essay

Essay #4 must • be 3-4 pages in length • adhere to MLA format • contain a thesis which is original to what you think and facilitates analysis • use 2-3 of the music videos below as sources; you may add your own additional music video • use the appropriate literary terms learned in class Use the questions attached to the sources to create a paper which analyzes how the potrayal of gender and/or race within the videos reflects and/or subverts society norms. Remember that your final draft will need to draw connections between ALL of the sources and each source must give evidence which supports your larger thesis. Radiohead:

“Karma Police” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBH97ma9YiI Lyrics http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/radiohead/karmapolice.html “Karma” means behavior. After watching the video, consider the following song lyrics: “Karma police/I've given all I can/It's not enough/I've given all I can/But we're still on the payroll.” Being “on the payroll” refers to earning a wage. Consider the video's narrative arc as well as the main images of the video: a car without a driver, a tired-looking man in a worn work clothes, and matchbook with the image of a fetus printed on it. What might each image be a symbol of? What commentary do you think Radiohead is making about the working class in our society?

Madonna: “What It Feels Like (For A Girl) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYwgG2oyUbA Lyrics: “Girls can wear jeans Cut their hair short Wear shirts and boots 'Cause it's okay to be a boy But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading 'Cause you think that being a girl is degrading But secretly you'd love to know what it's like Wouldn't you? What it feels like for a girl” Consider the protagonist's characterization. Why do you think muscle cars were chosen as thervehicles? What associations do you have with muscle cars? How do these associations tie into the video's narrative arc? Why do you think there is so much violence in this video? Who is the violence committed against? Consider the video's message regarding feminism. Do you feel the violence is effective in forwarding this message? Beyonce “Hold Up” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeonBmeFR8o Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/beyonceknowles/holdup.html Consider the associations of water and the feminine we have discussed in class. How might Beyonce within the water filled room and finding it hard to breathe, and then outside without water and being able to breathe, mirror the subject matter of the song? Consider the video's narrative arc as well as the message regarding feminism. Do you feel the violence is effective in forwarding this message? As a black woman, how might Beyonce might be talking about both race and gender in a way that Madonna is not because she is white?

Lauryn Hill “Everything is Everything” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_dOWYHS7I&ob=av2e Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/laurynhill/everythingiseverything.html This video's overarching image is of a large stylus playing the city streets as if they were the grooves of a record. Consider the following about how a record player functions. First, the record spins in circles on the platter. Second, the weight of the stylus slowly destroys the record. Therefore, in order to enjoy the music, you must, in essence, slowly destroy the record. In what ways does this metaphor of a revolving record work with the message and lyrics of the song? Also, look at the different objects in the video which revolve. How do they reinforce this message?