Paper 2 — Interpreting Symbols and Analyzing Power in a Music Video.
1000-1500 w
Paper 2 — Interpreting Symbols and Analyzing Power in a Music Video.
1000-1500 words
In the second part of this course, we have discussed
The power of crowds
The forms of capital (and subcultural capital)
The meaning of style as a bricolage of symbols and how they signify.
The impact of punk as a rupture in society.
The impact of hip-hop as a rupture in society.
Choose a punk or hip-hop music video that has political significance.
• Choose an official music video since 1981: since the MTV era.
(Write to me for questions or exceptions)
(Do NOT choose someone else’s video edit to a song.)
Discuss:
1. Introduction + Thesis
Discuss the political significance of the music video.
• Why is the music video politically significant?
2. Song Summary
Briefly tell the story of the song.
How does the music video signify.
Identify symbols and explain how they function (how they signify).
Use terms like bricolage, homology, polysemy to interpret the symbols.
How does power function in the video?
Who is powerful? Who is lacking in power? How is power negotiated?
Does your video have crowds? How do they function?
Discuss how the lyrics and symbols in the video work together to convey a political message.
Quote the lyrics to augment your points.
5. Conclusions
I told you what I was going to do (Intro), and did it (the paper)
We learned this and this…
Make connections from your readings and personal experience (only at the end!)
6. Add the complete lyrics of the song below your conclusion.