Textual Analysis of music video

The video I have chosen to analyse is Eminems lead single Without Me from his
fourth studio album in 2002 titled The Eminem Show. The music video directed by
Joseph Kahn was a successful hip hop single which was re-released on Eminems
greatest-hits compilation album Curtain Call in 2005. The single presents 1 of the
most important characteristics of hip hop music; drums. When hip hop was first
created in the 60s and 70s drums where used as a backbeat to artist music.

The video has a number of relations with the lyrics. When Eminem talks of Elvis
Presley, the video shows a visual of a tribute actor. For example at 1:58 Eminem says
Little hellions, kids feeling rebellious / Embarrassed, their parents still listen to Elvis
the video then cuts from Eminem and Dr Dre in a car to a tribute Elvis actor dancing
in a golden bathroom. The video also contradicts the lyrics in a way for example at
2:50 the chorus says Now this looks like a job for me / So everybody just follow me
instead of people following him the video shows him following/copying Dr Dre. At
0:40 to 0:50 the video cuts to the beat as the comic book shows a number of
characters responding to the return of the hero. The video does relate to the visuals
at some points. The beat is relatively fast as it follows the speed of the lyrics, as does
the video cuts. The solo instrumental bits are not illustrated by the video as the camera
stays on Eminem even though he is not rapping.

Each close up of the artist portrays a different image, for example at 0:38 he is
presented as a ladies man but then at 0:53 he is being presented as a hero. This is a
contradiction of images. This video relates to Eminems previous videos as he uses
parody in the majority of his videos when he is mocking artists, films and stars. The
motif of superheroes is seen throughout this music video as he is attempting to save a
child from listening to his parent advisory album. This is also another motif of his,
as in all of his music videos he states them as parent advisory therefore this does
not represent a change of image.

Voyeurism is used at the beginning of the music video as we see producers counting
down to The Eminem Show which starts with the sexual display of women. The
women are portrayed in a sexual way at 0:16 the camera zooms into a bedroom
where the artists wakes up with not one but two females who are dressed in lingerie.
The notion of looking is used again in a different form at 0:22 when Eminem is on the
phone to Dr Dre, who is his partner in crime.

The majority of Eminems music videos have intertextuality of other stars in the
industry for example in his music video Just Lose It he mocks Michael Jackson. He
also uses this technique in his single Rockstar where he mocks a number of stars
such as the Kardashians, Jessica Simpson, Amy Winehouse and Star Trek. In this
video it sekf he mocks Elvis, Osama Bin Laden, talk shows and superheroes such as
Batman and Robin.

The music video is a balance of narrative-based and performance-base. This is a
narrative-based video as there is a beginning, middle and an end as Andrew Godwin
states in his theory of music video. The narrative of this music video is that he is a
superhero trying to save the day with his partner in crime, Dr Dre. Todorovs theory is
used through the narrative as at the beginning the equilibrium is the introduction to
The Eminem Show then at 0:08 the camera zooms in where the equilibrium is being
disrupted a young boy picks up Eminems parental advisory album and purchases
it. The dispatcher, Dr Dre who is also the Donor calls Eminem, the Hero to reset the
equilibrium. We then see the equilibrium returned to its normal state at the end where
Eminem and Dr Dre stops the young boy from listening to the album he purchased
without permission. The performance of the video is seen at 1:03 where the camera is
completely focused on Eminem as himself. He performs into the camera as he is
rapping.

Overall this is a well-produced music video as it has examples of Todorovs approach,
Propps approach and Andrew Godwins theory of music videos.