January 13, 2010

Taylor Swift and the Single Ladies

Though this conversation-dominating controversy was generated by a man’s inclination to pregame before the MTV music video awards, the discrepancy over whose video, Beyonce or Taylor Swift’s, should have won best of the year proved highly necessary for the advancement of music video production. For the question of what constitutes a music video, viewers must flashback to the original winner of the award, Michael Jackson, for his performance in “Thriller”. This famous video followed Michael on his date to the local cinema to watch a horror movie and proceeded to film the couple’s reaction to the film as they walked down the local streets. While Beyonce might have won hands down for sex appeal and quite possibly the greatest dance performance in the highest of heels and whomever she was singing about should very well have put a ring on it, Kanye West, with his stage storming syndrome, was incorrect in profiling Beyonce's performance as “the greatest video of all time”.











A classic school-spirited suburban town filled with white plastered houses provides the setting for “You Belong with Me”. The video features Taylor Swift as the love-struck, book-smart young woman who has fallen head over heels for her best guy friend, Lucas Till, whose currently dating the head cheerleader. This simplistic yet timeless portrayal of such a typical situation found massive support for “Best Video”. Its ability to entertain through a relatable depiction proved key to its success. Girls everywhere find themselves sitting on the edge of their chairs, eyes fixated on the youtube video screaming, “OMG OMG THAT’S SO ME!” then proceeding to stand up, flail their arms, grasp a fake microphone, and imitate nerdy Taylor as she prances around her room wishing she was in her true love’s arms. Such a basic story proves similar to the typical movie date in “Thriller”, winner of the first MTV award for “Best Video” in 1984. “Single Ladies”, though catchy and attention grasping, shows three women decked out in tight clothing and ridiculously high heels dancing aggressively to the lyrics but fails to tell an actual story as both “Thriller” and “You Belong with Me” do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY --> Single Ladies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuNIsY6JdUw --> You Belong With Me
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5 comments:

  1. Zach32January 17, 2010 at 9:34 AM

    Lacey, good article I enjoyed the historical background you gave. I had no idea that Michael Jackson won the original "Best Music Video Award." Even though I cannot agree that T-Swift's video was better than Beyonce's, I do appreciate your argument made (Beyonce's video doesn't tell a story). And unfortunately I cannot sympathize with you and all the other girls by saying "OMG OMG THAT'S SO ME!" but job well done.

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  2. Zach32January 20, 2010 at 2:30 PM

    I would just like to say I just saw the music video for "You Belong With Me" and I can see how much effort goes into not only the video, but the casting as well.

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  3. Lacey RaeJanuary 20, 2010 at 3:17 PM

    Zach: lol I respect your opinion about Beyonce and her Single Ladie's video. lol and next time I will make a reference besides "OMGOMG THAT'S SO ME"

    Zach (again): YES!!! if you ever find yourself really bored...like if MMA isn't on one day...watch the behind the scenes for this video!!

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  4. Matthew Kim-CookJanuary 21, 2010 at 7:00 AM

    Interesting argument, that telling a story is paramount to being fun to look at it when it comes to a worthwhile music video.

    I'd agree that Thriller and You Belong With Me have a definite narrative, while Singles Ladies does not. But in Single Ladies, I saw a sleek, perfectly conceived and well performed bit of dance.

    If you really think about it, Beyonce and Taylor Swift can't even be compared as artists. With Beyonce, I feel absolutely no intimacy - she's a performer, not a personality. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but one must agree that she's a vessel for other creative people's creative ideas. A great vessel, perhaps the best, but a vessel nonethless.

    Taylor Swift is, contrastingly, a relatable performer. Her personality and experiences permeate her music and for that reason, it's more relatable.

    Two different ladies with two different mission statements. I say we need both.

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  5. SiobhanJanuary 23, 2010 at 2:31 PM

    All right...should we all go to a Taylor Swift concert together??

    It's amazing how the emotional landscape of teenage girls really hasn't changed all that much. What happened to GIRL POWER???

    ReplyDelete

Be honest but respectful...I appreciate creativity.

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