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Vance Joy Riptide

Vance Joy's Riptide music video provides a rich text for analyzing media language and representation, particularly in relation to gender dynamics and Laura Mulvey's "male gaze" theory. Vance Joy, an Australian singer-songwriter, gained international fame with Riptide, a catchy indie folk-pop track. The video’s surreal, non-linear structure and quirky style set it apart, using montage editing to tell a fragmented story that draws on various cultural references and cinematic influences.

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The video uses a technique that owes much to the influence of directors like Wes Anderson, known for his distinctive, stylized visual storytelling. Anderson’s use of symmetry, color palettes, and quirky characters finds a parallel in Riptide, where the rapid sequence of seemingly unrelated images creates an offbeat, whimsical yet unsettling tone. At the same time, the video’s nods to Western film genres, with imagery such as cowboys, deserts, and figures in rugged landscapes, blend nostalgia with a sense of isolation and danger. These Western motifs evoke traditional narratives of masculinity and adventure, subtly contrasting with the vulnerability and disempowerment often portrayed in the female characters.

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One of the video’s recurring motifs is the repeated lyric, "closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen," paired with a sequence of disjointed images, including references to Pfeiffer’s iconic roles. This line adds a layer of intertextuality, conjuring images of Pfeiffer as the embodiment of Hollywood glamour, perhaps referencing her characters in films like Scarface or Batman Returns. These roles often place Pfeiffer in highly stylized, objectified positions, aligning with Mulvey’s theory that women are frequently depicted as objects for male pleasure in visual media.

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Montage editing plays a crucial role in constructing meaning throughout the video. By splicing together quick, often jarring shots of women in distress or compromising positions—such as being tied up or dragged across the floor—Riptide communicates a sense of disempowerment and vulnerability. Women are repeatedly depicted as passive, their bodies subjected to manipulation, reflecting Mulvey's idea of the "male gaze," where women are viewed as objects of desire rather than autonomous subjects.

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Additionally, the fragmented nature of the imagery—showing parts of women's bodies rather than whole figures—emphasizes objectification. The video does not follow a coherent narrative, but its pattern of disturbing images, such as a woman singing with smeared lipstick, evokes anxiety and tension. The sequence conveys a loss of control, suggesting societal expectations for women to perform, often leading to their exploitation or breakdown. This echoes Mulvey’s argument that women in media are often reduced to visual objects for male consumption, rather than complex individuals.

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In contrast, men in Riptide are often depicted in more active roles, confidently moving through the scenes or acting in ways that imply control or power. This creates a subtle juxtaposition between the representation of masculinity and femininity, reinforcing traditional gender roles where men are active and dominant, while women are passive and subjected to external forces.

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Overall, Riptide is a visually compelling music video that uses montage editing, cinematic influences, and intertextual references to create a layered exploration of gender representation. While its quirky, disjointed style may seem lighthearted on the surface, the deeper portrayal of women aligns with longstanding patterns of objectification in media, making it a striking example of how gender dynamics are represented in modern music videos.

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CHECK YOUR LEARNING

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  1. Who is Vance Joy, and how did he gain recognition in the music industry?

  2. How does Riptide use montage editing to convey meaning in its music video?

  3. Which film director is Riptide visually influenced by, and how is this influence reflected in the video’s style?

  4. What are some common visual motifs in the Riptide video, and how do they relate to Western genres?

  5. How does the lyric "closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen" add intertextuality to the music video?

  6. What is Laura Mulvey's theory of the "male gaze," and how is it applied to the representation of women in the Riptide video?

  7. In what ways are women portrayed as passive or disempowered in the video, and how does this align with Mulvey's theory?

  8. How does the video visually contrast the portrayal of men and women, and what traditional gender roles are reinforced?

  9. What role does fragmentation of the female body in the video play in terms of objectification?

  10. How does the influence of cinematic genres like Westerns contribute to the video’s representation of masculinity and power?

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DALL·E 2024-10-16 06.38.59 - A banner in a muted, retro pop art style inspired by Vance Jo

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