Springsteen Ethos and Argument...

3. With regard to the recent Springsteen cover story on Rolling Stone, the appeal may be to the read on a popular culture level - but it is the resounding and amazing career of Springsteen himself that sets his music apart from other popular artists of today. It is the character of Springsteen that drives this article - an idea of patriotism and independence that has carried him throughout his long and storied career.

Throughout the article, the author and Springsteen alike are trying to tell the long and arduous journey that has been his career. The 3rd photo of his spread shows him at this mountain home, relaxing on his couch - seemingly "one of us". This sense of one-ness, with the audience and readership - is what draws us to his latest album and to his tour as well. Through creating ethos in this article the authors and artist recount the blue collar struggle and the journey that has made his career. They shy away from his fame and his fortune, rather they aim at the emotional attachment that Springsteen shares with his fans. It is his charismatic, patriotic, and unrelenting style - both artistically and photographically - that makes him such an appealing artist.

Ethos surrounds itself with the credibility of both source and author. Rolling Stone, an established and cutting edge publication in regards to music and film, that their word is written as stone in terms of news. Releases and announcements made in the magazine are considered truth - and the magazine has built itself a reputation for timely news and honest portrayals of artists off the record. This reputation, in conjunction with the humble and earnest photos given in the spread, offer the reader and audience a glimpse into the human side to an artist often considered larger than life. And, as the article so aptly states, life's struggles are no stranger to even the super famous and super talented.

4. The argument of this article, in terms of its visual content, is that Springsteen - no matter how long he has been touring, no matter what successes he has relsihed - is still the hard working, American, proud musician he has always been. In order to relate to his audience, the spread is tame in tone - choosing to focus on the basic life that the megastar leads. His quiet retreats offer the readers a small glimpse into the demure and off-the-clock musician. The portrait shots of Springsteen are stoic, in that they lack action. They are not chaotic. They allow the black and whites to connect with the reader, and lets the eye focus on the artist himself. The color shots of his home and his hobbies, are meant to show that in fact the artist is MOST alive when not on stage, not in the studio - being himself.

The articel argues that no matter what age of fan is reading the magazine, the elements of American music and an American icon are timeless. It offers a rare and refreshing thought that even superstars of years past still have passion for the genre that has made them larger than life, and that even Bruce Springsteen can reflect on his trials and triumphs, enough so to create a 3rd album in 10 years and one that speaks to his humanity. The article makes Springsteen human. Enough so, that his readers don't feel alienated. Enough so, that they buy his record and attend his show. Job well done.

Dan Guglielmo