Applying Goodwins theory to

EcoSmiths Come Together

official music video
By Thomas Cutmore
Music demonstrates genre characteristics
The music genre: Indie Pop
The band itself is mixed with 3 males playing bass, electric guitar and a
drummer where as the female sings and in the music video, plays the
electric keyboard.
The genre characteristics are also demonstrated through the bands fashion
as it is high street mainstream style.
The music video itself is a performance but in front of no live audience.
The band demonstrate the genre through the jumpy and energetic
performance during the music video, such as the scenario they are in
where they are trying to escape the school detention and then enjoy
themselves around the school behind the teachers back.
Screenshots of the demonstration of
genre characteristics
High street
mainstream colourful
fashion links in with
pop culture
The relationship between lyrics and
visuals
At the start of the music video, the lyrics start off with; Here we are,
with our backs against the wall, which when sang the band are
returning to the school for the detention, possibly portraying the
school as the wall that they have their backs against.
Another relationship that is shown between the lyrics and visuals is
where throughout the chorus one of the lines goes; 'Cause with the
smoke in the mirror, I can see your face. The relationship between
the lyrics and the visuals in this is where the teacher who is in charge
of the detention lets his true self out which is where he becomes a
dancer and reveals his soft side.

Screenshots of the relationship between
the lyrics and visuals
From this To this
The relationship between the music and
visuals
The music of the song is fast paced and almost jumpy which links a lot
to the visuals as the band perform them escaping detention, running
through and around the school to avoid the teacher, and the way they
almost party inside the school. This relationship is strong as the
moment the band start to move when they escape from detention,
they hardly stop which allows the visual performance to keep up with
the beat of the music.
The actions are also synchronised with the music as well as the
singers lips match the lyrics through out the song when the shots
keep switching from them performing from them acting out the
scenario that theyre in.
Screenshots of the link between music
and visuals
The jumpy beat of
the music links to the
actions of the music
video
The demands of the record label
During the video it matches a few of the demands of the record label,
such as the constant close ups of the band and the singer Sydneys
face and lips which almost create it a traditional music video as it uses
the convention of close ups
These close ups also create a voyeuristic view upon Sydney as when
the shot goes back to her singing on a close up, you are almost
automatically drawn in to her lips by the use of the vibrant red lipstick
that stands out amongst everything else on her.
Screenshots of the video matching the
demands of the record label the use of
close ups
Frequent notion of looking/voyeurism and
the use of gender stereotypes
There is an essence of voyeurism throughout the music video as the use of the close ups on
Sydneys legs and her face as it causes us to look wherever the camera is going and were drawn
upon her as her surroundings are minimal.
There is also another essence of voyeurism which is how the teacher in the music video almost
looks at Sydney first and then pulls up his trousers in a intimidating way. This use of voyeurism
could suggest the view of the female as an attractive sex object, which also during the music
video is emphasised with the use of stereotyping of the female through make up, while the rest of
the band focus more on broader or more vocational activities such as music, writing and film.
The use of the female stereotype through make up references to the misogynist viewpoint
amongst women as they are only interested in themselves and not anyone else. There is also
another stereotype emphasised through the music video and that is where when they take out
their lunches, all the males have high fatty foods and/or more masculine based foods i.e. big
roasts and tacos, where as the one female only has a small carton of sushi. This could possibly
stereotype women as seen to be picky about their weight and what they eat, where as the boys
just eat what they want and dont care.
The male stereotype however is also challenged as throughout the music video as mentioned
earlier, where the teacher at the start is intimidating, voyeuristic and also vile. As the music video
progresses, the teacher shows his true side, or so softer side which he keeps inside where he
becomes a passionate dancer without anyone around.
Screenshots of voyeurism
Direction of his viewing, which is mostly fixed in
the females direction. This emphasises the
voyeuristic attitudes of the males towards
females as they are seen as attractive and
possible sex objects
Females display themselves through heavy an
vibrant make up which appeals to the male
which could cause some attraction which yet
could be sexual.
Screenshots of the notion of looking,
voyeurism and gender stereotypes
Boys meals
gristly, fatty and
high carbohydrates
Sydneys meal
healthy and
authentic
Boys
activities
active,
educational
and
beneficial in
many areas
of skill and
knowledge
Sydneys activities
un educational, self
absorbent
The demonstration of the misogynist view
against women in the music video
Hard working, active and
devoted to his work. Gives
an overall positive viewpoint
upon the males
Strutty facial expression and body
language and self absorbent. Gives
a misogynistic yet un realistic view
upon females
Intertextual references
The video uses some intertextual references from other films and TV
programmes. The two of the films that could be referenced are examples
of the idea of the older male becoming a voyeur and having some type of
affection towards the younger female. The two films that are intertextual
references are Lolita , which yet started off as a novel by a Russian author
Vladimir Nabokov, which was then made into a film directed by Stanley
Kubrick in 1962. The second film, American Beauty, (directed by Sam
Mendes) also highlights on the gristly contents of voyeurism and affection
of an older man towards a much younger female, such as the teacher and
Sydney in the music video.
The other intertextual reference, The Breakfast Club links towards the
music video as it sets the same scene of the friends, all representing some
different type of stereotype being stuck in a detention under the control
of the school teacher.
Intertextual references
Men are seen as sexually
desperate voyeurs over the
women
The group of
friends stuck in
detention
Comparisons with other music videos
and conclusion
Throughout Echosmiths music video they represent America as a fun, colourful
and free country, portraying everything as a matter of fun, laughter and energetic
atmosphere. They portray this through the vibrant colours, the bright lighting,
the performance the band give and also the positivity of taking everything as a
joke. This can be compared with Leftfields Afrika Shox as he, as a British artist,
views America as a more subversive way. He portrays America almost as the
binary opposite to the way Echosmith did, through using; darker and more
magnetic colours, a more dystopic scene, using a different race to play the victim
as Echosmiths music video only featured white American, while Leftfields
included a black African American. This could be a result of different countries
viewing America through their own eyes/beliefs, such as the British viewing it as
a unequal, democratic state, where as the Americans themselves would view it
more as a free and equal state, only to that they show only white Americans,
possibly bringing controversy amongst the idea of America being a free country.
Comparison screenshots
Echosmiths Come Together Leftfield Afrika Shox
Throughout the whole video
the colour that the videos
are set in influence the
mood of the music and also
the feelings of the audience,
i.e. Afrika Shox is a darker,
gloomier colour than Come
Together is, causing the
audience to feel more
depressed when watching
Afrika Shox than watching
Come Together as well as
the performance creating
negativity of the country and
the idea of society