A million reasons essay

Essay

Analyse how the Million Reasons music video by Lady Gaga uses stereotypes to represent a variety of images of feminine identity.

A Million Reasons music video includes a range of different stereotypes to do with women. When Lady Gaga is laying on her back in the desert at 0:15 in the video, it shows a sign of weakness and vulnerability because she has no control over her emotions and what she is doing. Laying on her back also gives the stereotype of a sexual thought as she has 'surrendered on her back'. This is an extreme close up shot, which does not give much of the background away. The effect of this is to show emotion in her face and her upper body language to really emphasise her feelings and the stereotypes given away.

In the video at 1:08, the colour of the scene changes to black and white which shows off a depressive mood, linked to the stereotype of women being emotional and how they cannot handle their feelings. Lady Gaga's body language goes to a slumped pose to show exhaustion and sadness and she is looking down, hiding away, not giving any eye contact. The effect of no direct mode address implies

that she is feeling vulnerable and wants to hide away from the world.

Another stereotype linked to females is that they need to wear makeup to look and feel good for the men. In the video at 1:14, Lady Gaga has very heavy makeup applied by her makeup artist which represents that without makeup, women cannot be seen or go out as they don't feel worthy enough. This is quite a big stereotype as it refers to women being self conscious on the way they look and that wherever they go, they need to impress the men with a new identity and not revealing who they really are.

Lady Gaga is seen in 1:17 hiding her face behind the guitar which could represent that she is trying to hide who she is. She is trying to hide her identity which could be because of her appearance and how she feels about herself. Could also be taken as she doesn't want to know who she is herself so she is denying her own body of the truth. 
In the scene when her friends are running to rescue her in the desert at 2:07, it represents that no matter what happens, your friends will always be there and that you don't need a man to be by your side. This also shows a sign of weakness because she cannot cope on her own and she needs attention and help to be alright again. 
Back to the stereotype of women being emotional, in 2:32, Lady Gaga is seen to have her head in her hands, upset which shows a level of weakness and vulnerability again because to show her feelings, she has to cry infront of her friends to get attention and help. She also has her head in her hands as a sign of embarrassment because she doesn't want everyone seeing her in that state, so she is trying to hide.In one of the last clips of the video, 3:32, she is seen wearing a cross with a priest touching her shoulder. This could represent God showing her the right path and getting her out of these bad thoughts and self worries. This could all be linked to the fact that everything gets better with a bit of guidance and nothing is ever as bad it as it seems as you will get through it.
bell hook's theory says that women are exploited and discriminated against in music videos as they are wearing revealing and luring clothes. In a million reasons, Lady Gaga is very covered up which goes against this theory because she is seen to have self respect. 

Theorists

Theorists

Van Zoonen

Discourse = communication from the media
-written or watched
-magazines/newspapers/films/games
Believes we get our ideas about gender from the media
Damsel in distress - weaker or more vulnerable
Masculine - brave or strong
Women's realm magazine - what feminine should be
Believes women are objectified in the media - bought/sold
Perfume adverts = legs and no face - decoration
Music videos = make money
Believes that it illustrates we live in a patriarchal culture - dominated by men, why women are objectified
Women = domestic, home makers, mothers, wives, cleaners
Men = individuals, suited to work place/politics
Men and women bodies in different ways
Men = spectacle, amazing, strong, brave, abs
Women = lust over, no credit to them

bell hooks

Don't use capital letters for her name as she doesn't want to be found by her name
Centred around women/feminism
Struggle to end patriarchy
Believes feminism isn't just a lifestyle = political commitment
Women are not all discriminated against in the same way or the same extent
Levels of discrimination
Discrimination and oppression against women vary depending on ethnicity and class
-some more than others
-money
-ethnicity

Million reasons Lady Gaga

Million Reasons Music Video

Women stereotypes

-makeup
-pink
-attitude
-self interested
-caring
-weak
-need to confirm to society
-bad at driving

•Young

•Slim

•Overwhelmingly white

•Conforming to our image of ideal beauty (perfect skin, hair and alluring gaze).

Why is Lady Gaga an influential figure in music
-iconic star- evolved as a musician
-unique artist
-support for gays
-activist

Media Language: how the media through their forms, codes, conventions and techniques communicate meanings.

Media Representation: How the media portray events, issues, individuals and social groups.

Intertextuality: the link between different texts

Stereotypes: 

Assumptions that are held about a social group.

They are often used in a negative or prejudicial sense and are frequently used to justify certain discriminatory behaviours.

Stereotyping is an important concept in terms of representation.

Music Video

-black and white: getting ready for show

-in desert lost

-pink suit: juxtaposition, breaking from tradition

-looking emotional

-heavy makeup

-friends help breakup

-religion lyrics: 'lord show me the way'

Analysis of music video

0:15- laying on her back in the desert, weakness, vulnerability

1:08- Looking sad, looking down, slumped body language, black and white for depressive mood, emotional which links to stereotype 

1:14- heavy makeup which links to the stereotype that women need to wear makeup to make them look good

1:17- hiding her face behind the guitar, trying to hide who she is 

2:07- friends running to rescue her in desert, weakness, friends will always be there and you don't need a man

2:32- head in hands, shows emotion and sadness

2:55- back to makeup chair, looks distressed and emotional 

3:32- wearing a cross, and a priest touching her shoulder to represent God showing her the right path 

3:52- hat and sunglasses on to hide identity and emotion in desert

3:58- pink suit shows she is going against normality 

First shot- extreme wide shot of her rolling around in the desert- shows she is rolling away from her problems and worries and trying to hide

Colour is complex and has many layers

Non chronological order- running thoughts going through her head make no sense

Desert is peaceful and leads into a dramatic horror sound

Car- sad, stage confident

Approach is that she states clearly how she feels, being honest and truthful

When introduced to this colouful, pink,bold leader she looks confident and strong- direct mode of address

Ends on a close up of her looking at the tattoo of hope

"You're giving me a million reasons to let you go; You're giving me a million reasons to quit the show" -The song opens with a quiet guitar riff and low piano buzzing in the background, setting the more somber tone straight away. Even in the first line, it’s clear Gaga isn’t happy with the state of their relationship. 

"You're givin' me a million reasons; Give me a million reasons; Givin' me a million reasons; About a million reasons" - The repetition of this line emphasizes the insecurity Gaga feels about this relationship. She’s constantly questioning the state of their romance and whether it’s worth pursuing. Time after time, he forces her to reconsider their future together.

"If I had a highway, I would run for the hills; If you could find a dry way, I'd forever be still" Lady Gaga plays with words here, using “highway” and “dry way” to create a parallel to the phrase “high and dry.” Leaving someone “high and dry” means you’ve put them in a difficult position by failing to support them. In this way, the composition of these two lines echoes the overall message of this song—this man has given Gaga a million reasons to cut him out of her life, but she keeps hoping he’ll get his shit together and she won’t have to. “

"I bow down to pray; I try to make the worst seem better; Lord, show me the way" - Gaga’s always been open about her faith. Throughout her career, she’s made several references to God and the importance of religion in her life. 

"To cut through all his worn out leather" - Leather is usually thick and tough when compared to other materials, and the fact that it is “worn out” implies that it is strained from continuous use and the buildup of debris. 

"I've got a hundred million reasons to walk away; But baby, I just need one good one to stay" and "But baby, I just need one good one; Good one, good one, good one, good one, good one" - - Contrasting with the repetitive “million reasons” lyrics in the verses, Gaga turns the phrase on its head: though there’s an endless number of rationales for why she should leave the relationship, all she needs is one good reason to cancel out all the bad ones. reason is. Perhaps Gaga’s ambiguity is intentional: she leaves it vague so that it can be applicable to anything.

"Head stuck in a cycle, I look off and I stare; It's like that I've stopped breathing, but completely aware" - Many of us know that “head stuck in a cycle” feeling, but she explains that she just “looks off and stare”, holding on to the hopes of a better day, even though there is nothing more to do. She manifests the desperate pain of being stuck in a cycle she cannot break, the feeling of wanting to end a battle she has no control over, plus facing the fact that she is “drowning” and suffering battling another person's battle. In the second line she exhibits how it really feels to be aware of all the damage that he has caused, but still being stuck in the cycle, which includes her endless attempts to help him, even though instead of helping him have destroyed her. 

"Hey, ehh, ehh, eyy; Baby I'm bleedin', bleedin'; Stay, ehh, ehhy; Can't you give me what I'm needin', needin'; Every heartbreak makes it hard to keep the faith" - Here, Lady Gaga expresses how much of a (somewhat literal, if she’s bleeding) fight she’s had to try to stay hopeful about their relationship.  By using the word “faith” specifically, she links her faith in these connections with the more religious faith that she displays in the chorus by praying to God.

Million Reasons analysis:

-Her body language- negative, worn out  

-She's sad/worn out - has to go to work although she's going through stuff, tried to hide

emotions & stay strong in front of dressing table but screen turns B&W showing emotions

which she's actually feeling

-Many biblical/religious references 

-When her friends pick her up she puts on her hat&glasses back on - picks herself back up

and pretends she's fine - has to be strong for fans - shows her fans she cares.

-Emotionally transparent & vulnerable 

Analysing lyrics:

"your giving me a million reasons to let you go" a failed relationship and she cant take it

anymore.

"i would run for the hills" if she found a way out of the relationship easily she would just

leave.

"If you could find a dry way, I'd forever be still," but she seems to be saying that if he

could figure his life out, she wouldn't complain anymore.

"cut through all this worn out leather," which seems to be a reference to toughened

emotional walls that keep her or him from being honest.

"Head stuck in a cycle. I look off, and I stare." highlighting her own emotional emptiness

and hopelessness. 

 "I've stopped breathing," but she's "completely aware" as she watches her life descend

into chaos seemingly beyond her control.

"And if you say something that you might even mean / It's hard to even fathom which

parts I should believe." He's lied so many times that she simply can't trust anything that he

says.

"Baby, I'm bleedin' / Can't you give me what I'm needin'?" Despite his many lies she

loves him and is still giving him the chance to fix things

"Every heartbreak makes it hard to keep the faith," to show how his actions have made

it hard for her to believe that he can fix things, but she claims that she needs only "one

good [reason]" to stay with him.

- show quoted text -

Just broke up with fiance - had been together for 5 years - rumors of him having an affair

Has people who care

Wrote the song with Mark Ronsons (a man)

The music video was directed by 2 females

The people who came to her were her crew - does the crew really care or are they just there to get on with the show so they can get paid - do they really care about her mental state?

Doesn't portray a traditional love narrative, rather focuses on Gaga's own team

Gaga is emotionally transparent

Areas to study:

•how the different modes3 and language4 associated with different media forms communicate multiple meanings

•how the combination of elements of media language influence meaning

•how developing technologies affect media language

•the codes and conventions of media forms and 
products, including the processes through which media 
language develops as genre

•the dynamic and historically relative nature of genre

•the processes through which meanings are established 
through intertextuality

•how audiences respond to and interpret the above 
aspects of media language.

•

3  Modes: images, sound, speech and writing.

4  Language: media language associated with audio-visual, audio, print and online media.

Areas to study:

•the way events, issues, individuals (including self- representation) and social groups (including social identity) are represented through processes of selection and combination

•the way the media through representation construct versions of reality

•the processes which lead media producers to make choices about how to represent events, issues, individuals and social groups

•the effect of social and cultural context on representations

•how and why stereotypes can be used positively and negatively

•how and why particular social groups, in a national and global context, may be under-represented or misrepresented

•how media representations convey values, attitudes and beliefs about the world and how these may be systematically reinforced across a wide range of media representations

•how audiences respond to and interpret media representations.

Areas to study:

–reflecting social, cultural and political attitudes towards wider issues and beliefs

–constructing social, cultural and political attitudes towards wider issues and beliefs

•how media products studied can act as a means of reflecting historical issues and events

•how media products studied can potentially be an agent in facilitating social, cultural and political developments through the use of media language to construct meaning through viewpoints, messages and values and representations of events and issues

•how media products studied are influenced by social, cultural, political and historical contexts through intertextual references

Minecraft essay

Minecraft is a 2011 sandbox video game which allows players to build with a variety of different blocks in a 3D procedurally generated world, requiring players to be creative. Minecraft was created by Markus Persson on the 17th May 2009. Markus Persson is a game programmer who also developed and published the game throughout his company Mojang. He later sold it to Microsoft for £2.5 billion.

In the 2010 version of Minecraft, it was developed as a multiplayer game using the JAVA code. This meant that gamers were able to contribute to the development of the program eliminating bugs and improving multiplayer capability. On the original game, players could simply log in to play Minecraft and didn't need a physical copy of the game which made it a lot easier to download and play when the younger audience were interested. When the Xbox and playstation versions were created there was a chance to offer digital versions of the same game across Windows 10. Users were encouraged to download the game through the cloud servers rather than have a physical copy of the game which would mean more of a cost. Physical copies of the game were then released 6 months later after the cloud versions encourage online purchase. Physical copies meant that anyone with a game console were able to access it, increasing the audience. The 2017 Microsoft version has allowed the game to be played through smartphones, all consoles and handheld devices. This has made the game so portable because you can play it wherever you are, whenever which is so much better for users who travel or do not have a console or a smart phone. This would definitely have increased interest and sales because it has been made accessible for everyone in all situations.


Minecraft relied on word of mouth between different gamers to generate interest as it was just starting up and no one knew about it. This isnt a reliable form of marketing because it didn't guarantee that people were going to actually try it. As minecraft grew in popularity, it inspired videos to be made on it and placed onto youtube which is such a worldwide app that generated so much viral hype and talk ability. This is a better form of advertising because everyone uses youtube which broadens the audience. The game was then carefully marketed to audiences as an online version of Lego, which in doing so lead to it aligning itself with one of the most iconic learning construction education products in history. Everyone is aware of Lego, so by doing a collaboration with Minecraft, meant that awareness of the game increased.

Minecraft media audiences

Minecraft media audiences

Minecraft has universal appeal. It is useful to explore how such a game can appeal to different ages, genders and audiences from different social and cultural backgrounds.

The variety of different modes is certainly a contributing factor to the game’s success, but also the way in which audiences can control and shape their own worlds and create new identities through mods and altering textures, maps and craft kits.

The introduction of Minecraft Realms (2013) has tried to give the producers more control over the distribution and circulation of the game since some pro-am consumers were creating their own virtual spaces and hacks across illegitimate servers

Realms is intended for use by small  groups of friends or as a family server

Interpretation it is a safe, secure user space for the online community to play the game. 

2015 – 2017  Microsoft offers

Minecraft: Story Mode is an episodic point-and-click graphic adventure video game

Minecraft and subsequent versions and variations of the game offers familiar pleasures to existing fans (narrative features, open world gameplay etc.) along with new elements to target a wider audience (e.g. Story Mode)

The creation of Minecraft Realms was a well-considered way to attract and encourage audiences to use the game on dedicated servers

The interrelationship between media technologies and patterns of consumption and response

YouTube, Facebook and online fan communities has enabled Minecraft’s audience to have an active voice in its ongoing production through detailed feedback and commentary on modifications and beta tests. There are several niche forums that should also be investigated across the internet.

The establishment of Minecraft Marketplace is a great example of the industry listening to their audiences (fans) and allowing

• the trade of different maps, textures and ‘add ons’ in a legitimate setting.  - Look up Minecraft Market Place and discuss the opportunities for users to make money from their use of Minecraft

•The nature of the game has also allowed audiences to learn new skills, such as programming.

Minecraft

Minecraft

•Minecraft is the second most successful video game of all time behind Tetris.

•It was created and designed by Markus Persson,
a game programmer, who also developed and published the game through his company Mojang. A full version of the game went on release in November 2011.

•To date, well over 121 million copies have been sold across all platforms, including over 27 million PC copies, making it the biggest selling PC game of all time.

The success of the games market.

The UK’s   US$4 billion;

China,   US$24.4 billion

America’s   US$23.6 billion.

•A recent report by the UKIE1 suggests that the global games market is now worth in excess of US$100 billion.    

•In comparison to traditional media like film, radio, print and television, video games are much  younger, exponentially growing since the 1970

Mine craft was created on the 17th May 2009
Sold to Microsoft for £2.5b
Markus Persson created it
Mine craft is a 2011 sandbox video game
The game allows players to build with a variety of different blocks in a 3D procedurally generated world, requiring creativity from players

Digitally convergent media: Video games consoles are an excellent example of a digitally convergent device, you can not only play games but access social media, surf the internet, stream films and TV content and upload content into cloud based servers. Cross-media content helps maximise profits and also improve reach to new customers.

•Production: This refers to all phases of designing, developing and making the media product;.

•Distribution: This refers to all processes linked to delivering the media product to audiences both through tangible (disc) and digital (Cloud based) media.

•Consumption: Explores the way in which the media text is used by audiences for pleasure but also explores the rise of user generated content across several platforms.

Parody video content

Simpsons opening

Crafted movies

Fits a different audience (younger)

Increases popularity

   Lego already sells Minecraft playsets so gamers can physically build their virtual creations. And Lego Worlds will invite fans to do the same in reverse."From the brick-by-brick editor, to discovering an expansive range of items, characters and creatures to populate your worlds - the creative possibilities are endless," "Lego was his favourite toy as a child and was the main inspiration behind Minecraft,

Benefits of minecraft on education

-learn to code

-creative problem solving

engineering

hand eye coordination

2009 computer code developed by Perssons (Mojang) was Java, it’s simplicity of coding enabled the gaming community  to modify and upgrade the game, consequently “users” were also involved in the production/evolution of the game improving the code /removing bugs

The specialised and institutionalised nature of media production, distribution and It is worth considering how a simple PC Java game has become a globally successful phenomenon across all consoles and hand-held devices; Minecraft is now a multi- platform game which is not only just for PC gamers but those who own smartphones, Microsoft consoles (Xbox); Playstation 3, 4 and PS Vita; and more recently Nintendo consoles (Wii U) and hand-held devices (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo New 3DS, New 2DS XL and New 3DS XL)

Minecraft started in 2009 when Swedish game developer Markus “Notch” Persson started working on an experimental sandbox game where players could build and navigate a world of textured cubes.

Notch himself credits other indie games like Zachary Barth’s Infiniminer for this idea.

2010 Minecraft was developed as a multiplayer game using JAVA code..

Gamers were able to contribute to the development of the program eliminating bugs and facilitating multiplayer capability

In September of 2013, Microsoft bought all rights to Minecraft from Mojang for $2.5 billion dollars.

Due to the original nature of the game, most players simply logged in to play Minecraft and didn’t need a physical copy of the game.

When the Xbox and PlayStation versions were created there was often a chance to offer digital versions of the same game across the Windows 10 operating system

Users were often encouraged to download the game through the cloud servers rather than a physical copy of the game which would incur more of a cost for the institution.

Physical copies of the game were released 6 months after the cloud versions t encourage online purchase and reduce the risk of piracy

Why Microsoft purchased – Minecraft for 2.5£Bn?

- Given the nature of the parent company and the loyal fan base of PC gamers, it was in the company’s interest to invest US$2.5 billion to purchase Mojang for long term revenue.

- Microsoft have since developed the product using more complex coding C++

- This has enabled multi platform access (mentioned previously)

- They have launched newer more traditional programs such as Miecraft Story board

- Minecraft in November 2014 of that year, plans to work on a virtual reality version of Minecraft in Partnership with Oculus

Minecrafts commercial success

–Budgets for games vary and Minecraft is a good example of a game that was made and developed using readily available open source software within the gaming community; creating the original Minecraft using Java gave it the advantage of being cross-platform: it will run on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

–other mainstream games that require entire teams of programmers, artists and engineers to make video games that have budgets equal or exceeding that of mainstream films.  AN example of this includes CALL OF DUTY

•Minecraft’s not for profit funding of projects

–Minecraft has also been linked to non-profit projects such as the UNs Block by Block project, which encourages communities around the world to redesign their neighbourhoods using Minecraft.

–An educational version has also been developed, MinecraftEdu (2012), which has several applications to help teach subject and develop a culture of computer programming amongst digital natives.