{"id":230,"date":"2016-12-14T20:49:57","date_gmt":"2016-12-15T01:49:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/?p=230"},"modified":"2016-12-14T20:54:16","modified_gmt":"2016-12-15T01:54:16","slug":"a-case-of-the-creeps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/uncategorized\/a-case-of-the-creeps\/","title":{"rendered":"A Case of the Creeps"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Many people are drawn to creepy things. I don\u2019t mean the horrific, not bugs and brains and guts. I mean a gentle unease, an anxious anticipation, a sense that things are not quite right. I mean clowns, and graveyards, and long hallways with flickering lights and no people. There is an art to creating creepy things, and much art is creepy.<\/p>\n<p>Take the song \u201cA-ha!\u201d by Imogen Heap. It is a son that seems designed to impart a creepy sensation. On its YouTube video, one user comments:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-232\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/files\/2016\/12\/Capture.PNG1_-300x59.png\" alt=\"capture-png1\" width=\"300\" height=\"59\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/files\/2016\/12\/Capture.PNG1_-300x59.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/files\/2016\/12\/Capture.PNG1_.png 445w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Some are more brash:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-231\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/files\/2016\/12\/Capture-300x75.png\" alt=\"capture\" width=\"300\" height=\"75\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We can give it a\u00a0listen to find out for ourselves<a href=\"#_edn1\" name=\"_ednref1\">[i]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Imogen Heap - Aha!  (Lyrics)\" width=\"584\" height=\"438\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Z9_S8nrdERY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>So, what makes this song creepy? What makes any song creepy? At first listen, it may seem like a product of the music (what could be called the instrumental aspect of the song). The fast-paced tempo and the disjointed melodies seem intended to create a sense of creepiness. But this may not be the only thing at play; it may be that this cannot be the only thing at play. Colin Radford states that \u201ca piece of music is simply a (usually rhythmic) sequence of sounds, selected and organized by the composer\u2026. that is all.\u201d (Radford 71) He argues \u201cthat listening to sad (or angry, or creepy) music makes you sad simply in the way in which a change in one&#8217;s hormonal levels can make one agitated or sad.\u201d, and that \u201cthe hormonal change is not itself sad\u201d as to be sad, you must \u201cfind something to be sad about, an &#8220;object.&#8221;\u201d (70). Radford argues that music cannot create emotion on its own, for music is purely abstract. Emotion must be connected to the world, and for that an object is necessary.<\/p>\n<p>The lyrics of \u201cA-ha\u201d may prove to be this object. That is, they may allow us to connect the abstract feelings of creepiness to the world such that it can become true emotion. While they may sound like nonsense at first, the lyrics may be key to understanding how the song can create the creepiness feeling. Yet to answer the question about how the lyrics of \u201cA-ha!\u201d make the song creepy, it is necessary to understand creepiness in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>The working psychological hypothesis entails that being \u201ccreeped out\u201d is \u201can evolved adaptive emotional response to ambiguity about the presence of threat that enables us to maintain vigilance during times of uncertainty\u201d (Mcandrew &amp; Koehnke, 2016). The two key phrases here are that for a situation to be creepy, there needs to be both \u201cuncertainty\u201d and an ambiguous \u201cpresence of threat\u201d. To create a sense of creepiness, the lyrics of \u201cA-ha!\u201d must do both these things, open a sense of uncertainty, and induce anxiety about an ambiguous threat into it.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s start at the beginning: \u201cEat, sleep, and breathe that you\u2019re full of the stuff\u201d. Notice that eating, sleeping, and breathing are necessities for life. \u201cThe stuff\u201d in this lyric then could easily be life itself. But it also could not be. The lyrics do not say \u201cEat, sleep, and breathe that you\u2019re full of life\u201d. They purposely introduce ambiguity and uncertainty. \u201cStuff\u201d could be almost anything. The language is trying to avoid referring to anything, so it uses the word \u201cstuff\u201d. It is reasonable to assume that this language introduces uncertainty by what it tries to avoid stating directly, when it denies its ability to refer.<\/p>\n<p>By denying this drive towards reference, we see the language in \u201cA-ha!\u201d drawing attention to itself. We see this in the next phrase \u201cWheat-meat-dairy-free, tee total, So happy clappy\u201d. The most distinctive parts of this sentence are not what the words mean, but the rhymes and alliteration. \u201cFree, tee total\u201d and \u201chappy clappy\u201d are arguably the two most distinctive segments of this phrase if we view it from this standpoint. It is important to note that we still can, and perhaps instinctively do, try to gain meaning from the sentence. Yet the meaning is almost certainly less apparent than the language itself. We see the attempted denial of reference, the subsequent introduction of uncertainty, and the focus on language itself throughout the song \u201cA-ha!\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>We can now draw our attention to the lyric \u201cBusy bee wave, wave \u2018save the planet&#8217; flag. But sneaky in suburbia\u201d. A curious word here is \u201cbut\u201d which indicates that the two clauses are related to each other. The second phrase should contradict or provide a counterpoint to the second. At the very least, one should refer to the other. Yet finding a connection proves difficult. If you look hard enough, you could propose that \u201cBusy bee wave, wave \u2018save the planet\u2019 flag\u201d is an incrimination of movements to protect the environment, on the grounds that they intrude upon leisure and life (hence the \u201cbusy bee wave\u201d). The second clause could be an escape in the form of being \u201csneaky in suburbia\u201d, with suburbia in this case as the opposing term to \u201csave the planet\u201d. But this seems like a reach. It perhaps more tenable to consider that the phrases are not related to each other, or that they are only related in an incidental way. The \u201cbut\u201d has the same purpose as \u201cstuff\u201d from earlier. It attempts to disrupt the language\u2019s ability to refer, and introduces uncertainty in the process.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we can note a phrase towards the end of the song. Here we see: \u201cAnd put the deepest Swiss bank trust in you\u201d instead of the seemingly more obvious \u201cAnd put the deepest trust in you\u201d. \u00a0Here the two words \u201cswiss bank\u201d perform an important function, calling to mind different ideas of what \u201ctrust\u201d means. It is now ambiguous as to whether \u201ctrust\u201d refers to personal confidence in somebody, or a bundle of money held by a bank. \u201cSwiss Bank\u201d interrupts the phrase\u2019s reference chain, again creating a sense of ambiguity.<\/p>\n<p>Yet this cannot be the whole picture. If all the lyrics of \u201cA-ha!\u201d do is deny their ability to refer, the song would have a lot of uncertainty, but not a lot of anxiety. There would be ambiguity, but no threat. \u201cA-Ha!\u201d probably wouldn\u2019t be all that creepy. Yet it is important to note that language can\u2019t just deny its ability to refer. All words carry a basket of connotations. All words mean something. All language must refer. The language of \u201cA-ha!\u201d may purposely impede its ability to refer, but it still refers nonetheless.<\/p>\n<p>It becomes apparent that \u201cA-ha!\u201d cannot mean nothing, even if it tries to. So, what does \u201cA-ha!\u201d mean? What are the references that it draws? We have already shown that the lyrics of the song create a sense of uncertainty. Perhaps by dumping a basket of connotations upon the listener, many of which create a sense of anxiety, \u201cA-ha!\u201d can project a sense of creepiness into the uncertainty it has created.<\/p>\n<p>Consider the phrase \u201cGolden boy boots\u201d. The reader in this case reads \u201cgolden boy\u201d, We think of young male entrepreneurs and politicians, your Zuckerbergs, Obamas, and Rubios. We are distilled with ideas of success and accomplishment. Then we hear \u201cboots\u201d, which is a bit of an odd word to hear after golden boy. It introduces the idea of necessity; the golden boy needs boots. There is a level of utilitarian necessity in the word \u201cboots\u201d, work boots come to mind. \u00a0Additionally, the word \u201cboots\u201d has connotations relating to fashion, that of style boots and uggs. It could be that the \u201cboots\u201d destabilizes the implied self-sufficiency and masculinity of the \u201cgolden boy\u201d. We see more indication of this attempt at a building with a subsequent destabilization in the following phrase, \u201cpocket pedestal\u201d. A pedestal raises something or someone up, bringing it into a position of respect and attention. But a \u201cpocket pedestal\u201d implies a smallness and a ubiquity. Not only that, but a pocket pedestal destabilizes the idea of a pedestal in the first place. Not everything can be admired and respected. In respect to the individual, it may not be too much of a stretch to say that the idea of a pocket pedestal undermines the often-repeated platitude \u201cbelieve in yourself\u201d. So, the overall picture is one of undermined assurance, introducing anxiety in the place of confidence.<\/p>\n<p>We see another instance of references that seem designed to produce feelings of anxiety in the lyric \u201cYou should try it, you should know. Go on while no one&#8217;s looking.\u201d Here Heap is speaking directly to the listener. The message is coercive. \u201cYou should try it\u201d creates a pressure to do something, something which is probably \u201cbad\u201d or not allowed, for it is important to \u201cgo on while no one\u2019s looking\u201d. \u201cYou should know\u201d conveys the idea that the listener is missing out.<\/p>\n<p>Now we can turn our attention to the titular lines, which perhaps do the most to create a sense of anxiety in \u201cA-ha!\u201d. \u201cA-ha! Caught you now! Caught you red handed in the biscuit tin! Cost you to keep me quiet\u201d and \u201cA-ha! Candid camera! Hook, line and sinker.\u201d These lines can be read as a kind of spotlight on the unsuspecting listener, the A-ha! of being found doing something slightly naughty\u2014of being \u201ccaught red handed in the biscuit tin\u201d\u2014 and of being watched\u2014hence the \u201cCandid Camera.\u201d There is even the idea of blackmail (which I would think is fairly anxiety inducing) with the \u201cCost you to keep me quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To create creepiness, it is not enough for \u201cA-ha!\u201d to just deny its ability to refer to the world. But interestingly, it is not enough for \u201cA-ha!\u201d to just refer either. The lyrics must perform two functions. They must inhibit their own ability to refer, yet refer nonetheless. And these references must be directed, such that they produce connotations relevant to the emotion of creepiness. Taken together, these allow \u201cA-ha!\u201d to introduce an anxious ambiguity about the presence of a threat. They create creepiness.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref1\" name=\"_edn1\">[i]<\/a> Full lyric transcript: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.azlyrics.com\/lyrics\/imogenheap\/aha.html\">http:\/\/www.azlyrics.com\/lyrics\/imogenheap\/aha.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Works Cited:<\/p>\n<p>Mcandrew, F. T., &amp; Koehnke, S. S. (2016, March 16). On the nature of creepiness. New Ideas in Psychology, 43, 10-15. doi:10.1016\/j.newideapsych.2016.03.003<\/p>\n<p>Radford, C. (1989). Emotions and Music: A Reply to the Cognitivists. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 47(1), 69. doi:10.2307\/431994<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many people are drawn to creepy things. I don\u2019t mean the horrific, not bugs and brains and guts. I mean a gentle unease, an anxious anticipation, a sense that things are not quite right. I mean clowns, and graveyards, and &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/uncategorized\/a-case-of-the-creeps\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1350,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1350"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions\/235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/engl-209-fall16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}