The video uses handheld camerawork and jump cuts between scenes to portray Beyoncé's experience in beauty pageants in a naturalistic style. Shots are framed from a male gaze, objectifying the women. Beyoncé and the other women are shown fighting as rivals in the contests. The lighting shifts between low key to convey emotions and high key on stage, though the smiles may be disingenuous. Costumes in feminine colors like pink reinforce stereotypes of femininity and having their bodies judged. Editing connects the different storylines to explore how the pressure to be beautiful hurts the women.

1. Textual Analysis –
Beyoncé, Pretty Hurts

2. The music video starts with establishing shots of Beyoncé in
different settings, the camera is handheld and shaky to appear
naturalistic. The audience is shown initially the storyline of the
video which is that Beyoncé is in beauty pageants/contests. The
entirety of the video shows the difficulty for her and the other
women, but also how women are represented differently to men
and almost as an object. Some specific shots are shown almost
through men’s eyes, incorporating the male gaze. Along with close
ups showing dismemberment, these women are seen as sex
objects. The specific shot with the trophies creates an enigma for
the audience on what those trophies are for as they are not
stereotypical rewards for beauty pagaents, which are usually
crowns, indicating these could be for something else. Referencing
the American culture again with the red and blue ribbons and her
denim shorts.

3. There is a number of shots where the girls are
fighting and arguing. Medium shots are used to
create juxtaposition between the women and
having them on each side of the shot to show
their rivalry and opposition against each other.
The lighting throughout the video is natural and
ambient with shots of high and low key lighting.
This is conventional to pop music video to show
the audience the difference between each
setting and their feelings within each shot. The
lighting in these specific shots are low key to
connote the anger and sadness between them.
Then, to contradict that, when the girls are on
stage the lighting is high key as it shows close
ups of their faces to show that they are happy.
However, this has a negotiated reading due to
the fact the women could be putting on this
fake smile, which would make the shots more
dull and sad. But then on the other hand, they
could genuinely be happy, which I do not
believe to be the preferred reading.
This particular shot
has filler lights to
draw attention to
Beyoncé and her
anger, but also the
other woman who is
not interested
because that is seen
as normal in their
situation.

4. The mise-en-scene of the video is geared towards the stereotypical features of pageants, beauty and women.
Their clothes are mainly dresses or some sort of underwear to showcase themselves to the audience and draw
attention to their body, which is what they are being judged on. Colours like pink, yellow and white are used a lot
within the video, which represent happiness, delicacy and femininity, all conventional to female pop artists. All the
women have make up on to enhance their femininity, it is not subtle or ‘natural’ because they are on stage and
feel like they have to put on a different face. This links back to Hall’s theory that it is negotiated whether the
women do want to wear that much make up, or they feel they need to in order to win. Tracking shots are used to
show the similarities between the women and how they are ‘all the same’ through the eyes of men and judges.
The use of yellow and how they are all dressed in it reinforces this idea that they are all the same. The colours and
the costume enhance the importance of the storyline for this video because they all relate to how these women
are viewed which is the message portrayed by this music video.

5. This music video has used mainly used continuity editing to
showcase the different strands of the narrative. The video jump
cuts from scenarios showing: the women together both on and
off stage; Beyoncé on her own and her difficulties; Beyoncé
singing with a direct mode of address to the camera. For
example we see shots of Beyoncé being measured and weighed
along with all the women, then jump cuts to her taking pills or
making herself throw up. These point of view and over the
shoulder shots are very important within the video because it
puts the audience in her position and shows how much “pretty
hurts” making this song and this video coexist to create a story
and a message. Editing is a very important part of music videos,
especially ones with different scenes and locations to make sure
the shots do not look thrown together. Especially with the pop
genre as they conventionally have a storyline along with the
artist singing directly to the camera. This is one of things we are
going to focus on, trying to achieve continuity editing with all of
the different elements of the music video. The sound also has
been edited well as in this specific video it alternates between
the actual song playing, to Beyoncé talking on stage to add a
sense of realism to the video.

6. This particular shot is a good representation of pop. With the intertextual reference to
Madonna with the vintage underwear and the pinned up curled hair relating to the
pop genre. The warm toned lighting connoting seductiveness, along with the candles
showing femininity. The gold her clothing in this shot and others refers to, again, the
patriarchal society and that her body is a prize.
We see other references to things such as American culture and the Western society
body image these women are trying to live up to. We see shots of Beyoncé in bunny
ears with a dress with stars on, referencing American culture, along with other shots of
blue tinted lights on all the women referencing the patriotic society, mens dominance
over women and how their judgement is the most important.