Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll stop after this comment but the peace symbol would be too à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“hippy,dippyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  for an government official to use.

That sounds like you are concurring with the idea that the symbol has cultural as well as political baggage associated with it.

However, here in the States it has lost much of its original meaning and is now used on fashion shirts, earrings, bags, etc.

I’m not sure if this is any more signficant than the way many people would wear the cross simply as a fashion accessory rather than for its religious content. I’m sure a lot of Americans are unaware of the full meaning of the CND peace sign, but I do think the proof of the claim that the sign only mean peace to Americans would be to show that this is how the American officialdom sees the sign. Frankly, I very much doubt the American Government would use the sign in any official manner in public events, but I would interested to be proved wrong. If anyone has any evidence to that effect I would be intrigued to see it, especially if its use comes from the Bush era government organised events (this is not an invitation to discuss the Bush era, I’m just interested to see if there is any such evidence).

http://idolforums.com/index.php?showtopic=594571&st=4460

Well, Lys, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m 61 years old, college educated, world traveled, a white collar professional, well read and until this thread I had no idea that the peace symbol I grew up with meant nuclear disarmament.

Although I am not as old as you, I am pretty much the same and I also had no idea what the original meaning was. To most Americans, it is just symbol of peace. Honestly I wouldn’t be suprised if David would like to have nuclear disarmament. Wouldn’t we all be happier if the world was that way, even if it isn’t practical?

Heck, I’m twenty years old, I consider myself to be a fairly normal person, and I didn’t know what the peace sign originally meant until now. All the peace sign means to me is just that… peace. *shrugs*

Archie is quite knowledgable about musical history. He might even surprise people and know the origin of the sign. How about someone find out if Allison knows what it means. And then if she doesn’t we can assume she’s kind of stupid and naive.

I wanted to ask the same thing. Are they abandoning ALTNOY as a single? Is this a quick and cheap way to get a new song out there as a replacement single? Or is this specifically for a particular place where TMH is popular? Or as also posited upthread, the video is targeted specifically to build up and expand his teen audience?

ALTNOY is already done on radio, so there’s no need to abandon it. I don’t think this was intended as a quick and cheap way to get a new song out. It was Jive’s intention from the get-go to film TMH at the HOB in order to make a video–that was communicated to the fans at the concert. For what reason is still uncertain. Frankly I’ll be very surprised if Jive decides to release TMH to radio or if it does, I suspect it will be released only to Radio Disney.

I buy the theory that it may be intended for the overseas markets as TMH already has gotten a lot of play in Europe and Asia.

And. I just banned somebody!

Well . . . um . . . back to the video. Any theories about why it was made? Not just to go on his Youtube channel, right?

I wanted to ask the same thing. Are they abandoning ALTNOY as a single? Is this a quick and cheap way to get a new song out there as a replacement single? Or is this specifically for a particular place where TMH is popular? Or as also posited upthread, the video is targeted specifically to build up and expand his teen audience?

Then there would be world peace.

Don’t forget the symbol! :thumbup_tb:

Then there would be world peace.

edit: don’t comment on the thread. don’t criticize your fellow posters.

Part of the reason I am a David Archuleta fan is that he is an eighteen year old male who allows himself to care about the world in a way that many would see as ‘naive.’ (And no, I’m not misunderstanding a single post — I’m interpreting them as I wish — my prerogative.) I wish there were many more like David Archuleta out there.

Something perfectly fine for a five-year old, but totally cringe-worthy for someone his age

Um, sorry for bringing up the sore subject of the Build a Bear song (LOL I’m a trouble maker). Anyway, the song works for 5 year olds, because that is who it was made for. That’s who I bought it for, my five year old, and she loves it. Build a Bear’s target market is 3 – 7 year olds, so if you’re singing a song for them, it is most definitely going to be a kid’s song. Hence, Flo Rida won’t be doing one of these anytime soon.

Anyway, I was just kidding – I didn’t mean to send Archie down this harsh path. He seems like a great kid, with a super attitude. I just think the simplified “pop” songs he sings are pretty dumbed down. To me, he’s just a wee little one, so even though I’m not a fan, I feel bad being too hard on him.

He won the Best Smile in TCA last year!!

I know me and my friends wanted him to win so bad. We voted every day for him.

We luv his smile. lol

Not to invade this conversation, but I think sometimes a symbol transcends its original meaning when it becomes a part of pop culture.

Having sat on this and thought about it for a little, I’d say nope. The meaning of Nuclear Disaramament is hard-wired into the symbol, anyone wanting to know what it means simply have to look it up and then knows precisely the meanings it carries, and that is peace AND nuclear disarmament. You can’t erase the nuclear disarmament part because that is what the symbol specifically states. Looking into this in the wiki article, and it appears to be first used in the States by people who were anti-nuclear weapons, then spread into a general anti-war and counter-culture section of the population. So yes, I do think it has a general political baggage associated with it in the States too (let’s just say I don’t see certain people involves in American politics using that symbol), as well as a social one.

Yikes! I hope he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t wear it overseas.

I don’t see why not. Most rock and pop musicians here are anti-nuclear weapons. He’ll fit right in, even if he doesn’t know its precise meaning.

IGC, I’ll check out the charities associated. Thanks. Maybe I can think of someone to gift it to.

IGC, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not all bad.

Honestly, I kinda dig that Archie is singing a song about peace for kids. Am I right in that is what heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s doing? LOL.

I’ve agreed with you many a time!

The dollar that it costs to download the song goes to help many children’s causes. I always find it cool when the idols are able to find ways to help.

Honestly, I kinda dig that Archie is singing a song about peace for kids. Am I right in that is what heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s doing? LOL.

Oh PJ – Go ahead…it won’t hurt. hahaha!

David’s version –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zogyYtdjt5k

Perhaps, I wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know. Here I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think anyone would deliberately use that symbol without also believing in nuclear disarmament. But I would also assume that the symbol is largely use by people of particular politcal persuasion in the US and it has also has political baggage of its own, it being anti-war in origin. Or am I wrong?

Nope, this symbol is used very often just to mean “peace.” It’s more of a cultural symbol than a political symbol. It’s used to mean peace on the playground, peace between family members, peace between sports teams. Just “peace.” It’s on jewelry and t-shirts. Perhaps in the 70s in the US it carried more political weight, but that has pretty much dissipated. It’s just very general. So BAB using it just to mean “peace” in general for a campaign that is used solely in the US is not symbolically incorrect given the way most, if not all, of the people exposed to the campaign would take it to mean. Kids wouldn’t know what it means, and parents of kids that age would be too young to remember Vietnam for the political meaning.

I would be shocked if David knew the British meaning of the symbol and shocked if he believed that “peace” was limited to anti-war sentiments. It’s just different here.

The olive branch, actually, is used far less in the US than the peace symbol to mean peace.

While the peace sign may be a sign of Nuclear Disarmament that began in your home country in the US is was more widely adopted in a generic anti-war way during Vietnam.

Perhaps, I wouldn’t know. Here I don’t think anyone would deliberately use that symbol without also believing in nuclear disarmament. But I would also assume that the symbol is largely used by people of particular politcal persuasion in the US and it has also has political baggage of its own, it being anti-war in origin. Or am I wrong?

I should correct one thing I said earlier, the standard symbol for peace is a dove with an olive branch, not just a dove. I think this is the standard worldwide.