Anthropomorphic - What does that mean?
an·thro·po·mor·phic
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin anthropomorphus of human form, from Greek anthrOpomorphos, from anthrOp- + -morphos -morphous
1 : described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes (anthropomorphic deities)
2 : ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman things (anthropomorphic supernaturalism)
Anthropomorphism has been around long before animation (even before Aesop and his fables), but animation is perhaps the best modern example.
In many examples of anthropomorphism, facial features, an upright posture, a voice, etc is added to an object or animal in order to make it seem more human. This is not the only way to do it, though it is perhaps the easiest.
In the Spike Jonze Ikea commercial, the lamp has no face, voice, or even movement to help convey it’s humanlike qualities. This is achieved by using the music, setting, and replacement with a new lamp to set up the audience to believe the lamp has a feeling of rejection and is sad. As the guy at the end says, many of you feel bad for this lamp. It’s not because you are crazy. The commercial uses your experience as a human to make you project human feelings onto the inanimate lamp. This is perhaps the most clever use of anthropomorphism.
Thoughts?
-Floyd Bishop
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On June 8th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Terrific film making, and the punchline is a slice of fried gold.
On December 1st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Yeh cool.
I blame anthropomorphic imagry and film for the over-protective nature we have for animals/things (in the UK).
To be a Vet you have to be the best-of-the-best; alterniately, to be a doctor you have to be pretty-much-as-best-as-we-can-get-if-you-haven’t-made-it-being-a-vet. Sorry for the over use of hiphens; just needed to make this as ridiculous as UK society’s logic.
I can understand why, as a vet has to view a differing range of patients (dog,cat,tortoise,snake,etc.), even saying this, I’d rather have the best-of-the-best looking after humans as humans have greater potential than a animal like a dog/cat/etc.
Less house-hold pets and more sane humans please!