Video Analysis

The video I am analysing is Katy Perry's number one hit 'California Gurls'. The video was directed by Mathew Cullen alongside the help of American painter/cultural iconographist who helped enhance the candy theme of the video. This song belongs to the Pop genre where the women are portrayed as sexual symbols. The lyrics aren't necessarily illustrated in the video but we get the impression that Perry is flaunting and boasting about what Californian Gurls have & how California is 'unforgettable'.
However when Snoop dogg refers the Californian Gurls as 'Tone, tan, fit & ready', theres a shot of Katy Perry who's lying naked on cotton candy clouds which is used to cover her behind. The lyrics were used to amplify the fact that 'Calfornian Gurls' do it better than girls from any other state. Snoop also says 'All that ass hanging out' and a shot of the girls shaking their bums is seen. Again amplifying that 'Californian Gurls' do it better. The video doesn't necessarily cut to the beat and there aren't any solo insturments bits throughtout the whole song, however the editing is at a much slower pace whereas the song has a more upbeat tempo. There aren't many close up shots of the artist as the song is about the 'greatness' of california, so the video is more focused on the setting & background. The record are trying to sell the track with the props used and Perrys 'Alice In Wonderland' look. Katys previous famous 'I kissed a girl' single also displays Katys love to express herself in a different way. Katy is being portrayed as a some sort of doll, In 'I kissed a girl' we see Katy wearing a breast pointed corset which we also see her wearing again in California Gurls. I get the sense that the Perry and the extras are on sexual display. For example Californian girls are being portrayed as sexy, independent and confident people through Perrys representation. Altough the videos noot set at a beach we still get the drift that california is a fun place to be. The apparent concept of the video is that they wanted to show Californian girls in a 'different' world so they merged together Alice in Wonderland & Charlie the Chocolate factory, however they turnt sweet things and put it in a sexual light. For example their bras were made out of cakes & buns taking a twist on sexual representations and turning it into an innocent symbolisation, which is similar to Britney Spears' 'Baby one more time' where she wore a school girls uniform; taking something innocent & making it sexual. There are many intertextual references in this video for example, Perrys cone bra corset has been seen many times on Madonna in the 80's and again recently on Lady Gaga who's bra sparkled which is similar to Katys cream-spraying bra at the end of the music video.
This fashion craze derived from Fritz Langs film 'Metropolis' in the 20's. The concept of the film was that a scientist created an ideal women who hypnotised upper-class men. Another intertextual reference is to the classic Charlie & the Chocolate factory. For example Snoop represents Willy Wonka but Katy represents Alice in Wonderland & Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, so its a combination of three films. For example, theres a scene where Katy gives a mean gingerbread man a heart referring to when Dorothy gave the Tin Man a heart. There are other references such as Hollywood stars and so on.

The music video is narrative based and contrasts to the concept of the lyrics. For example the narrative of the song is Katy freeing the girls Snoop is holding captive in 'Candyfornia' whereas the main concept of the song is about California & how the girls are presented.