MTV known as music television was launched in august 1st 1981, but other concepts of music videos were aired from around 1960's. MTV is the most well known music channel based in New York city. on august 1st buggles 'video killed the radio star' was the first video aired on MTV, in this essay i will identify the differences in each old and new videos by using theories to identify those differences.
My first piece of research was done on the male gaze theory, this suggests that there are 3 main theories; how men see woman, how women see women and how women look at their selves.Rod Stewart's 'do you think I'm sexy' was released in 1978 about the same time the male gaze was written, this video contained rod in tight latex black trousers with a frilly blouse, wiggling his bum on stage compared to the men these days who wouldn't be seen wearing anything like that. This portrays a very feminine look. The girl in the video is so stereotypical that the girl must be portrayed sexually for the male to gaze upon them which fits nicely in with the male gaze, this also allows the woman to look at her and want to be her. Although nowadays the woman in the music videos show a little more flesh than they did in the 1970's music videos they are still portrayed in a sexual way for the public to gaze over them. For example in Blurred lines by Robin Thicke ft TI and pharrell these 3 girls are completely naked in the explicit video dancing around with robin TI and pharrell, this is an extreme of the male gaze theory because the men clearly very much want to watch it and see them and the girls are intrigued to watch it to see what the girls look like, either envy them, want to be them or even gaze over them like the men do.
Blumer and kratz found the uses and gratification model, this means that the audience have control over the media therefore the artists, this means that when the audience take an active role in the media the artist is more eligible to do what the audience wants, for example if the audience isn't a fan of the artist they wont download the music they might right a bad statement on a social media website or even just tell a friend which makes bad publicity to the artist therefore they don't make money,their tickets don't sell and they could get cut from the record label deal.This is why the artist does have to attract the audience and do things that they will like not just what they want to do.I think this is more suited to a not very established artists that wants to make more fans not really to someone like Kanye west who has already established his place in the music industry and has millions of fans. He does what he wants to do like in bound 2 it consists of him and Kim Kardashian (his wife) on a motor bike with a very poor green screen behind them that shows deserts and roads. This isn't very entertaining but he does what he wants to do because he can. whereas Eminem when he was first getting recognised released loose yourself and that was the soundtrack to 8 mile his film about his life which is very clever because the music video is a clip of him performing it out of the film which promotes him, his film and the new release.
Andrew goodwin's theory says that any lyrics to do with the song fits with the music video (the narrative) so basically it tells a story, i believe that there is a percentage to music videos, 60% performance, 30% narrative and 10% concept because then you can have a lot more variety with the music video for example Michael Jackson 'thriller' has most performance because he dances and sings all the way through but it also tells a very good well known story about him turning into a zombie everything makes sense there isn't any concept in this because when watching it you don't really think to yourself 'why was that there?' everything makes sense. Now this was made in 1980's, 34 years later beyonce the biggest star in the world made a song 'flawless' this song is all about feminism, she is saying that all girls are flawless and they need to start seeing beyond the man and see their woman and that we need equality with a speech from a feminist award winner writer, it then goes on to how she woke up looking that 'flawless' basically so it does turn into a bit of concept because why does it change from being so political to talking about girls looking flawless. Her video consist of her in a underground room in black and white, that showing equality, with skinheads surrounded her. She is also dressed as one, this goes with he lyrics, which would make sense because she is talking about equality to gender and skinhead girls look like men as they shave their heads and wear exactly the same things as men, also beyonce is in it all the way through moshing, dancing and performing which would be the performance part.
Its clear to say that over the period of time things have changed whether it be male gaze getting a much stronger part of the mass media, the audience having more control over what they want from the media due to all of the media platforms they have and also goodwins theory though he said its just lyrics to fit with the story they tell in the music video sometime sit doesn't fit I think because the artist wants you to think and not just be entertained by the story especially beyonce. I think all three theories are all as important than the others, they all effect what the artist and director puts out there for the audience to see.
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