On Readig a Video Text

What I believe that Robert Scholes, author of, “On Reading a Video Text”, was trying to say, was be questionable and analytical when watching visual media and everyday life. Scholes message could be compared to an Iceberg, that only a small part of an iceberg can be seen above the surface of water, while the rest is submerged. The finish video would be the exposed part of the Iceberg that everyone can see; while the hidden meanings and techniques used in making the video would be the submerged part of the iceberg and that bottom part needs to be analyzed. Scholes talks about different lighting techniques and filters that let us “see the world through jaundiced or rose-colored optics, coloring events with emotion” (par 1); along with, slow motion, close-ups, and music which lend to “visual fascination… [Which] is just one of the matrices of power and pleasure that are organized by video texts” (par2) which gives video text a certain power over viewers that gives, as Scholes puts it, “a defense against the ever-present threat of boredom” (par1). Video texts with all their ability to manipulate reality by using visual effects and other techniques, beats off boredom, by interacting with the viewer on an emotional level, which sends the viewer, hypothetically, into an alternate-universe. Where the viewer gets pulled into a video text on an emotional level, that the viewer creates a world and deeper story by filling in the blanks with their personal knowledge.


Scholes uses a Budweiser commercial as an example and deconstructs the commercial into categories that fall into racism, politic, and country pride. Video text play off of peoples emotions and cultural information, such as racism, politics and country pride, to construct a story and to get pleasure from that story. Scholes states that:

In processing a narrative text we actually construct the story, bringing a vast repertory of cultural knowledge to bear upon the text that we are contemplating. Our pleasure in the narrative is to some extent a constructive pleasure, based upon the sense of accomplishment we achieve by successfully completing this task. By "getting" the story, we prove our competence and demonstrate our membership in a cultural community” (par 4).

In a since, some video texts contains no story or meanings, just random scenes that lack context; the viewer, without realizing it, takes the random scenes and applies their own personal and cultural beliefs, to add context and meaning to the video text, to create a story. By connecting the dots, and creates a story with cultural meaning, the viewer then gets a sense of pride in their competence.


Scholes disputes critics who think Americans lack any culture. Scholes claims that, “many Americans are not without culture; they simply have a different culture… What they really lack, for the most part, is any way of analyzing and criticizing the power of a text” (par 8). What Scholes would like to see from more Americans, even taught in our schools, is critical analysis, which he believes is “necessary to have the tools for ideological criticism… [i]n this age of massive manipulation and disinformation, criticism is the only way we have of taking something seriously” (par 8-9). Scholes believes that greatest patriots will be the ones that question “our ideology critically, with particular attention to the gaps between mythology and practice. Above all, we must start with our most beloved icons, not the ones we profess allegiance to, but those that really have the power to move and shake us” (par9). Scholes wants people to question everything, that manipulation and disinformation lies behind every corner, but for some reason Scholes believes that Government should be excluded. I believe that even our icons that we “profess allegiance to”, Governments, should not be excluded from Scholes list of Icons to criticize. That if we are to criticize our culture, along with our belief systems and society, considering they are icons “that really have the power to move and shake us”, then Governments should be included into the list to question.

"Reading a Video Text" Blog

Robert Scholes in his article, “On Reading a Video Text," wrote about his thoughts on video texts and how they subconsciously connect and engaged with us. Scholes states, "Video texts, like all except the most utilitarian forms of textuality, are constructed upon a base of boredom, from which they promise us relief." In other words, Scholes means video texts were created to prolong technology to have us see certain things such as commercials, movies, TV shows, etc. in a way that is interesting and keeps us engaged. Scholes talks about a commercial which lasted twenty-eight seconds but went in-depth about how Budweiser connects with baseball (an American pastime).

Scholes Blog Post

In this essay, Robert Scholes discusses the ideas that are presented in commercials or other types of videotexts. When we watch a commercial, a lot of different things are happening. First, we are getting an inside look on somebody’s life, or a historic moment, or even a situation. Second, usually our heartstrings are pulled at some point or we can relate to what the commercial is showing. And third, we are being convinced over some sort of product or program. Robert Scholes, author of “On Reading a Video Text” states, “Either way they offer us what is perhaps the greatest single virtue of art: change from the normal, a defense against the ever-present threat of boredom” (par. 1). In other words, rather than sitting on the couch with the TV on mute, must of us would choose to listen to commercials because they are captivating and they share stories.
When given only a few bits and pieces of somebody’s life story, we are able to fill in the rest with our imagination. This is what Scholes calls, “cultural information” (par. 4). As soon as a commercial begins, we can most always predict the ending just by using common sense. Most commercials show some sort of ritual or tradition that we are familiar with and therefore, we can relate to them and picture that product in our life. It’s a form of manipulation. The commercial industry knows how to trick us into thinking that their product will make our lives better. In order to avoid such manipulation, we must learn how to analyze these videotexts and search for the myths and lies that are hidden within.

On Reading a Video Text

In Robert Scholes’ article, “On Reading a Video Text”, he claims that there are hidden messages within a video text that are based on cultural knowledge. I think that with technology changing, we need to be aware of these hidden messages. I also believe that the mass media is relying on the cultural knowledge to draw us in and get us to engage with the text and the product. Scholes states, “From a few scenes, then, aided by the voice over narration and a music track, we construct an entire life. How do we do this? We draw upon a storehouse of cultural information that extends from fairy tales and other basic narrative structures"(par 3). For example, there is a Budweiser commercial on You Tube that displays what Scholes is talking about. The commercial is called “American Dream” and it was aired in 1982. From this media text, there are the hidden messages like American people are trying to be apart of tradition and heritage. If we as Americans, are growing stronger and working harder then we can be apart of something bigger. The commercial isn’t so much about Budweiser beer, its more about American culture and how it was back in the 1980’s. There is a Dalmatian dog in the commercial and I think it represents heroes, because I normally would associate a Dalmatian with firefighters and then firefighters with American heroes who are apart of something greater within the American culture. The mass media uses these symbols to speak to us on an emotional level so we can connect with the story that’s behind the text.

A quick look at reading a video text

Sell, sell, sell, that seems to be the motive behind so many things we come into contact with today and as put by Author Robert Scholes in his recent article "On Reading a video text" "the moments of surrender proposed to us by video text comes in many forms" (1),  in his article Scholes speaks of many techniques used in TV advertising to make you the viewer respond emotionally. He describes a Budweiser commercial where in a 28 second bite they are able to get the viewer to picture in there own minds eye the life story of a black man who has always wanted to be a pro baseball umpire and in this short little clip doing things as Scholes says like close ups to put you right in the scene or playing a certain type of music in the background "lending a balletic grace to ordinary forms of locomotion" brings your subconscious mind to a state of receptive emotion and as you watch it becomes quite obvious that by the end of this commercial after seeing this new umpire overcome obstacles, and his accomplishments being given a cheers gesture with a Budweiser from accross the bar  by the coach he was arguing with at the game that as he sat with the team drinking a beer he had gained acceptance, and is that not what we all want?

    IT gets you to thinking about just how far a company will go to plant a subliminal message that may sell their product and the answer is, As far as the can. using things like visual fascination or as put by Scholes  "filters and other devices cause us to see the world through jaundiced or rose colored optics" So question is is this a bad thing? My answer, no, it is simply a way of life and we as people need to make ourselves aware. This is no different than the techniques that have been used throughout the ages, every thing from milk to religion has been sold in this way so for me, while I enjoy reading the skill level at which Scholes conveys his message I can't help wanting to say, thank you captain obvious for reading so much into this 28 seconds.

The American Dream?

Kevin Eaton

I hate commercials but do commercials play a part in who we are and what we like? Robert Scholes claims in his article, "On Reading a Video Text" that "Known Budweiser commercial, which tells - most frequently in a format of twenty-eight seconds, though a longer version also exists - the life story of a black man pursing a career as a baseball umpire." In other words Scholes is saying, that we expand on a subconcious level that we live vicuriously though commercials. But he says things like he "made it" and "big break" which can link people to the commercial whether they have a link the the umpire or even baseball in that matter. The life style of the umpire is the fact that he achieved his goals. It's trying to say if you buy Budweiser you are buying the "American dream." This gives the desire for buying Budweiser to acheive whatever dream you wished to achieve. Scholes really points out that emotions and the ways they film the commercial pulls us in to have even more link to the person having an emotion connection to the person or the picture they are setting. Scholes really just makes the ideology of peoples dreams overall and the connection that the commercial has to people and not just this commercial but commercials in general which really just brings up the point that do commercials really sell the product or just the idea of what the company believes their company should stand for.

The Combined Voice of Student and Teacher

It seems to me that in the topic of Educational Reform one voice is yet to be heard. Both student and Teacher alike have tried to confront a variety of issues that they face together while joined in the task of educating the generation of tomorrow. This participation and collaboration is both needed and very exciting to see. But I cannot help but notice the silence of the parent-voice, and especially the unarticulated voice of fathers in particular while listening to the different viewpoints and shared concerns.

A video on You-Tube gave voice to a group of 200 students at Kansas State University who collaborated with their instructor, Michael Wesch in an effort to be heard. The short video, entitled “A Vision of Students Today,” documented how students felt left out of the decisions regarding their education. Comments by students include, “I don’t complete 48% of my reading assignments,” and are followed by observations, “Only 24% are relevant to my life.” Another voice is heard in an article published in Educational Leadership (online) by Peter Cookson Jr, entitled "What would Socrates Say?" who ponders the future of technology in the classroom and the general methods of learning in the 21st century by adding meaning to lesson plans that include student participation and active learning.

Questions about surface (rote learning) vs. deep learning are addressed by a variety of authors and experts in the field of meta-cognition are heard to advocate student interaction with the material and encourage analysis, evaluation and understanding over the old-school methods of memorization and learning of dry data which is seen as irrelevant and outdated. As we explore how we teach understanding through various interactive technologies it is almost as if the unstated observation, "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day," is heard. "Teach a man how to fish, or how to learn, and feed him for a lifetime," becomes the new goal that students and teachers face.

I would personally champion the progress and strides that I see in these areas except that I find myself at a loss to articulate my concerns as a parent, grandparent and father. As a student of 50+ years I'm excited for change and would love to see the next decade unfold. As a grandpa, concerned for well-fare of his children's children I don't know what to think. As students and educators alike prepare the next generation for the challenge of the problems they inherit will the voice of the passing generation be heard? Or is it too late, is it as I fear, the channel has not only been changed but the TV is turned off and the generation that dropped out, turned on and tuned in has faded silently into a thing of the past?

I for one would like to encourage others to watch another video, submitted in reply to the "Vision of Students Today".
It can be found here: "A Vision of K-12 Students Today". The vid continues along the same lines as the Wesch student collaborative effort and it prepares the way for concerns of parents who wish to advocate for their kids who may yet be unprepared for their future. This is such a large subject and the questions that arise are well stated and relevant to one and all.

"Education is not the filling of a vessel, but the kindling of a flame." - Socrates

More later,
~Michael (Dad, Grandad and Student)