Michael Jackson essay

Analyse how the Billy Jean music video by Michael Jackson represent or subvert black stereotypes of black identity.

Billy Jean music video is telling a narrative of a man who has been accused of fathering a child, but he denies it, and this short film, rather than a music video, it is edited in the style of a film noir. It has been made to look like a noir in how there is the black and white edited colouring, the trench coats, the low key lighting and the false setting of a noir film. This applies to the black stereotype of how black people are typically portrayed as the dangerous group of people, who are investigated, however we see this countering the stereotype of black men as the story progresses, as we see the paparazzi being the antagonist, and Michael Jackson as the hero protagonist. His outfit resembles a respectful, young man who appears as the "guy next door" that you could trust, or would be proud to bring home to show your family.

This is in comparison to the black representation we see of Ricky James seen in the "super freak" music video who is seen conforming to the stereotype of black men being hyper sexualised and magnets to women. The Billy Jean music video battles the stereotypes of black men, rather than feeding into them. We see Michael as a "Musical innovator", not a common thing for black artists in the music industry, however we see him as a dancer, which in certain respects is a stereotype now associated with black people, but not in the same way it applies to Michael Jackson, as he had an original style of dance. This is however a stereotype that has since stuck. There is also the elements within the music videos of Michael Jackson disappearing, or tiles changing colours when he walks on them, or a homeless man becoming a well dressed gentlemen when he shows him some generosity, but all of this plays into the stereotypical roles of black men playing the "magical negro". This was a long standing tradition in cinema in the US, with the "magical negro" being a person with special insight or mystical powers. There was also the stereotypical black actor roles in films such as the sidekick to a white man, however, we see Michael being the male lead, and the white paparazzi being the secondary character, again, breaking from the tradition of the time.

The whole video is edited in a way that looks, again, like a noir film, but within the setting, it gives off the vibe of almost a gangster film. This was a common stereotypical role for black actors to portray at the time, as they were associated with gangs, yet we are mislead by the immediate belief we have, as we see that Michael is not a gangster, just an innocent man, made to look guilty. This is an important factor, as this has been done intentionally to show that first impressons are not always correct, and the mise-en-scene is there to mislead us initially, and then show us how we were wrong as the story progresses. Again, the camera work has been filmed in a way that aims to make it look like a spy thriller, with the panning shots, the dim lighting, filmed to make the whole thing look very criminal to the audience. It has ben filmed to look exactly like a film, but instead a shorter condensed down version of the story the narrative is telling us.

The fact that he is dressed in what looks like a prom suit, almost reflects the innocence of this character, as we can see that  he is a young man, and when you are young you are still associated with innocence, and this is what he is mirroring. This again, counters the stereotype that he has been associated with, and in the context, of being guilty of fathering a child that he swears in not his. There was the stereotype of black artists fathering many children, and he adamantly denies it, and this is what the music video and the lyrics are saying.

Several of the lyrics give a clue as to what Michael is trying to tell the audience through this music and the video. "Dance on the floor, in the round" could be a reference to a sexual relationship with the character of 'Billy Jean' and again, links to the stereotype of black musicians fathering many children. However, this is what Michael denies to have taken place, and defends himself. "Forty days and forty nights" could be a biblical reference to Jesus fasting for forty days and forty nights. Michael Jackson had a strong religious background and he wants to express that within his music. There is a second link to the Bible with the lyrics of "so take my strong advice, remember to always think twice", as it is almost like a biblical parable as there is a moral to his story. He wants people to learn how to act and to be responsible and listen to what others tell you to do.

This music video has been filmed to show Michael's innocence in this case in his life where he was under real accusations of fathering a child he denied was his. This video was also filmed to show the innocence of the people who had been stereotyped in a certain way for many years. It is a political stand against the way black people had been portrayed over the years, and turning it around in a positive way.