Music Video Representations of BME's

What is Representation?

• The way a producer represents a group of people/issue/event or place.
• This demonstrates the ideologies of the producer.
• Importance because it allows people to make sense of the world.
• Consistent exposure to representations and ideologies can cultivate the ideologies into the audience's mind.
• Representation constructs reality. If people keep telling and seeing the same representations and people start treating the stereotyped group this could conclude in the stereotyped group in a self fulfilling prophecy.

Anaconda - Nicki Minaj (Music Video) - Representations of BME (BlackMinorityEthnicGroup)

• The long shot of BME women dancing in little clothing represents BME women as not being good for anything else only in a sexualised way.

• The high angled long shot of the 3 BME women wearing minimal clothing and posing in a very odd way which goes against hegemonic ideas, it is set in a jungle so the message that this could be presenting is that BME women are wild and uncivilised.

• Nicki Minaj is taking on a stereotypical BME women role in the video.

• However, in one scene she is taking on a stereotypical white woman role by being in a kitchen yet she subverts away from that stereotype as she is not actually cooking and trying to be sexual and seductive. Instead, she is giving BME women the stereotype that they are sexually promiscuous.

Lil Pump - Gucci Gang (Ethnic Minorities)

• Mise-en-scene of tiger represents ethnic minorities as potentially violent and aggressive, and emphasises massively his aggression and power.

• The binary opposition of the tiger walking through the american state school shows the rebellion.

• The mise-en-scene of the bags of cannabis then it shows he's a drug dealer and is rebellious as you can get in jail, he is in the underclass so he has no social status in society.

• By Lil Pump just giving out cannabis, it gives the audience the gratification of escapism.

• Using closed code language, its like no one can catch him out on what he is saying.

• BME's rolling their eyes at the teacher shows their disrespect for the teacher.

• There are many aspects of the video which connote taking drugs (hallucinogenic imagery) such as his extremely bright hair and the shimmer of his purple jacket all connotes drugs.

• The gesture of Lil Pump chucking his weed bag at the teacher shows criminality and the binary opposition of it being on the authoritative teacher it shows the breaking down of authority that the younger and 'criminal' generation are rebelling against the older 'authoritative' teacher.