Dizzee Rascal - Dream Analysis
Narrative
Dream is a narrative and performance music video. The old lady plays the role of the narrator whilst Dizzee is the performer. The main message of the song is about having a dream. Dizzee's lyrics talk about how he "used to dream of crazy little things like fame" and now he has "made an album and over 100,000 people bought it". He encourages young people to follow their dreams and start being productive, "you can go far if you put your mind to it". The music video confirms the message that the song wants to send as it shows Dizzee being 'unproductive' at the start but as the music video progresses he starts to achieve his dream and influences the young boys to do something more creative such as breakdancing rather than stealing and graffitiing.
What is the main narrative and message of the song, and how is this added too or altered by the visual elements of the video and the techniques used ? Does the video subvert or confirm the messages and content of the song?
Representation
There are only 2 different races in the music video. There is the white woman playing the piano, the white police officer and the puppet. Then there is Dizzee and the other puppets who are of color. There seems to be a range of different ages in the music video. There is a baby puppet, the old lady and Dizzee who is in his 20's. The middle aged white lady is represented as a stereotypical middle class woman. She can be seen as the one with the most power as she is narrating, introducing and finishing Dizzee's performance and everything happens on her piano, in her house. It can be seen that this is her world as she watches the scenes that take place on top of her piano. Her horror to the helicopter flying past her head connotes her stereotypical British; she doesn't like her personal space being violated and confronting anti-social behavior.
On the other hand, Dizzee is represented as being a rebellious young man, wearing hoodies (which weren't seen as very good in the olden days). One of his lyrics are "Reckless with no shame" which could suggest he is challenging authority. As the music video progresses, Dizzee is seen in a much more positive light as he starts to influence the young boys (who were stealing from shops and graffitiing walls and are now doing stuff more creative i.e break dancing, football). It can be said that Dizzee and the lady are binary opposites as they represent the complete opposite communities.
There is a scene in the music video which shows the black boy puppets stealing from a shop and getting confronted by the police. This relates to the stereotype that all black boys steal and get arrested. There is also a reference to Golly from Golliwog Jam. Golly was a black clown as in those times black people were seen as clowns as they always entertained people. One of the puppets in the music video has the huge eyes and silly grin that clowns have. The idea of Dizzee coming out from a wind up box is similar to the Jack-in-a-box toy.
How is ethnicity, age , gender and class represented in the video ? What binary oppositions are created or shown in the video between different stereotypes? What stereotypes are used to represent different social groups ?
How is the concept of inequality or social power demonstrated in the technical codes or narrative of the video ?
On the other hand, Dizzee is represented as being a rebellious young man, wearing hoodies (which weren't seen as very good in the olden days). One of his lyrics are "Reckless with no shame" which could suggest he is challenging authority. As the music video progresses, Dizzee is seen in a much more positive light as he starts to influence the young boys (who were stealing from shops and graffitiing walls and are now doing stuff more creative i.e break dancing, football). It can be said that Dizzee and the lady are binary opposites as they represent the complete opposite communities.
There is a scene in the music video which shows the black boy puppets stealing from a shop and getting confronted by the police. This relates to the stereotype that all black boys steal and get arrested. There is also a reference to Golly from Golliwog Jam. Golly was a black clown as in those times black people were seen as clowns as they always entertained people. One of the puppets in the music video has the huge eyes and silly grin that clowns have. The idea of Dizzee coming out from a wind up box is similar to the Jack-in-a-box toy.
How is ethnicity, age , gender and class represented in the video ? What binary oppositions are created or shown in the video between different stereotypes? What stereotypes are used to represent different social groups ?
How is the concept of inequality or social power demonstrated in the technical codes or narrative of the video ?
Intertextuality
The music video is based on the 1950's children television show. We can see the links through the pianist who talks to the audience in a patronising way "Hello boys and girls", in a way the original character talked to the children audience. The middle aged woman introduces Dizzee by saying "He's such a rascal". A rascal is a mischievous or cheeky person like a child (which links to the fact that the music video is based on a children's program.
What cultural or media references does the video and song make and why ?
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