This document discusses Jarvis Cocker and the British band Pulp. It covers their alternative image and music style, Cocker's controversial actions at the 1996 Brit Awards, how he maintains relevance through social media and radio, and how Pulp's lyrics resonated with audiences in the 1990s. Cocker cultivates an intellectual yet relatable public persona through his witty lyrics addressing topics like class differences, drug use, and relationships.

1. Pulp

2. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXbLyi5wg
eg&feature=g-hist
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSlvWaje
BVc&feature=g-hist

3. Star Theory
Jarvis Cocker

4. • Jarvis Cocker has had to create an image to
appeal to a specific target audience he has
one USP which is his glasses giving Jarvis a
unique look and being able to be
copied/parodied because of it. For example;
this image which was posted on the NME
website, a parody of Jarvis Cocker

5. Pulp are signed to Islands Record Company the same with all these artists above showing
what kind of image the record company are trying to give off which is alternative and Pulp
fall perfectly into this category as the image and music that they are conveying is
alternative rock. Although Pulp’s (Jarvis Cocker’s) image is very alternative there is still a
mass market for it

6. Ideology and Culture
After hitting the big screen in the early 1990’s Jarvis Cocker performed a very
controversial act in 1996 at the BRIT Awards by jumping on the stage in a spur of the
moment protest when Michael Jackson was performing his it at the time “Earth Song”.
This shows to his fans an audience back then that he was alternative and so was his
music just like his fans were at the time. Gradually as Jarvis has got older so has his fans
but he has still got reach out to his audience not just through his music. Therefore Jarvis
Cocker now has twitter (@reallyjcocker) where he can still voice his opinions and beliefs
and still keep his fans entertained through a multimedia platform for example this is a
recent tweet by Cocker - “Pulp fact: Steve and I wear matching pants under our trousers
for luck on tour.” Jarvis Cocker also now presents his own show called Jarvis Cockers
Sunday Service on BBC Radio 6 Music, this allows Cocker to reach a very wide audience
and allows him to express himself.
Amy Winehouse passed away this year and it
was all 'Drugs killed Amy Winehouse'. I think
that the press killed Amy Winehouse as much
as drugs did, because it sends people into that
place where they've got no peace, and so they
just try to escape. And sometimes you use
drugs and drink to do that.

7. Character and Personality
Jarvis Cocker isn’t the type of celebrity that you’d find in Heat or OK nor is he known for his
amazingly good looks. Jarvis Cocker is more the boy next door with his witty lyrics and
songs that his fans can relate to.
In the 1980’s Pulp struggled to find there feet but in 1994 with the release of there album
His ‘n’ Hers and particularly Different Class in 1995 which reached number one in the UK
Album charts making sure Pulp really made there mark on the British Nation. Pulp didn’t
have the common down fall which happens to many artists which is ‘second album
syndrome’ which is when they don’t have enough material for the second album and it’s a
bit of a flump. Songs such as Common People, Sorted for E’s and Wizz, Disco 2000 and
Babies, are very famous and now acknowledged songs from the two albums with lyrics for
the audience very easy to relate such as Common People – “You'll never live like common
people,
you'll never do what common people do” – this shows the divide between upper class and
working class, therefore many people could relate to it at the time and even now still. Also
Sorted for E’s and Wizz – “I seem to have left an important part of my brain somewhere,
somewhere in a field in Hampshire” – this is a very famous and witty lyric from this song,
Jarvis saying to his audience that the drugs have made him loose his brain, which many of
his audience can mostly probably relate with.

8. Gender Identity and Gramsci's Hegemony
• Jarvis Cocker Does offer a sense of ‘masculinity’ with his musical lyrics talking about the
girls he loves and drugs although he may not be your stereotypical male talking about fast
cars and sex.
• Jarvis’ image isn’t you stereotypical media based man with six packs and girls
surrounding him, Jarvis wears his signature big glasses and has a very small frame but this
image helps with Jarvis’ genre of music and lyrics famous for not being lucky in love
through his lyrics you automatically fall in love with the big glasses’ skinny guy on the TV.
• In Pulps hay day in the 1990’s there fans would be teenagers from about 14-19 which is
a very wide and demanding audience and at the time.
• The Song Disco 2000 by Pulp partly follows Laura Mulvey’s ‘Male Gaze’ with lyrics such
as “You were the first girl at school to get breasts.” seeing the song through Jarvis Cockers
perspective, a males perspective also lyrics such as “we'd get married, and never split up.”
showing it through a male perspective.