A2 media studies

1. Textual Analysis of a music video
What is the role of the music video take care?
The focus of the song Take care is a relationship based on a guy (Drake) and a girl
(Rihanna) helping each other heal from what had happened in the past and pick each other
up. Drake is trying to tell his lover Rihanna that he understands her pain and what she may
of went through in the past as he is trying to heal the troubles and wants to build a
relationship together. Throughout the son g, they are both reassuring each other that they
won’t fall for the same mistake like they did in the past and to be stronger than ever and be
able to build trust to try love again. Drake continuously talks about him would take care of
Rhianna as he won’t hurt her as she has been hurt previously.
Why does the music video relate to postmodernism?
Lady Gaga is one of the most postmodernism artists there is as she likes to make straight
forward references to other music videos or films. For example, in one of the scenes in lady
Gaga music video ‘’telephone’’ she is standing next to a yellow car with Beyoncé. This is the
same scene as the ‘’pussy wagon’’, Lady gaga made a reference as the pussy wagon drove
the same original car as the car in lady gags music video. Furthermore, within the video,
Lady gaga also makes a reference to the stereotypical image of a perfect housewife and
uses products such as bread to reference a time period. This image portrays that in the late
1990s, all women’s were expected to be housewives and in relation to this, women’s are still
expected to become housewives but wasn’t as strong as in the late 1990s. This creates new
meaning to show how she felt about the 50s housewife’s by adding food poison whilst she’s
making food and ends up killing everyone in dinner. This may be because lady gaga doesn’t
like how others portrays women as just staying at home and becoming housewife’s doing
nothing with themselves as she wants to come across as a strong and independent women.
Moreover during the music video, lady gaga refers Beyoncé as ‘’honey bee’’ before they
begin to poison the two robbers during dinner. In relation to this, the name honey bee is the
nick name given to one of the two robbers whom is called Yolanda in the famous scene in
pulp fiction. The dinner scene also resembles an opening scene of pulp fiction, there are
similarities with Elle driver who is the driver in kill bill and is dressed up as a nurse in order to
kill a bride. In relation to this, lady gaga is dressed as a chef so she can poison everyone.
This relates to postmodernism because lady gaga styles out a telephone for an eyepatch,
where as in kill bill the nurse wears an eye-patch but has a cross.
In the music video, we are introduced to a medium shot of a cinematography where lady
gaga strips herself but naked whilst she is locked up in a prison cell companied by 2
females. This makes the audience feel sympathy for her as she comes across as vulnerable
and naked. Her helplessness behind bars references to her being trapped in real life as a
person due to her being extremely famous as she cannot do things which a normal person
can e.g. walking to the shops without being harassed due to paparazzi always being on her
case because of her fame.
Lady gagas music video’’ Telephone’’ relates to postmodernism as they use a long shot of
both lady gaga and Beyoncé wear Disney Mickey mouse sunglasses which links to

2. intersexuality. There is a pop culture reference to lady Gagas single telephone. Lady gaga
has succeeded in branding herself which interlinks between her music works which is
noticed by many audience members. Also international references work can be seen within
others such as Beyoncé as she is also wearing Micky mouse sun glasses
Throughout the music video ‘’Telephone’’ cinematography Is used in the video as lady gaga
is being held down by her sexuality as defined by society, we can clearly see lady Gaga
comes by herself without any back up showing she is an independent women which
emphasis the fact that women are strong individuals, as she has a one on one fight with
another women. It collides with world we live in as in reality women turns against each other
instead of joining together and embracing girl power and being united as one. Later on we
see a dance with many girls as backup dancers with gaga which shows all girls should be
united as one as in reference to Beyoncé’s music video ‘’who runs the world girls’’ that all
girls should come together to rule the world over boys.