Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” (All Night) is a feel good song. In the music video for this song, Richie incorporates a variety of people who appear to be enjoying themselves to demonstrate that this song is meant to get everyone on their feet and dancing in the streets. He presents a multitude of different races, age groups and professions all being brought together by the music. The wide selection of crowd demonstrates that the song is also meant to entertain and amuse because everyone is getting along and dancing together though they come from different backgrounds.

                At the beginning of the music video the instruments are playing pianissimo and the tempo is quite slow. As a result, the people in the music video are walking slowly in the streets. As the first verse begins, the beat picks up and the sound crescendos, the music brings the dancers to life. This strategy communicates that the song generates amusement and fun by showing the contrast from pianissimo and dead to fortissimo and living.

                The crowd of people dancing in the street is additionally very diverse. There are numerous children, countless integrated couples and many people with different professions all joined together by the music. There are doctors, students, policemen etc. dancing in the streets to the rhythm of the music.  This is another strategy that develops Richie’s intent. The diversity of the crowd shows the songs power to bring not just one age, ethnicity or occupation together but rather creates an assortment of them all. There are ballerinas, break dancers, tribal dancers and interpretive dancers all dancing in unison until the sun comes out. The video highlights the diversity using brief clips showing an array of contrasting people distinguished by age and race but also by the clothes they are wearing.

                In addition to the diversity, Richie adds specific instances in which people are added into the fun. First, the camera focuses on a little girl who is sitting alone in a car. Richie goes to pick her up and begins dancing with her. They both smile and laugh as they dance. In another instance, a police officer comes to break up the street dancing but he too gets caught up in the rhythm. He then begins to dance to the music as well. This strategy correlates with the idea that Richie’s intent is to entertain a variety of people using his music. This video exhibits that once one hears the rhythm of this catchy tune it is almost impossible to stay away.

                This video is so cute and fun. Lionel Richie himself even joins in the party. The video illustrates that as long as the music is playing anyone and everyone can and should join in to have a good time.

    Will Smith, or the Fresh Prince as he was known in the 80's and 90's, is known for his ridiculous music videos, such as "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Girls Ain't Nothin' But Trouble". The music video for Fresh Prince's "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson" lives up to this reputation. It is a song about Will Smith trying to fight Mike Tyson. The whole song is fiction, but its a story about the events leading up to the fight and then the fight itself. The video isn't meant to be deep, philosophical or anything remotely similar to those ideas. This music video was made to entertain, promote Mike Tyson, and, in a small way, teach a lesson about ego.

            This video isn’t made specifically to promote Mike Tyson however it obviously does promote this famous boxer from the time. Quotes such as “Jeff, nobody can beat Mike Tyson” make this quite clear. One of the intents of this music video is to teach a lesson about ego. This lesson is easily found, so easy in fact, that this ease adds to the childishness of the lesson. Will Smith tries to tell his listeners that ego can get a person into serious trouble. In the song, his ego makes him fight the best boxer in the world at that time, nicknamed Iron Mike Tyson. The result of this stupid decision is shown at the end of the video when a very beat up Will Smith is talking about how stupid he was.

                The lesson that ego can cause trouble is very definitely a part of this music video however it isn’t at all the main reason behind the video. The main reason behind this music video is simply to entertain. Will Smith or “Fresh Prince” does this in a few ways. The first is by making fun of himself left and right. The very opening scene does this very well, it shows Smith making a fool of himself, stumbling around looking up at the sky, then falling down and lying on the ground. Another time he is at a press conference and Smith exaggerates about all the training he’s been doing in preparation for the fight. The things he says are so outlandishly crazy, they are meant only to make Smith appear silly or buffoonish. He says such things as “I run 10,000 miles every morning” and “I can throw a volkswagon a whole half block…and 4 million sit ups...in a minute”. These are impossible and serve only to make this video enjoyable for the viewer. 

    

         

“I don’t give a damn ‘bout my reputation.” Joan Jett sings this rebellious line from her song “Bad Reputation” while standing in an alley by a bar with all black attire, dark makeup, and grungy hair. Straight away Jett is sending the impression that she’s not the stereotypical self-conscious female. With a confident tone, she is conveying the message that people should not care what others think.

In the beginning of the video Jett gets kicked out of two establishments, presumably for her nontraditional appearance. The words, “We don’t want your kind in here” and “Come back when you’re dressed like a lady,” appear on the screen, to which she replies by giving the middle finger. This act of disrespect shows that Jett truly does not care about what others think of her.

More notably, Jett is shown being rejected by not one, not two, but six record companies. This emphasizes the fact that many companies were not confident in Jett, and therefore did not want to take the risk of signing her. Jett is fed up and decides to create a record company of her own. An image of the Billboard Hot 100 appears with Jett’s first hit song “I Love Rock N’ Roll” circled in the number 7 spot. This image is then followed by  “This record’s a hit,” which appears two more times. The repetition of this phrase reiterates the fact that Jett became successful on her own regardless of numerous rejections.

Moreover, the text “Twenty three record companies said no. One million record buyers said yes!” is shown across the screen. Jett is implying that the audience should not care about judgments from others. Many people gave her the impression that she wouldn’t amount to anything, and she went on to have a Billboard Hot 100 hit. The music video then returns to the scenes where record company businessmen had previously rejected her—only now they want to sign her since she has a hit song. Instead of showing disproval, the businessmen are smiling at Jett and giving her a thumbs up, acknowledging that Jett had indeed been a success. As the video progresses, another image appears containing a list of hit songs, with “I Love Rock N’ Roll” sitting in the first place spot. The phrase ”2½ million record buyers said I Love Rock-N-Roll!” This familiar phrase is yet again reiterating the fact that Jett became successful despite her bad reputation.

In the music video for “Bad Reputation,” Joan Jett is trying to encourage her audience to disregard judgments from others. Jett doesn’t care about her reputation and isn’t afraid to stick up for herself when kicked out of establishments. Finally, Jett proves that not caring about what others think can be rewarding through a series of repetition. After all, despite rejection, Jett became a megastar. 

                Fun fact: Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is the U.K.'s best-selling rock single of all time. This strange six minute song was even inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004. Initially, I didn't really like it. The song just just seemed like 3 separate songs just jumbled together into one; a strange mix of a slow, emotional ballad with opera and hard rock. But what caught my attention was the lack of a chorus. If you listen to the majority of songs that hit the top of the charts today, most, if not all have that catchy little bit that you find yourself humming throughout the day. After listening to it a few times however, I started to change my mind. I rather liked the way that the lyrics and music came together to tell a story of a boy and the mental changes he goes through from point 'A' to point 'B'. I even came to appreciate the strange mix of music! The changes in music genres started to provide a sort of background music for the story that helped to reflect the inner turmoil and struggle the hero experiences as he tries to clear his conscience.

                It opens softly with the boy feeling confused and shocked after committing a terrible crime. He calls out for his mother, and begins confessing, trying to clear his conscience. He apologizes and says his goodbyes as "his time has come to face the truth." The guitar solo bridges the transition from a ballad to opera, or his passing on.The music crescendos, as he is being judged. He makes his case as a poor, unloved boy and pleads to be let go. I could picture a courthouse scene here; there are two sides; one side argues for him (defendant), the other against him (prosecution). The music climaxes as he eventually loses, and devil is put aside to torment him. The music then transitions to hard rock as he then tries to fight tooth and nail against his judgment, and is determined to escape. It's not apparent if he gets out or not. However, the end of the song suggests that the boy has reflected and accepts his fate and whatever happened to him.

"Anyway the wind blows..."

               The song tells a shortened version of the hero's journey. The boy is called and departs from his familiar world to face challenges that he eventually overcomes, and emerges transformed by his trials. The boy's journey to put his conscience to rest is accompanied by three different songs that reflect his position in the cycle. The dramatic buildup and the involvement of supernatural powers appeal to the audience's imagination, hooking listeners into this erratic and aborbing tale of a murderer.

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          In 1984, the heavy metal band Twisted Sister released their hit song, "We're Not Gonna Take It". The video portrays a boy doing what he thinks is right, taking a stand against his father. Twisted Sister's message is that no one should bow down to authority if they are being mistreated. Twisted Sister use the plot of their video and imagery to convey their intent.

          The video opens with a family dinner when suddenly, one of the boys at the table asks to be excused. Music is then heard and the bitter father goes upstairs to investigate. The boy is "rocking out" with his guitar and his father bursts into the room. The father then starts to criticize his son about his room and yells at him for being a "disgusting slob". After the barrage of commands and criticism, the father asks his son, "What do you want to do with your life?". The son ponders for a second and responds with the statement, "I wanna rock" and he riffs his guitar. The father is surprised by his son's retort and because rebellion has never occurred in his household, the father screams and is pushed by some force out of the window. The music begins again and the boy transforms into Dee Snider. The rest of the boys in the family also transform into the remaining band members of Twisted Sister.

          Throughout the video, the band members defy the father. The repeated image of the father being pushed out of a window symbolizes authority being overthrown. Whenever the father is pushed out of the window, the band members pump their fists in rebellion and sing the chorus of the song, " Oh we're not gonna take it/No, we ain't gonna take it/Oh we're not gonna take it anymore". When the father tries to get back into the house, he is blocked by a brick wall. The father does not have the authority he once had to enter and exit the house in his own manner. Now he is subject to his family and is now the one being ruled, a position he is not familiar with. 
          Twisted Sister encourage people not to just take the beatings from authority. Instead, the people should take a stand and rebel against authority. Authority's oppressive rule should be opposed by the people while singing, "We're not gonna take it!".

If we're going to analyze a music video, we may as well tackle the best one ever made, Thriller, by Michael Jackson.  The title track for the blockbuster album of the same name, the video for Thriller debuted in December of 1983.  The early 80's marked the start of the music video era which heralded a completely new genre for experiencing, interpreting and promoting of pop music.  Michael Jackson was ever the innovator.  If there was something new to be done, he was going to be the best and find a way to take it to the next level.  

Michael Jackson's purpose in making Thriller was clear, it was the same as everyone else's in making a video, he wanted to sell records.   Singing into a lens was not going to make the impact that Michael was looking for.   So, what does make impact?  What makes hearts beat faster, gets adrenaline pumping, and excites the fight or flight reflex?  FEAR.  There is no way we can know if the song was the first written, but it was chosen as the title track, the first song released AND a chosen for a ground-breaking video.  It had the right subject matter to inspire a production that would frighten on one level and EXCITE it's audience on another level.

The video, which as received more awards that I can list here, was the first to approach a music video in the fashion of a feature-length film and is a lengthy thirteen minutes.  Like any horror film worth watching, it features a werewolf, lurching zombies, an abandoned house, and a beautiful girl screaming her head off.  Alone, these scenes may seem campy and a bit ridiculous.  When combined with the catchy pop beat, an extremely well choreographed and perfectly executed horror-inspired group dance, and a rap from the famously sinister Vincent Price, the effect is pop-music based horror short film that has 150,000,000 views on YouTube 30 years later.

I admit, I watched the video two or three times more than I needed to complete this assignment, it's that good.  However, I did take more notice of the lyrics with each viewing.  The lyrics seem to mean more than the horror theme the video would indicate.  Lines like "they will possess you, unless you change the number on the dial", "I'll make you see", "No one is going to save you from the beast about to strike" seem to be double entendres with Michael talking about the impact he plans to have on the public with his work in Thriller the album.   Maybe it is the implied meaning of these lyrics, the introductory threat of what Michael Jackson was planning to do to our world, that led to this song being chosen as first album release.  Whether this was a conscious foreshadowing or not, it was certainly accurate.  The success of the video certainly played a large role in launching Thriller toward becoming the best-selling album of all time.

 

 

      To this day, I had never seen a image of Cyndi Lauper. Now I don't think I will be able to forget what she looks like. Her half shaven, red head doesn't seem to match those pale, pillow cheeks that scream innocence. 1984 must of been a pretty crazy time.

 

     Cyndi Lauper represents every teenager trying to find themselves in her song, Time after Time. The song is a timeless classic because no matter what generation, people are constantly trying to discover who they are. Even when trying to achieve self-discovery, Lauper points out that there is usually one person that you can always go back to.

 

      The video starts out with Lauper in a secluded trailer with her boyfriend. Sounds scandalous, right? However, she still captures the face of innocence, as she mouths the words to a romance movie while holding her stuffed dog. Every teenager can relate to the fact of trying to rebel by dying their hair or getting a tattoo but they still obtain childhood characteristics. Whether this be sleeping with a favorite stuffed animal or eating your mom's homemade soup. Then Lauper flashes back to the moments where rebelling against her parents seemed to be so exciting. It is the typical scenario of dating the bad boy that you know your parents would hate.

 

     As time goes on, it is only natural for people to want to change. Lauper decides to do this by dying her beautiful blonde hair to a stingy red and shaving half her head. Her new beau doesn't approve as he starts yelling at her for the change of appearance. Running out of the diner, she imagines her mother and wishes she could be with her. No matter what a child does, their parents will usually welcome them back with open arms. As the desire for something new becomes stronger as well as the need for someone familiar, Lauper decides to leave the trailer for a new life. Her boyfriend agrees to go with her on this journey but before they leave she wants to visit her mother one last time. A quick hug goodbye still creates butterflies in the stomach of anyone who has had to leave home for a long period of time.

 

       Sometimes change has to be done alone though. One person may be ready for the next chapter while another is still enjoying the previous one. Lauper's boyfriend can't go with her on this new journey because it's not right for him. She understand this as she tells him, "if you're lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time." Stepping on the train, Lauper is saying goodbye to the past yet not forgetting those she left behind. When a person goes off to college for the first time, they are excited for a new beginning but sad to see the people that got left behind.

 

     Lauper's title, Time After Time is perfect because change happens over and over again yet, we as humans adapt to the struggles and successes of these changes. Almost 30 years later, there is probably some teenager out there dying their hair a awful tone of red but life goes on.

 

     

 

 

 

 

In 1984, Madonna produced the single hit “Borderline” which is her first single to ever become a top ten hit.  In the video, Madonna is the main character and she is caught in a situation between doing what she wants to do and doing what her boyfriend wants her to do. Madonna is asked to model for a photographer and chooses to do so against her boyfriends will. Madonna’s dilemma embodies a general teenage truth that love can be complex and difficult. The intent of the music video is to entertain her audience, which consists of mostly teenage girls, and to show that guys are not in charge and girls should be able to make their own decisions.  Throughout the video, Madonna shows her view on the situation which is that the girl needs to please herself and do what she wants. This is shown when Madonna chooses to model because she wants to and she will not be held back by a boy.

Madonna achieves her intent by showing that she has power in the relationship and her power is displayed in many different ways. Madonna does not need her boyfriend because there are other guys that are interested in her like the photographer. This serves as a warning to the boyfriend that says if he does not treat her properly, she will leave him to be treated better. Madonna’s intent is strengthened by this point because she is shown in the position of power and can control the outcome of their relationship which was traditionally dominated by men. Madonna also shows her power by “playing hard to get”. In the video, Madonna is talking with her friends and not worrying about her boyfriend. She does not go chasing after him trying to make things better, he comes to her. Once again, Madonna shows she is content with not being in a relationship with her boyfriend and that he has to make things better. This only adds on to Madonna’s power in the relationship because she shows her independence. Lastly, Madonna adds to her power by being glamorous. Being glamorous makes any woman feel special which can replace the need for a man. This builds on Madonna’s independence which relates to power. The glamor aspect of Madonna’s video also helps her purpose of entertaining her audience. Madonna attempts to catch the interest of her audience by wearing “hip” or “flashy” clothes and riding around in fast cars. Being fashionable captures an audience’s attention and Madonna is fashionable to say the least.

Madonna is unarguably one of the greatest pop stars of her time. Through her music, Madonna attempts to instill power and independence in woman often by portraying herself as a glamor queen and a prize to be won.  Entertaining her audience is important for Madonna, like any other artist and she does this through a variety of different methods such as being glamorous or, like Oceane said, being controversial.

         


            It is evident that the purpose of Michael Jackson’s music video produced for his 1983 hit single “Thriller” was purely to entertain. The fourteen-minute video is considerably longer than the song, which lasts approximately six minutes, however, it incorporates a narrative featuring Michael Jackson and Ola Ray in a setting inspired by horror films of the 1950s. The easy-to-follow storyline attracts an audience of all ages.

The video opens with a car driving down a street at night. The car eventually stops because it has run out of gas and the camera cuts to the front seat where Michael Jackson, wearing a jock jacket, talks to his dolled up, soon-to-be girlfriend. I presume that Jackson intended to present his audience with a familiar movie scene to suggest that he was going to present nothing more than a simple story that could be easily understood by a broad audience. Further into the video, the two characters share a heart-warming moment in which Jackson asks the young lady if she would like to be his “girl”. Expectedly, she says yes. The video presents an evolving story that is intended to captivate and maintain the viewers’ attention. As a full moon is revealed, Jackson suddenly turns into a frightened werewolf and chases his girlfriend throughout a nearby forest. The definition of the word “entertain” is “to amuse or interest an audience.” What person is not intrigued by a scared, innocent girl being chased by a terrifying monster? Just as the werewolf is about to kill the girl, the camera cuts to an audience sitting in a movie theater watching everything previously described as a movie. In the audience sits Michael Jackson and his girlfriend, clinging to his side, her face buried in his arm. This is another familiar movie scene in which viewers can find comfort in and relate to. However, the scene serves no other purpose but to entertain. Following some resistance, Jackson’s girlfriend eventually leaves the movie theater because she is so afraid. Jackson chases after her. As they walk down the street together, he breaks out in song, introducing “Thriller”. After they pass a graveyard, zombies begin to emerge from their graves. They circle Jackson and his girlfriend until he becomes a zombie himself and reveals his eccentric dance moves.

In addition to the simple story line and Jackson’s electrifying dance moves, the “Thriller” music video’s intent to entertain is evident due to the absence of heavy, serious material. There is no “deeper meaning” in this video. Jackson did not create this video in the hopes that the viewers would donate money to help starving, blind children in the deserts of Africa, rather he created this video so that it would be enjoyable and entertaining to its audience. 

            Michael Jackson is undoubtedly one of the most famous performers ever. Yet this fame was not always kind to Jackson. His song and music video Billie Jean are both about the unwanted attention that the talented and famous receive.

            Michael Jackson is obviously a famous and gifted individual as a singer in the real world. But this idea of being special is made even more obvious in his music video. Everything Michael touches in the video suddenly lights up or transforms. Pair this with his tendency to turn invisible throughout the video and it’s pretty obvious that Michael Jackson’s character is a particularly gifted one.

            As a ridiculously successful singer in the real world, Jackson’s fame brought him some unwanted attention from certain fans. Jackson wrote Billie Jean as a way to deny the slanderous accusations made by multiple female fans who said that he was the father of their children. Billie Jean is no specific girl, but instead is a character who personifies all of his accusers. Jackson sings that, “Billie Jean is not my lover/ she’s just a girl who claims I am the one/ but the kid is not my son.” Michael Jackson’s fame as a singer and entertainer resulted in these girls’ defamatory accusations of his irresponsibility with his fans.

            In the video, a supernaturally gifted Jackson is being followed by a detective character through what looks like a post-apocalyptic city. This man is acting the part of the paparazzi, constantly trying to get incriminating evidence of Jackson’s misdeeds. This unwanted attention involves the invasion of Jackson’s privacy as he follows him everywhere and tries (yet fails) to get a photo of Michael. This feeling of everyone trying to find evidence of him doing something wrong was most likely not a foreign one to Jackson as he was constantly followed by paparazzi, especially after all the accusations.

            Though Jackson is experiencing one of the major issues that are the result of being a celebrity, it is important to note that he outsmarts his stalker at every turn. Whenever the paparazzi figure is about to take a picture of Michael Jackson, he is able to nonchalantly disappear just in time to avoid appearing in the photo. Jackson was also able to escape claiming responsibility for any of the children that he supposedly fathered with his fans. Whether he was in the music video or real life, Jackson was able to stylishly walk away unscathed.

In the years before the 1980’s farming industry boomed due to an increase in agriculture exports, federal lending and low interest rates. If crop demand kept rising farmers believed they could easily pay off their loans in the long run. Unfortunately this was not the case. In the 1980’s crop demand depreciated and farmland value dropped by 60%. Farmers were burdened by overproduction and debts. During this crisis many families went bankrupt and lost their farms. John Mellencamp’s “Rain On The Scarecrow” raises awareness on the farm crisis in the Midwest.

“Rain On The Scarecrow” begins by interviewing three young farmers. They say the government does not understand that after a ten hour day they might not break even. The farmers say if they knew what they know now they would have never became farmers in the first place. The interview sets the tone for the music video, preparing viewers to see the farmer’s struggle to stay afloat.

The video begins with clips of farms and animals and the music beat is hard and heavy. Instead of showing machines harvesting crops, the farm equipment have “For Sale” signs. The farmers cannot afford the expensive machinery to keep their farms running. A litter of pigs are on the back of a truck being carted away from their farm.  Farmers can barely afford to feed and keep their livestock anymore. The barren farms are quiet and in shambles, many farmers abandoned their work because they simply could not pay off debts.

 Mellencamp says, “Called my old friend Schepman up to auction off the land, He said John its just my job and I hope you understand, Hey calling it your job ol hoss sure don’t make it right”.

Mellencamp implies that farming has some sentimental value for him. He used to go to his grandfather’s farm as a child. In the music video there is a shot of a little boy running on a dirt road. Now the dirt road is empty.

Mellencamp sings in front of church. Families go to church and pray to God for better luck on the farm. The men look stressed, they seem to be discussing their troubles on the farm. Ninety seven crosses sit on the courthouse yard. The crosses represent the ninety seven families Mellencamp knows who lost their farms.

Through his lyrics and music video Mellencamp brings awareness to the plight of the farmer. He unearths the anger and hardship of the people who supply food for our country. Farming that helped build our nation faces modern day challenges that threaten its future existence. We must work with farmers and the government to continue farming’s legacy for generations to come.