Poetry #1

1.) Written by Charles Bukowski, The Laughing Heart, was featured in Levi's Go Forth commercial roughly around the year 2011. However, the video did not offer any credit to the original author though out the commercial.

2.)  The commercial features scenes of young people rioting, one riding their bike through tear gas,  a group of them marching, and one even taunting police. With all these dramatic scenes, Bukowski's poem is narrated over them. Now for the irony. Surprisingly, most found the ad to be a negative influence to motivate young people to riot and act against authority. To push the matter even another step forward, a version of the video was pulled in the UK as it was viewed too contentious. The hidden irony here is the underlying connections between the company's "Go Forth" commercial, and young people acting out. In fact, Global President of Levi's brand, Robert Hanson, was quoted saying, "The Global campaign was based on research...young people feel that it's their duty to improve the world." It seems to me that Mr. Hanson sees nothing wrong with rallying up kids and young adults to commit acts of violence ending themselves up in jail. Although the version may vary, the one aired in the U.S. may have still been quite controversial, however, I still can't help but to find it still inspirational in the sense that we have the power to change the world. I think it's enlightening to young people to have confidence in their actions and to understand just how powerful they can be. We have the power to influence and change the world all we want, but showing visuals of riots and violence is not the way to go about doing it (promoting it in a commercial is equally as bad as well). I think instead of encouraging this kind of behavior, we should instead be enlightening younger generations to change the world in a positive way that is constructive and progressive in solving real world issues.



3.) I think the poem itself (without regard to the commercial) reflects the author's personality and past events. Charles Bukowski was an outsider throughout his childhood at school. He had everything from physical skin conditions, speech/accent problems, abusive relationships, to poverty. He has trouble fitting in, and several health problems that required countless visits to the hospital. Because of his past, the poem relays to his life in a unique way. It related to everything Bukowski wanted or wished to be: fearless, confident, powerful, brave, etc. But when this message and overlapped to the Levi's commercial, it becomes an disaster of misleading intentions. Levi's portrays his life in the wrong contact. the line, "You are marvelous" is said as the video features the product trying to be sold. Levi's shattered the true meaning of the poem, and in the process belittled his life. I feel the Charles Bukowski deserves real recognition.

4.) My research was all found through the computer and online sources. The Political Remix Video's article, "Levi's: Go Forth and Revolt?", by a reporter by the name of Johnathon published in October 5, 2011, openly discusses his opinion of the commercial. His opinion being that it is arises nothing but conflict and Levi's wrong doing in the making of the video.
www.politicalremixvideo.com/2011/10/05/go-forth-and-revolt/

Another online source I used was an article rom The Poor Magazine published in September, the same year the video came out. The article explained in detail the life of Charles Bukowski and the history behind his work, especially in "the Laughing Heart".  From the information provided, it was easy to understand as to why the poem was offensive towards the author, as well as the public who watched it.
poormagazine.org/node/4081

After a lot of time researching on the computer, I finished my research by combining what I learned, with factual information, and sprinkled my own opinion over the top of it all. After combining my thoughts, with my sources of information, I feel I have produced a great analysis of the video.