Intertextuality in a music video is when there are references to other media within the video. Examples are past significant events, films or famous people. Artists may use intertextuality for many reasons, Goodwin also mentions intertextual references as a part of his theory as a key characteristic of music videos and this is evident in mainstream music videos, also is therefore a feature of a successful music video. Intertextual references impact the audience by generating a reaction from them, as audiences may base their opinions depending on the references and whether they enjoy them or not. Including intertextuality can benefit a music video as it can be entertaining for some audiences.
Examples of intertextual references
In this song "I Really Like You" by Carly Rae Jepsen, the star of the music video is a very well known Hollywood actor Tom Hanks, due to this there are intertextual references to his previous films. For example a man comes up to him and asks him to sign a table tennis bat, which is an intertextual reference to Tom Hanks' film Forrest Gump where he played a character who was skilled in table tennis.
In Eminem "Without Me", there are multiple references to comic books and super heroes such as Batman and Robin. For example when Eminem is shown putting on a costume he is wearing one very similar to the comic book character Robin. The whole concept of the music video is also that it is styled like a comic book.
George Michael "Outside" made many references to his own personal life. In the video a couple are caught in public toilets by the police which was a reference to his personal incident of being caught having sexual intercourse with a police officer and was subsequently arrested for it.
In the song "You Know Me" by Robbie Williams, the music video has various references to the fantasy world of Alice in Wonderland. The main artist is dressed as the character from the Alice in Wonderland franchise and is exploring the world and finishes by dancing with women dressed as rabbits, presumably other characters from the fantasy world.
In Taylor Swift - "Love Story" there are multiple intertextual references to William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The lyrics also support this and the two main characters are seen meeting at night presumably when they are not supposed to. Although the original story of Romeo and Juliet ends in tragedy, the music video has a happy ending with the couple together.
Why are intertextual references used and why might it appeal to a mass audience?
Intertextual references are used within music videos usually at the artist or directors choice, the artist may want to present a particular opinion as done with Taylor Swift - Love Song, where she changes the ending of a classic story to one she prefers. It is also done to create a response from an audience and and media critics, these references may generate a positive or negative reaction and may result in the audience enjoying the music video a lot more.
Criticisms of intertextual references
References may offend - Some intertextual references within videos may offend people. For example Eminem is an artist who regularly uses references without any limits, making fun of Michael Jackson's hair being caught on fire in Just Lose It. This may offend some who are watching or possibly those who are fans of Michael Jackson.
Influence opinion - References may also attempt to influence peoples opinion which does not allow the audience to generate their own opinions and have a genuine reaction to a music video. For example a larger more popular artist might influence a fan bases opinion on a less popular artist, influencing their opinion on the less popular artist. An example of this is the recent feud between artists Drake and Meek Mill, both of whom wrote and recorded 'diss tracks' aimed toward each other but Drake has a much larger fan base and was able to influence a lot more peoples opinions.
May spread negativity - Some references could spread negativity as not every artist has references that have a positive message.
References may be controversial - References, especially those of political opinions or opinions on current events can be very controversial. For example if an artist is anti-war and regularly makes intertextual references about wars and poses the opinion against war, those who are pro-war may dislike the artist due to their views.
May lead to an artist losing fans - References could cause artists to lose fans if they find the intertextual references inappropriate, they may not support the artist and their music any further due to this.
Will you use intertextual references in your music video?
After my research into intertextual references I have learned that I have to be very specific and choose my references carefully if I am going to do so. Due to this I will most likely not include any intertextual references, but if i am able to during the process, I will make sure the reference does not have any negative connotations and will not result in my artist losing any fans, or influencing opinions.
Excellent illustrative examples. Intertextuality is a characteristic of post-modernity. It consists in referencing another media text with which the audience is already familiar, bringing connotations of meaning from that media text into the new one.
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