This document provides an analysis of intertextuality and references in Katy Perry's "California Girls" music video. It summarizes that the video takes significant inspiration from the set design of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, featuring trees and planets made of sweets. It also references the costumes and settings from fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel. The document analyzes how the video aims to create Katy Perry's brand identity and showcase her image as inspired by 1950s pin up girls through motifs, costumes, and sexuality.

1. Katy Perry “California girl’s” music video analysis!

2. Intertextuality This can be reference to other music videos or established films or even TV programmes. Katy Perry’s “California girl” is full of references .The setting of the video is influenced by the well know children’s film “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” made in 1971. Both settings have trees and planets made out of sweets. Here are an example of the lollipops featured in Katy’s set also featured in the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory “ set as shown. Here are two shots the opening to Katy’s video and a shot of Willy Wonka from the original in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory“ . Both images are long shot ,this means that you are able to see the entire human figure. This shot is usually used to create a relationship between the human their surroundings. Katy makes lots of references to the mise en scene in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory“ . The settings are very alike ,Katy creating planets and trees out of sweets inspired by the design of the chocolate factory in the shot below. Here Wonka sits surrounded by sweets supposedly representing plants. Both settings are brightly coloured and are brightly lit ,revealing the dramatic set and also creating a childlike and happy vibe! Here is another reference to miseen scene in the music video and film in costume. Katy appears to have been inspired by the colour of Willy Wonka’s coat ,as she shows of purple hair in her video. Katy’s costume is bright, retro and playful similar to the type of costume Willy Wonka wears in the film. Both images feature lollipop’s another similarity in miseen scene showing another reference from the film Katy has put into her music video.

3. Here is a long shot image of Katy Perry crossing a bridge in her video above. This is similar to the set design in the modern in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” film. Both shots feature a chocolate river which was also featured in the original film. This shows again how Katy is referencing to the mise en scene in in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” Both shots are long shots using similar camera work to establish the setting. Here is a shot from the original in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory“ shot in 1971 featuring the chocolate river identical to the chocolate river in Katy’s video and the modern Charlie and the chocolate factory film.

4. Here is a mid- shot of Katy with the “The Gingerbread man” .Katy is referencing the well known fairy tale . This mid shot comes from a sequence of shots reflecting the story of the “Gingerbread man”. Here is a long shot of Katy Perry to show the detail of the house she is walking towards. The inspiration for the house appears to come from the well known fairy tale story “Hansel and Gretel” who visited a house entirely made from sweets. The long shot aligns the house with the house from the story “Hansel and Gretel”. “Daisy Dukes ,Bikinis on top”, is one of Katy’s chorus lines and a close up shot of Katy wearing a pair of “Daisy dukes”. The word Daisy Duke was the name of a well known TV character in Dukes of Hazard. The pair of tight denim shorts the character usually wore were named “Daisy Duke’s” . Katy makes reference to the shorts in her song and also uses them in the mise en scene of her video using them as costume for her chorus shots. A close up shot is used to distinguish a character or object therefore the close up shot of the shorts highlights how important they are to the song. The “Daisy Dukes worn in the film and TV series.

5. The Demands of the Record label The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. This is to help the audience identify with the artist and most importantly when they buy or download the music. Dyer who wrote “Dancing in the Distraction Factory “ believed that “a star was constructed and artificial ,the star is created out of a range of materials such as films and magazines”. Therefore Katy’s image in her music videos has been constructed and is unrealistic ,her clothes ,hair and makeup are not Katy’s actual look. Here are lots of close up shots of Katy’s face, showing Katy with a different attitude or expression to entertain her audience. The close up shots help to distinguish Katy Perry ,show her importance.

6. Brand Identity Brand identity is a name, term, symbol ,trademark or any feature that makes an artist identifiable. Katy’s CD cover for her “Teenage Dream” album uses the exact same pink cloud setting used in her “California girls video”. Katy also poses naked and seductively on the cover as in her video. Seeing Katy in the same setting and pose on the CD cover and video visually creates part of her identity and makes her recognizable to buyers and downloaders of her music. Same setting. The same logo featured on both CD and website. Katy Perry’s website features her name done in the same style and format as on her CD cover, creating Katy Perry’s logo. Katy’s website also features a small cartoon icon of herself with the exact same blue hair she had in her video, therefore creating another link between her music and website. The logo also matches Katy’s recent changes of hair colour. This creates Katy’s image, as someone who changes their appearance a lot and has “wacky” coloured hair.

7. Katy Perry’s Motif Richard Dyer’s theory : Dyer "believed that a star was constructed and artificial ,the star is created out of a range of materials such as films and magazines. Dyer also proposed that a stars talent was easily forgotten In the light of the outfits they wore or the love affairs they had. In Katy’s case she receives more press attention for her saucy outfits and marriage to Russell Brand. Motif: A feature that recurs through someone’s work. A recurring motif in an artist,smusic video or image establishes them. Katy’s image :Katy’s body language in her photographs has a striking resemblance to the forties and fifties pin up girls. Her outfits are very retro, bright and pin up girl inspired. Katy's image is also saucy and flirtatious with bright pink or red lips. Here Katy has taken inspiration from one of the fifties pin up girls Katy has a similar ruffled pattern at the bottom of her outfit , both outfits are also very short and quite revealing. This two images are almost identical colour and style of the outfits are the same , both girls have tightly curled hair and playful smiles on their faces. It appears that Katy’s image is heavily inspired by the pin up look.

8. Lyric and visuals relationship This is the chorus to Katy Perry’s song: California girls We’re unforgettable Daisy Dukes Bikinis on top Sun-kissed skin Here is a close up and long shot of Katy Perry wearing the “daisy dukes” and bikini,creatinga relationship between her lyrics and visuals. There is a relationship between music and visuals this could be that the relationship is to illustrate what the song is about or even contradicting what we see on screen. Artists often use quotes from their lyrics to illustrate this. Warm, wet and wild” When Katy sings this line a close up shot of melting ice-creams appears on screen, making visual the word warm. “We’ll melt your popsicle “ Here is a long shot of an animated and melting popsicle to match Katy’s lyrics above.

9. Voyeurism These are all examples of fragmentation of Katy Perry’s body highlighting her most desirable parts. E.g. her chest, legs, hip and crotch. This objectifies woman making them appear as sexual objects. The outfits Perry wears are very derogatory towards women, she is shot wearing tiny shorts and suggestive bikinis. Katy is also shot on a floating pink cloud. This is called scopophilia, were Katy is being objectified subjecting her to the curious gaze of a male. Scopophilia is also deriving pleasure from looking at erotic pictures. Here Katy Perry appears very erotic allowing herself to be pleasurable to a male audience. In terms of the female gaze ,woman are led to believe that in order to attract a male they should appear as Katy does in her video. There is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female and in some cases male. Sometimes it is of the notion of looking on something we wouldn’t normally be watching for example watching intimacy or someone in the state of undress. There is often fragmentation or voyeuristic treatment of the female body. Here are three examples of fragmentation these two long shot’s and one close up shot of the shorts ,focus’s on Katy’s most desirable and private areas.

10. Here are long shots of Snoop Dogg playing a board game ,using Katy Perry as a piece to play a board game with. Throughout the game Snoop Dogg throws dice onto the board which present obstacles for Katy such as gingerbread man and candy snakes. Therefore the music video is seen through patriarchal perspective where the male dominates Katy ,subsequently objectifying her. Katy’s video can be linked to Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory. Mulvey believed that a woman displayed could be functioned on two levels as an erotic object or an erotic object for the other characters. The male gaze projects its fantasy on to the female figure. Women are simultaneously looked at and displayed. Katy Perry’s erotic outfits ,facial expressions and whipped cream give men the impression she is desirable and sexually inviting. Therefore Katy Perry is subjecting herself to the male gaze.

11. Relationship between music and visuals This is to illustrate the music or the beat of the song and could be reflected in editing techniques or transitions or in the manipulation of the image itself. At 1:01 the beat dramatically changes and Katy’s sudden hand gestures match the beat of the song. At 1:26 the beat quickens Katy and the camera spins in time to the beat. At 1:38 there are three matching beats ,to illustrate the beat Snoop claps three times .

12. Thank you for watching!