The Rosary and the Microphone - Religious Impulse in U2’s Mediated Brand - Nicholas P. Greco
Beautiful Day: Technological Optimism, Gesture and Intimacy
The Rosary and the Microphone - Religious Impulse in U2’s Mediated Brand - Nicholas P. Greco
Nicholas P. Greco [+]
Providence University College, Canada
Nicholas P. Greco is Associate Professor, Communications and Media, Providence University College, Canada. He is the author of David Bowie in Darkness (McFarland, 2015) and “Only if you are Really Interested”: Celebrity, Gender, Desire and the World of Morrissey (McFarland, 2011).
Description
This chapter explores the promotional video for “Beautiful Day,” and explores how the band nurtures a sense of the intimate with its audience while attempting to foster a sense of optimism in the face of the dehumanizing contemporary world. Horace Newcomb’s discussion of television aesthetics is useful in order to understand U2’s televisual presentation. Finally, a pair of music videos are analyzed in order to demonstrate how the band fosters an awareness of the need for empathy and outward concern.