There is little evidence of Propp’s theory within this
video. Characters that are present include the hero, which is Eminem, the
villain that is Stan and the princess which is Dido.
Todorov's theory can be applied to this video. The beginning
of the video demonstrates an equilibrium in which both characters are living
together and tolerating each other. Neither character is happy – She wants him
back and he wants Eminem but nevertheless there was still an equilibrium. She was also pregnant with his child and they were going to build a family together. This
then becomes disrupted when Stan gets upset one day as Eminem does not reply to his letters and so he kidnaps his
girlfriend and puts her in the boot of his car. He is torturing her along the
journey and then drives over the edge of a bridge. The new equilibrium is
the death of both characters.
Strauss's theory of binary opposition can be seen through this video. There is an element of famous VS non - famous whereby Eminem is the famous character and Stan is the non - famous character. The use of these opposites demonstrate Stan's desire for fame and his desire for Eminem. Also, because each of the characters look alike, the binary opposition helps to create an idea that Eminem was once just like Stan. The way they dress is the same and the way they talk is the same. This could be where Stan became inspired by Eminem and then fell in love with him.
Another example of a binary opposition within this video is male VS female. The male being Stan and the female being Dido. They compete against each other for what they want out of their lives. In the end, Stan believes he has won, he kidnaps his girlfriend which therefore prevents her from getting what she wants. This conforms to a stereotype of males and dominant over females. However, the fact that they both die suggests that no body wins as neither one get what they desire.
Goodwin's theory of the 6 features that a media text must have can also be recognised throughout this piece. In several parts of the video, there are connections between the music video and the lyrics.
(In this part of the video Dido sings 'it will all be grey' and as this happens the camera pans across the pictures of Eminem on the wall and they are seen in a grey scale colour)
(In this part of the video Stan is saying how 'he got a tattoo with your name across the chest' and the visuals show him getting a tattoo of Eminem's nick name 'Slim Shady'.)
(in this part of the video, Stan is singing about when he met Eminem and the visuals then take the audience to the music store where Eminem was signing autographs. This is where Stan gets to meet and hug his idol for the first time)
A final example of the relationship between the lyrics and video Is when Stan is saying 'sometimes I even cut myself to see how much it bleeds'. At this point, there is a picture of a red handprint on a blank page which looks as if it had been covered in blood and pressed onto the paper.
Another element is voyeurism. This is where aspects of the video look as if they have been filmed without the actor knowing they are there. An example of this can be seen here when Dido is sitting on the floor and singing. She isn't looking at the camera and it seems that she doesn't realise it is there. This could also be seen when she sits on the toilet. This is a private situation that is not filmed as it is very personal.
Voyeurism can also be seen when Stan is in the basement looking at the 'shrine' he has created for Eminem. Again, it is a personal moment for Stan and is not something that would be shared with everyone.
Iconography must be seen in a music video for it t be successful. Iconography can be seen through the appearance of Eminem. Eminem has blonde hair and at the beginning of the video we see that Stan dyes his hair blonde. This shows that he sees Eminem as an icon and wants to be like him. Also, throughout the song, Stan sings a line saying that his brother is a big fan of Eminem, even bigger than he is. This is then recognised at the end of the video when his brother takes down his hood in the cemetery and has blonde highlights in his hair.
It is also important for the video to display close ups of the artist. This promotes the artist and gives the audience an image to remember and identify with. Close ups of Eminem can be seen here (3.41) and here (6.23). His face is clear in the shot each time and is the only focus within the frame. It helps the audience to remember his face. Also, because it promotes him as an artist, if they see his album in a shop with his face on in, they are more likely to link it back with the video and therefore buy the album.
Dyers theory of fandom suggests that people share a love for a specific topic. Stan is a clear fan of Eminem and this can be seen through many aspects of the film. The idea of fandom can also be said to be extreme where the fan becomes infatuated with artist and does obsessive things.
Stan has become obsessive of Eminem. He has a room dedicated to Eminem where the walls are covered in his pictures. He always sends letters to him hoping for a reply, not realising that has a famous person, he does not always have time t read and reply. Stan also got a tattoo of Eminem's nick name 'Slim Shady' across his chest. This connotes a commitment to Eminem and the idea that he will never leave him. It also shows that Eminem is a part of him and that part will never die.
Stan also explains during the song how he cuts himself to see how much it bleeds. He cuts himself for Eminem so that he can get a thrill out of what he is doing. It could also be used as a sympathy line to gain attention from Eminem and see if it will affect his chances of being with him.
Stan is in love with Eminem so much that he even sticks pictures of them together to make them look like a couple. This sort of action is not stereotypical of a grown man but more of a teenage girl. Nevertheless, it still shows how Stan feels about Eminem and what he wants to happen in the future.
Everywhere Stan looks, Eminem is there. Not only is there pictures around his basement, the small television always plays footage of Eminem. Another way in which this can be seen is in the car. When he takes his girlfriend a picture can be seen hanging from the centre mirror; it is an image of Eminem. When the car crashed, the image falls to the grown connoting that as they have died, the love for Eminem has also died and he does not exist in Stan's life anymore.
Dyer also said that artists must have a uniqueness which makes them different from everybody else. Eminem is unique in several ways and one of them is the fact that he is white. Stereotypically, when Eminem first came into rap, all other rap artists were black. He was the first white artist which definitely made him stand out from the crowd. As a result of being so different, it could be said that this is why Stan fell for him so much. Eminem had the courage to stand up and do what we wanted and so Stan wants to do the same thing.
Eminem's blonde hair is also iconic to Eminem. The hair represents his youth and how he portrayed himself when he was younger. Now, Eminem has gone back to his natural hair colour and is becoming a mature artist that is representative of his age.
Strauss's theory of binary opposition can be seen through this video. There is an element of famous VS non - famous whereby Eminem is the famous character and Stan is the non - famous character. The use of these opposites demonstrate Stan's desire for fame and his desire for Eminem. Also, because each of the characters look alike, the binary opposition helps to create an idea that Eminem was once just like Stan. The way they dress is the same and the way they talk is the same. This could be where Stan became inspired by Eminem and then fell in love with him.
Another example of a binary opposition within this video is male VS female. The male being Stan and the female being Dido. They compete against each other for what they want out of their lives. In the end, Stan believes he has won, he kidnaps his girlfriend which therefore prevents her from getting what she wants. This conforms to a stereotype of males and dominant over females. However, the fact that they both die suggests that no body wins as neither one get what they desire.
Goodwin's theory of the 6 features that a media text must have can also be recognised throughout this piece. In several parts of the video, there are connections between the music video and the lyrics.
(In this part of the video Dido sings 'it will all be grey' and as this happens the camera pans across the pictures of Eminem on the wall and they are seen in a grey scale colour)
(In this part of the video Stan is saying how 'he got a tattoo with your name across the chest' and the visuals show him getting a tattoo of Eminem's nick name 'Slim Shady'.)
(in this part of the video, Stan is singing about when he met Eminem and the visuals then take the audience to the music store where Eminem was signing autographs. This is where Stan gets to meet and hug his idol for the first time)
A final example of the relationship between the lyrics and video Is when Stan is saying 'sometimes I even cut myself to see how much it bleeds'. At this point, there is a picture of a red handprint on a blank page which looks as if it had been covered in blood and pressed onto the paper.
Another element is voyeurism. This is where aspects of the video look as if they have been filmed without the actor knowing they are there. An example of this can be seen here when Dido is sitting on the floor and singing. She isn't looking at the camera and it seems that she doesn't realise it is there. This could also be seen when she sits on the toilet. This is a private situation that is not filmed as it is very personal.
Voyeurism can also be seen when Stan is in the basement looking at the 'shrine' he has created for Eminem. Again, it is a personal moment for Stan and is not something that would be shared with everyone.
Iconography must be seen in a music video for it t be successful. Iconography can be seen through the appearance of Eminem. Eminem has blonde hair and at the beginning of the video we see that Stan dyes his hair blonde. This shows that he sees Eminem as an icon and wants to be like him. Also, throughout the song, Stan sings a line saying that his brother is a big fan of Eminem, even bigger than he is. This is then recognised at the end of the video when his brother takes down his hood in the cemetery and has blonde highlights in his hair.
It is also important for the video to display close ups of the artist. This promotes the artist and gives the audience an image to remember and identify with. Close ups of Eminem can be seen here (3.41) and here (6.23). His face is clear in the shot each time and is the only focus within the frame. It helps the audience to remember his face. Also, because it promotes him as an artist, if they see his album in a shop with his face on in, they are more likely to link it back with the video and therefore buy the album.
Dyers theory of fandom suggests that people share a love for a specific topic. Stan is a clear fan of Eminem and this can be seen through many aspects of the film. The idea of fandom can also be said to be extreme where the fan becomes infatuated with artist and does obsessive things.
Stan has become obsessive of Eminem. He has a room dedicated to Eminem where the walls are covered in his pictures. He always sends letters to him hoping for a reply, not realising that has a famous person, he does not always have time t read and reply. Stan also got a tattoo of Eminem's nick name 'Slim Shady' across his chest. This connotes a commitment to Eminem and the idea that he will never leave him. It also shows that Eminem is a part of him and that part will never die.
Stan also explains during the song how he cuts himself to see how much it bleeds. He cuts himself for Eminem so that he can get a thrill out of what he is doing. It could also be used as a sympathy line to gain attention from Eminem and see if it will affect his chances of being with him.
Stan is in love with Eminem so much that he even sticks pictures of them together to make them look like a couple. This sort of action is not stereotypical of a grown man but more of a teenage girl. Nevertheless, it still shows how Stan feels about Eminem and what he wants to happen in the future.
Everywhere Stan looks, Eminem is there. Not only is there pictures around his basement, the small television always plays footage of Eminem. Another way in which this can be seen is in the car. When he takes his girlfriend a picture can be seen hanging from the centre mirror; it is an image of Eminem. When the car crashed, the image falls to the grown connoting that as they have died, the love for Eminem has also died and he does not exist in Stan's life anymore.
Dyer also said that artists must have a uniqueness which makes them different from everybody else. Eminem is unique in several ways and one of them is the fact that he is white. Stereotypically, when Eminem first came into rap, all other rap artists were black. He was the first white artist which definitely made him stand out from the crowd. As a result of being so different, it could be said that this is why Stan fell for him so much. Eminem had the courage to stand up and do what we wanted and so Stan wants to do the same thing.
Eminem's blonde hair is also iconic to Eminem. The hair represents his youth and how he portrayed himself when he was younger. Now, Eminem has gone back to his natural hair colour and is becoming a mature artist that is representative of his age.
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