The music video I have chosen to analyse is American Idiot by the punk rock band Green Day. The meaning of this song is both personal and political to the band; it is about standing up against the somewhat pointless rules of American government. It also criticises the propaganda, paranoia and media issues the followed the 9/11 attack in America. The lyrics are amplified by the band performance.
The band is represented in a positive way in this video. The connotations of rock bands follow throughout their performance, with guitars, head-banging and generally unusual actions. This conveys the bands personalities, that although they are making a political statement, they can be perceived as childish and fun at the same time. Many low angle shots suggest the inspirational sense the band should be preferred in.
The rock music connotations follow with flashing lights and chaos, when the green flag background behind the performance bursts, covering the members in a green sludge. The sludge is drained from the flag, leaving a white background with outlines of the stars and stripes. This could symbolise the corruption of America displayed through the media.
The band is shown to play wildly in the music video, implying their punk rock background. The editing in the video also reiterates this. The close-up shots convey emotion, mainly anger or craziness. However, the emotions are portrayed differently with the flashing lights and sludge; the band members look almost psychotic in a sense. Slow motion clips convey the panorama in more detail for viewers; it creates a dramatic yet effective outlook to the performance.
The appearance of the members echoes the genre of music they fit into. For example, the tight black trousers with black shirts and ties all connote to a punk rock band. To elevate this representation, the band also wear ‘guy-liner’, to form a more individual look. However, this video shows the band in a different light; they have a new style, new material and new potential. This change reaches out to more “punk rockers” and regains the credibility the band may have lost.
Personality-wise, Green Day may be perceived as rowdy and unpredictable: their outrageous performance supports this. However, they are also seen as outgoing and confident in their approach to make a statement. At the end of the music video, they throw their instruments into the sludge and walk away, implying that they have made their point and there is nothing more to be said about the issue. The video manages to capture the eye of the viewer and make an impact through the harsh lyrics, actions and shots.
This particular music video follows the generalised statement made by theorist Michael Shore; he concluded that many music videos follow recycled styles…simulated experience…information overload”. In a sense, American Idiot follow recycled styles by punk bands such as The Clash, The Ramones and even The Sex-Pistols. It also creates a simulated experience, for the aggression and power incorporated into the performance is staggering. The lyrics are amplified from the music, as the green US flag is shown in the background. The clips are mainly performance- according to Sven E Carlsson, "it contains mostly filmed performance". in this case, the band are performing in the one location, which seems like a deserted warehouse.
I personally think that the video to this song will follow the Media Effects model in a positive way. The band is portrayed as headstrong and outgoing, and through their childish and fun antics, they have conveyed themselves in an inspirational manner. Fans would, therefore, be affected by this video to follow similar opinions and attitudes as the band.
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Sunday, 14 December 2008
American Idiot by Green Day
enjoy =) i love this band and this music video, they have their own unique style and their personalities shine well in thier performances.
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