Understanding Media: Representation - SEMINAR 1

In today's seminar we looked into semiotics, and different types of representation. However I was most intrigued by our discussion on Lily Allen's music video for her song 'Hard out Here'. One of my peers made a comment that they believed this would "divide the class", however we all seemed to come to a general consensus of what we felt about this video. The reaction to Allen's video showed the audience taking a constructionist approach, as some critics claimed that Allen intended the video to be racist. Prior to our seminar the class were told to look at an article by 'The Guardian', which seem to take an opposing view to her video; in the article the writer claims that Allen was "blindsided by her own privilege". The responses to this video played well into our previous discussion of semiotics earlier on in the lecture; to the writer of that article Allen's costume seem to signify her 'superiority' to the women of colour dancing around her. However others, including Allen herself claim that this was simply to do with Allen's own insecurity. The discussion was insightful, and really opened my eyes to how different people can interpret and create their own meanings over pieces of media, and for Allen herself who may have had good intentions, she still needs to make sure she manages the power she has in limelight, and make room for different kinds of female oppression to be represented in her videos.