media

1. GOODWIN & MULVEY THEORIES
Grace Walker

2. GOODWIN
AND MULVEY
CAME UP
WITH
THEORIES TO
APPLY TO
MUSIC
VIDEOS.

3. GOODWIN’S THEORY
The main principles are:
There is a relationship between lyrics & visuals
There is a relationship between music & visuals
Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
Intertextual references to other media texts are often used
Notions of looking and voyerism often plays a major part, especially in
relation to females
A recognisable brand image is often presented by lots of close-ups of the
main artist

4. THERE IS A
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN LYRICS &
VISUALS
Again, Goodwin said the
visuals can be either
amplifying, conceptual or
illustrating of the music in the
same way the visuals can
relate to the lyrics.
Goodwin stated the visuals are either
amplifying, conceptual or illustrating
the lyrics in music videos.
To amplify the lyrics, the visuals will
use the same ideas and themes and
develop them in more detail.
If the visuals are conceptual, they
present a different idea entirely to the
lyrics.
When the visuals illustrate the lyrics,
they attempt to create the same ideas
as the lyrics.
THERE IS A
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN MUSIC &
VISUALS

5. MUSIC VIDEOS
DEMONSTRATE
GENRE
CHARACTERISTICS
Other media texts are often referenced
in music videos.
They can be used to engage audiences
further, for promotion or just to add to the
narrative.
For example, someone checking social
media or Metromony’s video for She
Wants where a QR code is used.
Music videos represent styles
and traits which are
stereotyped with certain
genres.
For example, love songs will
often have narrative based
videos showing a couple
where as rock songs will often
have performance based
videos.
INTERTEXTUAL
REFERENCES TO OTHER
MEDIA TEXTS ARE
OFTEN USED

6. NOTIONS OF LOOKING &
VOYERISM OFTEN
PLAYED A MAJOR PART,
ESPECIALLY IN RELATION
TO FEMALES
A common trend in music videos is to
include shots of the artist or a celebrity
to promote the song such as Ed
Sheeran’s Lego House which includes
himself and Rupert Grint.
Product placement can also be done in
music videos by using close up shots of
products such as Coca Cola in Lady
Gaga’s music video.
Goodwin stated that many
music videos show women
in voyeuristic angles in order
to sexualise them and attract
male interest in the artist or
song.
Ways of doing this are not
showing a woman’s face,
only their body, different
camera angles and eye
contact with the camera.
A RECOGNISABLE BRAND
IMAGE IS OFTEN
PRESENTED BY LOTS OF
CLOSE-UP OF THE MAIN
ARTIST

7. MULVEY’S THEORY
Mulvey stated the camera in music videos almost always has the point
of view of a man, the ‘Male Gaze’ which therefore sexualises women
and gay men.
Mulvey said there were 3 looks:
• The perspective of the male character and how he views the female.
• The perspective of the spectator and how they view the female
character.
• The two previous looks join together and the male audience member
views the male character and relates to him, making the female his
own sex object.