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aemiron-main-backup · 2 years ago

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HREK AND STRANGER THINGS I AM DEAD SERIOUS ABOUT THIS ONE YOU GUYS

I was inspired by this post about the visual parallels to shrek and initally i was just gonna make a little reblog about it, but then it got WAY bigger and i needed to make it into its own post

SO. SHREK WAS ACTUALLY REALLY FANTASTIC FOR ITS USE OF MUSIC. ITS TIME TO BRING OUT MY SPECIFIC HYPERFIXATION ON SHREK THAT I HAD GROWING UP. I HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT SHREK ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE HUGE EMPHASIS ON MUSIC IN STRANGER THINGS

Specifically because the songs used in shrek are seemingly very surface level (ie, songs like ‘i need some sleep,’ being literally played when shrek needs some sleep, songs like ‘changes’ playing when things change), and this pattern carries on all through all of the shrek movies.

But just like stranger things, once you look past the superficial elements of it, the shrek soundtrack becomes more interesting.

So, shrek relies heavily on pop music partially because shrek is, at its core, extremely anti-disney, and was always intended to be. So, shrek as a film is meant to be a criticism of disney and of surface-level narratives, pop culture and surface level films as a whole. But how does that a.) tie into the shrek soundtrack and b.) tie into stranger things?

The usage of original score vs pop songs in shrek is one of the core elements. Shrek has an original score- a beautiful one. But it often gets sidelined by the more familiar, famous pop songs present in the movies. Initally, the use of pop music in shrek ironically seems like a surface-level criticism of disney’s surface-level use of music (ie, disney writing songs that blatantly just have the character sing exactly what they’re upset about with basically no nuance and shrek also using pop songs that seem to be very very on the nose and about exactly what’s happening in the scene). But it goes way, way deeper than that, in regards to both shrek and stranger things. Especially since stranger things has such a focus on SHOWING rather than TELLING, and disney movies like to TELL rather than SHOW.

The original score in shrek is used in scenes that are core and significant to the characters and to the narrative as a whole, whereas the pop music is generally used in scenes that may seem big/exciting on the surface, but actually are not core scenes for the characters are their development. The shrek producers didn’t ‘trust’ pop music to have the right effect at the core scenes. But, because people associate the pop music with fame and familiarity and therefore assume that it is “better,” than the original scores, they also wrongfully assume that the scenes with pop music are the core development scenes in shrek, which they are not. If you watch shrek with the assumption that the non-original score song scenes are the core scenes, then you basically end up watching a narrative identical to that of a disney movie.

The original score in shrek is used to a.) indicate the core scenes of the movies and core character development scenes, and b.) reveal the ‘truth,’ of characters (ie, fiona trying to act like a normal human princess and deny being an ogre because she associates ogres with violence and awfulness, but then when she sings the main original score of shrek alongside a bird, she explodes and kills the bird, revealing that even when she’s not an ogre, she’s not the sweet and innocent and nonviolent princess that she’s acting like she is)

But the really big thing about shrek’s music is when the original score and the pop music merge- when the audience gets a look behind the curtain, so to speak, by grabbing their attention with the pop music and then immediately directing them towards the original score by merging the two of them. For example, the “i need a hero,” scene at the end of shrek 2 IS a very intense scene and a core scene, it’s not just a more surface level scene like the other scenes that used pop music in them. Instead, it’s an epic scene because “i need a hero,” is mixed in with the original shrek soundtrack songs, and the most core moments in that scene are actually the ones where original score plays, whereas the more ‘false’ scenes are the ones where the fairy godmother is singing pop music (indicating her eventual failure and shrek’s triumph)

Now how does this tie into stranger things?

I’m going to go back through and rewatch a bunch of scenes and look for a.) use of original score vs use of pop/non original score music, including the songs that play in the credits, and b.) scenes where original score and pop/non original score music are combined, because there ARE songs/scenes like that in stranger things. I think that just like shrek, the scenes where they’re combined are literally meant to be giving us a peek behind the curtain, meant to be directing us towards the specific use of original scores.

The merging of original score with non original score music is meant to direct us towards the parts of those scenes where original score is used because THOSE are very likely the more core and authentic character development scenes.

Like off the top of my head, I’m thinking about how El’s bullying scene initally takes place with the use of music by the surfaris and how songs like “tarzan boy” play in the rink before that (gay implications aside, even), versus the original score that comes after that and how that ties into the superficial nature of mike and el’s relationship but also into the way that mike and will aren’t being honest with eachother or honest with themselves.

Especially considering how much the duffers and the entire production team love to subvert stereotypes and expectations and criticize large portions of the 80s (staring at you season 3 and criticism of individualism, capitalism, materialism and surface-level relationships)

long story short: i need to go back and rewatch all of st and write a huge music analysis, both about the scenes in the show and the credits scene music choices. Especially since i’ve started noticing a strange pattern not only with the use of non-original scores in the credits, but also a pattern within which original scores are used in the credits and during which episodes they’re used.

Especially in season 3, which is full of themes about criticizing surface-level things and criticisms of materialism etc. I think unlike shrek though, with stranger things, the scenes with non-original score music are still developmental scenes, but i think it’s more the original score scenes that are REALLY the absolutely core scenes for development of the characters.

Idk if this makes sense, but it’s like: the non-original score scenes are the scenes that the duffers want the GA to think are the core developmental scenes/scenes that reveal truths about the characters (see: snowball and ‘every breath you take’ and how so many melvins think it’s a core genuine romantic scene), but the reality is that once you look past the curtain and start looking at the original scores, you’ll find the reality of the characters, their core moments, and their arcs.

Just like how if you focus only on the non-original score song scenes in shrek, you basically get a disney movie, if you focus only on the non-original score scenes in stranger things, i think you’ll get a typical 80s story without the subversion of tropes that is so core to stranger things.

I recommend this youtube video about shrek if you want a deeper dive into what i talked about here!

SHREK AND STRANGER THINGS I AM DEAD SERIOUS ABOUT THIS ONE YOU GUYS

I was inspired by this post about the visual parallels to shrek and initally i was just gonna make a little reblog about it, but then it got WAY bigger and i needed to make it into its own post SO. SHREK WAS ACTUALLY REALLY FANTASTIC FOR ITS USE OF MUSIC. ITS TIME TO BRING OUT MY SPECIFIC HYPERFIXATION ON SHREK THAT I HAD GROWING UP. I HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT SHREK ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE HUGE EMPHASIS ON MUSIC IN STRANGER THINGS Specifically because the songs used in shrek are seemingly very surface level (ie, songs like ‘i need some sleep,’ being literally played when shrek needs some sleep, songs like ‘changes’ playing when things change), and this pattern carries on all through all of the shrek movies. But just like stranger things, once you look past the superficial elements of it, the shrek soundtrack becomes more interesting. So, shrek relies heavily on pop music partially because shrek is, at its core, extremely anti-disney, and was always intended to be. So, shrek as a film is meant to be a criticism of disney and of surface-level narratives, pop culture and surface level films as a whole. But how does that a.) tie into the shrek soundtrack and b.) tie into stranger things? The usage of original score vs pop songs in shrek is one of the core elements. Shrek has an original score- a beautiful one. But it often gets sidelined by the more familiar, famous pop songs present in the movies. Initally, the use of pop music in shrek ironically seems like a surface-level criticism of disney’s surface-level use of music (ie, disney writing songs that blatantly just have the character sing exactly what they’re upset about with basically no nuance and shrek also using pop songs that seem to be very very on the nose and about exactly what’s happening in the scene). But it goes way, way deeper than that, in regards to both shrek and stranger things. Especially since stranger things has such a focus on SHOWING rather than TELLING, and disney movies like to TELL rather than SHOW. The original score in shrek is used in scenes that are core and significant to the characters and to the narrative as a whole, whereas the pop music is generally used in scenes that may seem big/exciting on the surface, but actually are not core scenes for the characters are their development. The shrek producers didn’t ‘trust’ pop music to have the right effect at the core scenes. But, because people associate the pop music with fame and familiarity and therefore assume that it is “better,” than the original scores, they also wrongfully assume that the scenes with pop music are the core development scenes in shrek, which they are not. If you watch shrek with the assumption that the non-original score song scenes are the core scenes, then you basically end up watching a narrative identical to that of a disney movie. The original score in shrek is used to a.) indicate the core scenes of the movies and core character development scenes, and b.) reveal the ‘truth,’ of characters (ie, fiona trying to act like a normal human princess and deny being an ogre because she associates ogres with violence and awfulness, but then when she sings the main original score of shrek alongside a bird, she explodes and kills the bird, revealing that even when she’s not an ogre, she’s not the sweet and innocent and nonviolent princess that she’s acting like she is) But the really big thing about shrek’s music is when the original score and the pop music merge- when the audience gets a look behind the curtain, so to speak, by grabbing their attention with the pop music and then immediately directing them towards the original score by merging the two of them. For example, the “i need a hero,” scene at the end of shrek 2 IS a very intense scene and a core scene, it’s not just a more surface level scene like the other scenes that used pop music in them. Instead, it’s an epic scene because “i need a hero,” is mixed in with the original shrek soundtrack songs, and the most core moments in that scene are actually the ones where original score plays, whereas the more ‘false’ scenes are the ones where the fairy godmother is singing pop music (indicating her eventual failure and shrek’s triumph) Now how does this tie into stranger things? I’m going to go back through and rewatch a bunch of scenes and look for a.) use of original score vs use of pop/non original score music, including the songs that play in the credits, and b.) scenes where original score and pop/non original score music are combined, because there ARE songs/scenes like that in stranger things. I think that just like shrek, the scenes where they’re combined are literally meant to be giving us a peek behind the curtain, meant to be directing us towards the specific use of original scores. The merging of original score with non original score music is meant to direct us towards the parts of those scenes where original score is used because THOSE are very likely the more core and authentic character development scenes. Like off the top of my head, I’m thinking about how El’s bullying scene initally takes place with the use of music by the surfaris and how songs like “tarzan boy” play in the rink before that (gay implications aside, even), versus the original score that comes after that and how that ties into the superficial nature of mike and el’s relationship but also into the way that mike and will aren’t being honest with eachother or honest with themselves. Especially considering how much the duffers and the entire production team love to subvert stereotypes and expectations and criticize large portions of the 80s (staring at you season 3 and criticism of individualism, capitalism, materialism and surface-level relationships) long story short: i need to go back and rewatch all of st and write a huge music analysis, both about the scenes in the show and the credits scene music choices. Especially since i’ve started noticing a strange pattern not only with the use of non-original scores in the credits, but also a pattern within which original scores are used in the credits and during which episodes they’re used. Especially in season 3, which is full of themes about criticizing surface-level things and criticisms of materialism etc. I think unlike shrek though, with stranger things, the scenes with non-original score music are still developmental scenes, but i think it’s more the original score scenes that are REALLY the absolutely core scenes for development of the characters. Idk if this makes sense, but it’s like: the non-original score scenes are the scenes that the duffers want the GA to think are the core developmental scenes/scenes that reveal truths about the characters (see: snowball and ‘every breath you take’ and how so many melvins think it’s a core genuine romantic scene), but the reality is that once you look past the curtain and start looking at the original scores, you’ll find the reality of the characters, their core moments, and their arcs. Just like how if you focus only on the non-original score song scenes in shrek, you basically get a disney movie, if you focus only on the non-original score scenes in stranger things, i think you’ll get a typical 80s story without the subversion of tropes that is so core to stranger things. I recommend this youtube video about shrek if you want a deeper dive into what i talked about here!

#stranger things #byler #st songs #st soundtrack #st analysis #im going insane i need to write a whole new music analysis with this pov #shrek and stranger things

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