2. Close ups of different stereotypical
American high school characters - sets the
mood for the music video
Stereoptypical teenage girls – wearing all
pink with gossiping facial expressions
Stereotypical boy that all the girls will
fancy - ‘Pretty boy’, varsity jacket
He’s in soft focus as we see lots of
people in the background which
suggests he is popular
Set in a
conventional
American high
school – lockers
line the
corridors, no
uniform
3. Throughout the music video there are a lot of close ups and
camera angles that focus on the singer like this one. This links to
Goodwin’s performance element in his music video theory.
Like many clips, this diary reminds the
audience of the film Mean Girls which
suggests Ariana is targeting girls.
The slow motion of the group walking suggests they are
popular because it brings the audience’s focus soley on
them.
The close ups clearly show facial expressions and present
the different character types. For example, Ariana is
presented as a sassy type and the boy seems friendly.
The boy is wearing blue whereas the girls are wearing
pink which are stereotypical male and female colours
which suggests Ariana is trying to
4. This long shot shows an intertexual
reference to the Mean Girls film
Just before she gets out the expensive
car surrounded by lots of people she
sings “turned out amazing” which links
to Andrew Goodwin’s theory that the
lyrics and visuals link in music videos as
here it suggests she is rich and popular.
The all pink outfit and little dog is what
reminds the audience of Elle Woods
from Legally Blonde
Pastel colours in the background make the pops of colour
that surrounds Ariana stand out which shows she is the
main focus
The two shot shows the relationship of the characters as
the lady being a confidante to her and is a fun scene, again
relating to Legally Blonde.
5. Kris Jenner is a famous figure who would be recognized
by the younger audience that is being targeted – her
pink tracksuit, handheld camera, and awkward dance
moves suggests she is either a ‘cool mum’ or an
embarrassing one!
The mid shot captures people in the background but
she stands out because of her physicality.
I think many teenagers can relate to this and thus Ariana
is trying to reach a younger audience.
6. Low key lighting – contrasts with previous scenes as it
creates a more solemn atmosphere and presents to us
that she’s at home with the casual/comfy clothes and
props in the background.
The close up allows us to just make out her singing and
her figure in the shot.
This cuts to the next clip of her brushing her teeth
with what suggests to be her partner.
This is a reference from the film, Bring It On.
The two shot shows their facial expressions clearly
and conveys this a new romance, especially the
hair flick in the clip which conveys she is trying to
impress him.
7. The mid shot shows American high schoool
chearleaders
The colours in the costume suggests
diveristy and Ariana is inclusive as she
perhaps is trying to reach a wider audience.
This long shot shows the cheerleaders with football players in
the background. This is a stereotypical American event that
people in the US can relate to as well as people around the world
who have heard and seen this on tv and in films.
The high angle allows for all the movement to be seen clearly.
8. The lyrics, “One day I’ll walk down the aisle,
holdin’ hands with my mama. I’ll be thankin’ my
dad, ’cause she grew from the drama” – is a
reference from the film Going on 30.
Again, the visuals link to the lyrics as the soft
focus people in the background can be seen in a
wedding dress and bridesmaids outfits.
It cuts to a long, high angle shot of Ariana on the
door step of a mansion with a replecate in her
hands which could suggest this is a dream of hers to
own a house like this. The high angle usually makes
someone look vulnerable but in this case I think it is
used to show just how large the house is (which
could also represent she has big dreams and thus
empowers younger girls!)
9. They have used visual effects in editing
to create this sparkle. The pink glitters
reiterates this is her dream – prehaps to
have a house like the one in the clip ever
since she was a little girl.
The effect cuts to a pan down onto
her car which has the number plate,
‘7 Rings’ which forbods to one of
Ariana’s later songs.
References to Jenna’s doll house in 13 Going
on 30 with her hairstyle and red blouse that
the character wears in the original film. This
shows Ariana’s understanding of pop culture
and what her targeted audience can relate to.
The red colour she wears suggests power
and thus connotes a sense of female
empowerment which I think is a
recocurring theme in other music videeos
that Ariana has released.
10. This screenshot is from the beginning and the
second is from the end of the music video – in both
the woman is pregnant and wraps the video up
nicely. The mid shot here shows her facial
expression as being worried/nervous for the
pregnancy. The dull colours she wears also
represents this.
The contrast of costume and faical expressions
suggests the progression from feeling insecure
to confident and happy which links to themes
in the rest of the music video. Her crop top
suggets this confidence and the red bow
connotes her playfulness.
11. I think that with Richard Dyer’s star theory we can see Ariana is
trying to being portrayed, throughout the music video and the
advertising used for the song, as…
Girly – large diamond in her ear,
painted nails, coiffed hair
Bold – purple bold font that stands
out against the black background
and shows that this is the main solo
singer
Stereotyping – archetypal
characters, conventional femine
and masculine colour palette
Playful – pink feather top and
‘bend and snap’ routine
Relating to teenage romance films – all the
intertextual references
