Representation
Media Studies: Eduqas GCSE, topic 5.2.4
Representation
The 'Good as Hell' music video offers various representations of women.
Stereotypical
- At the start of the video, the representations of the female characters are stereotypical:
- Women are depressed from breakups.
- Women are being looked down on.
- Women are unable to enter male spaces.
Subversive
- By the end of the video, the stereotypical representations of women are subverted.
- There are a number of reasons why the video focuses on women's issues:
- The rise in female empowerment in society.
- The increasing focus on female body image and body shaming in the age of online media.
Confidence
- Lizzo’s star persona is represented as an immensely confident person.
- Lizzo's direct address to the camera connotes her confidence.
- Lizzo's hair flick connotes her confidence.
- Lizzo is positioned as a role model for women who are struggling.
Lyrics
- In the Lizzo music video, the female characters are stereotypically stressed.
- The women find their situations difficult to begin with.
- Lizzo sings ‘walk your fine ass out the door’ and ‘feeling good as hell’.
- These lyrics make the female characters become subversive and confident.
Ex-boyfriend
- At the end of the music video, Lizzo winks at one of the students.
- This student is an ex-boyfriend of one of the three, main female characters.
- The ex-boyfriend looks ashamed.
- This subverts the idea that men do not get emotional over break-ups.
Test yourself on Representation
Which character does Lizzo wink at in the 'Good as Hell' music video?
What lyrics make the female characters become subversive and confident?