Although some critics despised melodrama for its emotional exaggeration, it is undeniably true that both classic culture and popular culture have somehow applied the characteristics of melodrama as emotional rhetoric. The purpose of this paper is to establish empathy between the emotions of the visual image and the audience. Moreover, another purpose is to serve as either authority or the artist’s livelihood. For example, the religious art during medieval times sought to make people cry over the suffering of Jesus with the elements of horror and pity while the religious art during the Renaissance sought to deliver a sense of love and benevolence. Love and fear conveyed by the images served for the Church as a way to strengthen the faith of people.
In a neutral perspective, melodrama should not be condemned for its manipulation of emotions since the emotional rhetoric has been applied throughout the history from religious art to Shakespeare’s plays, and to the reality shown today. I believed that the manipulation of the emotions of people is an unethical act. However, sometimes it can give people a break from stress by providing them with a virtual character to be empathetic. For example, while TV wrestling is gaining profit from selected audience through emotional exaggeration, it also provides middle class and ethnic minority audiences with a place to argue their fate.
Although the rhetoric used in reality shows and soap operas are pretty stereotypical, people can never resist the emotional lure of them. The individualism of modern society has broadened the distance between people that caused an increasing stress. It is particularly difficult to overcome this stress in loneliness. The elements such as love, affection, and sympathy can relieve the stress of people by providing them with a positive image. At the same time, the horror and pity can help to establish an emotional catharsis. The right always defeats the bad in many shows. Although the happy ending is usually considered stereotypical, it is truly the necessity of people, it is a placebo to their helpless feelings in difficult life.
The Sentimental
Denying the condemnation of sentimentality as exaggerated emotion (usually negative), the author viewed sentimentality by using feminine word—soft, warm, light-colored, innocent, etc. Besides, the author emphasized many times in the article that we can usually see children with an innocent face or small animals with big eyes in sentimental images. The application of sentimental elements in images has two opposite function: it can arouse the feelings of benevolence, generosity, and kindness in the audiences, but it can also promote self-indulgence and the ignorance of the not-so-beautiful creatures.
The sentimental elements are often used in advertising, including creating social relief and fundraise for helpless groups. The snow globes in memories of 9/11, the pink ribbons to fight against breast cancer, and the teddy bear in the marketing of preventing AIDS were used as examples in the article. The difference between humans and machines is that humans are full of emotions, and we actively seek for empathy. The healing function of sentimentality is vital for us as it can help us to escape from rational and sometimes crucial reality.
