Music videos - part 1 - Lady Gaga

Women stereotypes

Media Language: how the media through their forms, codes, conventions and techniques communicate meanings.

Media Representation: How the media portray events, issues, individuals and social groups.

1. Make-up
2. Pink
3. Attitude - sassy
4. Self (interested), vain
5. Caring (children) - expressive role
6. Weak --- 1. physically  2.mentally
7. Need to conform to society -----1. children - 2. cooking  3. cleaning
8. Bad driving
9. Emotional

Language, Representation, Audience, Industry

•Million Reasons is a contrasting example of a contemporary music video from a world famous, white, female artist. This particular video (from the album Joanne) marks a change in direction for the artist as media producers make use of media language to construct representations that might attract a broader, more mainstream market whilst not alienating the artist’s core fan base.

Laura Mulvey: 

She was a theorist and a feminist 

Mulvey, came up with the concept on male gaze in 1975. 

Here Mulvey wrote a very influential essay ‘Visual pleasure and Narrative Cinema’. Stating that women are used for visual pleasure- women are made to seem like sexual objects through voyeurism. She argued that women took the passive part of a film and that all men played an active part, in her eye the women were objects.

Van Zoonen:

– feminism and patriarchy.

Van Zoonen believes the media portray images of stereotypical women and this behaviour reinforces societal views.

The media does this because they believe it reflects dominant social values (what people believe in) and male producers are influenced by this. This is a patriarchy (a society ran by men for men) which dominates and oppresses women.

Why is Lady Gaga important?

An influential figure.
Music.
Iconic star - evolved as a musician.
Unique artist - stands out.
Support for gay community.
Activist.
Feminist.
Changed the face of mainstream pop.
Against body shaming.

Areas to study:

•how the different modes and language associated with different media forms communicate multiple meanings 

•how the combination of elements of media language influence meaning 

•how developing technologies affect media language 

•the codes and conventions of media forms and 
products, including the processes through which media 
language develops as genre 

•the dynamic and historically relative nature of genre 

•the processes through which meanings are established 
through intertextuality

•how audiences respond to and interpret the above 
aspects of media language. 

•

 Modes: images, sound, speech and writing. 

 Language: media language associated with audio-visual, audio, print and online media. 

Areas to study:

•the way events, issues, individuals (including self- representation) and social groups (including social identity) are represented through processes of selection and combination 

•the way the media through representation construct versions of reality 

•the processes which lead media producers to make choices about how to represent events, issues, individuals and social groups 

•the effect of social and cultural context on representations 

•how and why stereotypes can be used positively and negatively 

•how and why particular social groups, in a national and global context, may be under-represented or misrepresented 

•how media representations convey values, attitudes and beliefs about the world and how these may be systematically reinforced across a wide range of media representations 

•how audiences respond to and interpret media representations. 

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS

Areas to study:

–reflecting social, cultural and political attitudes towards wider issues and beliefs 

–constructing social, cultural and political attitudes towards wider issues and beliefs 

•how media products studied can act as a means of reflecting historical issues and events 

•how media products studied can potentially be an agent in facilitating social, cultural and political developments through the use of media language to construct meaning through viewpoints, messages and values and representations of events and issues 

•how media products studied are influenced by social, cultural, political and historical contexts through intertextual references.

Intertextuality - the link between different texts e.g. Land of the free music video by the Killers is linked to the crisis in America with the wall being built in Mexico border.

Lady Gaga music video

looking emotional

pink

makeup artists

heavy makeup

extravagant yet basic outfits

women being caring towards her. 

peace tattoo on arm

Black and white - traditional - putting on a facade

Religion - "Lord show me the way" 

Juxtaposition - Pink v Suit v Cowboy hat. Boy V Girl mixed into one. - Breaking from tradition.

Camera work

Mise en scene

Sound

Editing

First shot extreme wide shot in high angle of her rolling away in the desert - 'if i had a highway i would run for the hills' - rolling away form her problems - lost her mind - stereotype of women being emotional. 

Emotion is a running theme throughout the whole video - in the desert - sad - in the makeup chair - sad - on stage - confident, proud, bold posture.

Desert sounds are meant to be relaxing, goes from the relaxed setting to a loud and stressful sound. goes form happy to sad. colour to black and white. 

Black and white - simple - raw - easy to understand

Colour is complex and has many layers to it. 

non chronological - the running thoughts going through her mind make no sense

warm glow (sepia) reminiscing to childhood and normality- to black and waitpeople will always be 

dark car - high angle camera shot - like cctv - seeing the behind the scenes her - she is very private, introverted even when on stage. 

she is ferried around like important cargo that is fragile - like a leader of people- several cars with blacked out windows all for one person - fragile - women stereotype 

collection of hats and clothes and dresses, stereotype of women being obsessed by appearance.

Telling a story of loss and how things have to get worse before they get better, and people will always be there to pick you up and shield you from other negativities.

Ends on a close up shot of her looking at a tattoo of hope

Indirect mode of address.

when introduced to this colourful, pink, bold leader she looks confident and strong - direct mode of address.

desert is peaceful and leads into a dramatic horror sound

car - sad  - stage confident

approach is that she states clearly how she feels - she is being honest and truthful. 

loud and clear - instruments are little distraction form her voice. 

as the second verse begins, it flashes back to the desert to the details that got her there. 

It is an independent experience for whomever watches and listens to it. 

0:15- laying on her back in the desert, weakness, vulnerability

1:08- Looking sad, looking down, slumped body language, black and white for depressive mood, emotional which links to stereotype 

1:14- heavy makeup which links to the stereotype that women need to wear makeup to make them look good

1:17- hiding her face behind the guitar, trying to hide who she is 

2:07- friends running to rescue her in desert, weakness, friends will always be there and you don't need a man

2:32- head in hands, shows emotion and sadness

2:55- back to makeup chair, looks distressed and emotional 

3:32- wearing a cross, and a priest touching her shoulder to represent God showing her the right path 

3:52- hat and sunglasses on to hide identity and emotion in desert

3:58- pink suit shows she is going against normality 

First shot- extreme wide shot of her rolling around in the desert- shows she is rolling away from her problems and worries and trying to hide

Colour is complex and has many layers

Non chronological order- running thoughts going through her head make no sense

Desert is peaceful and leads into a dramatic horror sound

Car- sad, stage confident

Approach is that she states clearly how she feels, being honest and truthful

When introduced to this colouful, pink,bold leader she looks confident and strong- direct mode of address

Ends on a close up of her looking at the tattoo of hope

not a lot of direct mode of address used - only when we see this facade character in the pink suit.

Women are comforting her - stereotype of women being comforting and nurturing.

Analysis of the music video

0:15 

• mid shot
• lying on her back, eyes closed, with sun against her in the desert
• music is soft and somber like a dream like state
• slow pan downwards from the sun to her face before zooming into a mid shot

0:25-0:30

• dressed in all blade with blade shades and hat, in a black car going along a dark road leading to know where; death, evil, and mystery. Black is a mysterious colour associated with fear and the unknown.

"Lord, show me the way

But baby, I just need one good one to stay" - cross necklace - christ is salvation - he is the one good reason to stay - one figure to another figure

Million Reasons analysis:

-Her body language- negative, worn out  

-She's sad/worn out - has to go to work although she's going through stuff, tried to hide

emotions & stay strong in front of dressing table but screen turns B&W showing emotions

which she's actually feeling

-Many biblical/religious references 

-When her friends pick her up she puts on her hat&glasses back on - picks herself back up

and pretends she's fine - has to be strong for fans - shows her fans she cares.

-Emotionally transparent & vulnerable 

Analysing lyrics:

"your giving me a million reasons to let you go" a failed relationship and she cant take it

anymore.

"i would run for the hills" if she found a way out of the relationship easily she would just

leave.

"If you could find a dry way, I'd forever be still," but she seems to be saying that if he

could figure his life out, she wouldn't complain anymore.

"cut through all this worn out leather," which seems to be a reference to toughened

emotional walls that keep her or him from being honest.

"Head stuck in a cycle. I look off, and I stare." highlighting her own emotional emptiness

and hopelessness. 

 "I've stopped breathing," but she's "completely aware" as she watches her life descend

into chaos seemingly beyond her control.

"And if you say something that you might even mean / It's hard to even fathom which

parts I should believe." He's lied so many times that she simply can't trust anything that he

says.

"Baby, I'm bleedin' / Can't you give me what I'm needin'?" Despite his many lies she

loves him and is still giving him the chance to fix things

"Every heartbreak makes it hard to keep the faith," to show how his actions have made

it hard for her to believe that he can fix things, but she claims that she needs only "one

good [reason]" to stay with him.

A Million Reasons Lady Gaga lyrics

You're giving me a million reasons to let you go
You're giving me a million reasons to quit the show
You're givin' me a million reasons
Give me a million reasons
Givin' me a million reasons
About a million reasons

If I had a highway, I would run for the hills
If you could find a dry way, I'd forever be still
But you're giving me a million reasons
Give me a million reasons
Givin' me a million reasons
About a million reasons

I bow down to pray
I try to make the worst seem better
Lord, show me the way
To cut through all his worn out leather
I've got a hundred million reasons to walk away
But baby, I just need one good one to stay

Head stuck in a cycle, I look off and I stare
It's like that I've stopped breathing, but completely aware
'Cause you're giving me a million reasons
Give me a million reasons
Givin' me a million reasons
About a million reasons

And if you say something that you might even mean
It's hard to even fathom which parts I should believe
'Cause you're giving me a million reasons
Give me a million reasons
Givin' me a million reasons
About a million reasons

I bow down to pray
I try to make the worst seem better
Lord, show me the way
To cut through all his worn out leather
I've got a hundred million reasons to walk away
But baby, I just need one good one to stay

Baby I'm bleedin', bleedin'
Stay
Can't you give me what I'm needin', needin'
Every heartbreak makes it hard to keep the faith
But baby, I just need one good one
Good one, good one, good one, good one, good one

When I bow down to pray
I try to make the worst seem better
Lord, show me the way
To cut through all his worn out leather
I've got a hundred million reasons to walk away
But baby, I just need one good one, good one
Tell me that you'll be the good one, good one
Baby, I just need one good one to stay

Stereotypes of women in the music industry

• Always singing love songs
• Don't wear many clothes/ outrageous outfits

Expectations of women

• Slim
• Young
• Overwhelmingly white
• Conforming to our image of ideal beauty
• Alluring
• Long hair
• Makeup
• Perfect skin
• Tries to create something in audience members (especially males)

Representations of women across all media tend to highlight the following

• beauty (narrow conventions)
• size/physique (narrow conventions)
• sexuality (narrow conventions)
• emotional
• relationships

Women and femininity

Women have often suffered from a narrow set of representations in the media. Women are often associated with the domestic situation.

• women as housewives or mothers.
• or as sex objects (sexualised and objectified) represented to entertain and titilate the male.
• 
  

Laura Mulvey: 

She was a theorist and a feminist 

Mulvey, came up with the concept on male gaze in 1975. 

Here Mulvey wrote a very influential essay ‘Visual pleasure and Narrative Cinema’. Stating that women are used for visual pleasure- women are made to seem like sexual objects through voyeurism. She argued that women took the passive part of a film and that all men played an active part, in her eye the women were objects.

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Van Zoonen:

– feminism and patriarchy.

Van Zoonen believes the media portray images of stereotypical women and this behaviour reinforces societal views.

The media does this because they believe it reflects dominant social values (what people believe in) and male producers are influenced by this. This is a patriarchy (a society ran by men for men) which dominates and oppresses women.

Van Zoonen believes theories of gender come from the media in something called 'discourse'. We learn what it is to be female or male from what we see in the media. Eg, damsel in distress for women, and heroes for men. She says we must look at the historical and cultural context of gender roles, compared to now. She says you must look at femininity and masculinity now v old versions or in other countries. 1950s women, given idea of how to be a traditional woman from the media such as cleaning products. 1960s, women's realm magazine, growing flowers, cooking, cleaning. She thinks women are objectified in the media, to be looked at, to be bought, to be sold, not seen as important. women seen as commodities, do not even need to see their faces in advertising. Thinks we live in a patriarchy dominated by men, and products are made by men, which is why women are objectified. She thinks the media defines gender roles e.g. women belong to the kitchen, whereas men belong to the workplace. Men and women's bodies are seen in different ways. Men are shown as 'spectacle', as they work hard to achieve their 'rock hard bodies'. Whereas women's bodies are seen as something to lust over, and they are shown as something to buy, or take. No though is given to the work that goes into it, and that makes people believe that women automatically look that way and no consideration is given to the amount of effort that goes into getting a body like that.

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bell hooks:

Doesn't use capitals in her name as she does not want to be found by her name. Her theories are all centred around women and feminism. She defines feminism as 'the struggle to end patriarchy and the suffering of women'. Feminism is a struggle to stop men dominating society and aiming to create equality, and she wants to end a patriarchical society. Huck magazine shows freedom fighter women fighting against ISIS who want to end oppression by men, and gain equality. She states women need to be politically active to be a feminist, as you need to be politically involved and an activist to make a change. Huck magazine shows the Ocalan angels fighting against this oppression. She says that oppression of women is not a simple thing, as you cannot put them in one category, as she thinks there are different levels to it and discrimination. She wants people to understand that discrimination and oppression are linked to class and ethnicity. Those in worse economic situations are more vulnerable as they are oppressed more. Women in different cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities are oppressed worse in different ways in comparison to white women in Britain. In some poverty stricken countries, women are given little education as seen in Huck article. hooks emphasises that ethnicity is linked to gender, and ultimately the oppression they receive.