Michael Jackson: Billie Jean
Media Magazine reading: Billie Jean, birth of an icon
Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the case study on Billie Jean - birth of an icon (MM62 - page 20). Answer the following questions:
Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the case study on Billie Jean - birth of an icon (MM62 - page 20). Answer the following questions:
1) What was the budget for Billie Jean? How did this compare with later Michael Jackson videos?
The budget for Billie Jean was $50,000
2) Why was the video rejected by MTV?
MTV rejected it because, as When they took it to MTV they refused to air the video, arguing
that it didn’t suit their ‘middle America’ audience. Mercifully for Jackson, the president of his record
label, Walter Yetnikoff, threatened MTV saying:I’m pulling everything we have off the air
3) Applying Goodwin's theory of music video, how does Billie Jean reflect the genre characteristics of pop music video? framework to begin analysing the video.
Genre Characteristics - The video contains many conventions of the pop genre: lip-synching,
performance interwoven with narrative, dance routines, high-fashion costume. Relationship between lyrics and visuals. The song is apparently based on Jackson’s experience of fan-girls claiming he or his brothers were the parents of their babies, mixed in with a missing persons story that Jackson had purportedly read in the news at the time.
4) How do the visuals reflect the lyrics in Billie Jean?
Key lyrics are amplified through the visuals: the song is about a girl, Billie Jean. Although we never see her as a character in the video, we are presented instead with other images suggestive of females in general with whom he never comes into contact – the billboard/ screen with a woman’s face displayed on it, the figure on one side of the double bed at the end. There are more literal links: when Jackson sings the stand out line, ‘Then showed a photo of a baby crying, his eyes were like mine,’ the screen freezes and a frame appears around the artist’s eyes. Elsewhere he does a spin as he sings ‘in the round.’ More obvious are the links between audio and visuals. The promo frequently cuts to the beat.
5) Why does the video feature fewer close-up shots than in most pop videos?
The video assists the star-construction of the artist, not so much through the close-ups that you
might expect in other pop videos, but through the focus on the distinctive dance moves (often shown three-fold in the frame) which had not been seen on screen before. It was shortly after this video was shot that Jackson did the first moonwalk, stunning the audience with his performance of, ‘Billie Jean’ at the legendary Motown 25 concert later in 1983. What looks to us now like a classic Jackson pose or movement was, at the time, an innovation.
6) What intertextual references can be found in the video?
The intertextual references can be seen through the use of the private detective (also an intertextual reference to Noir film and detective fiction). The detective/ idea of being followed and investigated - reflective of the film noir genre and the Hollywood skyline and the setting could portray Classic Hollywood films.
7) How does the video use the notion of looking as a recurring motif?
The notion of looking can be seen through the use of the private detective Jackson is being watched and followed; a polaroid camera attempts to capture his image but he’s elusive, mystical. The audience sees his image multiplied using split-screen editing, he is frozen isolated in a frame-within-a-frame. Towards the end he is spied through a window by an old woman in hair-rollers as he ascends a fire escape to stand, somewhat creepily, at the bedside of a sleeping figure, where he then becomes the voyeur.
8) What representations can be found in the video?
Jackson is beginning to construct a narrative about himself and establish his identity. What Steve Barron describes as a Midas-touch narrative could, in retrospect be interpreted as the beginnings of
the Messiah-complex that Jackson was criticised for later his career. Also, other representations such as Michael Jackson being represented by the media as being the 'king of pop' and ‘everything-he-touches-turns-to-gold’ could suggests the positive representation of a black person in the media, this was not always the case for black people, especially the time of Billie Jean coming out.
Close-textual analysis of the music video
1) How is mise-en-scene used to create intertextuality - reference to other media products or genres? E.g. colour/black and white; light/lighting.
The use of black and white lighting at the start of the video, creates the first sense of intertextuality, as it could be referring to the film noir genre to the video. As the video progresses, the lighting changes, the lighting shifts to a more brighter one, this could be done because, as soon as Michael Jackson enters the scene, the lighting gets brighter. This allows for the audience to get engaged with the video, as a brighter lighting will make it more appealing to an audience member, something Michael Jackson tried creating in his music videos.
The use of costume in this video is effective in which to create a sense of intertextuality, for example, the costume the detective is wearing again refers to the film-noir genre, but it also reflects to the hollywood genre aswell, which the time of release of this song was very popular, which indicates why they wanted to put things such as that in the music video.
The use of props in this video is very effective. In one scene, the use of the newspaper is very effective because the headline in this video, allows the audience to get a grasp of what the narrative is and the music video, this allows the audience to want know what happens next in the music video. The recurring theme of the newspaper in this video, links back to how Michael Jackson was always in the 'limelight' from a young age, and this video perfectly portrays this. Also, the use of Michael Jackson costume reinforces his stereotypical costume, this is of his black and white shoes and also his high trousers.
2) How does the video use narrative theory of equilibrium?
Todorov's theory of equilibrium can be applied to this video as the disequilibrium could be considered as the detective following Michael Jackson and trying to catch him guilty, and with Michael Jackson always getting away, this could show he is guilty and thus creates a disequilibrium. However, harmony is restored from the new equilibrium by Michael Jackson ultimately getting away without being arrested, this is could be scene by the final scenes of the music video, but also the lyrics of the song.
3) How are characters used to create narrative through binary opposition?
The use of good vs evil in this video, could be considered as the most significant binary opposition in this video. Also, the more subtle rich vs poor at the start of the video could be considered as a binary opposition, as at the start of the video we see a homeless man, against a rich man which creates a binary opposition. The good vs evil binary opposition, is Michael Jackson vs the detective, as the Michael Jackson is seen to be an innocent man, who is being intruded on by the detective and trying to catch him out, and this could be considered as evil.
4) What is the significance of the freeze-frames and split-screen visual effects?
The notion of looking can be seen through the use of the private detective Jackson is being watched and followed; a polaroid camera attempts to capture his image but he’s elusive, mystical. The audience sees his image multiplied using split-screen editing, he is frozen isolated in a frame-within-a-frame. Towards the end he is spied through a window by an old woman in hair-rollers as he ascends a fire escape to stand, somewhat creepily, at the bedside of a sleeping figure, where he then becomes the voyeur.
5) What meanings could the recurring motif of 'pictures-within-pictures' create for the audience?
The recurring motif of pictures-within-pictures could be suggesting that Michael Jackson always feels as if he is being watched and that his privacy is being invaded, this is also seen through his lyrics in the song.
6) Does the video reinforce or subvert theories of race and ethnicity - such as Gilroy's diaspora or Hall's black characterisations in American media?
Billie Jean slightly reinforces Hall's theory regarding black characteristics in America. Michael Jackson can be seen as 'The Clown/Entertainer: a performer' – “implying an ‘innate’ humour in the black man." as suggested by Hall, this can be seen through his dancing, as people may get humor from this. Gilroy is particularly interested in the idea of black diasporic identity – the feeling of never quite belonging or being accepted in western societies even to this day. The music video for Billie Jean could be seen to support this as Michael Jackson is being chased around and he is having to run away from the detective, which could suggest how he is never really settled in one place because how is he famous from a young age, and how he grew up the media following him constantly.
7) Does this video reflect Steve Neale's genre theory of 'repetition and difference'? Does it reflect other music videos or does it innovate?
Steve Neale's genre theory of repetition and difference can be applied, as this video can be perceived as 'repetition' by the typical music video of lip-syncing and also a narrative in a music video. However, there is evidence of 'difference' is the dancing of Michael Jackson, this video changed the way dancing was perceived, as Michael Jackson really revolutionised dancing in this music video. Also, music videos were quite new at the time, so it could be argued that the whole video creates a sense of difference.
8) Analyse the video using postmodern theory (e.g. Baudrillard's hyper-reality; Strinati's five definitions of postmodernism). How does the 'picture-in-picture' recurring motif create a postmodern reading?
Postmodernists claim that we live in a media-saturated world – immersed in media products 24/7. So much so, that the distinction between the real world and the media representation of the real world has become blurred, Using Baudrillard's hyperreality theory, we can state that the music video has been constructed to reflect the 1940, also there are multiple forms of intertextuality within Billie Jean e.g. Pastiche is used as the crime noir genre has a serious emphasis throughout the music video.
Close-textual analysis of the music video
1) How is mise-en-scene used to create intertextuality - reference to other media products or genres? E.g. colour/black and white; light/lighting.
The use of black and white lighting at the start of the video, creates the first sense of intertextuality, as it could be referring to the film noir genre to the video. As the video progresses, the lighting changes, the lighting shifts to a more brighter one, this could be done because, as soon as Michael Jackson enters the scene, the lighting gets brighter. This allows for the audience to get engaged with the video, as a brighter lighting will make it more appealing to an audience member, something Michael Jackson tried creating in his music videos.
The use of costume in this video is effective in which to create a sense of intertextuality, for example, the costume the detective is wearing again refers to the film-noir genre, but it also reflects to the hollywood genre aswell, which the time of release of this song was very popular, which indicates why they wanted to put things such as that in the music video.
The use of props in this video is very effective. In one scene, the use of the newspaper is very effective because the headline in this video, allows the audience to get a grasp of what the narrative is and the music video, this allows the audience to want know what happens next in the music video. The recurring theme of the newspaper in this video, links back to how Michael Jackson was always in the 'limelight' from a young age, and this video perfectly portrays this. Also, the use of Michael Jackson costume reinforces his stereotypical costume, this is of his black and white shoes and also his high trousers.
2) How does the video use narrative theory of equilibrium?
Todorov's theory of equilibrium can be applied to this video as the disequilibrium could be considered as the detective following Michael Jackson and trying to catch him guilty, and with Michael Jackson always getting away, this could show he is guilty and thus creates a disequilibrium. However, harmony is restored from the new equilibrium by Michael Jackson ultimately getting away without being arrested, this is could be scene by the final scenes of the music video, but also the lyrics of the song.
3) How are characters used to create narrative through binary opposition?
The use of good vs evil in this video, could be considered as the most significant binary opposition in this video. Also, the more subtle rich vs poor at the start of the video could be considered as a binary opposition, as at the start of the video we see a homeless man, against a rich man which creates a binary opposition. The good vs evil binary opposition, is Michael Jackson vs the detective, as the Michael Jackson is seen to be an innocent man, who is being intruded on by the detective and trying to catch him out, and this could be considered as evil.
4) What is the significance of the freeze-frames and split-screen visual effects?
The notion of looking can be seen through the use of the private detective Jackson is being watched and followed; a polaroid camera attempts to capture his image but he’s elusive, mystical. The audience sees his image multiplied using split-screen editing, he is frozen isolated in a frame-within-a-frame. Towards the end he is spied through a window by an old woman in hair-rollers as he ascends a fire escape to stand, somewhat creepily, at the bedside of a sleeping figure, where he then becomes the voyeur.
5) What meanings could the recurring motif of 'pictures-within-pictures' create for the audience?
The recurring motif of pictures-within-pictures could be suggesting that Michael Jackson always feels as if he is being watched and that his privacy is being invaded, this is also seen through his lyrics in the song.
6) Does the video reinforce or subvert theories of race and ethnicity - such as Gilroy's diaspora or Hall's black characterisations in American media?
Billie Jean slightly reinforces Hall's theory regarding black characteristics in America. Michael Jackson can be seen as 'The Clown/Entertainer: a performer' – “implying an ‘innate’ humour in the black man." as suggested by Hall, this can be seen through his dancing, as people may get humor from this. Gilroy is particularly interested in the idea of black diasporic identity – the feeling of never quite belonging or being accepted in western societies even to this day. The music video for Billie Jean could be seen to support this as Michael Jackson is being chased around and he is having to run away from the detective, which could suggest how he is never really settled in one place because how is he famous from a young age, and how he grew up the media following him constantly.
7) Does this video reflect Steve Neale's genre theory of 'repetition and difference'? Does it reflect other music videos or does it innovate?
Steve Neale's genre theory of repetition and difference can be applied, as this video can be perceived as 'repetition' by the typical music video of lip-syncing and also a narrative in a music video. However, there is evidence of 'difference' is the dancing of Michael Jackson, this video changed the way dancing was perceived, as Michael Jackson really revolutionised dancing in this music video. Also, music videos were quite new at the time, so it could be argued that the whole video creates a sense of difference.
8) Analyse the video using postmodern theory (e.g. Baudrillard's hyper-reality; Strinati's five definitions of postmodernism). How does the 'picture-in-picture' recurring motif create a postmodern reading?
Postmodernists claim that we live in a media-saturated world – immersed in media products 24/7. So much so, that the distinction between the real world and the media representation of the real world has become blurred, Using Baudrillard's hyperreality theory, we can state that the music video has been constructed to reflect the 1940, also there are multiple forms of intertextuality within Billie Jean e.g. Pastiche is used as the crime noir genre has a serious emphasis throughout the music video.
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