Representation - Riptide Textual Analysis Flashcards
Visual code of clothing & Technical code of mid shot and close up
Clothing - The women presented throughout the video are clearly over sexualised for the pleasure of the male gaze. The majority of these women wear quite short and tight clothes, which hug their figure. This could have been done in order to accentuate parts of the body, as the camera clearly lingers in the women’s bodies.
Mid shot - One woman begins to undress out of her swimming costume with her back to the camera. The men closely around her stare and gaze at her whilst she does so. This uses a voyeuristic camera perspective and includes a high level of scopophilia.
Close up - Similarly, the technical code of close up focuses on parts of the woman’s body in order to appeal to the male gaze.
Technical code of Close up of a woman lip-syncing
There are multiple frames of a woman lip-syncing to the words of the song. She is framed in a flattering and well-lit setting as her makeup is immaculate and beautiful to begin with. She conforms to the social norms of beauty, as she fits the stereotype of a perfect woman: slim body, flawless complexion and perfect makeup.
(Link to Theory of Identity)
Technical code of Mid shot of the woman freeing herself from being tied to a tree.
One of the main unexpected themes in Riptide is the subversion of patriarchal oppression. This music video challenges this view in some aspects, where the women break free of the stereotypical archetype of the ‘damsel in distress’.
This is shown particularly in the scene where a woman frees herself from being tied to a tree (metaphor for escaping a suffocating relationship), as she proves she doesn’t need a man to come and save her.
Similarly, in another scene, a woman in the graveyard gives the orders to the men about where to go and what to do.
However, this music video also adheres to the patriarchal oppression as the women are objectified on multiple occasions.
Bell hook’s Feminist Theory states that feminism is a struggle to end sexist/patriarchal oppression. Women must free themselves from the sexist oppressive views, thus challenging the theory.
