The Contemporary Sublime

After reading Longinus, I thought it'd be fun to dig around two current
popular "arts" and decide whether or not they are sublime, employing
Longinus' criteria as much as possible:

1.) The power to conceive great thoughts
2.) Strong and inspired emotion
3.) Figures of thought and figures of speech
4.) Noble diction (metaphorical and artificial language)
5.) Dignified and elevated word arrangement

I tried to pick one major “artistic” statement in music and another in
film that has sold well, as Longinus discusses that the sublime should
resonate cross-culturally among all people.

Pop Music: Paramore

Fact:
Their album, Brand New Eyes debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts this
week, one notch below Barbara Streisand, who I couldn’t bring myself to
discuss.

On with the analysis:
1.) Paramore does not seem to have the power to conceive great thoughts,
as they too strongly mimic their pop punk predecessors. There is nothing
original about their music, from the instrumentation on down to their
lyrics.
2.) Strong and inspired emotion: as the band is frequently labeled
"emo," I’ll have to give this one a thumbs up.
3.) Is there thought in these lyrics:

“We still live in the same town, well, don't we?
But I don't see you around anymore.
I go to all the same places, not even a trace of you...
Your days are numbered at 24.
And I'm getting bored waiting round for you,
We're not getting any younger, and I
Won't look back 'cause there's no use
It's time to move forward!”

I think not.
4.) As for noble uses of diction:

“Can't make my own decisions or make any with precision
Well maybe you should tie me up so I don't go where you don't want me
You say that I been changing, that I'm not just simply aging
Yeah how could that be logical?
Just keep on cramming ideas down my throat
Oh oh oh ohhhh”

The rhyme scheme here is rather silly and forced. Thumbs down.

5.) Do I really need to check out the “elevated word arrangement?” I’ll
return instead to the band’s simplistic chord progressions, drumming and
vocal stylings (all of which are ARRANGED) and simply say: it’s been
done before. So, thumbs up for imitation. (Not.)

VERDICT: 1/5 = NOT SUBLIME

Film:

Since I just saw Zombieland this weekend and it’s the number 1 movie in
the nation this week, I might as well analyze this one as well:

1.) Although this film lacks the social consciousness of George A.
Romero’s zombie films, it does achieve a high level of comedy and a
serviceably unique love story. It also continues pushing forward the
film’s genre, picking up where “Diary of the Dead” and “Shaun of the
Dead” leave off—thereby achieving more actuality in imitation than Paramore.
2.) Well, the woman next to me jumped three times. Additionally, the
film does a great job of creating fun, albeit unrealistic character
types who draw the viewer into their world. This creates a high level of
attachment, or emotion for each character.
3.) Figures of thought: eh. Not so much. Figures of speech: There are
more than a few catchy one-liners, typified by the main character’s list
of rules, such as “Double-tap” and “Don’t be a hero.”
4.) Noble Diction: Rated “R” for language.
5.) Any writing constructed to make people laugh in a world surrounded
by blood and death that succeeds in making people laugh has achieved
elevated word arrangement.

VERDICT: 4/5 = PRETTY DAMN SUBLIME