The document provides analysis questions and responses about the gender roles, race, and sexuality depicted in three different music videos: "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, "Day 'N' Nite" by Kid Cudi, and "Smack That" by Akon featuring Eminem. In the analyses, the women are generally portrayed as sexual objects for the men's pleasure, with revealing clothing and suggestive dancing. The men hold positions of power through their dominance, expensive suits, and control over the women. The videos also depict racial stereotypes and sexually explicit lyrics and behaviors.

1. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
Music Video Analysis - Gender Roles
Song Title: Blurred Lines (Censored Version)
Artist: Robin Thicke
Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions with
as much detail as possible.
1. What are the men/women doing? (Dancing, sitting, swimming, etc.)
The women are generally dancing and seductively playing with the men. At other times they
are dancing on their own, jumping up and down and at several points some of the men
watch. When they are with the men, they are either standing next to them or rubbing
against them suggestively. Another woman is on all fours in a suggestive demeanour. There
are some strange things happening in the video, such as a woman on a large bicycle, a
woman holding a lamb and another holding a giant dice. These may be symbolic references
in the video, suggesting sex (bicycle), innocence (lamb) and chances (dice). The men in the
video are standing and are either watching the girls play and dance or engaging in these
things with them. The main singer (Robin Thicke) hugs one girl and sings into her ear. The
other two men featured in the video seem to be flirting with the girls and watching their
sexualized dancing. One man smokes at one point and chases a woman with a huge syringe
(most likely being used as a sexual symbol).
2. How are the men/women dressed? How much skin is revealed?
The women are dressed in very minimal clothing. They are wearing very short hot-pants,
low cut tops or bras and high heels. A lot of skin is shown, as the clothing is very tight and
reveals lots such as legs and behinds. A lot of cleavage is visible, as one girl is topless in a
couple of scenes (she has her hands covering herself) and also wears skimpy underwear.
The men on the other hand are very well dressed in expensive suits or smart casual clothing.
No skin is revealed on the men, as they keep their clothes on throughout the music video.
3. Are there more, fewer, or the same number of men as women?
There are 3 men and 3 women in featured in the music video and they all seem to be in
pairs throughout.
4. Describe the body language of the men/women: are they sitting, standing, gyrating,
mugging, etc.?
The women move in a sexually suggestive style, walking in a way that shows off various
parts of their body such as bending over, leaning and stretching. As told in the first question
they are usually playing or dancing but, in a very sexualized way with a number of symbolic
references. The women also sometimes play with their hair, while flirting with the men.
When the men and women are flirting, it is very intimate as they hold, rub and hug each
other and at other times the men just stand their and watch as the women play or dance.

2. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
5.Do the men/women have power? How do you know?
The men seem to be the dominant gender in this music video; mostly due to the fact they
almost seem to have the girls under their control. The girls dance as though they are owned
and are entirely their for the men’s pleasure. The clothing contrast also makes an impact on
the power balance within the video, as the men wear smart suits while the women wear
tight hot-pants and crop-tops. The more expensive clothes over the short, revealing clothes
suggest male power and dominance.
6. What’s the message of the song?
The main singer of the song wants to make the girl break up with her boyfriend. This is
evident in the fact eh is openly flirting with her throughout the video. Lyrics also enforce the
message such as ‘let me liberate ya’ and ‘that man is not your maker’. Robin Thicke seems
to want to have a sexual relationship with the girl due to the lyrics : “You wanna hug me,
what rhymes with hug me?”. This is a sexual reference referring to a more slang-style phrase
“f*** me”.
7. What type of music is the song?
The song is primarily pop based with elements of RnB.
Music Video Analysis - Race
Song Title: Day ‘N’ night (crookers remix)
Artist: Kid Cudi
Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions with
as much detail as possible.
1. What races do you see represented?
The races represented in the music video are African-American and White.
2. Are there any dark skinned women shown? How many?
There are four dark-skinned women shown in the video.

3. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
3. What is the race of the person at the focus of the video?
The main character featured in the video is black/African American
4. What are the black/Latino/Asian/white/Native American/Pacific Islander people
doing?
Throughout, there are only two races represented in the video. The main character is black
and has taken over the night shift from his manager (who is black). She is strict and
repeatedly tells Cudi not to mess up before leaving him with the keys. After the manager
has left, the character sneaks off into a stock room, where he smokes cannabis. He returns
under the effects of the drug. There are regular cut scenes in the video where two girls who
are shop worker (black and white) dance seductively with the backdrop of store products. A
white police-woman enters the store and begins to strip but, this turns out to be the main
characters hallucination. A group of white goth teenagers next come in and once again the
character hallucinates and thinks they are vampires. Just like the police officer they pay and
leave. Next, he hallucinates that a young, scantily clad woman (black) he saw in a magazine
is dancing in front of him. She has hot pants, a very short top and roller skates on. This once
again is a hallucination and it is really an old white woman, who he is about to kiss. He backs
away in disgust and she angrily throws bread at him. The final scene is where he imagines
the two shop-workers and two other women dancing in front of him(two white and two
black).
5. What’s the message of the song?
The lyrics describe his life and drug use. ‘The lonely stoner seems to free his mind at night’
line is used frequently throughout as the message of the video is generally about how a
cannabis user has a free and careless mind. The lyrics rarely have something representing
them in the story but, are somewhat relatable to the narrative by generally relating to a
drug-induced mind’s thoughts.
6. What type of music is the song?
The song’s genre is a mixture of hip-hop and house music
Music Video Analysis - Sexuality
Song Title: Smack That
Artist: Akon ft. Eminem
Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions with

4. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
as much detail as possible.
1. Describe any sexually explicit body language:
The video is set in a strip club, so many of the women in the video are gyrating, dancing or
playing with men. Some dance on poles while men watch or crawl up to them and rub them
in a suggestive manner. Others whisper in the main singers ear (Akon) and touch him over
various parts of his body.
2. Who is more sexualized – men or women? Both?
Women are definitely more sexualized in the video as they are dancing and playing with
men in a strip club. The men however are on the receiving end of this, watching the women
dancing and gyrating. When the women are dancing there is a lot of focus on their cleavage
and behind as their minimal clothing leaves little to the imagination. Due to the sexual
nature of their actions along with their minimal clothing women are sexualized greatly in the
music video.
3. Are there sexually explicit lyrics or messages?
The song is quite blatantly sexual as the title refers to him wanting to hit a girl’s behind.
Some of the lyrics state this too such as “and possibly bend you over, look back and watch
me smack that”. Akon, the singer of the song, is trying to win over girls with his wealth as
some of the lyrics show: “Wanna jump in my Lamborghini Gallardo” and “money no
problem, pocket full of that now”. The lyrics suggest Akon is only using the women for
sexual pleasure.
4. How are subjects of the music video dressed?
Akon is looking for a lost girl in a strip club with a detective. As the video cuts between him
singing in a performance based manner and him being in the strip club, his clothing changes.
At the beginning of the video, he is wearing a prison jumpsuit along with a black head
bandana. When he is seen singing in a dark street he is dressed in a smart coat, white shirt
and golden chain. The casual clothing it is meant to give off the signal that he is a womanizer
or “pimp”. Whilst in the club he wears a smart three piece suit of varying colours. The
detective is dressed in a smart black suit with a white shirt. Eminem is dressed in very casual
clothes; he wears a polo shirt, snapback hat and baggy jeans along with a large gold chain.
The women in the video are very scantily-clad wearing very short hot pants, crop tops, short
skirts and bras. The clothes they wear reveal a lot of skin including cleavage and the
women’s behinds. As the men are more smartly dressed it may be implied in the video that
they are the dominant gender. A barman at the club is dressed in a very scruffy manner,
possibly to show the seedy, horrible manner of the place.
5. Describe the relationships between the men and women: Are they long or short term?
Casual or serious?

5. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
As the video is set in a strip club it is most likely that the relationships between the men and
the women is are very casual and very short. This is because the men are only going in there
to exploit the women and to have a good time whereas the women are trying to make some
money. The women are there for the men’s pleasure and are most likely seen as
meaningless to them.
6. What’s the message of the song?
The message of the song is quite obvious due to its title being “smack that”. Akon wants to
smack the behind of a woman, which is shown in the lyrics: “And possibly bend you over,
look back and watch me smack that”. This might however have a more underlying meaning,
such as sexual intercourse. Akon wants nothing more than a quick casual relationship that is
just sex.
7. What type of music is the song? It is a Hip-Hop song.
Music Video Analysis - Materialism
Song Title: Price Tag
Artist: Jessie J ft. B.o.B
Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions with
as much detail as possible.
1. Describe the products that are highlighted in the video: (cars, jewellery, clothes, etc.)
There are many materialistic items that feature in the music video. At certain points in the
video Jessie J is seen wearing a large golden necklace and large golden rings. The
appearance of the rings in the video are accompanied by the lyrics: “Ain’t about the chaching cha-ching, Ain’t about the (yeah) ba bling ba bling”. Throughout the video, she wears
earrings, a nose piercing and various clothes such as a ballerina’s outfit, short hot pants and
high heels. Though none are branded many of her clothes look expensive. A cheap-looking
retro toy car is shown alongside B.o.B as he raps, but it is full size and on screen for
approximately 10 seconds. It appears full size as B.o.B and Jessie J are miniaturized with
other toys such as soldiers the same height as them. B.o.B also has jewellery in the form of a
silver chain around his neck and sunglasses. He wears a branded jumper and white nameless
trainers.
2. Are any brand names shown?
The only brand name shown is adidas. B.o.B is seen wearing a jumper with the logo
prominently emblazoned on it.
3. How is wealth defined in the video?

6. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
The lyrics are supposed to minimize and belittle the importance of money so wealth isn’t
greatly shown in the video. However Jessie J and B.o.B wear flashy clothes such as expensive
dresses, trainers and branded items ( B.o.B wears an adidas jumper). Money is shown
growing on a tree, however “It’s not about the money” so it is rendered worthless in the
universe of the song.
4. Are products mentioned in the song lyrics?
No products are mentioned in the songs lyrics.
5. What’s the message of the song?
The song is meant to put the message across that money isn’t everything. This is seen in
lyrics such as “it aint about the price tag” and “it aint about the money, money, money”.
Jessie J wants “to go back in time, when music made us all unite” and wants to pay “with
love tonight”. There is also hundreds of dollar bills on a tree, referencing the phrase “money
doesn’t go on trees” meaning it isn’t easily obtained. This shows she wants money to be
worthless so everyone is equal and there primary concerns are not money and spending
but, love and kindness.
6. What type of music is the song? The song is a hybrid of the genres pop and RnB.
Music Video Analysis - Violence
Song Title: Stan
Artist: Eminem
Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions with
as much detail as possible.
1. Describe any violent lyrics in the song:
I never knew my father neither; he used to always cheat on my mom and beat her
This is during Stan’s second letter where Eminem still hasn’t replied to him. He is
trying to relate himself and his life with Eminem as much as possible so this is used
by Stan as something to try and show they are just like each other.

7. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
See Slim; [*screaming*] Shut up bitch! I'm trying to talk!
Hey Slim, that's my girlfriend screaming in the trunk
but I didn't slit her throat, I just tied her up, see I ain't like you
cause if she suffocates she'll suffer more, and then she'll die too
This is during Stan’s tape recorded message to Eminem and while he has his
girlfriend in the trunk, heading for a bridge which he intends to drive off. They are
very vivid, aggressive lyrics describing how instead of a quick death he intends to
make her suffer.
____________________________________________________________________
There are aggressive lyrics throughout as Stan describes how he cuts himself (see
question 4) and his anger in the second letter brought on by the lack of a reply from
Eminem: “I just think its fucked up you don’t answer fans”. However he goes onto
say “I aint mad though, I just don’t like being lied to”. During his letters Stan swears
a lot aggressively.
2. Describe any violent body language:
Throughout the video, Stan acts very hostile towards his girlfriend, violently throwing his
hands down and violently swinging his arms when she tries talking to him. He shouts at her
a lot as he seems more preoccupied by other things and get angry whenever she distracts
him. He pushes her away from him and leaves her after he dyes his hair, though she is
shocked by it and wants an explanation. Near the end of the video Stan aggressively pushes
and grabs his girlfriend, before he puts her in the boot.
3. Describe any violent actions or weapons that are shown:
As stated above, Stan is very aggressive to his girlfriend throughout the video but the
pinnacle of violent actions in the video is when he puts his pregnant girlfriend in the boot of
his car and drives off a bridge, killing them both. Before he does this, Stan uses a baseball
bat to destroy his shrine to Eminem, tipping over a table and ripping the posters off the wall.
He also records a message to Eminem on a tape recorder, being extremely violent and
swearing many times.
4. Describe any self-mutilation or violence:
Stan pours bleach over his hair, so it will dye the same colour as Eminem’s – who he is
obsessed with. When he does it, his girlfriend is shocked and voices her opinion: “You’re
taking this too far” but Stan ignores her. It is revealed in Stan’s second letter that he cuts
himself to see “how much it bleeds” and because “its like adrenaline, the pain is such a
sudden rush for me”. This is however not depicted in the video.
5. What’s the message of the song?
The video is about an addicted fan, who is overly-obsessed with Eminem. There is not too
much of a strong message in the video, due to the fact it is a narrative-style music video
based on the fictional character Stan. The lyrics of ‘but your picture on my wall, it reminds

8. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
me that’s it’s not so bad, it’s not so bad…’ represent Stan (who is depressed) and his
basement which is covered with pictures of Eminem to literally remind him that it’s not so
bad. This is showing that he is obsessing over someone else to forget things that have
happened in his life.
6. What type of music is the song? RnB/Rapping, hip-hop, pop