mj representation

8/10/2019 MJ representation

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Michael Jackson

Representation - How does the representation ofMichael Jackson vary in two different types of

media?

*Side helpings of Audience, Genre and industry*


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Labels

Michael Jackson was from a humble backgroundin Gary, Indiana, and yet grew to be one of themost formidable forces in the music industry. He

started his career in The Jackson 5 with MotownUniversal 1998before joining CBS Records Sony 1988and Epic recordsalso owned by Sony- then gradually moving into a solo career and

creating his own record label MJJ Productions 3Tand then posthumously signing for SonyRecords until 2017


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Most of the time, Jackson was represented as a musiclegendof not just his time, but of all time. Althoughafter the child molestation case of 1991, his imagedeflated and the press coined the nick name Wacko

Jacko, and would from then on focus not on the music,but solely the strange, eccentric antics of Jackson. Thiswas undoubtedly the reason for his inability to reachthe heights he once had.

Jacksons image is unquestionably a large reason why

he became so formidable in the music industry. Thefact that the media represented him as different andstrange was reflected in his music, being different fromthe norm, a factor which helped him sell records.


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Before Death


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The album cover from Michael

Jacksons 1991 album Dangerous.

The typical codes of album covers; most albumshave these on the front artwork.

artworks will represent the artist themselves.

Text and colours to attract the attention of theirspecific target audience.

establishes the artist and along with the genre ofmusic they produce

communicate to the audience the message andideology that the artist wants to get across


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Thoughts?

Genre

Audience

Representation

Ideologies

Links to industryEpic records

Genre - With Teddy Riley, Jackson recorded under the newjack swing genre, a genre Riley has been often creditedwith inventing. It was also the first album in whichJackson began rapping. The inclusion of the rap groupWreckx-n-Effect, Jackson's embrace of hip-hop rhythmsand new jack swing were designed to give Jackson a newyounger urban audience.


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central focus point of the image Michael hiding away,

Mask- Reclose? theatrical? Circus?Not the real him?

consumers can only see his eyes, and Iconiclock of perfected, black hair.

This part of the photo has been airbrushed to makeMichael look perfect.

By this time Michael Jackson the person was worldly famous, andtherefore we didnt need to be able to see him, but the audience didntyet know much about his personality - Dangerous gives the consumer a

deep insight of his character; the colours are very simplistic, gold, black, and white mainly - expensive

and regal (It seems regal because the animals on the left and right arecrowned and the mask around Jacksons eyes looks similar to a crown).This is echoed by Jacksons nickname The King of Pop.

gold, serif fontwhich fits in with the overall themes of authenticityand importance. Dangerous connotations?, is much smaller andless defined - Jackson - the main attraction and that the albumname didnt matter as much.


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Deeper meanings? Dog King: (Michael?) ~ Dog is wearing MJ slippers and white glove

"Umbilical cord" attached to glass ball containing man and woman (Adam and Eve?) religion

Taped fingers : (Michael's hand?) Imprinted map of the world on palm - control

Road into 'Dangerous' Industrialised area: decorated with childlike drawings of guns and rockets;skull and crossbones...Industrial area (steelworks factories) completely void of children/ animals -world

Ride: Boy with letter M on top (riding one of the cars exiting ride) Mac Culkin?Bubbles, Ben, Louie and Gypsy (Michael's pets) riding boats/carsa little like a ghost train? Animals going in; children/ skeletons coming out! -

Images of different era Michaels "Thriller" Michael statuette near old man's head, young Michael inone of the cars

Letters - Eo ~ Greek for Dawn (also Captain EO - lots of references to the sun/ dawn in that film)ENTRARE ~ EnterEXITUS ~ Outlet or death (look above the exit of the ride)

Numbers: 7 on the large hand/wrist and on the little man with top hat (Michael's favouritenumber/ 7th Child);1998 with 3 dots and arrow (Michael regularly added this to his signature) on the lapel of the oldman's jacket

"Upside down" planet in the centre of the picture - discord/ mayhem?

Black and white face - reference to song "Black or White

Peace signs

Old man wearing tuxedo P. T. Barnum (?) This makes sense as Barnum was a celebrated circusshowman - and the whole picture depicts a circus!


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Mark Ryden: There has been an interview

with Mark where he said he wanted to convey

the supposed circus that Michaels life was

portrayed to be by the media, but show that

behind that circus was a mind at work.


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x

S8nUdQ1OAI

In contrast This Is It advert Michael is no longershying away, he takes the main role and shows offhis legendary talent. This is because Michael was

attempting to reinvent his career in a new way.These concerts would open Michaels music up toa whole new generation of consumers.

This is the longest TV advertising ever bought by

an artist. Aired on ITV1 Sunday 8th March 2009

Marketing tool!Strictly Come Dancing


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establishing shot; it is used to set the scene, in this instance it

represents Jackson as powerful because he has thousands ofsoldiers following his every move. They chose to represent

him in this way, in an advert, so that the audience thinks of

him as a legendary idoland therefore they will be more

inclined to see his concerts.


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This is the first shot of Jackson performing; it is a medium long

shot so that the whole of Jacksons body can be seen in a religious

pose. This pose is similar to Jesus on the cross; they have chosen

to represent him like this because they want his fans to see him

like an idol. This creates an atmosphere and ambiance at a

Jackson concert, unlike any over (blue hue). This therefore aids

sales of tickets.


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This is a medium close-up, low angle shot; it is

used to make Jackson look bigger. He wanted

to be the biggest star in the world so he could

gain more accolades and ultimately sell more

tickets and albums, to make more money. Thistype of representation helped cement his

place at number 1; the camera is looking up at

him like he is more important than the viewer.

In this shot the camera moves parallel

with Jackson whilst he moonwalks

tracking ; this is used because it makes

this dance look and lot more impressive

and polished. Jackson wanted to berepresented as impressive so that people

would want to go and see him more.


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Editing -Almost the entire advert usesthe cut transition, from one shot of Jackson dancing to another

(represent his ability to dance/ link to dance stylesaudience)

The speed of the transitions are determined by the different

songs Jackson is dancing to (codes and conventions MV), the

shot changes are consistent to the beats of the music.

In the final few second of the advert the shot changes several

times per second (fast past editing), this makes the advert very

exciting and acts like a countdown to the actual shows.

(Marketing)

There is one other transition an Iris Wipe (Audience POV)

between a shot of Jackson with an upbeat song, to a shot of

Jackson with a slow song.


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This Is It advert Michaels name isnt even mentioned-

REP of Star until the last shot of the scene and even

then only in small writing as part of a website address(technology).

In the advert he is referred to as The King of Pop -

letting his music talk for itself; there are very few

interruptions of the music clips. And even fewer by text.

The text in the clip is in a silver, serif, shadowed font,the shadows point to the centre of the screen, which

has a picture of the O2 in it. This is putting emphasis on

the fact that these amazing concerts and going to be

held at such an amazing venue = MJ amazing too!


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Why are they both positive representations unlike magazines?

mainly because they are made by Michael Jackson, or institutions that

make money from his success.

The album cover represents Michael as? Appeal? (Link to hyberbaric

chamber!)

reclusive, but Jackson liked people to think this or he would not have

chosen to represent himself in this way. It shows that he has success

because he can afford this carnivalistic life style, but it shows that thereis a dark, hard working, almost mechanical part deep inside of him

which isnt visible to the whole world.

The advert represents Michael as?

the one of the greatest artists the world has ever known; it cleverly

plays the most catch parts of the most famous Michael Jackson songseven, Billie Jean, Thriller etc. It paints This Is It as a once in a lifetime

amazing experience that cant be missed, in addition to this it

emphasises that there is only 10 show so that the consumer is forced

to buy their tickets quickly as to not miss out.


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The advert uses mise-en-scene so that the consumer feels?

how exciting these concerts are going to be, everything is

exaggerated, for example it shows shots of women fainting just at

the sight on Michael Jackson!

The way the album cover uses mise-en-scene lets the reader?

get a taste for the music without listening to it. They know it is going

to be extravagant, and different, but elegant and sophisticated as

well. The album cover plays into the stereotypes of Michael Jackson.

It reiterates what people thought on him, profligate, special, maybe

even slightly excessive. Additionally it plays into his Peter Pan

dream of never having to get old, as the album cover is very fantasyand make-believe based. Michael Jackson fans like this cover

because they get to learn more about his personality than they have

ever known before. A reclusive character, Michael is letting the

smarter demographics of his fans read into his personality through

one of his many interests, art.


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For Michael Jackson (3 different

examples from various forms)

HWHow are people represented in your 3

main texts?

And

Most texts mix genres How true is this for

your 3 main texts?

And

How do your chosen texts attract their

audiences?

mj representation

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