blink-182“All The Small Things”

A2 Media Studies – Genre Case Study

Who are blink-182? blink-182 are an American punk-rock/pop-punk band formed in San Diego, California in 1992 by Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge and Scott Rayner. Scott Rayner rather quickly got voted out by Mark and Tom due to drinking problems he suffered with and appointed current and cult rock icon, Travis Barker. Last year, 2015, Tom Delonge left the band and was replaced by Alkaline Trio’s vocalist, Matt Skiba. Over the 23 years of blink-182, they have released 6 studio albums along with a greatest hits record.

Blink-182 has sold over twelve million albums in the United States, and over 35 million albums worldwide. In 2011, The New York Times said and I quote, "no punk band of the 1990s has been more influential than Blink-182," and even as the band receded after their 2005 split, "its sound and style could be heard in the muscular pop punk of Fall Out Boy or in the current wave of high-gloss Warped Tour punk bands, like All Time Low and The Maine.“

(source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink-182)

All the small things (2000)“All The Small Things” wrote and performed by blink-182, consisting of members: Tom Delonge (guitar and vocals), Mark Hoppus (bass and vocals) and Travis Barker (drums). Appearing on their 3rd studio album “Anema of the State” released in 1999, which was the album that took them straight to stardom and became the biggest pop-punk band act of the era. “All The Small Things” was one of three singles from their 3rd studio album, “Anema of the State” which really blasted of their career in the ‘big time’. Those three were “What's My Age Again?", "All the Small Things", and "Adam's Song“ that became major radio hits and MTV staples. “All The Small Things”

All The Small Things – Single cover Enema of the State – Album cover

Punk Rock ConventionsThe main conventions of punk is by taking something deemed popular and transforming, adjusting and modifying it and giving it a new style, meaning and reasoning. This is otherwise known as bricolage, this is something subculture groups do and the punk movement being the most active when it comes to this. blink-182 have done just this for their music video for “All The Small Things” by taking aspects/snippets from various popular past music videos and turning them into a parody to create their own music video. This is a controversial concept blink-182 did here as they could be in trouble with the law due to copyright or just simply piss off powerful and influential people like Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. They are fitting right into the conventions of punk by being controversial and rustling a few feathers.

The video is a performance based video however it does have aspects of a narrative structure as the band are using their wealth to have a good time and be able to be free.

Camera angles and editingThroughout the video, you get shots which have been edited to be black and white. Whereas this is an old song, the technology was advanced enough to be in colour, the black and white gives it that old look to it which is something that has been deliberately done as they want to take it back to where punk started. A time where they couldn’t film in colour.

The use of the fish eye lens implies freedom as it is wide angled. The scene of them all on the beach acting like fools or Mark Hoppus playing with his dog showing that they’re free to do as they choose. This may be a bragging thing to show their success so they’re able to act free. Or this could show a rule of punk music, as they’re usually rebellious and free as they don’t conform.

Black and white also symbolises romance especially with the addition of the beach scene. The song is a pop-punk song but the lyrics involve romance so the black and white works nicely.

At 1:37 in their official music video, a scene with them running along the beach completely nude with their crotch being blurred out implies that they again can do whatever they chose. Rebellion. Being nude also shows off their tattoos which is a convention of punks.

Media TheoriesKatie Wale’s theory of genre is that it is, and I quote “Is an intertextual concept”. The reason that this theory is suitable to ‘All The Small Things’ by blink-182 is because there are aspects of the copying and parody of other popular existing music videos from the likes of Britany Spears and Backstreet Boys like I said on slide 4.

Blink-182 took aspects/scenes from the existing videos and turned them into their own music video through parodies of themselves imitating the other musicians. They have a reputation for disregarding all conventions and humouring other bands that follow the ‘normal’ conventions.

CostumeThroughout the music video, the band change costumes almost every shot. The costumes that feature aren’t considered to be generic punk costumes so it’s going against the rules which is something that punks/punk music do often. One scene, the band are seen wearing only white underpants, this may be a statement again to prove that they’re rebelling against the normal conventions of punk music. The colour white also symbolises purity, whereas the dance moves are suggestive and most certainly isn't showing purity.

Travis Barker is seen to be wearing a leopard print cowboy hat. This could be seen as making a joke of cowboys, which isn’t surprising as the whole video is making jokes of people. Also, leopard print is considered to be a feminine pattern. This is not a part of punk attire so they’re using bricolage to deconstruct the item of clothing and making their own.

Close UpsClose ups of the band isn’t something that I see used in punk music a huge amount as most punk bands are about the music rather than themselves and the music video. In the close ups that occur throughout many points throughout the video you see the band members piercings which is a convention/unspoken rule of being a ‘punk’.

A general rule of close ups featuring in media is to show emotion of the character or performer and that is also exactly what they do in ‘All The Small Things’. The close up of Mark, Tom and Travis all show signs of enjoyment and happiness when performing.

blink-182 are a punk band who brought attention to the world of punk again and added a commercial value to it which allowed them to open up opportunities for other bands which they influenced. For example, All Time Low’s music video for ‘Weightless’, it starts with a close up of the lead singer.



AudienceThe audience is a hard one to decipher for me. I am a huge fan of blink-182 and I have many friends who are also being older, younger, male or female. However, on a whole I would say the main audience of their music would be male teenagers and young adults. The reason I think this on a whole is because young males will see the band in the music video having a lot of stuff that desirable and aspirational. There is also relevance to mention Laura Mulvey’s male haze theory like I have spoken about on a previous case study. The scene of the women in a bikini on the beach is something that could appeal to young males and attract an audience.