2. Artist: The Pogues
Track: Fairy Tale of New York
Genre: Celtic Punk/Christmas music
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
Release date: 23rd November 1987
3. Celtic Punk
This genre was used to by The Pogues to rejoice their Irish Heritage; common themes
in Celtic punk music include politics, culture, religion, drinking and working class pride.
The main male vocalist is illustrated drinking in a few scenes where he appears to look
drunk. The way he is singing sounds like he has been drinking too much as it sounds
loud, bold and a quite rowdy. Therefore, the vocals relate well to the visuals.
(Goodwin)
The visuals of this music video portray the theme of culture. For example, their use of
langue: “cheap lousy faggot’ implies they have a working class background but they
are pleased with who they are. Although, deviance occurs within the working class
which is displayed through the performers pushing each other, indicating they do not
have high standards like other classes – reinforcing the working class struggle.
4. Christmas
The mise-en-scene used in this music video consistently signifies Christmas time. For
example the beginning shot and the end shot snow is falling. Additionally, at the start of the
narrative, Santa is drinking in a bar – this emphasises the Christmas genre, but also the
Celtic punk genre.
The visuals of mise-en-scene such as the costumes the performers wear – hats, coats,
scarves and gloves can be associated with the lyrics of the track: ‘when he first took my
hand on a cold Christmas eve’ as they are wearing these clothes whilst walking around
holding hands during the winter time.
Towards the end the visuals are bright and white, enhancing Christmas spirit. The ending
shot shows the protagonists dancing together, making the music video more cheerful and
promoting the thought of love at Christmas time. This reinforces the Christmas genre as
Christmas is a joyful time of the year.
Denis McQuail’s theory of relating the production to the expectation of the customers can
be associated with this genre. This is a Christmas song and was released in November, thus
the audience would want to see certain Christmas characteristics, such as Santa and the
snow used in this music video.
5. Inter-textual references
Katie Wales notes that 'genre is an inter textual concept' and John Hartley suggests
that 'we need to understand genre as a property of the relations between texts’
An inter-textual reference is “Remember My Forgotten Man” from ‘The Gold Diggers
Of 1933’ as they shared political landscape – a theme of Celtic Punk. One shot of the
mise en scene shows a man who has come back from the army and is laying down in
the street, looking drunk. Likewise to a shot of “Fairy Tale Of New York” where the
man is put in a jail cell. They both use chiaroscuro lighting in these shots, relating them
even more closely together.
Chiaroscuro lighting and the use of noir effect used in “Fairy Tale Of New York” is also
used in the film “The Third Man”. In the music video, this type of lighting is used when
a man who is arrested is walking up the stairs. The use of the stairs is a convention
used in noir films as it shows authority at the top and suggests the bottom can be
dangerous. As the man is drunk, the use of the stairs can be confusing for him as the
policeman is holding him upright.
6. Conclusion
“Fairy Tale of New York” is using features of the genre in order to promote the track,
both in their created genre of Celtic Punk and also the Christmas theme. Overall, the
mise en scene, uses elements of both genres to use and develop the video, in order to
market to fans of these genres. The use of the Christmas theme is powerful as it is a
large way to pursue out many audiences who celebrate Christmas and this then
perpetuates as a profitable genre as seen by Steve Neale. In December, this genre is
played throughout the whole month and will continue to be played for future years,
with more profit being made each year as it enters the charts as it makes people feel
festive, so they choose to listen to it. Also, the use of the Celtic Punk is promoting to
other audiences with the Christmas theme and it is one of the biggest Christmas songs
ever, showing the promotion to its audiences were effective.
