Postmodern Analysis in Music Videos Eminem - We Made You

- Intertextual References: There are a lot of intertextual references within the music video, a vast majority are to do with celebrities such as; Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson, John Mayer, Ellen Degeneres, Lindsay Lohan, Sarah Palin, Elvis Presley. There are also references to films and games such as 'The Transformers', 'Star Trek' and 'Guitar Hero' - Pastiche: There is a large amount of pastiche in this music video e.g. Eminem has dressed up as the singer 'Elvis Presley' however his isn't making fun of him, it is more like he is celebrating him as a singer, this is the same for the references to the film 'Star Trek'. -Hyper-reality (Jean Baudrillard's Theory): The artist Eminem portrays a variety of characters; therefore the audience could struggle to define "who is Eminem" which is postmodern itself. Hyper-reality is also evident in the celebrities Eminem portrays as the audience are being given a simulation of reality/an idea of the possible characteristics this celebrity holds. Therefore they will find it difficult to differ between what is this celebrity actually like and what is Eminem trying to portray this celebrity to be like. - Nostalgia (Jameson): The music video could include nostalgia e.g. the continuous reference to Elvis Presley - the music video of "Jailhouse Rock" are perceived as memories. - Tuborg, Lynx, Dre Beats Lady Gaga - Telephone:

Pastiche. The video has it in spades. It references other forms of media (Tarantino, exploitation films, Thelma & Louise) left and right, while parodying none of them. This is because parody relies on an underlying normative standard, which postmodernism categorically rejects. Instead it merely shows the audience a barrage of media, almost a celebration of how clever the director is for cramming so many references into a single video. Consumerism. The product placement is obvious, but it is not portrayed as humorous. The camera lingers too long on each product, and the video knows it, but it still manages to avoid parody. Rather, the video uses these consumer images as an integral part of its aesthetic without any comment on their social context. Self-reference. The blatant product placement shows self-awareness in the video, but this particular brand of ironic detachment harms the videos ability to make any sort of overall message on its own. Instead it implies that celebrating consumer culture is fine as long as were appropriately ironic about it, but this is a largely unintended consequence of the videos aesthetic. Appropriation of identity-based struggle. Lady Gaga is interesting for turning the male gaze back on men, and for portraying women as subjects rather than objects in her videos (albeit still scantily-clad subjects). However, the resistance to power on Lady Gaga and Beyonces part is purely individual and brief (its very telling that Lady Gaga is bailed out of prison rather than escaping) Behind this initial layer of feminism there is still an individuated desire to become rich, given that Lady Gaga was saved from prison by money. She maintains her glamorous image inside and outside the prisons walls, an implicit message that excessive materialism is empowering to women, somehow, as Alyx Veseyobserved. Therefore her kind

of feminism is integrated neatly into the agenda of neoliberals, who love to talk about glass ceilings being shattered while heaping disdain on poor women. Incredulity towards metanarratives. Lyotards famous description of the postmodern condition applies even here, as its difficult to find an overall message or narrative in the video. There is a sequence of events interspersed with pop culture references and product placement, but little else.