THE REAL / LADY GAGA MAGAZINE ANALYSIS
In an expanding industry and liberal society, the new generation of music consumers embrace individuality, identity and self-discovery in a way that previous generations never did. There is a responsibility placed on celebrities to perpetuate social change and encourage their fans to express themselves freely. Gaga embodies this trend through constant reinvention and shocking innovation. She has been a huge role model for self-expression throughout her career, becoming a huge ally in the LGBTQ+ community and playing a huge role in inspiring women. Lady Gaga's 'Million Reasons' music video exposed her to her fans in an attempt to deconstruct her celebrity image by humanising herself and being authentic. This is a contrast to her previous music videos where in terms of mise-en-scene, production and fashion it was much more 'out there' and bold. The decision to simplify her music videos would be to allow her work to appeal to mass audiences and emphasise a more emotional drive in terms of her music production. It acts as an attempt to disestablish her persona of Lady Gaga and Stefani Germanotta, the 'real' woman her success is built upon.
The semiotics and codes in Lady Gaga's music video convey emotional suffering which the song is based on but also introduces an underlying message of rethinking the importance in life and finding the strength to cope with loss and self'recovery. The video opens with Gaga dressed in a plain t-shirt and shorts presented as weak and vulnerable which is a side we rarely see to celebrities. This is a huge contrast to previous music videos where she is presented as all powerful. 'Perfect Illusion' revealed her losing control through technical codes like a shaky camera, flashing strobe lights and fast cuts while 'Million Reasons' contrasts this with steady camera work and longer takes. As she tumbles down through the desert and is left alone, this is seen as an enigma for audiences to decode, whether she is there by choice or abandonment. She is then rescued by her friends and team portraying the message of loved ones being there to pick you up when going through hardships.
A gentle fade to black and white is used as she sits at her dressing table mirror and this presents a sense of ambiguity and could be a symbolic code to pain and darkness as if the colour in her life is lost or it could be an intertextual reference to Marilyn Monroe and the 1950's showing female empowerment.
An important enigma code in the music video is the wrapped gift waiting for Gaga in her dressing room and the viewers assume this is from a boyfriend or lover without question but it is revealed this gift is from her sister. Leaving the audience wondering why they assumed it was from a man and face a moral enigma code. Viewers are forced to reflect on the heteroromanticism and gender roles all women are expected to fulfill and the standard society holds women to. Also using this opportunity to express how important family is.
CLAY SHIRKY PRESENTATION
MARK DIXON’S ANALYSIS
Clay Shirky argues that we are experiencing a fundamental shift in how media operates, brought about by the rise of digital technologies and online participation. Traditionally, media industries relied on one-way communication, were a small number of professional producers broadcast content to large, passive audiences. Shirky suggests this model has collapsed: the internet has enabled 'mass amateurisation' allowing ordinary people to produce and share globally at barely an extra cost. As a result, the boundary between producer and audience has blurred.
Shirky highlights several consequences of this shift. First, digital platforms allow people to communicate one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many, creating far more interactive relationships between creators and audiences expect to be involved by commenting, sharing, and engaging- rather than simply consuming content.
Secondly, the low cost of digital production challenges traditional media, whose high overheads and slower processes make them less competitive. He argues that traditional gatekeeping, once necessary to filter information, has weakened, making it easier for misinformation or unverified content to circulate.
However, Shirky also notes positive impacts: online communities can form quickly, organise social movements, and challenge dominant narratives. This enables people with shared interests to connect in ways that were previously impossible. Overall, Shirky concludes that the digital revolution has ended the idea of a passive mass audience but instead we now are part of a media environment with participation, collaboration and constant feedback. A dynamic but unpredictable one.
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