Response to Ira Glass Video

The video of Mr. Glass's commentary was very well done.  The graphics correlated extraordinarily well with the message that he was working to convey.  This was, of course, due to the fact that the graphics themselves were literally the words that Glass was speaking.  I believe the designers of the video did a solid job at using various fonts to hammer in the most important points of the monologue.  Their use of italics and size set words apart that might’ve otherwise been lost in Glass’s stream of consciousness.  All that being said, I believe they could have even improved their work with even more differentiation.  The video failed to use much color.  Color can be very successful at bringing forth emotion in a viewer.  Had the designers used color with the words they wished to stand out, they could have elicited an even stronger emotionally based response from the viewer. 

In regards to the message itself, I believe Glass brings up a notion that I have often encountered in my life.  It is the idea that working through adversity, not around it, is the only sure fire way to reach a better outcome.  These ideals had been instilled in me as a child but were really brought to fruition during my time on the Carrboro High School football team.  Carrboro came into its eighth year of existence this fall.  It is the smallest of the three high schools that are in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District located in central North Carolina.  In its inaugural football game in 2007, the team lost to defending state champion Burlington Cummings by a score of 89-0.  That team would go on to post a record of 1-11, becoming the laughing stock of the greater research-triangle region.  The Head Coach of that abysmal football team was a man by the name of Jason Tudryn.  He taught those players that continued work on their craft, despite the losses, would make them better men and a better team.  They bought in.  By the time I came to Carrboro in 2010, the freshman of that 2007 squad were now seniors and had endured years of adversity.  Their investment was not in vain as the team posted the first winning record in school history and advanced to the third round of the playoffs, securing a 10-4 record.  By the time I was a junior, a winning culture had been established and the team went 15-0, only to lose on the final play in the 2AA State Championship game. Tudryn’s teachings made me realize that there are no shortcuts in life and that only work can deliver the results desired.  Glass echoes this message, saying that working through ones rut is the way to secure level of quality desired. 

On one final note, Glass seemed to have a very strong voice for audio.  Out of curiosity I Googled him and discovered, that yes, he is a radio personality.  He produces and hosts The American Life.  I plan on listening to it sometime soon.