http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsRyyZZFGZ4

Written analysis: Snoop Dogg video ‘Sensual Seduction’

Hip – hop / rap artist Snoop Doggs’s video ‘Sensual Seduction’ features an 80’s style theme with a post-feminist representation of women dressed as dominatrix’s of every kind from police women to stereotypical woman in full PVC outfits , covered from head-to– toe in tight plastic or leather. The video is a performance based video about the ways in which the lead singer (Snoop Dogg) pleasures women as his lyrics state ‘she gone get hers before I get mine’ showing a close-up of his mouth which is a sexual innuendo (referencing oral sex), he explains how he seduces women as he states ‘she might be with him but she’s thinking of me’ and glorifies the stereotype of black males being womanisers-he references himself as a ‘playa’.

Men are represented as stereotypically being more dominant than women as Snoop Dogg is standing over the women serenading what he wants to do to her as well as being filmed surrounded by women in a high-angle shot which emphasises his dominance over the opposite sex. He sings ‘all that we ever do is play in the sheets’ portraying that women are seen as sex-objects -or ‘freaks’ as he refers to them in his lyrics -in revealing clothes and positioned in suggestive positions which are a conventional representation of women according to the hip-hop genre. Women are seen as subordinate to men in mostly low-angle shots,objectified as they seen to be moving like animals e.g. crawling across the floor ,biting there fingers in a playful manner and caressing objects around them (feline characteristics) which is use as a pleasing spectacle for the male members of the audience, however, the dominatrix in one scene seems to look independent, strong but sexy in an open leg-stance dancing in smooth seductive motions , position in a mid-shot with a expressionless facial expression on her face which may indicate this is Snoop Dogg main ‘chick’ or female in the video.

The video only including one man Snoop Dogg and the rest of the casts being women presents him in a position of authority as it symbolises him as being a women magnet , irresistible to women because of the way he ‘sensually seduces’ them. Women in the video aren’t seen as respectable or pure they resemble prostitutes confirming they way women are seen in the world of hip-hop and rap but subverts the realistic image of women in society now-a-days. Men are also seen to confirm the stereotype of black men being sexually pleasing to women and subvert the idea of women being objects of pleasure as the main male character is seen to be the one pleasuring the women rather than the women just pleasuring him.

The 80’s theme reinforces a decade of high sexual activity and encourages the glamorisation of men being pimps. Snoop Dogg’s eccentric 80’s fashion of flared metallic trousers tight in the groin area to highlight his manhood (suggesting he has a high sex drive ), big shades and the mise-en-scene of the disco ball, diamond in the background, the seductive smoky atmosphere effect, mirrored double-vision of women and 80’s style guitar indicates his music and fashion sense supposedly make him appeal to women .The mise-en –scene of the star graphics also highlight his sexual abilities to symbolically takes women ‘to the stars in bed’ at the same time, he celebrates his masculinity whilst he poses with the women in the stars as they caress and stroke indicating that his methods of ‘seduction’ are effective, ultimately making reference to the stereotype black men are ‘good’ in bed and can pleasure women in ways men of other cultures cannot. The video features intertextual references of the character Huggy Bear who was a stereotypical Blackman who was a pimp and drug dealer from box-office hit film Starkey and Hutch and reference Robert Palmer addicted to love music video with women dancing in sync and wearing the same clothes.

The ‘Thriller ‘ video by Michael Jackson uses generic codes which follow the conventions of the pop video genre . These include typical boy meets girl storyline -they go on a series of dates and eventually fall in love. Unconventionally this video ‘Thriller’ video incorporates a film within a film as the two main characters are seen watching themselves at the movie theatre. The conventions of pop videos included in ‘Thriller’ are in quick cuts between scenes which runs in sync with the music and images e.g zombies arise from the graves as Jackson sing of “evil rising” as the commentator speaks of zombies and erosion of bodies . The music then gets lower as the zombies creep and drag themselves towards the couple completely surrounding them as we see close ups of their rotting flesh and shrivelled body parts.

The Mise-en-scene within the video runs in relation to the horror film themes and motifs which feature in the video. The isolated area and decaying building in the background as well as zombie costumes relate to the spooky atmosphere the song itself is trying to promote. The couple dressed fashionably in leather jackets, sneakers (the boy-Jackson ), high –heels (the girl-Ola Ray) relate to the pop genre audience, teenagers and young adults. The zombie costumes and smoke machine effects , the mid shot of Ola Ray in shock as Michael turns into a Zombie and the background moves in and out then eventually fades all follow the horror movie conventions which pop videos with a narrative stereotypically encourage.

Shot size and camera angles within the video all help make ‘Thriller’ the most impressionable and unique video of its time. With a variety of long shots to establish the surroundings the couple is in, mid long shots to capture the emotions of the two main characters ,high angle close-ups of zombies to emphasize their hideousness and long-shot of zombies performing with Jackson all effectively follow the pop convention of an obvious relationship between sound and images .

‘Thriller’ references to intertexuality via the half boy half werewolf myth evident in the film ‘American Werewolf in London’ which is incorporated to advance the viewing pleasure of the audience and evidently relate to fans of the horror film genre. It also made the film at the time very unique because of its referencing to other films as it was the first time a music video had use this method of filming.

‘Inner City Life’ by house and garage/ funky house music artist Goldie describes the harsh reality of growing up in an inner city area. It establishes the struggles and emotional ups and downs faced by those living in an environment they feel imprisoned in as the lyrics support ‘living free, I long to feel’ suggesting the area is an unpleasant solace to live. The lead female singer captures the mood of the female character within the video who struggles to pay the bills and support two children whilst seems to be displaying symptoms of depression.

The high angle wide shot of the high rise buildings establishes the environment of the council estate as dangerous and uninviting. the mid –close up of the main singer in a performance shot conveys the messages in the video as everything she sings about is neatly expressed by the actors . The Mise-en-scene of the women and children in a cramped ,dingy flat representing the working class suggests the song is a reflection of the mood and tone of the video appealing to those who may life in high rise housing projects .the shopping trolley falling off the top of one of the balconies in the estate is use to disorientate the audience in a canted shot . The aggression of the trolley falling would startle members of the audience as well as creating a sense of chaos and anger, which may reflect the attitude of some residence living on the estate that would prefer to live elsewhere. The idea of chaos is also represented ina a hand-held camera shot in a rave scene, the circulatory movement of the camera filming the residence (mainly men ) ‘raving’ as if there’s a build up of pressure linking to the song as she states ‘inner city pressure’.

The Mise –en-scene helps create the rugged effect of the urban lifestyle and portrays a message of the harsh reality of the working class urban lifestyle. Marxist would argue that the messages evident in the text are realistic lifestyle. Marxist would also argue the messages are positive as the children are happy, however negative as the stereotypical single mother living in a high rise looks miserable as she struggles to pay bills and ‘make ends meet’.

The text seems to maintain hegemonic controls as the residence of the urban area are black which is a stereotypical representation of black people nowadays is. Unchallenged by the masses the video also shows a BMW convertible with a black male in the driver’s seat who seems to be a representation of a common drug dealer. This hegemonic control is an acceptance of the societies expectations a.k.a. the ‘status-quo’. The text also challenges hegemonic control as the children in single-parent homes are usually miserable but the mother seems like a good mother to her innocent children, there are suggestions of her prostituting herself in a birds-eye view of her and a man on a bed in there underwear, reinforcing the difficulty of women having to juggle work and family life in urban areas. The rave scene shows mostly black men in a smoke-filled room –signifying the use of cannabis which is a common stereotype associated with black young males as a cultural habit. The absents of women in the rave scene breaks out of the stereotype of men going to raves to woo women as in the video it is represented more as a form of escapism from the hardship of inner city life. Because of the urban setting and black casting crew the videos target audience seems to point towards those from the ethnic minorities in society as well as appealing to those who enjoy urban house and garage upbeat music. Audience gratifications are evident in the video as the urban setting may appeal to those of the working class status as they can identify with the environment and the need to feel free from its restrictiveness. The upbeat tempo relates to those who enjoy the funky house music scene usually those in their late teens early 20’s. the artist and main singer both being mixed race can therefore appeal to both genders and appeal to people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Taylor Swift -Love story

Taylor Swifts love story is of the country pop genre which follows the conventions of string –based instrumentals and narrative of a relationship between a young women and man .The video shows a clear relationship between sound and images between the lead singer and the key male actor. As she sings “Romeo save me “he runs towards her and embraces her in a hug they then runaway as she sings “Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone”

The Mise-en-scene of the Victorian setting and costumes the couple wear add to the realism of the intertextual reference made to Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” . Also her lyrics feature the names of the Victorian couple as if she and the main male actor are the Shakespearian couple. The mid-shot of Taylor searching for her “Romeo” shows her emotion and the high angle shot of Taylor alone shows her in a vulnerable position when she’s longing for him. The low key lightning of the majority of the video adds to the atmosphere of the time period the video is set in as in shakespearian days light was sourced from candles and lanterns. Also the panning shot emphasizing the vast castle –like building Taylor lives in connoting the wealth of the character ‘Juliet’ in the famous play.

The various panning shots within the music video adds to the romantic atmosphere as it adds a sense of relaxation and calmness amongst the audience. The fade in and out of the couple dancing under the low key lighting also creates a sense of magic and hypnotising love linking to the infatuation of the couple referenced in the video ‘Romeo and Juliet’ The fast cuts help the audiences understanding about the storyline that runs in sync with the lyrics. The fade-in of the close-up of the couple singing surrounded by the natural light promotes the idea of young love appealing to the teenage target audience the video is demonstrated to appeal to.

The video features a very straight-forward narrative and concept based storyline. It follows the story of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ so the audience can anticipate what the story will be about and what concepts are present that identify with the lyrics in the song.
The video uses the narrative of Shakespeare’s famous play to appeal to not only teenagers but also those who enjoy Victorian literature like plays , therefore older members of the audience could identify with the song and video.

Details of chosen track and genre:


The Pierces
Origin
Birmingham, Alabama
Genres
AlternativeFolk rockPop rock
Years active
2000–Present
Labels
Lizard King Records
The Pierces are a New York-based music band. The principal members are sisters Catherine Pierce and Allison Pierce, who originally hail from Birmingham, Alabama.Over the years, the girls have been compared to well-known artists like The Roches, Tori Amos , Sarah McLachlan , Shawn Colvin , the Indigo Girls and Sheryl Crow.
Born two years apart in Birmingham, Alabama, the Pierce sisters grew up in a family of seven. They traveled frequently and received home-schooling from their self-described hippie parents. Their father played the guitar in various bands, while their mother was a painter. Exposed to music and arts at an early age, the Pierce sisters grew up listening to Joni Mitchell and Simon & Garfunkel. As kids, they were encouraged to explore their creative side and would perform at parties, weddings and churches. Allison started dancing at age three, and both sisters are accomplished ballerinas.

The calligraphy font of the letter ‘f’ suggests a sense of richness and sophistication
The white background suggests it targets the wealthy members of the audience
The dark blue colour of most of the typography creates an effect of richness and simplicity.
Seems to appeal to middle –class audience , seemingly white
Appeals to arguably achievers and reformers.
OWNER:Global Radio

The bold ‘Base’ in the title connotes music with base and suggests the target audience is African Americans would be interested in
The circular border makes th ‘MTV’ stand out
The black background suggests a unisex audience
Appeals to black young people usually fashionable
Aspirers audience
OWNER: MTV networks Europe

Has a feminine appeal lilac and pink colours suggest this.
Appeals to mainstream audience
Appeals to aspirers
Promotes music genres pop, R‘n’B and hip-hop
Shaped like a mouth suggests sexual or flirtatious tone
Promotes songs about love and relationships
Appeals to mainstreamers and aspirers as it promotes ‘popular music’(pop music)
OWNERS: Box Television (Bauer group /channel 4)

Has a rugged , gritty look, looks gothic and rebellious.
Has a reckless look promoting a rebellious tone
The black background suggests darkness and anger
The dishevelled typography demonstrates the type of music televised is rock and heavy metal
Appeals to fans of the rock and heavy metal genre
Appeals to youth culture and aspirer audience
OWNER:CSC Media Group