Madonna-'like a prayer'

Madonna- ‘Like a prayer’

 A music video is a way of promoting  a song using imagery in a short film, it also can highlight Richard Dyers theory of the ‘star image’ which is presented in Madonna’s  music video. The video was used as a way of her portraying her rebellion which attracted an audience. Firstly The music video ‘like a prayer’  is about a girl on the street who witness an assault. And she is afraid to get involved since she may get hurt herself. However a black man on the street also witness this incident and he tries to help. But then the police arrive and arrest him while the other actual assaulter s flee off before the police can see them. The girl runs into the church. She sees a saint in a cage that looks very much like the black man. She lies down on a few and falls into a dream then she meets this black African American women who seems to represent emotional strength and guidance  and tosses  her back up and tells her to do the right thing. Still in a dream she returns to the saint and develops some erotic feelings for him. The saint becomes a man. She picks up a knife and cuts her hands and she does this to be punished because it’s to do with Catholicism. She reaches an appreciation of her love for god. And she wakes up goes to jail and tells them that the black man is innocent and then he is free.

 The videos combination of sex , race and religion caused huge controversy in the video. For example through ought the video there are clips of Madonna dancing in front of a burning cross. Which shows anti- Christian semiotics as there a connotation to the (KKK). The KKK is a group of society that are southerners and are against people of colour and agreed with slavery. These symbolic convention shown through the mise en scene is now considered as a crime. And it caused Pepsi which was the founder and sponsored this video , caused it to walk away from any contract with Madonna . It had also caused uproar in controversy from the government and catholic church and many other groups that saw her video as promoting the ideologies of KKK , which they had found offensive.

Another way the video caused controversy was through the juxtaposition of her wearing a Christian cross necklace and then provocative revealing clothing. The fact that she is in a church and wearing inappropriate wearing and then a cross would be unacceptable in a church and also relates to the ‘Star theory’ of rebellion and their image. For example in the video she is looked upon as sex appeal and a good looking icon which is the unique selling point of her ‘star image’. Another way of controversy being caused is through the objectification of women throughout. For example the women being raped and stabbed by a gang of men. Which could be adhering towards the stereotype of men being stronger than women and being able to manipulate women .the women getting abused looks very similar to Madonna which could be a connotation of a reflection of herself. The fact that Madonna is again wearing a black short revealing dress is again objectifying women.

The fact that that both Jesus and god are being presented as both black contradicts both traditional  representations , however that should not anger the Christians or Catholics. There is also controversy through the use of the black man being perceived and blamed as the bad guy for stabbing and raping the girl in the police officers eyes . This adheres towards the stereotype of  black people either being perceived as a victim or being perceived as the villains and gangsters which creates huge controversy of her creating that stereotype in her music video.

she cuts her hand since That's the guilt in Catholicism that if you do something that feels good you will be punished. She can therefore be forgiven through her prayer and be considered as a saint. This relates top Dyers theory of the ‘star image’ since she is now perceived as more important than others.

The technical conventions shown in the music video are Camera , editing and sound. Which helps make the genre shown in the video clear. And also reflects the ‘star image’ theory. The camera is mostly focused on her and what she is doing shown in a linear narrative form for example there are many close ups and the camera moves also from a low angle making her superior to others. This highlights her which fits the paradox 2 of the star must be simultaneously absent and absent for the consumer. The editing is done in a linear narrative way so therefore it is not going with the music. Madonna sings with the black gospel choir but however her vocals are more highlighted and heard which again relates to the star image of her being the centre of the singing (the lead singer).