This seminar paper will comprise three parts. First, in order to provide a basis for the
upcoming analysis, there will be a theoretical part, containing general facts on myths
and rurality, as well as two specifically addressed rural myths. After that, there will be
an application part in which the afore-mentioned rural myths will be applied to Ram's
'Farmer' commercial. Finally, there will be a chapter on the negative side of this
advertisement, addressing some ofthe arisen controversies and problems.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Rural Mythology
2.1 'Rurality' and 'Myth'
2.2 The American Farmer
2.3 The Garden
3. Rurality As Depicted in Ram's 'Farmer' Commercial
4. Controversies and Problems
4.1 Minorities
4.2 Rural Utopia vs. Reality
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines how Ram's 2013 "Farmer" Super Bowl commercial employs cultural myths to construct an idealized, romanticized portrait of American rural life, while critically evaluating the social implications of this representation, particularly regarding its exclusion of minorities and the obfuscation of real-world rural challenges.
- Theoretical analysis of "rurality" and foundational American myths.
- Deconstruction of the "American Farmer" and "Garden" archetypes.
- Visual and rhetorical analysis of the Ram "Farmer" commercial.
- Critique of the underrepresentation of minority labor in rural narratives.
- Examination of the conflict between utopian rural imagery and contemporary socio-economic realities.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Rurality As Depicted in Ram's 'Farmer' Commercial
The following chapter will be about how an ideal, idyllic, romantic, and nostalgic picture of rurality, or that is to say American farm life, has been painted. Ram's 'Farmer' commercial, which was shown during the Super Bowl in 2013 consists of two basic layers – a speech called 'So God made a farmer', given by the famous late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, which is played over a slideshow of farming photographs. Both of these layers will be talked about in two separate sections.
If we draw on the conceptualization of rurality mentioned earlier, there is no doubt that this commercial is set in rural space, since the 'functional' and 'political-economic' concepts suggested by Cloke apply here to the greatest extent. These are in particular the definition of areas which are "dominated . . . by extensive land uses, notably agriculture and forestry" (Cloke 20) and "A distinctive local political ideology which favors the market, the volunteer and the self-helper rather than public sector intervention" (ibid. 21). The purpose of this chapter now is to show what image of rurality this advertisement constructed beyond these two frames of conceptualization.
The commercial starts with an idyllic photograph (Official Ram Trucks Super Bowl Commercial "Farmer" min. 0:01) of a single cow in the middle of snow-clad grassland. Here, a connection to Bell's 'farmscape' concept in the context of the rural idyll can be established right away. What we see is an image which seems to convey notions of agriculture as an artisan craft with no sign of the business side of it, meaning no sign of factory farming or large-scale animal husbandry. The second photograph (ibid. min. 0:08) is portrayed in black and white and shows a church made out of wood, surrounded by a wooden fence, again in the middle of wide and seemingly unused and unoccupied land.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the cultural significance of Super Bowl commercials and outlines the research goal to analyze the myth-making process within Ram's "Farmer" advertisement.
2. Rural Mythology: This section provides the theoretical framework, defining terms like 'rurality' and 'myth', and exploring archetypes such as the American Farmer and the Garden.
3. Rurality As Depicted in Ram's 'Farmer' Commercial: This chapter performs a detailed analysis of the commercial's visual layers and the rhetoric of Paul Harvey's speech to reveal the constructed "rural idyll."
4. Controversies and Problems: This chapter critiques the advertisement by highlighting the omission of minority farmers and the masking of actual socio-economic struggles in rural America.
5. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the findings, asserting that the commercial functions as a romanticized, exclusionary spectacle that prioritizes nostalgia over modern rural realities.
6. Bibliography: This section lists all scholarly and internet sources cited throughout the paper.
Keywords
Rurality, American Farmer, Myth, Rural Idyll, Super Bowl Commercial, Ram Trucks, Cultural Studies, Nostalgia, National Identity, Representation, Agrarianism, Minorities, Utopia, Globalization, Social Construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper explores the representation of rural life in Ram's 2013 "Farmer" commercial, analyzing how it constructs an idealized image of the American farmer using established cultural myths.
What are the central thematic fields?
The central themes include rural mythology, the construction of national identity, the American pastoral ideal, and the socio-economic realities of contemporary farming.
What is the main research question?
The study asks how Ram used specific promotional notions and myths to create a unified, idealized picture of the American farmer, and to what extent this representation obscures actual rural problems.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author uses a cultural studies approach, combining theoretical analysis of rural myths with a visual and rhetorical analysis of the advertisement's imagery and audio narrative.
What is addressed in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical definitions of rurality and myth, followed by a specific breakdown of the commercial's visuals, and concludes with a critique regarding minority representation and the disparity between the commercial's "rural utopia" and reality.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Rurality, American Farmer, Myth, Rural Idyll, Cultural Studies, and National Identity.
How does the author interpret the visual editing of the commercial?
The author argues that techniques like black-and-white photography, specific exposure levels, and the rejection of the "two-third rule" are deliberate choices to evoke religious symbolism, nostalgia, and a sense of timelessness.
What is the role of Paul Harvey's speech in this context?
The speech is interpreted as a modified, quasi-biblical narrative that elevates the farmer to a divine caretaker role, thereby reinforcing the "American Farmer" archetype as a cultural prototype.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Matthias Köbrich (Autor:in), 2013, The Representation of Rurality as depicted in Ram's 2013 Super Bowl 'Farmer' Commercial, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/231865
