Set Product - Dizzee Rascal's Dream

Question 1

When was Dream released?

Answer 1

Dream was released as a single in 2004, taken

from Dizzee Rascal’s second album Showtime.

Question 2

Where does dream sample lines from?

Answer 2

Happy Talk, a single that was released in 1982 by Captain Sensible and originally featured in the musical
South Pacific (a Broadway stage show in
1949, film version released in 1958).

Question 3

Who was the music video directed and produced by?

Answer 3

The video for Dream was directed by Dougal
Wilson for the Colonel Blimp production
company. Wilson is an award-winning
director of commercials and music videos.

Question 4

Which television show does the music video reference?

Answer 4

The video references 1950s children’s television,
most specifically Muffin the Mule, which was aired
on the BBC from 1946 until 1955 (when it switched
to ITV).

Question 5

Who was Muffin The Mule presented by?

Answer 5

Annette Mills

Question 6

Why/to what effect is the muffin the mule reference used?

Answer 6

The use of these references creates an innocent,
child-like backdrop to the video and contrasts with
the contemporary issues and problems depicted.

The woman is also a personification of the government/middle to upper classes who suppress and place the working class on strings.

Question 7

Which two worlds are featured?

Answer 7

The salubrious 1950s sitting room and the contemporary city setting, established through the set,
props and puppets on the grand piano.

Question 8

What role does the pianist (Annette Mills character) play in the music video?

Answer 8

Directly addresses the audience, introducing
Dizzee Rascal and singing some lines
from Happy Talk. She acts as a presenter/
narrator and reacts to the action, arguably
reflecting the ‘typical’ or ‘expected’ response
of an older audience to rap music.

Question 9

How does the music video feature many postmodern elements?

Answer 9

Juxtaposing 1950s children’s television characters
with familiar contemporary iconography
such as the nightclub and off-licence, and a
matriarchal older female with a young male
grime artist.

This creates a fable-like quality
to the video, as Dizzee Rascal tells the story
of the development of a successful career

Question 10

How are the images highly illustrative?

Answer 10

Often featuring a literal interpretation of the lyrics e.g.
‘off licence’, ‘young babymothers’. This adds
to the sense that a vivid story is being told.

Question 11

How is mise-en-scène seen in the music video?

Answer 11

striped wallpaper, floral curtains and
grand piano, connoting a middle-class
environment that contrasts dramatically with
the contemporary setting of the narrative.

The stereotypically socially deprived, innercity environment is constructed through the
set and props on the piano (e.g. off licence
building with letters missing, graffiti).

Question 12

Which props reference childhood?

Answer 12

Pastel coloured building blocks at the
beginning and end of the video.

Musical box from which Dizzee Rascal
emerges – and returns to at the end of
the video when it is covered in stars,
connoting his success as a music artist.

Toy police car and helicopter.

Puppets – Muffin the Mule,
youths, policeman etc

Question 13

How is juxtaposition used along with childhood iconography within the music video?

Answer 13

Helps to distance the audience – there is little attempt to create verisimilitude or the illusion of reality – it
is clear that it is a constructed narrative.

Question 14

What do the reference to 1950’s children’s television and the direct mode of address do?

Answer 14

ironically position the audience
as children being told a story. The puppet
characters are interwoven into the narrative:

e.g. Muffin the Mule operating the sound
recording desk and the Lord Charles puppet
in the pram – this juxtaposition potentially
creates a sense of surprise or unease,
provoking the audience to think about the
narrative and messages in the video.

Question 15

How does Dizzee Rascal intertextually reference captain sensible?

Answer 15

‘This is too sensible for
me, man’ as he climbs out of the musical box.

These references could create a
sense of nostalgia and pleasure for
viewers who recognise them.

Question 16

How does Barthes’ semiotics apply to the music video?

Answer 16

Many of the images illustrate the lyrics but
connote deeper meanings in relation to the more
abstract notion of working to achieve a ‘dream’.

The idea of ‘myth’ relates to the use of
iconography such as the ‘hoodie’ which,
over time, has become recognisable as
a symbol of youthful rebellion.

Question 17

Binary opposites are a major part of the music video. How does Levi-Strauss’ theory resonate within?

Answer 17

Young black male vs older white female
(juxtaposition of size)

Youth v police/authority – with some sense of resolution as they all dance together towards the end of the video.

Anti-social behaviour v hard work and
dedication - the central message of working
hard to achieve a ‘dream’ reflects a dominant
ideological message that hard work offers
an ‘escape’ from social deprivation.

Question 18

How do Gilroy’s theories of ethnicity and post-colonialism apply to the music video?

Answer 18

White matriarchy vs male ‘rascal’ is interesting post-colonially, especially in relation to increasing ethnic diversity of the 1950’s

The narrative embeds positive messages and
values, constructing a representation of a
successful rapper and subverting negative
stereotypes of ethnicity. However, the female
can be seen to be in control, especially
as Dizzee Rascal is diminutive, arguably
depends on her for ‘endorsement’ of his
album and returns to the box at the end.

While the story suggests that 21st century
Britain is an inclusive and multicultural
society, the repeated shots of the TV presenter
looking shocked and her patronising
tone towards Dizzee Rascal imply that
society is not yet fully integrated.

Question 19

How does Hall’s theory of representation apply?

Answer 19

The video deliberately constructs the puppet
characters as stereotypes to exemplify the way in
which these social groups are often represented
– and to demonstrate that these stereotypes can
misrepresent individuals from these groups.

Question 20

Which representations of gender and ethnicity are offered by the pianist?

Answer 20

The pianist is constructed as a stereotypical
1950s white, middle-aged, middleclass woman through the mise-en-scène of her upright posture, formal jacket with large floral brooch and hair style.

She fulfils a matriarchal role and uses
quite a patronising mode of address
(‘Hello boys and girls’), especially as she
introduces Dizzee (‘he’s such a rascal’).

This creates humour, especially as the video
progresses and reaction shots reveal her shock
and disapproval of the actions of the ‘youths’.

Her horror as the helicopter flies past her
face connotes her stereotypical British
reserve – she does not like this invasion
of her personal space and is not used to
encountering antisocial behaviour.

She reinforces dominant messages
and ideologies, smiling her approval on
the positive elements of the narrative,
for example holding up Dizzee Rascal’s
album and singing ‘just do it’.

Question 21

What are examples of social/historical contexts surrounding the music video?

Answer 21

The decision by Bluewater
Shopping Centre in Kent to ban ‘hoodies’ in
2005 received widespread media coverage.
‘Hoodies’ have been worn by hip hop artists
since the 1980s and have become to be associated
with rebellion and antisocial behaviour.

The 1950s references create a sense of distance
and allow the audience to view the video as an
allegory and understand the use of quite extreme
stereotypes as a way of exploring contemporary
issues. For example, police brutality may be
considered as something that would have occurred
more frequently in the past, but there are cases
of this happening in contemporary society.

Question 22

How is Dizzee Rascal constructed as rebellious?

Answer 22

He appears to be a stereotypically defiant
youth who challenges authority at the
beginning of the video, reinforced by the
lyrics e.g. ‘reckless with no shame’.

» As the narrative progresses, a more positive
representation of Dizzee Rascal is
constructed as he describes his strong sense
of purpose, hard work and achievement.

» Later in the video, following Dizzee’s
transformation, the youths also partake of
more creative and less destructive behaviour
(e.g. kicking a football, break-dancing),
establishing him as a role-model.

» This positive representation of a young
black rapper challenges many negative
stereotypes of this social group