Representation Visual Essay

 Sam Smith - Lay Me Down

For my visual essay I will be analysing different concepts of Sam Smith's music video , Lay Me Down. Each concept will include a brief introduction and how it relates to my chosen music video.

About The Music Video

This is video is about Sam Smith who is stood at the altar at his husband's funeral, while morning family and friends sit behind holding candles. The clip then shows a flash back to their wedding in the same church. This time everyone is smiling and clapping, then the clip turns back to a melancholy Smith sitting alone in the church.
The original single came from Smith debut album, In The Lonely Hour (2014). The single was released in February 2013 and reached 46 on the UK single chart although no official music video was released until the single was  re-released in February 2015. A third version , featuring John Legend was released one month later for Comic Relief. The third time the single was released the music video changed and went to no1 in the UK. Therefore both videos show different ways in which the song/lyrics can be interpreted.

Quote Smith
- “This video shows my dreams that one day gay men and women and transgendered men and women all over the world, like all our straight families and friends, will be able to get married under any roof, in any city, in any town, in any village, in any country. I hope you enjoy it. I love you all.”

Representation Theory

Ideology is a group of attitudes, beliefs and values which have an affect on the media industry.

Social media is an example of how the media industry can be used to manipulate what we want others to hear and see about our own lives. People are more inclined to show the positive aspects of their lives as this is what is seen as the norm. Society is more liking to conform to the norms and values shown by the media as is what is regarded as "normal". However in recent years the media remains powerful in representing what is seen as "normal and not normal". The media is so influence in changing people's view therefore by showing what is "not normal" through the media industry it allows the audience to create a sense of individual beliefs. An example of this is the BBC TWO comedy sitcom, Boy Meets Girl. This is the first the sitcom to feature transgender issues and a first sitcom to star a transgender actor.

Also socialisation within particular societies is influenced by the media. Through primary socialisation parents use their understanding of ideological views to educate their children. This is also done through secondary socialisation as when a child goes to school they learn about new ideological views. The media has a huge influence on children as they are growing up. The reason for this is because media is used to control people's views particular issues such as religion and politics. The news is an example of the media manipulating/ acting bias in order to change/ influence the audiences views. Sometimes the news doesn't critically evaluate all aspects of a news story to make the story balanced/ fair.

Representation is all about a particular set of ideas being portrayed through media texts. In this music video Sam Smith is showing a gay marriage taking place in a church. This is a trope of present day society as on 13th March 2014, same-sex marriage became legalised in England and Wales. However in order to get married in a church, the same-sex couple will face many difficulties. This music video shows how same-sex couples should be able to marry in a church. The video was released in February 2015, a year after same-sex marriage became legalised. Sam Smith also wrote on Instagram he wanted a 'Homophobia free future' , which further expresses the underlying issue raised within the music video.

Laura Mulvey : The Male Gaze

Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist who believed that women were used/viewed as sexual objects via the use of various media texts . This means that women have no meaning except to be desirable for men, hence they have a lack of character. This is then shown through the mise-en-scene and cinematography which aims to highlight a woman's sexual aspects e.g the bum or curves. This is known as the male gaze. The male gaze occurs when the audience is placed into the perspective of a heterosexual man. The woman is used as a sexual object and the man is deemed to be the more dominant/powerful character.
There are three types of gazes:

1. How men look at women

• View the sexual features on a woman 
• Camera movements show the curves and other sexual parts of a woman's body
• They become objectified as a sex appeal

2. How women look at themselves

• Pick faults within their own appearances (low self-esteem)
• Compare to an unrealistic role model
• Don't consider post-production
• Feel negative about their own bodies and seek change

3. How women look at other women

• Compare against each other
• Look towards shaping their identity together
• Construct an image which is deemed fit for society (Ideal Woman)

In Relation to Sam Smith - Lay Me Down

In relation to the music video Lay Me Down , Laura Mulvey's theory becomes challenged. Laura Mulvey argued that women in music videos are viewed as sexual objects. In this music video there are many appearances of women, however they are not placed there to be viewed by heterosexual men , in a sexual way. Although the camera focuses on numerous women, the cinematography and editing do not show the typical conventions in which Mulvey believed women are viewed as. An example of this is Mulvey believed the cinematography made women be portrayed in a certain way, such as slow tilt down their legs. Cinematography has not been used in this way in Smith's video because he is not trying to show women as sexual objects. Women appear in both sides of the video , once in darkness to symbolise the funeral and then again in white to symbolise a wedding. In both of these, the appearance of women doesn't significantly change. This is because the women in the video aren't placed in the music video to be viewed by heterosexual men as intentional sexual object. This would also change the underlying concept of the video. Furthermore the sound used , such as the lyrics are not used in a way in which to question the female body and therefore makes no sexual references to women. This contracts Mulvey's theory because she believed that women were referenced to as sexual objects through the choice of language within the lyrics of a song.

Mulvey argued that there are three types of gazes, firstly gaze one is how men look at women. In relation to Smith's music video it is clear that this video hasn't been made for the purpose of heterosexual men. Therefore camera movements such as close ups of women's lips have not been used. Although there are many appearances of women , they have not been placed within the video just to objectified by men. Mulvey's theory doesn't consider how homosexual men view women within music videos , or in this case how they view other gay ind The second gaze is how women look at themselves. Women are not shown in a negative aspect within the music video and are not made to be looked down upon by men. Also Mulvey argued that because women look at other women it has a direct reflection on how women look at themselves, such as picking faults within their own appearance. However women may be able to relate with the people within this music video such as how different women are affected by death. The third gaze is how women look at other women. Mulvey suggests that women shape their identify on other women which is bad because music videos portray unrealistic role models. The women within this video may aspire other women , but not in a sexual or needs/desirable way.

Richard Dyer : Star Theory

Quotes by Dyer:
" starts are commodities that are produced by institutions "
"A star is a constructed image, represented across a range of media and mediums"

What is a star according to Dyer?
A star is an image which an audience desires to be like. However the institutions aim to represent real people but this is not the case as they form a constructed ideology . They are constructed by institutions for financial gain. Therefore the star will have one specific audience/group of people to make a larger profit on merchandise etc.
Dyer suggested that there are four concepts to why/how stars are constructed by institutions. These are:

1. Stars as constructions
2. Audience and Industry/Institutions
3. Ideology and Culture
4. Character and Personality

Firstly stars are represented as real people which we can consume from , however this is not the case as evidence suggest that stars are constructed. A Unique Selling Point (UPS) is given to stars in order to make them more desirable to the audience. A UPS such as Michael Jackson's white glove makes him as a star, unique. Hence why one official white glove worn by Michael Jackson sold at auction for $420,000 (including taxes and fees) in 2009. In relation to film stars , pop star have an advantage as only been constructed once. Film stars require a change of character so it makes them harder for institutions to construct an image for them. An example of this is Tom Hanks plays a variety of characters in many films, where as Madonna has stayed relatively the same throughout her pop career.
Secondly stars are manufactured to serve a purpose. Record companies will nurture and shape their stars into what they think/know the audience will consume from. Modern stars are just replicas of something that has been seen before such as The Beatles and One Direction. The institutions know how to make a profit from replicas of something they have achieved great success with in the past. Although each genre of music have different ideological views, stars are constructed differently depending on the genre of music they sing. The audience can copy off stars such as wearing the same iconic clothing. An example of this is Cher, who is well know for her large curly hair which makes it easier to dress up/consume outfits from her.

Thirdly stars covey their beliefs and opinions out side of music to create a celebrity persona. This is so the audience can relate them as they are seen as the same as them. The culture which they live in can also aspire the audience to be like them, for example Barbra Streisand is Jewish and is actively open about her religious beliefs. Also the social media can portray starts to be a perfect construct. Beyonce uses Facebook to post photos of family days out, with her husband and young child. Dyer believes these images aren't real but made to look like perfect for the artists audiences.
Fourthly as a consumer, we have certain ideas about what stars are supposed to be like so the institutions create starts with desirable qualities of character. A 'fake' personality can also be created such as making the artist look impressive when in front or an audience/media text. It can be argued that Justin Bieber has a fake personality because he has arrived late for concerts and been rude towards the press and some fans.

Stars and Motifs
Institutions create motifs for their stars for a variety of reasons, such as :

• It creates a reoccurring iconic image
• Recognisable through semiotics (logos)
• Make money for the institutions 
• Large amounts of merchandise
• Used on a variety of products
• Lack of words means it can be used worldwide

Examples of famous motifs:

One Direction:

The Beatles:

Red Hot Chili Peppers:

In Relation to Sam Smith - Lay Me Down

Richard Dyer's 4 concepts of a star which can be applied to Lay Me Down.

Firstly Dyer believed stars were constructs. This means Sam Smith is represented as a real person so his audience can consume from him as a product. Smith's unique selling point (USP) is the type of artist which he is and the genre of music which his sings. Smith performs in the  POP genre of music and in May 2014 Smith revealed that he was openly gay to his fans. This is not a common feature to artists in POP music so it shows how he has a USP for which the genre he is most commonly associated with. Smith has stayed relatively the same in regards to his style however Dyer suggests this may change over time as Smith becomes consumable to a larder audience. This is so the institutions can make more money from Smith as a construct.

Secondly Dyer argued that stars are manufactured by the institutions to serve a purpose for the audience. The institutions know what type of star they are constructing. Sam Smith has be constructed by his institution to suit his target audience. An example of this is Smith is shown wearing a cross - shaped earring. This makes him more consumable to his audience as individuals can interpret and relate to Smith. Many interpretations can be made form the cross such as it being symbolic to Smith's childhood because he went to catholic school until the age of 18. Smith claimed that wearing an earring in this music video was unintentional. In an interview, Smith said '...And I remember when I watched the video back, I was like, 'That can be my thing.' There's a little meaning behind wearing crucifixes in my ears, you know? But I would never go into it.". This quote suggests that Smith likes to keep his audience guessing and therefore consuming from him. Also it implies Sam Smith is aware that he is a product of consumption, '...that can be my thing...' shows that he understands he is being made into a product by the institutions in order to appear more consumable.

Thirdly Dyer suggested that stars convey their own ideology and culture whether this is a fake or real persona can misleading to the audience. Sam Smith uses the social media to post images and messages about what he has been up to . This makes him a star as he shares his life with the audience, so they can consume his ideology. The images which Smith post on Social Media make us feel apart of his life as we become socially activated within his personal life. Also Dyer believed these images to be apart of a fake persona as he suggested this makes a star more desirable. In an interview with 4Music, Smith said "I actually have OCD really bad, and it's getting a bit worse at the moment." This shows Smith's own struggles, therefore an audience can relate to these struggles and want to consume from Smith because they see him as a 'normal' person.

Fourthly Dyer implied that the audience consume the character and personality of the star. A stars personality is reflective in their actions which are portrayed towards the audience. Sam Smith shows characteristics of a loving, funny, sociable and charitable personality which means the audience find him a desirable character to consume from. Also people can relate to his personality such as he visits the gym. I know this because he posted an image of him at the gym on Twitter so his audience can relate to him and see him as a 'normal' person. The images below represents the final element of Dyer's theory.

Twitter - Gym:

Charitable:

Loving:

Funny:

Sociable:
 


Smith doesn't directly have a motif , however I believe he has many hidden motifs which make him a star , from which an audience can consume from such as:

1. Hair Style

   

2. Ear Piercing







3. Clothing

I have searched Sam Smith Music into Google images, this is a screenshot of the results which I found. From this screenshot it is clear that Sam has a very unique style. This makes him a recognisable star according to Richard Dyer as Sam Smith has created himself into an image in which the audience can consume from.

The images below shows Sam Smith, before and after his diet. Dyer believed these rapid changes within a star makes them more consumable to an audience. This is because the audience will want to follow Smith's diet progress and maybe even take in his tips and advice.

Tessa Perkins : Stereotypes

Perkins 5 Assumptions Of Stereotypes

1. Stereotypes are not always negatives
   -Youths may be seen as negative, e.g. Hoodies can be linked to youths in crime/gangs
   -Youths may be seen as positive e.g. Results Day shows excellent results
   -People are more likely to read about negative aspects of life rather than the positives
2.They are not always about minority groups or the less powerful
  -Upper Class = Posh , Snobs
  -Lower Class = Loud , Poor , Outspoken
3.They can be held about one's own group
  -POP, POP ideologies, Mise-en-scene, Clothing
4.They are not rigid on unchanging
  -Hard to change but can change over time
  -Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears
5.They are not always false
  -We need to understand the truth in the artist
  -Institutions shapes and helps us understand the stereotypes
  -Associate the ideology behind the character

Implications Of Stereotypes

• Not always erroneous in context
• Can be very negative
• About groups with little or no social contact ( institutions portray certain ideologies around a particular stereotype)
• Leads to negative behavior/ wrong assumptions (unfair treatment of members of society)
• Without stereotypes we wouldn't be able to understand individuals/values in society
• Negative representations of class hierarchy

In Relation to Sam Smith - Lay Me Down


Being Gay-Sam Smith

Sam Smith doesn't openly express or draw attention to himself as being a gay artist. However in a recent interview Smith made the following statement:
Sam Smith went to a Catholic school but wasn't afraid to speak up for equality, he said "From what I can remember, they believe that you can be homosexual, but you just can't practice it, which is ridiculous. I would just say, I am proof that it's genetic. It has to be, because it wasn't a choice.' And that's it. That's my only argument, you know? You love who you love, and I can't help that I like guys."
Also in May 2014 Smith revealed to the public that he is gay. At the 2015 Grammy Awards, where he won four categories, he said, "I would like to thank the man that I fell in love with last year - the man who this album is about. Thank you so much for breaking my heart, because you got me four Grammys!".