Weekly Blog Post 4

What I've Done - Linkin Park

What I've Done

Linkin Park MySpace Music Videos
The music video "What I've Done" by Linkin Park juxtaposes conflicting images of nature and controversies throughout history, exemplifying two opposing sides of humanity. In a time where the world seems to begin the chaos the Mayans predicted in the year 2012 and the green fad in America grows in response to the increase in carbon emissions and pollution around Earth, a commentary on the impact by the human race seems appropriate in order to continually open the eyes of people around the world in an attempt to evade destruction of the only planet on which the human race may depend. Throughout the video images of opposite situations, such as the cycle of destruction versus birth of a living creature, juxtapose in an attempt to show the average American the impact that the human race has had upon the Earth, good and bad. Typically the context of a commentary on the impact of humans on Earth has a melancholic theme and it is assumed that every person that has ever walked the Earth has caused it more harm than they have good. The video breaks the ordinary context of human impact by showing not only the good, but the bad so the audience may be able to answer the question themselves possibly even move them toward beneficial habits; Earth, creature, or human. "What I've done/I'll face myself/To cross out what I've become/Erase myself/ To let go of what I've done," addresses only a singular person further challenging the audience to figure where they stand in political situations without bias. The "I" asks what each individual what they plan on doing with the information they receive from the video, whether it be nothing or changing eating habits.

The stage upon which the band stands is situated in a remote desert with absolutely nothing around them implying a certain nakedness of the band, inviting the audience to evaluate the lyrics and images by themselves. This leaves the audience more vulnerable especially with the juxtaposition of intense images. For example, the image of a fat man eating large quantities of food for the sake of competition and a woman measuring her waist out of vanity next to an image of an poverty stricken, emaciated man intensifies the message of the song for the audience. Americans tend to live in ignorant bliss but this video breaks the expected barriers with the raw images of “racy” themes, naked exposure of the band, and the feeling of solitude for the person watching. The humanitarian context of the video does not guide the audience to a specific conclusion, but gives them the tools needed to change their habits "to let go of what [they]'ve done."