Underdog Flashcards
What is the focus of representation in Underdog?
ethnicity and marginalised groups
Who sang Underdog?
Alicia Keys
Where is Alicia Keys from?
Hell’s Kitchen, a deprived area of Midtown Manhattan.
When was Underdog released?
January 9th 2020
What certification did Underdog receive?
It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
What is Keys’ music influenced by?
Experiences of discrimination and equality.
How does Keys see “underdogs”?
“people who may be underestimated and yet still rise to the challenge and exceed expectations”
- Underdog covers themes and lyrics related to the experiences of ____-_________.
- Keys uses the conventions of the music and its historical roots to reinforce _________ and ___________ representations of _______, ____ and ______.
- As a female artist in this genre, she also strives to provide a positive representation of ______ through her music.
- Afro-Americans
- positive / contemporary / ethnicity / race / gender
- women
What is Black Lives Matter?
An international activist movement originating in the African-American community.
What does the Black Lives Matter movement campaign against?
Violence and systemic racism towards black people specifically racial profiling, police brutality and racial inequality in the United States criminal justice system.
How does Underdog reflect the time in which it was made?
The representations in the music video have been affected by social and cultural contexts, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, meaning it challenges audience perceptions of marginalised social groups.
How does the music video target and highlight marginalised social groups?
Audiences who may feel underrepresented may be empowered by the messages encoded in this music video by exploring issues related to living in contemporary America as a member of a marginalised social group.
How is verisimilitude used in Underdog?
By using real locations and believable characters, audiences of marginalised social groups are able to recognise likeness to their own lives.
What is a philanthropist?
A person who seeks to promote the welfare of others, especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.
Consider how the representations in this music video are constructed by Keys to instigate discourse around a social issue.
Keys is a politically aware philanthropist who understands how hegemonic groups in society control what is produced, how representations are constructions are constructed and stereotypes reinforced.
What camera shot is this?
mid shot
How is the representation of ethnicity, gender and social class constructed in this screen shot?
- The inclusion of cultural iconography and blending of cultures shows a positive representation of ethnicity.
- The bright clothing and headdress of the street dancer carries cultural connotations similar to the young women in hijabs in conventional prom dresses.
What camera shot is this?
long shot
How is the representation of ethnicity, gender and social class constructed in this screen shot?
Keys wears understated clothing which signifies the music genre but does not draw attention to her as an artist. She blends in as part of the group - an active creative decision.
What camera shot is this?
low angle camera shot
How is the representation of ethnicity, gender and social class constructed in this screen shot?
- Looking at the sky through the hands is a visual representation of the lyrics “rise up”, connoting aspiration and ambition.
- This serves to amplify the lyrics and to position the audience to engage with the issues that are presented in the music video.
What camera shot is this?
mid shot
How is the representation of ethnicity, gender and social class constructed in this screen shot?
- Here, Keys empowers the overlooked and underestimated, instead presenting this single mother as someone who is determined to not let the stereotypical representation define her.
- Alternatively, she is presented as someone who is “built to break the mould”.
What camera shot is this?
long shot
How is the representation of ethnicity, gender and social class constructed in this screen shot?
Keys refuses to present struggling social groups as victims. Instead, the representation in the video challenge audience perceptions of , in this case the homeless, who are I need of support and recognition, not pity.
What camera shot is this?
medium close up
How is the representation of ethnicity, gender and social class constructed in this screen shot?
The framing of the children fending for themselves initially evokes sympathy from the audience. Keys then goes on to subvert this stereotype by representing these children as resilient and buoyant, rather than neglected.
What camera shot is this?
mid shot
How is the representation of ethnicity, gender and social class constructed in this screen shot?
- The editing cuts between the mother spinning with her child and the street dancer spinning on the table reinforces a sense of community through visual signifiers and a positive representation of marginalised groups.
What camera shot is this?
long shot
How is the representation of ethnicity, gender and social class constructed in this screen shot?
- The gesture of embrace and the mother’s hand on top of her child’s head suggests not only a level of responsibility but love and affection.
- The warm colour palette as the mother arrives home invites the audience into their home. The low-key lighting further reinforces these positive representations by presenting the home as a safe and comforting place.
What camera shot is this?
long shot
How is the representation of ethnicity, gender and social class constructed in this screen shot?
- Their positive expressions create an upbeat feeling and an engagement with the audience, further highlighting the idea of triumph over adversity and redefining the ides of “underdog”.
- This reinforces the positive representations of race and ethnicity that the audience has already witnessed as the group sing and dance together in harmony.
