Artist Representation

My artist Shona is a generic type of popstar. She is also stereotypical in her representation as she is blonde and wearing fake tan with feminine makeup. Her clothing isn’t particularly covering therefore again is generic and stereotypical in the pop genre. However, Shona could also be considered a countertype as she is in a gym and fighting which is considered or sport typically for males. In addition to this she wears sporty outfits including boxer shorts and boxing gloves in order to emphasise the boxing elements of the video.

What is being represented?

The artist represents a very aspirational image that the viewers (target market age 16-24) will want to imitate. Although, her makeup is glamourous is achievable by audiences. The artist’s appearance in conjunction with her attitude and presence on the screen portrays an empowered and strong woman. This is a positive representation as it breaks stereotypes and promotes a progressive message to the target market.

How is it represented? Using what codes? Within what genre?

This confident and powerful representation is presented through close ups to show facial expressions and mid shots to show body movement and gestures e.g. punching. Also, the artist lip syncs to the lyrics in order to show her passion in the lyrics. The pop genre conventionally has fast editing, therefore I used this in my video which reinforced the confidence and power in the video as it is very fast and has good momentum. This also emulates the idea of a fight in a ring as its quite a fast sport.

How is the representation made to seem 'true', 'commonsense' or 'natural'?

The representation looks ‘natural’ as the artist confidently portrays women empowerment, again this is helped by the variety of shots to convince the audience that the situation is ‘true’. Also, the mise en scene of the artists style looks strong as the clothing show her fitness and ‘natural’ comfort in sports and gym clothing.

Whose representation is it? Whose interests does it reflect? How do you know?

When considering whose representation this is, it is clear that in the pop genre the industry itself creates the representation of the artist. However, it needs to be distinguished whether the artist is empowering or objectified. The overall message of the video is supposed to be empowering and positive is its representation of a female artist. However, the styling and stereotypes within the genre could be interpreted as objectification.

At whom is this representation targeted? How do you know?

The representation is targeted at females between ages 16-24. Although the male gaze theory can be interpreted when analysing this video. The artist’s representation is something girls/women would aspire to achieve therefore is it primarily targeted at females. The artist is 19 years old therefore her empowerment and confidence inspires younger girls but also would be appealing to women in their twenties.

What does the representation mean to you? What does the representation mean to others? How do you account for the differences?

The representation is effective as it mirrors the existing representations within the pop genre but it also contradicts messages of women objectification as it instead sends out a more positive message.

How do people make sense of it? According to what codes?

There are symbolic codes used in order to encourage the empowering representation. This includes the use of boxing gloves as they are symbolic to fighting and boxing.

With what alternative representations could it be compared? How does it differ?

Alternative representations would be the presentation of objectification due to the importance of appearance in order to ensure success for the artist.

A reflexive consideration - Why is the concept of representation problematic?

The representation of this artist could be problematic as she is considered the ideal, along with many popstars, therefore audiences struggles to determine what is reality. Her representation isn’t as easily achievable as the audience may wish.