Deborah Holdstein

Music Video: Messages & Structures

The ‘3 Striking Qualities’ of a Star in Music Videos

1. The star as a fantasy ‘seer’ or prophet

2. The star as a political commentator or narrator

3. The star as a mediator or point of resolution for social conflict

Holdstein - Music Video: Messages and Structures

• “Videos seem to divide into two categories: Those with allegedly explicit ‘political’ themes, and those which revive the traditional U.S. film musical.”

• The fantasy video is based entirely on performance. This format puts “the group or star in a mythical, medieval, exotic or surrealistic series of images and locations.”

• “Videos make the artist more accessible to the fans. When they come to a performance, then they bring or wear things they've seen in the video.”

• “In the past, artists portrayal will only be left to the viewers imagination or how they are seen in concert, the record album cover pose, photographs and interviews

• But nowadays, “the video image is quicker and more powerful.”

Holdstein - Michael Jackson - ‘Beat It’

http://youtu.be/p3jCPtxOkGo

• Holdstein: “Is Jackson portrayed as a ‘fantasy’, a ‘political commentator’, or as a ‘mediator of social conflict’.”

• The song does address ‘racism’ and ‘social class’ : “They told him don't you ever come around here, don't wanna see your face, you better disappear.”

• Jackson, the mediator, has become a surreal ‘fantasy’ figure, involved yet detached from the action he seems to resolve.

• With a vivid start to the scene's, we see several men, who we will learn are members of a gang about to meet their rivals for a ‘rumble.’

• Political Commentator: “We come upon Jackson in his apartment, lying on his bed. Somehow he instinctively knows there will be trouble.”

• Crosscutting continues from Jackson to the gangs, alternating between one gang piling on a truck, presumably to the rumble's location, and the other gang, walking about together.

• As the opposing groups stand opposite each other the scene is portrayed as a ‘fantasy’ through dance. Jackson enters to stop the fight (‘mediator of social conflict’) before all characters dance behind him in one large choreographed routine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrO4YZeyl0I

Star as a point of resolution for social issue:

Sex Trafficking in Russia

Lady Gaga – Bad Romance (2009)

Forcefully is drugged against her own will by two other

women, who presumably, are already part of the sex

trafficking business it raises awareness of political issues

As she is in a room dominated by the colour white this

draws attention to the colour which could

symbolize purity and innocence, which

Gaga’s character is now going to lose due to trafficking buisness

Unnaturally large eyes over exagerates that she is under the influence of drugs, and also shows that these drugs have

extremely bad effects on the user

Lady Gaga - as herself – cries as she sings:

‘Caught in a Bad Romance’ as if she is suggesting that

the character is ‘caught’ in a terrible situation and makes

the audience see the seriousness to the issues

Fights to keep clothes on whilst the other dancers try to rip them off: She still has some sense of what is going on despite

being drugged Finally she is

completely subdued by the drugs and sells

herself. She wears white to emphasise

her purity and making her more desirable to

her potential purchasers

Lady Gaga is given the highest bid and is bought

for 1,000,000 Russian ruble’s.

Completely embraces her new given identity and presents herself for her audience in

black symbolizing her loss of innocence and

purity

Presents herself to her ‘purchaser/bidder’ but

instead of satisfying his sexual desire, she sets him on fire in attempt to

save herself from the issue of sex trafficking it could reflect how she is against sex trafficking

Closing shot – Gaga’s character has won her

battle against sex trafficking and one of the Russian sex trafficking

culprits is dead, lying next to her. So she has become a point of

resolution for this issue and is strongly against the men who are at the top of

this business.

In Conclusion…• Lady Gaga plays two roles; one is herself and the other is a victim of sex

trafficking.

• When Gaga plays herself, she sings ‘caught in a bad romance’ which emphasises her beliefs of the ‘bad romance’ which in this case is sex trafficking.

• In character, Gaga is a physical imitation of the goings-on in becoming a product that may later be bought, to enable the audience to empathise with the terrible extremity of the social issue.

• As the character Gaga plays finally burns her Russian buyer, she becomes a heroine as she kills someone who is partly responsible for the ‘murder’ of innocent young girls. It questions morals of society and how the extreme objectification of women can lead to devastating consequences of them being brought and sold like objects. Lady Gaga killed the person who brought her symbolising how she is ready to fight against sex trafficking.

• She explained to MTV News: "I wanted to design a pair for some of the toughest chicks and some of my girlfriends - don't do this at home! - they used to keep razor blades in the side of their mouths. That tough female sprit is something that I want to project. It's meant to be, 'This is my shield, this is my weapon, this is my inner sense of fame, this is my monster.'"