Just a small comment on this - *I* have never seen Jaws, but I have
absorbed the sound and its use and meaning deeply, which is a cultural
phenomenon too!
I never see movies with firearms or animals as evil or bad as the theme
(or cartoons, either, alienating me from sound designers I used to
admire). But one cannot avoid the familiar use of the shark music
sound, even if only heard from the mouths of people in jest! THAT is a
cultural thing by definition. It's like saying "ta-daa" when something
is presented or accomplished... or badda-boom when ironic or silly.
2c,
<L>
Lou Judson =95 Intuitive Audio
415-883-2689
On Dec 2, 2006, at 9:14 PM, oryoki2000 wrote:
> A "cultural earcon" that carries a more emotional message is the
> "duh-duh -- duh-duh" sound accompanying the approach of the shark in
> the movie, "Jaws." To millions, this sound has come to elicit a sense
> of fearful foreboding. The sound is now mimiced by people in any
> potentially frightening situation, even when it has nothing to do with
> water or sharks. To people who haven't seen the movie (there must be
> a few somewhere), this meaning is not available.
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