Deborah Holdstein

What is the theory

• Deborah Holdstein theory suggests that in music videos there are two categories such as Political themes and traditional U.S. film musical. It also suggests that characters in the music video are fantasied which is based on how they are portrayed in their performance such as the use of mise en scene.

Political themes

• Political themes can be issues, which happen today such as racism and sexism. For example in the Micheal Jackson music video ‘Beat it’ the political themes that were touched was young people in gangs in America but the music video also contained a traditional U.S. film musical theme as near the end of the song the gangs and Micheal Jackson broke into dance which has similar features to West side story and the film ‘Warriors’.

Traditional U.S. film musical

• Traditional U.S. film musical can be when the music video represent classic films and then turn it into a performance

This image shows Michael Jackson promoting peace between the two gangs through dance. The characters on Michael Jackson right and left are the leading gang members of the two gangs in the music video. Not only does the music video cover a political image it also represents an Traditional U.S. film musical.

West side story Warriors (1979)

What else it suggests

• Deborah Holdstein also suggests that in music videos there are also three categories;

• The star as fantasy • The star as a political commentator or narrator • The star as mediator or point of resolution to

an conflict

Mediator

• Michael Jackson is a mediator in the music video ‘Beat it’ as he resolves the conflict between the two gangs.

Political narrator

• Michael Jackson becomes a political narrator in the music video ‘Beat it’ because he sings about the issue which he knows that is going to happen.

Fantasy

• In the Michael Jackson music video ‘Beat it’ there is no real fantasy being shown however in the Music video ‘Hookah’ conventions of fantasy is shown through the use of locations.