Music Video (Madonna)
Sally Stockbridge claims that the meaning of rock videos "varies depending upon the context in which they are viewed, and the context or positioning of the viewers or fans." It may be apparent that music video is a social institution where record companies manipulate listeners by using an all-embracing ideology of consumption and where listeners are expected to unconditionally accept the constant ideological meanings of the label's bands, but listeners simply won't respond in a pre-determined manner (Wicke, 1990:79). Music is placed in the context of their everyday life and leisure, and within this context they interpret it using their own meanings and values based on the background of their own social experiences which they have developed over a lifetime. As "consumers" react to music in a class-specific manner, the contexts they place the music in have become more and more densely packed (varied). The music industry has recognised the diversity of the listening audience and have comprehensively surrounded rock music with a cultural context made up of fashion, magazines, media images and the aura of its stars (Wicke, 1990:79). Thus these contexts develop into sub-cultures which, with their deliberate signs of being different, pla
y an important role in the social conflict over the cultural meaning and value of rock music (Wicke, 1990:80). Madonna, conversely, is concerned with the "plight of the female" and gender stereotypes. She does not allow her body to be dismantled and objectified nor does she provide messages for men that lead to abuse, rape or death of women. She has used her sexuality to empower herself showing a natural flair for independence and power. The only meaning Madonna is trying to convey in her music videos is that each person can control their sexuality and social identity, and that these things aren't pre-determined. Madonna knows of the aura of power that is inherently held by music stars proclaiming, "Power is a great aphrodisiac, and I'm a very powerful person" and "I want to conquer the world" (US, 1991:1). However, she has rarely wandered from the normal promotional responsibilities of a contemporary artist, so is her power more of a mass media creation? Madonna's phenomenal popularity simply can't be accounted for by her music, her personality, or even her sexuality; People (magazine) asks, "But is she really beautiful?" and answers, "Of course she's beautiful. That comes with the territory, with the power" (People, 1991:109). Her vast amount of power can be sourced to the mass media where society's dominant ideologies suggest the need for cultural icons (role models) and her "admirable spirit, independence, self-determination and upbringing (rags to riches)" make her media fodder. Madonna has used "media savvy" (manipulation) to carefully construct her own image to become a superstar, where her celebrity status has virtually reduced her music, dancing and acting to irrelevancy (Tetzlaff, 1993:241). In fact, "Madonna is more than famous as she has defined fame for the 80's and now, and is not just a person known as a celebrity but (as someone who has) kind of defined it in a way" (Winfrey, 1998). However, despite her celebrity status (in this era) we see little of her personality, an important aspect in understanding the meaning of music videos; in the 90's, much has changed, where as someone who has) kind of defined it in a way" (Winfrey, 1998). However, despite her celebrity status (in this era) we see little of her personality, an important aspect in understanding the meaning of music videos; in the 90's, much has changed, where artists have changed the way they present themselves in clips. The intended meaning of music videos should be immediately apparent to the audience; However, poor production values have made the performances of musicians mediocre and irrelevant in recent times. The commercial aspect of music has led to the development of engineered groups (auditioned for particu
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1830
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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