I’d Like To Teach the World To Sing

First Six Weeks Honors English I Extra Credit 2018

In 1971, the Coca-Cola ad featuring the song “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” became arguably the “world’s most famous ad” (Washington Post, 2016). The message of peace and hope is unsullied by its commercial use because of the story of its conception. Bill Backer, the creative director of Coca-Cola at the time, had been tasked with creating some radio ads for the product. On the way to London, he was stuck in Ireland by a grounded flight and surrounded by angry travelers.

Backer notes that when he saw his fellow passengers the next morning more relaxed, sharing bottles of Coke, he “began to see a bottle of Coca-Cola as more than a drink that refreshed a hundred million people a day in almost every corner of the globe. ” He had found the idea he wanted to share as he saw people finding a way to be happier enjoying coke. He wanted people to see Coke “as a tiny bit of commonality between all peoples… that would help to keep them company for a few minutes” (Washington Post, 2016).

And as trite as it might sound, history was made.

 

 

“So, What’s the Project?” you’re asking now. What would you share with the world? What would you choose to share that you believe would make the world a little happier, a little less divided, just a better place even for a little while?

It could be your favorite food, your favorite book, movie, or television show, you favorite song. It might be something that someone once said to you. But remember, the point is to be positive. Tell us why this thing you’ve chosen would make the world better. Tell us how.

 

And something else to remember is that you will be sharing your answer here, on this website, for the world to see. So, you will, indeed, be sharing with the world. If you doubt it, I’m posting recent site stats here for you to see that show that we get visitors from across the globe. We definitely get more from the United States that anywhere else, but since I’ve been hosting this site, Logophiles has had over 1,000 international visitors. (This is just the most recent map.)

The Nitty Gritty:

All Comments have to be posted by September 17, 2018 to receive credit.

All comments are held until I personally approve them before they are visible on the site, so don’t panic if you submit something, and it doesn’t show up immediately.

If you have something that is just too personal for the entire world to see, let me know at the end or beginning of your essay, and I will not approve it for public posting.

Base your response on my sample below.

Proofread! The world is watching!

 

As always, I’ll go first so that you know what I’m looking for.

And because I just like to write.

I had such a difficult time choosing what I’d share with the world. Would I give everyone a perfect grilled cheese sandwich, my ultimate comfort food? Would I share my love of music by listening to the sweet and peaceful “Lover’s Waltz” by Jay Unger and Molly Mason or some happy, upbeat big band jazz by my favorite band Pink Martini? A book? A movie? No, a television show.

If I could give anything to the whole world, I’d like to share an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “The Good Time News,” Season 3, Episode 1, which originally aired on September 16, 1972. So, why a television show? And why one almost fifty years old? Well, it starts with the opening: The theme song by Sonny Curtis, “Love is All Around,” is about hope and expectation. The opening sequence ends with Moore’s character, a young carefree young girl in a big city realizing that she is up to any challenge throwing her hat into the air. Even if I were limited to just a few minutes, those opening moments express such joy and hope, I’d like everyone to realize as the theme says, “Love is all around/ no need to waste it/You can never tell, why don’t you take it/You’re gonna make it after all” (Curtis).

But I chose a particular episode. I chose this episode because it exemplifies the friendship and camaraderie that the crew of WJM share. At one point, Lou and Mary are in a fight because Lou believes that Mary has “sold him out” to upper management over a raise he won’t give her. But she tells him that she doesn’t sell people out, and especially not him. When he asks her why, she replies that she loves him. The gruff Grant is horrified and tells her they can’t fight if she says things like that, and when she insists, he says she wins the fight. It isn’t romantic love; they are friends, real friends. And I would like the whole world to see that kind of friendship.

The episode is also very funny, and I think laughter is one of the greatest gifts humankind has. In this episode, the station management has decided to try a new format for the news program, and the anchorman, Ted, cannot handle it because he is the embodiment of a talking head. He can read the words in front of him, but he doesn’t understand them, so being able to handle a format in which he chats with a co-anchor will not work. He is also not personable, and he is very jealous at having to give up some of his glory as sold anchorman.

To offset Ted’s off-putting personality, they choose a very charming person, but Ted is unaware that he is playing the straight man. When he finds out, he says, “I have personality too!” to which Mary replies,”No, Ted, you don’t.” He then begins bickering with he co-anchor, only to have the co-anchor inform him, “Uh, Ted, we’re on the air.” The entire broadcast is a debacle, resulting in numerous complaints. I have watched this show literally hundreds of times, and I laugh every time. No matter how blue I have been, I always feel better after watching it. I’d like to share this simple, fun, innocent show with the world because sometimes we just all need to laugh.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was also a groundbreaking show for civil rights, showing Mary as a single woman finding satisfaction in her job, presenting African Americans on equal footing with the White Americans at a time that neither of these was common on television. The show tackled difficult social issues with humor, but sensitivity, letting America know that it’s okay to discuss topics that were once thought to be taboo.

I would like everyone in the world to know that it’s alright to discuss difficult topics, that true friendship is the most important thing in life, that laughter can make us feel better, and that we can all make it after all.

 

So, now, what would you share and why? Tell the world in your comments.