For my rhetorical analysis essay, i decided to take slightly unusual path and analyze the song same love by macklemore featuring ryan lewis and mary lambert. I chose this song because i think it is packed full of rhetoric and expresses views on a serious issue dividing america currently. For those of you don’t listen to top 40 music, same love focuses on the issues of discrimination based on sexuality, gay rights, and marriage equality. I personally think the song is really powerful and gets it’s message across well because most of the music you hear on the radio today is about hookups, heartbreaks, and drinking, things that in the grand scheme of things are really trivial. It is so inspiring to hear a singer, who had such a successful first single thrift shop , tackle a tough social issue for their second single.

I think that the timing of the song is extremely appropriate and an evident example of kairos. The issue of same sex marriage and gay rights is something that you can’t check social media or turn on the tv or radio without hearing about. Coincidentally, as i sit here writing my blog post with the news playing in the background, the issue of same sex laws in pennsylvania is being discussed. Same sex marriage is a huge debate in every state currently as progress is slowly being made with each new law passed. At the national level, we have recently seen the end of doma defense of marriage act and president obama’s clear support.

Because of so much political focus on the issue, the kairos has already been created and there is a great sense of exigence. In doing a preliminary skim over the lyrics, i noticed several strategies utilized by macklemore to portray his point. One of his main strategies is using stereotypes we often associate with the word gay to prove the ridiculousness and stupidity of their rationale. He also take great advantage of logos by stating specific facts we use to support the fight against equality and showing the fault in them.

Pathos can also be seen by the appeal to the emotion of love and how that makes us feel. Macklemore also takes advantages of commonplaces like america the brave and god loves all his children to appeal to even more emotions in his argument. Overall, i really like the structure and delivery of the song because it has a very nice flow. It transitions fluidly back and forth between a rap/talking style to a smooth, emotional female voice. The song itself is at a slower pace which is calming and also allows you to really hear the words and message that the song is trying to get across. I think this song is full of rhetoric and i can’t wait to fully analyze it to discover the whole message. Here’s a link to the video for those of you haven’t heard the song or want to see the video.

I highly recommend watching all seven minutes, even if you have heard the song, the video is really powerful as well. The underlying truth: an analysis on macklemore’s music video same love everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion and beliefs. What people don’t think about is how this relates to past issues within society. Those who are the minority or the outcast then tend to hide behind a shadow, afraid to show who they really are, and stand up for what they believe in. In macklemore’s music video same love , he uses significant objects of history and current day to create juxtapositions in civil rights, and religion.

In addition he uses the african american female, the burning of the cross, war image, and the young girl with the sign to show that we have a history of oppressing each other. Creating this juxtaposition that the condemning of same sex marriage, the persecution of native americans, slavery, and those with different beliefs are all related. Macklemore uses such tactics to attack those who are against gay rights yet were in the same position years before, such as african americans or those who fought to free them.

The people that believe in equality, but are contradicting themselves when it comes to gay rights. He is communicating to us that this is the same thing our country has been fighting for, since we were founded. The majority of people, who are against same sex marriage, are those in the religious community. They have been told their whole life that it is against the bible, and it is wrong.

Macklemore brings up his argument in a very mature way, he does not discriminate those who are religious. At in his video, macklemore puts multiple clips of religion, like the cross, and young kids getting there communion. Then follows up with a clip of the gay guy sitting in the pew at church with his mother. Playing to the lyrics the right wing conservatives think it's a decision, and you can be cured with some treatment and religion.

Why would people choose to be looked down upon? choose to be hated for being who they are? he puts this in there to show that religious parents of gay children think bringing them to church is going to cure them. But it happens all over, parents actually disown or kick out their own children because they are gay. Macklemore uses this in his argument to show that, nothing can change their sexuality. Year: 2012 this song is written and sung by macklemore and has featured vocals by mary lambert. Macklemore’s uncle is gay and he had wanted to write a song about gay rights and homophobia within the hip hop community and the world. Macklemore was fuelled by the issue of marriage equality and the flagrant use of ‘gay’ as a derogative term in the hip hop industry, and the world.

He would also use and say ‘that’s gay’ himself because it is so embedded in our culture. It was not until he was caught out saying it by friends that he realised that he had to stop. He wanted to make an impact on his fellow musicians, rappers and hip hop artists and express his concerns for the use of words such as ‘faggot’ and ‘that’s gay’ as just another lyric. The song ‘same love’ has lyrics that hopefully makes people second guess their language. Macklemore’s positive stance against marriage equality, homosexuality and the queer population has gained an overwhelming acceptance. He is the first male mainstream hip hop artist who has rapped positively about homosexuality.

Proving that popular culture can turn the tide of peoples use of derogative comments, opinions and challenge our ways of thinking in regards to our gay community. Many of the lyrics in the song ‘same love’ have made me stop and think about what they really mean. I have uncles, aunties, cousins and friends who are gay so my choice of words are often corrected by my parent and peers. But nothing is more powerful then the words in a song that is of pop culture and because i believe it’s accurate for a generation more accepting, tolerant and knowledgeable of homosexuality. And i can’t change even if i tried, even if i wanted to, goes the chorus of macklemore and ryan lewis's grammy nominated same love , which the duo performed at sunday's ceremony while queen latifah officiated the marriage of 33 straight and same sex couples. A seven minute plea for tolerance namely in politics and hip hop , the track has ousted gaga’s born this way as pop music's premiere gay battle cry, rightly condemning right wing conservatives who think it's a decision, and you can be cured with some treatment and religion. We are what we are, and there’s not a damn thing we can do about that, so let’s just stop trying to change.

Essay on Same Love By Macklemore Text

Advice on Writing