Weekly Written Analysis 3-1
Beer has become the icon of good times in our culture. Through movies, songs, and advertisement, we are convinced that beer is a necessary ingredient to the formula of having fun, relaxing, or just coping. And the amount of fun or relaxation we can expect is relative to the way in which beer is served. If the expectation is either solitary or a small gathering, then a six-pack will do. But if there is to be a larger gathering, then a keg is needed. Wikipedia defines draught beer as “filtered beer that has been served from a pressurized container, such as a keg or a widget can” (Draft Beer, Wikipedia, 2009). Most of us have attended parties or social functions where a keg of beer was the center of attention.
In the movie Old School, the characters are men in their thirties who stumble upon the chance to relive their college “hay days.” They start a fraternity and Frank, a recovering alcoholic played by Will Ferrell, gets drunk from draught beer he guzzles from a keg at one of their frat parties and goes streaking in a drunken state (Old School, Wikipedia, 2009). At the frat party, the beer keg once again was the center and icon of “fun.”
If we look at one of the current top hits in Country music, Billy Currington’s lyrics state that “God is great, beer is good and people are crazy (Currington, 2009). The song implies that whatever life throws your way, it is possible to overcome it with a little faith and a good draught beer at your local bar. In the song, Currington goes on to unfold his tale of inheritance via the old man with whom he shared his life experiences over a draught beer in a bar. The old man later dies and leaves his fortune to the narrator of the tale. Who then leaves a six-pack as a memorial on the old man’s grave (Currington, 2009).
On their Bud Light website, Anheuser-Busch effectively creates a party atmosphere. As the web-surfer enters the site from the home page, the user hears the sounds of a party with a reminder that you have to be 21 to enter (Bud Light-Official Home of Drinkability, 2009). While this is a vain attempt at promoting responsible drinking, the company does well to create an ambience via the Internet.


References

Bud Light – Official Home of Drinkability (2009). BudLight.com. Retrieved on September 5, 2009 from www.budlight.com.

Currington, B. (2009). People Are Crazy. Retrieved on September 5, 2009 from www.cowboylyrics.com.

Draught Beer (2009). Wikipedia. Retrieved on September 5, 2009 from Wikipedia.com.

Old School (2003). Wikipedia. Retrieved on September 5, 2009 from Wikipedia.com.