Katy Perry feat Snoop Dogg – California Gurls
The video I am analysing is Katy Perry feat Snoop Dogg – California Gurls. This Dance-pop song was released on May 7th 2010, with the directors Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco.
At the beginning Snoop Dogg says “Greeting loved ones… Let’s take a Journey!” At this point he is putting the character on the board game. From this point he shows how life is like a game you never know what is round the corner, which helps you understand the music video. This music video doesn’t always show the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals as it shows the representation of sexuality for example: - The first Chorus Katy Perry is laying on her stomach on a candy floss cloud with it covering her bottom , this really shows the sexuality as she then puts her finger in her mouth. To me this shows her trying to be seductive to the male audience, this is also done by her lying on a cloud Naked. A lot of the visuals in this music video is created on the representation of Sexuality or the male gaze by this I mean men see women as sexual objects. Everything within the music video has been turned into a sexual fantasy for example:- When the girls walk to the ginger bread house they are wearing girl scout uniforms but they have been made to attract the male audience and not her stereotypical audience.
The relationship between the music and the visuals is very well constructed. The music is very upbeat and is a dance song whilst the upbeat music is playing the visuals creates a fantasy, non-realistic look. Near the end there is Katy Perry with a group of girls dancing to the song this shows us the audience that the genre of this music is dance-pop and will encourage the audience to join in and dance. The music changes pace when the chorus starts as it is very upbeat compared to the verses, this allows the different transitions change quicker and more accurate instead of having a slower pace of changing. Quite a few of the visuals don’t fit in with the music as the music video is more of a life story and to me has a meaning behind it “ Life is like a fantasy game as you never know what is around the corner!” There is a line near the end of the song which is a perfect example of the relationship between the music and visuals “All that ass hanging out” this is show with a close up of a girls ass in her sparkly shorts which is another sexual display.
Within Katy Perry’s music video there are many different camera shots of her and Snoop Dogg. This allows the artists to have more a unique selling point as they have placed themselves in there creation to show there audience. Throughout the music video there are a lot of close-ups on Katy’s facial expressions to show the emotion behind the video. To me this helps show to audience that living in your own fantasy world is not always the wrong thing to do as you can have more fun with your own imagination. This picture of the left backs up my view of the emotion behind the moving images, as you can see behind this image she looks shocked this really tells us the audience her exact emotion. To me all of Katy Perry’s music videos always allow her to sell her albums that much easier as she is in everyone of them which shows us the audience that she is more involved in her work and allows her to be more in touch with her audience.
This music video I believe that all the actresses are on sexual display, this is a very clever way of drawing in a wider range of audience as it will draw in more men just because of the sexual fantasy. There is various different shots of Katy laying on a candy floss cloud with nothing covered bar her bottom, this will appeal to many young boys and teenagers as she is using her sex appeal to bring in her audience. There is a lyric that will allow the male audience explore there own sexual fantasy’s “sex on the beach …. With sand in our stilettos.” This is talking basically talking about women. This line to me is a stereotypical view of young adults as it portrays that they are exploring there sexual fantasy’s. To me all Her music videos have different ways of drawing in her audience for example:- In “I kissed a girl” this is more of an appeal to the men as it is more about Homosexuals, however where as “ Hot and Cold” is more of an appeal to the young teens as it is very upbeat and is dance pop. The Costumes within the whole of this music video is a sexualised display, these appeal to more men as they are all women dressed in ravelling clothing.
To me looking at this Music video is reminds me of Charlie and the Chocolate factory as everything is made of candy and ice cream nothing else which is just like the film. However it isn’t 100% like Charlie and the Chocolate factory as in this music video they are displaying the sexualisation if women where as in the film it is more about the children and there dreams. The look of candy and ice cream to me shows a sweet and innocent side to the women but what they a wearing shows a more raunchy and sexual side which contrasts both personalities.
To me this music video is more performance based as there is no story line just a meaning behind it, however this is just my own point view on it every may have a different idea about the music video. To sum up this music video it is more performance based than anything and has a sexualised display which draws in a wide range of audience.
