Music Videos: Million Reasons

Female Stereotypes: 

• Emotional
• Wear pink
• Attitude/sass
• Vain
• Caring/nurturing
• Weak - mentally and physically
• Need to conform to society 
• Bad drivers
• Young
• Slim
• Overwhelmingly white
• Conforming to our image of ideal beauty (perfect skin, hair and alluring gaze).

Male Stereotypes:

• Strong - physically
• Independence (actions & finances)
• Sexually attractive
• Violent

•Million Reasons: is a contrasting example of a contemporary music video from a world

famous, white, female artist. This particular video (from the album Joanne) marks a change

in direction for the artist as media producers make use of media language to construct

representations that might attract a broader, more mainstream market whilst not alienating 

the artist’s core fan base.

It lyrically delves on "heartbreak and hope" during a relationship, as well as Gaga's religious

faith during the chorus, ultimately making it a song with a positive message.

the videos portrayed Gaga being handled roughly in her early career, forced to tour through

her hip pain (described by the dancing in "Perfect Illusion"), and finally in the "Million

Reasons" clip, her team helps her in healing and crafting Joanne, attaching imagery of

everyday backstage tour preparation to a song of loneliness and isolation, life on the road

forever breaking its practitioners

Lady Gaga is an influential figure for may reasons:

- She's iconic, evolved as a musician

- supports gay community

- she's unique 

- she's an activist 

- supports women & their rights

Million Reasons analysis:

-Her body language- negative, worn out  

-She's sad/worn out - has to go to work although she's going through stuff, tried to hide

emotions & stay strong in front of dressing table but screen turns B&W showing emotions

which she's actually feeling

-Many biblical/religious references 

-When her friends pick her up she puts on her hat&glasses
back on - picks herself back up and pretends she's fine
- has to be strong for fans - shows her fans she cares.

-Emotionally transparent & vulnerable

-0:15- laying on her back in the desert, weakness, vulnerability

-1:08- Looking sad, looking down, slumped body language,
black and white for depressive

mood, emotional which links to stereotype 

-1:14- heavy makeup which links to the stereotype that women
need to wear makeup to make them look good

-1:17- hiding her face behind the guitar, trying to hide who she 
is 

-2:07- friends running to rescue her in desert, weakness, 
friends will always be there and you don't need a man

-2:32- head in hands, shows emotion and sadness

-2:55- back to makeup chair, looks distressed and emotional 

-3:32- wearing a cross, and a priest touching her shoulder to
represent God showing her the

right path 

-3:52- hat and sunglasses on to hide identity and emotion
 in desert

-3:58- pink suit shows she is going against normality 

Analysing lyrics:

"your giving me a million reasons to let you go" a failed
relationship and she cant take it anymore.

"i would run for the hills" if she found a way out of the
relationship easily she would just

leave.

"If you could find a dry way, I'd forever be still," but she
seems to be saying that if he

could figure his life out, she wouldn't complain anymore.

"cut through all this worn out leather," which seems to be a reference to toughened

emotional walls that keep her or him from being honest.

"Head stuck in a cycle. I look off, and I stare." highlighting her own emotional emptiness

and hopelessness. 

 "I've stopped breathing," but she's "completely aware" as she watches her life descend

into chaos seemingly beyond her control.

"And if you say something that you might even mean / It's hard to even fathom which

parts I should believe." He's lied so many times that she simply can't trust anything that he

says.

"Baby, I'm bleedin' / Can't you give me what I'm needin'?" Despite his many lies she

loves him and is still giving him the chance to fix things

"Every heartbreak makes it hard to keep the faith," to show how his actions have made

it hard for her to believe that he can fix things, but she claims that she needs only "one

good [reason]" to stay with him.

Liesbet van Zoonen: Feminist theory

Suggests gender is constructed through discourse, and that its meaning varies according to

cultural and historical context; in different cultures gender is seen differently 

Advocates that the very presentation of women’s bodies as objects to be looked at is a core

element of western patriarchal culture, in media women are objectified & seen as
accessories. 

Also presents that in mainstream culture, the visual and narrative codes that are used to

construct the male body are different from those used to objectify the female body Codes- a

system of words, letters: attitude to men is different

bell hooks: Feminist theory

–Propose that feminism is a struggle to end sexist/patriarchal oppression and the whole

ideology of domination - women fight against it, its a political commitment & feminists should
be activists

–Suggest the idea that feminism is a political commitment rather than a lifestyle choice

–Advocates that other factors, such as race and class, as well as sex, determine the extent

to which individuals are exploited, discriminated against or oppressed -  different types of
women are oppressed in different levels and ways.

Men theory:
Earp and Katz (1999) studies male representations in the media and found “a widespread
and disturbing equation of masculinity and pathological control and violence.”
They claim that the media is responsible for a steady stream of images that define 
‘manhood’ as connected with violence, dominance and control - and create it as a normal
and accepted part of masculinity.