Metaphore and Cliche September 9, 2009

According to the dictionary, metaphore is: all language that involves figures of speech or symbolism and does not literally represent real things and one thing used or considered to represent another.  Ex: a heart of stone, meaning her heart is similar to stone but not actually stone.  Metaphor functions as a way for the viewer to interpet an object to mean something else, such as “It’s raining cats and dogs.”  It’s not really raining cats and dogs but the viewer will interpret cats and dogs as a lot of rain.  Metaphor is important because it allows an artist to express his idea in a possibly more accepted way than if they were completly obvious.  I am pretty sure we all remember the “This is your brain on drugs” PSA.  The egg represents or is a metaphor for our brain and the egg being fried is what happens to our brain on drugs.  I like the newer PSA where the egg gets smashed and everything in the room is smashed.  The egg obviously is still the brain, egg smashing is heroin, etc.  The video is pretty self explanatory.

A cliche is an idea that has been used so much that the original meaning or effect is lost, a stereotype of sorts.  This is especially true with ideas that at some point were meant to be pretty meaningful.  The lightbulb is one commonly used cliche for a bright idea.  I am sure at the time it was something very clever but now it is something that has been overused and is easily recognizable.

This one I just put because I thought it was funny the guy got the bottom of the light bulb tattooed on his neck so his head is the bright idea basically.

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