in the video don’t post the question marks like the adult do
in the video. The reason is because the children are not responsible for
posting the question marks because they are innocent. The children are not the
reason for the lack of love in today’s society. The question mark in the video
is advertising. The video uses the question mark as positive publicity as
opposed to societies negative publicity. It shows that to change our adults in
society we must depict a more positive view on life and implement love as that
positivity. It is up to the adults to understand how their actions are
influencing their own children.
A
change in publicity will ultimately influence children and will change our
society. This is the message the video attempts to leave us with. The lyrics might leave you thinking that that
terrorism and racism are bad but in order to fully grasp the Black Eyed Peas’
message it is most necessary to watch the music video while you listen to the
song. The music video is very powerful and shows deep meaning without lyrics.
The imagery of the video leaves the viewer pondering negative media and without
the lyrics, questioning what the children have to do with any of what the Black
Eyed Peas are trying to tell us. The lyrics aid in their message and fully
allow listeners to understand why the children are asking, “where is the love”?
The problems in society are the reason why the children ask the question. The
adults posting the question marks around the city are the activists hoping
their children never have to ask the sad question, “where is the love”?
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