Music Videos - Micheal Jackson
Billy Jean- Micheal Jackson
Component 1- Media Theoretical Framework
Micheal Jackson 1982
What representations are being shown here? Are there any stereotypes?
What is the narrative?
Set in a city on a street corner. There is a detective watching and following him. He walks upstairs at a hotel and gets into bed with someone, then disappears.
How is Michael Jackson seen? Star image?
Cameras going off all the time. Feels like he's always being followed and watched by the press. Seen as this superstar with lots of power as he disappears and is sneaky.
Historical Information
Inspiration
Director Steve Barron - ' I'd come up with the idea based on an idea that I'd had for a previous video for Joan Armatrading.'
Copying the Midas Touch. (Midas touched things and it turned to gold = Jackson touched things ad it turned to Light)
They faxed it to Micheal and he said he liked it and he 'wants it to feel like a Peter pan thing'.
What could the cat changing into the tiger represent?
The interpretation of the narrative
Shows a man struggling with a problem. Going back to the lyrics, the problem is obviously whether he had fathered a child with a woman obsessed with him.
So the first part is him walking down the street thinking about what he should do.
The reporter starts creeping around in the shadows. This issue isn't really addressed in the song itself but it is about deception and what is more deceiving than a hack paparazzi sneaking around writing rumors. The reporter drops the newspaper article about Billie Jean.
In this part, Jackson is trying to show how these issues can get so out of hand in the media. He not only has to worry about it personally but now has to dodge people trying to make the situation even worse.
He's thinking about the picture Billie Jean had shown him where the baby's eyes were like his own. He uses 'artistic license'. this means that the artist can interpret thoughts, feelings, and actions in any way possible even if it goes into a somewhat unreal realm. This section goes into the dance. He ends up enhancing the power of the feelings and words.
The last part of the film is him going back to him trying to escape the paparazzi. He goes up the stairs to the motel and by putting his fingers to his lips, he signals to the old woman to call the police on the creepy reporter. The reporter gets arrested for violating Micheals's privacy.
Representations of Ethnicity
Alvarado (1987) identified four main types
Micheal Jackson as a young black male can be seen in a positive light:
- He gives money to the poor and transforms their life.
- Voyeurism is used (the notion of looking)
- He is seen as the starlight up floor, light up bed, screen time.
Micheal Jackson as a young black male can be seen in a negative light:
- He has been accused of doing something - creating a scandal - why he is being chased by the press. - Being deceitful - telling people to keep quiet
- Disappearing when the reporter tries to catch up with him.
How is Ethnicity and Star Image shown through Mise-en-scene?
Setting- back alley/stairs shows that something is dodgy and secretive as its not out in the open. Suggests that he is hiding from the world because of his fame or perhaps it suggests that he is hiding and being stereotyped for his ethnicity.
The broken sign connotes it is old and run down - it could be set in a run-down neighbourhood implying that Micheal is from a poor background. The red colour suggests danger or anger. This could imply that the industry he is in is dangerous and deceitful and he is angry at the situation in regards to Billie Jean and the supposed baby of his. To link this to his ethnicity, it could imply that people of colour are in scandal even when its not true.
The bright light where he treads shows a sci-fi genre intertwined with the action/mystery genre of the video.
Similar to the noir film 'The Maltese Falcon'.
Lighting & Colour - dark alley that is quite lit with lights from the house next door and the hotel sign. (low and high key lighting)
Ideologies/representations lyrics: not to believe everything in the media as the one involved (Micheal) is saying it's not real.
Exam question
Analyse how the Billie Jean by Micheal Jackson uses stereotypes to represent a varying representation of ethnicity. [10 Marks]
The music video 'Billie Jean' by Micheal Jackson from 1982 highlights a number of positive and negative representations of ethnicity. It draws upon a number of ethnic stereotypes including a typical representation of white women and a negative representation of young black males within the video.
In part of the video, a picture of two young white women are displayed on a large billboard and is being admired my Micheal himself. This suggests the stereotype of young white women plays a key part in the storyline as they are being admired by the main character as well as watching down on him - this could signify Micheal always being watched by women in the media. Similarly, Micheal being a young black male in the '80s is highly shown throughout the whole video as he is portrayed as a mysterious and troublesome character - this would have been a key problem at the time because the media was very racially stereotypical towards black people and still is today.
Billie Jean was released by Jackson in 1982, at the time racism was a very big thing in the media - Micheal being a big star, and being black, was rather strange and not normally heard of in the mainstream industry. The video was groundbreaking because it was nothing like what people had seen before on MTV (a mainstream music television channel showing mainly white music) where it was released. It holds a clear narrative considering the bazar concept of the story which links to the misunderstanding within the media about Micheal having a son with a fan.
The media language of the video highlights a number of stereotypes used, for example Micheal Jackson walks down the street and the paving slabs light up. This has connotations of a supernatural and mysterious being. It is also seen through the use of the camera when Micheal is being followed by a detective waiting for him to trip up with what he is doing. Similarly, at different points, the camera zooms into key parts - like the newspaper with 'Billie Jean' on it - showing the audience the storyline as it goes along with the video. Stereotypes are evident in the use of costume when the detective has a plain tan coat on, glasses and a hat; the granny has a floral nightgown on and a shower cap; and the subverted stereotype of Micheal giving money to the homeless and transforming them into someone new. These could suggest everyday life normal things implying that the situation happens in Micheal's everyday normal life.
In conclusion, ethnicity is shown in both a positive and negative way throughout the Billie Jean music video. The minority ethnicity is represented in a negative way but has also been shown in a positive light.
Social Historical
Cultural Mise-en-scene
Media language
Component 1- Media Theoretical Framework
Micheal Jackson 1982
What representations are being shown here? Are there any stereotypes?
- 2 white female models on a billboard - stereotyped as desirable to males.
- Old granny with a shower cap on directing the policeman, doing the right thing.
- Detective wearing a long tan coat, brown hat, and sunglasses. Stereotypical detective outfit.
- Micheal Jackson- a young black man popular in the music industry. Subverted stereotype at the time.
What is the narrative?
Set in a city on a street corner. There is a detective watching and following him. He walks upstairs at a hotel and gets into bed with someone, then disappears.
How is Michael Jackson seen? Star image?
Cameras going off all the time. Feels like he's always being followed and watched by the press. Seen as this superstar with lots of power as he disappears and is sneaky.
Historical Information
- Example of a historically significant music video.
- One of the first videos on MTV to feature a black artist and be aired on regular rotation by the channel.
- The video's immense popularity helped bring MTV into the mainstream and breakthrough racial barriers on TV networks.
- Helped propel the album 'Thriller' to the bestselling album of all time.
- 'Billie Jean' is considered the video that bought MTV, until a fairly new and unknown, music channel, into mainstream attention.
- One of the first videos by black artists to be aired regularly.
- Network executives thought black music wasn't 'rock' enough.
How is Jackson as a young black male represented?
He gives a homeless man some money that magically changes his appearance. This could suggest that he changed his life. Positive representation of young black males.
He's running away from the police. He's being followed by authority. Possibly showing racism towards young black males.
How does it show the hounding/obsession by the groupies as mentioned by Jackson?
Inspiration
Director Steve Barron - ' I'd come up with the idea based on an idea that I'd had for a previous video for Joan Armatrading.'
Copying the Midas Touch. (Midas touched things and it turned to gold = Jackson touched things ad it turned to Light)
They faxed it to Micheal and he said he liked it and he 'wants it to feel like a Peter pan thing'.
They used painted glass to cover the wide shots.
Social, Culture, and Historical context
Social, Culture, and Historical context
the reporter could represent Micheal Jackson being hounded by the press.
they also represent a repressed community that is monitored or controlled by the press.
Billie Jean came out in 1982 but can be linked to life beyond the year of its production.
they also represent a repressed community that is monitored or controlled by the press.
Billie Jean came out in 1982 but can be linked to life beyond the year of its production.
What could the cat changing into the tiger represent?
- Represents the women?
- trying to find evidence that the kid is there. Symbolism for that.
Can you make any associations with modern-day society?
- Constant documentation. (photos/cameras/detectives)
The interpretation of the narrative
So the first part is him walking down the street thinking about what he should do.
He's thinking about the picture Billie Jean had shown him where the baby's eyes were like his own. He uses 'artistic license'. this means that the artist can interpret thoughts, feelings, and actions in any way possible even if it goes into a somewhat unreal realm. This section goes into the dance. He ends up enhancing the power of the feelings and words.
The last part of the film is him going back to him trying to escape the paparazzi. He goes up the stairs to the motel and by putting his fingers to his lips, he signals to the old woman to call the police on the creepy reporter. The reporter gets arrested for violating Micheals's privacy.
You see Micheal looking at the person sleeping in the bed still with so much confusion and pain about the situation, that he makes himself disappear after pulling the sheet on top of him. This could be a way of saying there is a problem that he can't deal with and wants to vanish. It also represents vanishing from the paparazzi.
Representations of Ethnicity
Alvarado (1987) identified four main types
- the humorous, providing comic relief.
- the exotic; other cultures presented as unusual and exotic in their traditions and ways of living.
- the pitied; objects of pity and vulnerability
- the dangerous; criminal, gangster and usually coupled with a binary opposition such as the respectable white character.
Micheal Jackson as a young black male can be seen in a positive light:
- He gives money to the poor and transforms their life.
- Voyeurism is used (the notion of looking)
- He is seen as the starlight up floor, light up bed, screen time.
Micheal Jackson as a young black male can be seen in a negative light:
- He has been accused of doing something - creating a scandal - why he is being chased by the press. - Being deceitful - telling people to keep quiet
- Disappearing when the reporter tries to catch up with him.
How is Ethnicity and Star Image shown through Mise-en-scene?
Setting- back alley/stairs shows that something is dodgy and secretive as its not out in the open. Suggests that he is hiding from the world because of his fame or perhaps it suggests that he is hiding and being stereotyped for his ethnicity.
The broken sign connotes it is old and run down - it could be set in a run-down neighbourhood implying that Micheal is from a poor background. The red colour suggests danger or anger. This could imply that the industry he is in is dangerous and deceitful and he is angry at the situation in regards to Billie Jean and the supposed baby of his. To link this to his ethnicity, it could imply that people of colour are in scandal even when its not true.
The bright light where he treads shows a sci-fi genre intertwined with the action/mystery genre of the video.
Similar to the noir film 'The Maltese Falcon'.
Lighting & Colour - dark alley that is quite lit with lights from the house next door and the hotel sign. (low and high key lighting)
Ideologies/representations lyrics: not to believe everything in the media as the one involved (Micheal) is saying it's not real.
Michael Jackson - background
Thriller is the sixth studio album of Michael’s, released November 30th, 1982. It was released by Epic Records in the US and CBS Records internationally. Jackson says he was inspired to create an album where ‘every song was a killer’.
Thriller peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and produced seven singles. All singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, breaking the record for the most top 10 singles from an album.
Thriller became the world’s bestselling album, having sold 32 million copies. (one million per week).
It spent a record 37 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, from February 26, 1983, to April 14, 1884, and has spent 392 weeks on the charts and counting.
Billie-Jean – the song
The song opens with a standard drum beat along with a standard hi-hat and joined two bars later with a shaker. After two more bars, a repetitive bass line enters.
Exam question
Analyse how the Billie Jean by Micheal Jackson uses stereotypes to represent a varying representation of ethnicity. [10 Marks]
The music video 'Billie Jean' by Micheal Jackson from 1982 highlights a number of positive and negative representations of ethnicity. It draws upon a number of ethnic stereotypes including a typical representation of white women and a negative representation of young black males within the video.
In part of the video, a picture of two young white women are displayed on a large billboard and is being admired my Micheal himself. This suggests the stereotype of young white women plays a key part in the storyline as they are being admired by the main character as well as watching down on him - this could signify Micheal always being watched by women in the media. Similarly, Micheal being a young black male in the '80s is highly shown throughout the whole video as he is portrayed as a mysterious and troublesome character - this would have been a key problem at the time because the media was very racially stereotypical towards black people and still is today.
Billie Jean was released by Jackson in 1982, at the time racism was a very big thing in the media - Micheal being a big star, and being black, was rather strange and not normally heard of in the mainstream industry. The video was groundbreaking because it was nothing like what people had seen before on MTV (a mainstream music television channel showing mainly white music) where it was released. It holds a clear narrative considering the bazar concept of the story which links to the misunderstanding within the media about Micheal having a son with a fan.
The media language of the video highlights a number of stereotypes used, for example Micheal Jackson walks down the street and the paving slabs light up. This has connotations of a supernatural and mysterious being. It is also seen through the use of the camera when Micheal is being followed by a detective waiting for him to trip up with what he is doing. Similarly, at different points, the camera zooms into key parts - like the newspaper with 'Billie Jean' on it - showing the audience the storyline as it goes along with the video. Stereotypes are evident in the use of costume when the detective has a plain tan coat on, glasses and a hat; the granny has a floral nightgown on and a shower cap; and the subverted stereotype of Micheal giving money to the homeless and transforming them into someone new. These could suggest everyday life normal things implying that the situation happens in Micheal's everyday normal life.
In conclusion, ethnicity is shown in both a positive and negative way throughout the Billie Jean music video. The minority ethnicity is represented in a negative way but has also been shown in a positive light.
Social Historical
Cultural Mise-en-scene
Media language
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