Whats my age again?

by
blink-182 Music Video
Analysis
By Sam Hodgson

Initial Analysis
The video was released in 1999 and was directed by Marcos Siega, a music video director who had
previous success in the industry with music videos such as Alien Ant Farms Movies, All American
Rejects Dirty Little Secret and Anthraxs Nothing. The video was majorly funded by Blink-182s
record label MCA, a sector of Universal Music Division. The video consists of the members of the band;
Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker, running around the streets of Los Angeles completely
nude. The video heavily relies on the rebellious attitude and nature of many modern alternative
punk bands of the early 2000s in an effort to truly capture the artists demographic. The video itself
is both concept and performance as it features consistent sexual allegory including many subversive
enigmas as well as the band performing the song throughout the chorus sections.
The producers have utilised the technique of featuring the band performing the chorus to exploit
their use of Dyers star power theory and capitalise on the artists unique selling point of their own
image, the band are the main objective and aspect of this video. Intertextuality also frequently occurs
within the product to present the artists superiority and connect alternate media forms and products
to the band themselves and henceforth adding to the star power that is being created.

Relationship Between Lyrics and Visuals

The songs lyrics contribute greatly to the underlying, comedic sexual imagery running through the course of the
video. The band make consistent references to the idea of sex or sexual relationships within the first verse of
the lyrics which read I took her out, it was a Friday night, I wore cologne to get the feeling right. We started
making out and she took off my pants. While these lyrics are sounded through audio format within the video
we are shown the master shot of the band in full nudity. This creates a direct link between the lyrics and visual
to the present theme of sex within the product.
The lyrics also make reference to the idea to growing up and tell the narrative of a person who is struggling to
find his maturity despite understanding that he is on the road to adulthood hence the name Whats My Age
Again?. This idea is completely contradicted by the music video as the band running through the street nude
presents a certain level of immaturity and henceforth connotes the idea that the artists are trying to create the
stereotypical punk rock attitude of not conforming to how society wants you to behave and creates a direct link
to the lyrics about making prank calls and being told to act your age. The sexual aspect of the lyrics through
the use of words such as sodomy and the consistent reference to a girl as she rather than a name relates to
the appearance of the adult actress Janine Lindemulder, her inclusion also displays a level of immaturity as the
band slow down and run back to stare at her in an objectifying way which again links to the comical and
masculine immaturity being heavily referenced in the song.

Relationship Between Genre and Visuals

The genre of the song is pop-punk or punk-rock. The genre is conveyed exceedingly within the music video through the narrative and
series of visuals. The genre of punk is renown for having a stereotypical attitude of fighting the power or fighting the system by not
conforming to the norm of everyday mundane life. This can be seen in respected products from early punk acts such as The Sex Pistols
and The Jam. The Whats My Age Again? video is a perfect example of punk-rock conventions being displayed through a medium, this
is largely due to the videos ignorance towards respecting society and common courtesy.
The bands rebel agenda is a large feature of this video, from destroying fruit stands to running completely nude down the streets we can
tell the artists are ignorant towards the mundane normality of society and are not conforming to what is expected of them. In essence
by running down the street naked they are issuing an insult to modern day society and are presenting joy in doing so despite disrupting
the common flow and structure of ordinary society, this is signified by the variety of close up shots in which the band members are
shown grinning and laughing at their havoc they have wreaked. They are not conforming to their age which directly correlates the track
title, by doing so they are having fun and enjoying themselves which is another major motif within Pop-punk as the genre prides itself
on having humorous and entertaining morals.
We also achieve the stereotype of the elderly being out of touch with the new rebellious attitude of modern society, this is best inferred
towards the end of the product when the elderly man is struggling to work his television before staring confusingly at the naked artists
surging past him. This stereotype is common within punk-rock as the elderly are often seen as ignorant to the modern youth and
henceforth much of the genres standards revolve the rebelling against the old-fashioned ideals and standards of these elderly people
in an attempt to create a revolution.
Punk rock is influenced by more than chaos and rioting however, sex also plays a big role within the genre. Obviously as previously
referenced sex and sexuality is a crucial staple within the Whats My Age Again? music video and this could be Blink-182s way of
paying homage to the previous recurring themes created by bands like The Sex Pistols. Alternatively it could also present the band
conforming to the heavily sexual expectations of a young punk rock group to challenge or ridicule the stereotype by over-exaggerating
the extreme sexuality of a punk rock product. This over-exaggeration is formatted in a completely comedic light however which could
potentially relate to the American Pie films which were being released at a similar time to this music video. The films featured Blink-182
and depicted an extreme over-driven hype surrounding sexual intercourse within a comical light, the band are doing a similar thing
through this video and truly attempting to emulate the success of these products.

Camera-Work
The camerawork within this product truly contributes to the fast paced atmosphere being created. Throughout
the video the camera has a habit of focussing on the band members face or body through a close up of their
face of medium shot of their naked bodies. This has been done by the producers in an attempt to create star
power and draw an audience of Blink-182 fans towards the video as early as possible while also selling the
artists instantly within the product, hence the reason the camera performs the master shot of the video as an
extreme close up with tight framing around Mark Hoppus face before executing a zoom out to reveal all three
band members. The first shot is seemingly enigmatic as the audience can tell that the band are running but no
explanation has been issued until the camera performs a wide shot featuring all three members without their
clothes on and the comedic aspect of the product truly comes into play. At first we achieve a shot which shows
only the bands shirtless bodies, this is effective as it creates the idea of reverse male gaze or the female gaze
which implies sexuality within the first five seconds of the product. This has also been done to perhaps ridicule
bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers who are renown for performing shirtless and henceforth the band are
exaggerating the stereotype. In many ways the band is parodying the genre by imitating these bands such as
Biffy Clyro and The Red Hot Chili Peppers and in doing so signifying a difference between themselves and other
artists from their genre.
The initial shot transition from the close up of Hoppus face to the long three shot the band is an extremely
significant one. The zoom out that is used is extensive and is performed at a rate which keeps the full nudity
enigmatic and hidden until the main vocal section begins. Obviously the video is intentionally comical and by
prolonging the zoom out the group are able to allow a neutral audience to make stereotypical preconceptions of
the band before the full shot is composed. When the zoom out has come to a halt the audience can interpret the
comedic intentions of the video and artist alongside the lyrics which also portray a sense of humour. There is an
extensive amount of camera movement within this product, especially trucking. The camera tends to track the
band as they run through the streets of Los Angeles, this is effective as it keeps up with the fast paced
momentum of the video and the music and presents an energetic and erratic atmosphere within the video.
The camerawork is also relatively smooth which is seemingly ironic given the theme of the video. This style of
cinematography contrasts the camerawork featured in many videos from artists of a similar genre which could
be a purposeful decision by the producers to stem away from the typical stereotype of a punk rock video. This
also makes the product easier to watch and assists the humour aspect of the video by allowing smooth visuals
compared to the harsh and shaky handheld camera movement which the genre is commonly associated with.
The Laura Mulvey male gaze theory can also be applied to this product.

Camera-Work cont.
The male gaze theory can also be applied to this product. The shot of adult actress Janine Lindemulder is a
medium shot of her wearing a nurses outfit while exposing her body. The medium shot has been applied here to
truly capture the actress face and chest in an attempt to create the male gaze and display the intentions of the
band and their rebellious attitude while further adding to the underlying sexuality within the piece. The shot
featuring the younger girl is composed from a high angle, this immediately builds up tension as the band are
not in sight for the first time within the product and we understand that the young girl which obviously
represents innocence is about to experience the rebellious anarchy of the artists.
The camera then performs a focus shift from a point of view shot of the young girl which changes the focus from
the surrounding areas of the magnifying glass to the inside of the magnifying glass to reveal a fish-eyed view of
the lower body of the naked band members running towards the young girl.
The framing used within the performance section of the chorus is also significant, the camera tends to be
constructed from a low angle looking down on the band, this is effective as it relates to how society are looking
down on them within this video and relates to the lyric the state looks down on sodomy. The camera also
performs a tight framed close up Mark Hoppus face yet again to promote his star power to the audience.
Occasionally a three shot is also seen is relatively loose framing showing all three band members to truly sell
the artists to a neutral audience and showcase each individual.

Editing
The product begins with a fade in from black, this directly parallels the soft and relaxed introduction
guitar yet ultimately parallels the chaotic and rebellious nature of the video. We are then shown a series
of cuts which are majorly timed to the beat of the music which allows the product to be easily viewed
without disorientating the viewer allowing the audience to focus on both music and visual. These sharp
cuts have a tendency to increase within the chorus to keep true to the tempo of the product, this is
similar to the shot length within the chorus as it greatly decreases to create a form of energy and
excitement through a wider variety of shots at a much more rapid tempo. There is also a use of onscreen special effects which have a permanent staple within the video, the super-imposing use of blur
effect to truly censor the parts of the band members is prevalent within the entirety of the video, this is
effective as it makes the product more comedic and largely more appropriate in a way which allows the
product to still be enjoyable with humour without crossing the boundaries. Slow motion is also featured
in the music video. This is effective as it truly connotes the effect of the music video and their
rebellious actions on society while retaining a dramatic effect of intensity. The slow motion is executed
so that the audience can appreciate the largely controversial context of the product in a lighter sense,
almost like a comedy film. It isnt used to necessarily present great intensity or danger as slow motion is
stereotypically intended to be, it is more likely used to ridicule slow motions placement in modern media.

Themes and Motifs

Sex and gender are the most obvious and recurring themes running throughout this product. We are
immediately introduced to the theme of sexuality within the first shot which features the band in a three-shot
while being completely nude, this instantly sets to tone for the rest of the product and connotes the prolific,
underlying sexual tone which will be consistent throughout the video. In the early stages we see a man dressed
in a banana suit who is selling the fruit. The band push past him and steal some bananas before throwing the
fruit at the public. This obviously has connotations of rebellion and anarchy however it is possible to question
the presence of the bananas as enigmatic symbolism which represents the male genitalia. This would directly
link to what we as an audience have already witnessed within the music video through the form of strong
nudity, alternatively we could configure the assumption that the band are mocking their inability to be
completely nude within the video due to the censorship laws and henceforth are adding to the comedic
atmosphere by creating hidden symbolism in which the more mature audience will understand. Sexual imagery
is also created during the scene outside the florist with the elderly lady who is watering plants. As the band run
past she turns round and stares at them in a daze and in doing so she squirts three people sat on a street bench
in front of the store with her watering hose. It is possible that the artists and production team have included this
in order to again create enigmatic symbolism through a crude and dry representation of climatic intercourse.
This code is an enigma in order to not break the boundaries of the video and create multi-interpretations which
allow humour to be presented regardless of the interpretation. It is from this use of symbolism however that we
can understand Blink-182 are targeting a teenager/adult demographic. The final exploitation of the sexual
theme is through the intertextual use of adult actress Janine Lindemulder who directly relates to the sexual
motif within this video. She appears baring little clothing which presents an objectified and overly-sexualised
stereotype of women from the artists perspectives which again represents the video obsession with sex and
sexuality.

Goodwin's Theory
If we apply Andrew Goodwins music video theorem to the Whats My Age Again? music video we
achieve an interesting correlation of results.
Stage One - Music videos more often than not tend to include a demonstration of typical genre
characteristics. Stage one is applicable to this particular product as the genre itself is pop-punk or punkrock. This genre relies heavily on its foundation of rebellion, anarchy and sex which are consistently
featured throughout the whole of the product.
Stage Two - There are frequent references to the notion of looking and the voyeuristic treatment of the
female body. Stage two is also applicable to the music video. The voyeuristic portrayal of women through
the use of adult actress Janine Lindemulder is extremely significant as it presents the over-sexualisation
of women through a use of the male gaze.
Stage Three - There is a link between music and visuals. This stage also functions well with the
product. The lyrics run the theme of sexuality and immaturity which links to the visual experience of
disobeying society and the use of creative sexual imagery.
Stage Four - The demand of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artists and
the artists may develop motifs which recur across their work. Obviously within this video there is a
prevalent use of star power which is presented through the form of close up shots, the label have done
this to assist not only with the sale of the product but with the sale of the artist hence the reason the
final shot is an extreme close up of the lead singers face. The band also continue to construct their
rebel image due to this video, a motif which has been repeated across a wide variety of their products.
Stage Five There are often intertextual references. The Whats My Age Again? music video features
a great degree of intertextuality through the form of television. At the end of the music video we see the
band running through different live sets of American broadcasting shows such as The Last Word.

Product Placement & Intertextuality

Intertextuality is a common feature in this music product. This is largely due to the use of the television
within the final stages of the video which showcase the band running naked through various television
sets for multiple American broadcasts. This has been done to create a direct link between the two forms
of medium and connect audience who are appealed to both platforms.
Product placement is also used within the product. During the television scenes we see advertising
placements for KTLA5 an American TV network and Fox News a conglomerate broadcasting
institution. It is also possible to argue that the band are promoting their instrument sponsorships within
the chorus by using signature drums, bass guitars and electric guitars from brands such as Zildjian and
Fender. By promoting these instruments they are creating the opportunity to develop the
manufacturers and their brand image while also creating investment purposes from alternate institutions
through the form of advertising and product placement.