Media P1 CSP - Old town road Flashcards
What genre is OTR?
OTR’s genre is a mix of hip hop and country
What is the relation between black artists and the country genre?
Black artists have never been appreciated in the country genre as its always been dominated by white people
What happend with OTR and the country billboard charts?
Lil nas and OTR was kicked off the billboard country charts because the mainstream country music market is filled with racism and stereotypes.
They said the song lacked elements of todays country music
What are some of the messages that OTR emphasises?
OTR’s message emphasises how society should and is changing, and that race, sexuality, gender, is becoming more accepted as conventions in the media.
What is the significance about the locations in OTR?
The urban location of the music video juxtaposes the typical conventions of a cowboy movie, to emphasise the differences between expectation of young black american men, and the alternative presented by lil nas
How does OTR subvert conventions?
Lil nas uses the inclusion of modern african american individuals to help the film become unique.
It plays into traditional country conventions, but subverts audience expectations and introduces new attitudes towards gender, sexuality, and genre.
What does the transition from old to new in the film show?
The transition in the film between the new and old town road shows how both genres for music and attitudes surrounding race and sexuality has moved on.
What is the opening scene in the video?
The opening scene shows an en media res horse chase where lil nas and billy ray are criminals, which symbolises the ehtnic dominance of genre, since billy ray is respected in the fim.
There is also a western font and colour pallette used.
What is a camera angle that is used near the opening of the film?
The video includes a wide shot of the setting of a rural terrain (stereotypical western convention), which reinforces whiteness
What does lil nas jumping into the future show?
Lil nas jumping into the 2019 future symbolises a new era and hybridises genres.
What does lil nas changing outfits show?
Lil nas changing into a sparkly outfit subverts western / gender stereotypes, and further hybridises hip hop and country genres
What is a lyric from OTR that shows a combination of hip hop and country genre?
‘Riding on a tractor, lean all in my bladder’ - combines imagery from both genres
What is a lyric from OTR that shows the attitude found in rap music?
‘Cant nobody tell me nothing’ - embodies the independent attitude often found in rap music, and the rebellious spirit of country music
What is a lyric that talks about contemporary fashion?
‘Cowboy hat from Gucci’ - nods to contemporary fashion brands, binary opposition between cowboy hat and gucci, mergers two genres
What is a lyric that talks about cowboy attire?
‘Hat is matte black, got the boots is black to match’ - references to typical cowboy attire, however he describes them as matte black which isn’t a cowboy convention
What do many of the lyrics in OTR do?
Many lyrics in OTR use frequent binary opposites, which highlights the fusion between the country and rap genres in the song
How can halls representation theory be seen in OTR?
OTR subverts stereotypes of masculinity, instead of reducing maleness to physical stength, they present it through singing and dancing.
The cowboy conventions are subverted by a glittery pink outfit and lil nas singing and dancing.
How can gauntletts theory apply to OTR?
Audiences may gain a part of their idenitty from watching the OTR music video, since it presents new representations which they may have not previously seen.
How can van zoonens theory apply to OTR?
The fact that lil nas is following female conventions but is still presented in an active position both goes against the feminist theory but also applies
How can gilroys theory apply to OTR?
The wide shot at the beginning of the video shows rural terrain which is a stereotypical western convention.
This may be used as a sign of albionic nostalgia, since it reinforces cowboy conventions and whiteness
How can Butlers theory apply to OTR?
Lil nas’ performance resists gender binaries by presenting himself as following female conventions.
The performed act of lil nas changing his outfit to a pink sparkly one constructs his gender
How can Neales theory apply to OTR?
OTR demonstrates neales theory that genres are not fixed but are rather fused to produce something new.
The combinaton of hip hop and country genres increases audience enjoyment, but also provides familiar elements
How can Halls reception theory apply to OTR?
The songs encoded messages reflect shifting cultural attitudes towards genre boundaries, and the increasing openness to hybridity and innovation within the music industry.
How does banduras theory apply to OTR?
Audiences may act similarly to lil nas after watching the video, since they may aspire to follow the subverted conventions presented in the video
