Application of Media Theory

Application of Media Theory to Rihanna- Only Girl in the World

In this music video there is a lot of evidence of typical media conventions. The most prominent feature, Rihanna herself, is evidence of Male Gaze Theory. In particular she is dressed in evocative clothes, most of which expose a lot of skin to the audience. Also, her mannerism show her as confident and comfortable in front of the camera, which implies that she is comfortable in herself; this reinforces the meaning of the lyrics. The lyrics are both sexual in nature and exclaiming her wants and desires.

Another way the music video represents the meaning of the lyrics is by only ever showing her on the film. There are no other extra dancers or performers; again this represents the meaning of the lyrics shown in film but in a subtle way. Also, the colours used in the video are stereotypically feminine colours such as pinks and red. It almost looks as if there is a filter over the camera to cause this to happen.

The video does stick to the conventions with its genre, through having a surreal performance based video, and its not just her singing the lyrics but putting on a full performance including dancing.

According to Goodwin’s theory, the majority of the shots are close ups. This is true of the video as the majority of the shots are close ups of her face, as she sings to the camera in a seductive manner. I would estimate approximately a third of the shots used are close ups; however they have included a fair amount of other shots, such as establishing shots, which may not be as commonly used. These establishing shots show her isolation, again adding to the meaning through mise-en-scene.

Editing is fast, which is common for music videos. In particular the fast editing occurs just before the choruses, coinciding with the pulse of the beat. These are millisecond clips of a close up on Rihanna, which are interjected into establishing shots. These shots are so fast you are unsure if you actually see them, making the audience feel compelled to watch the video again.

The only intertextual reference that seems apparent is vague links to Alice in Wonderland. She is shown in a bed of roses which seem to move in time with the music, almost as if they are singing. Also, the surreal aspect of the video definitely identifies with Alice in Wonderland.