Textual Analysis #3 - Misery Business - Paramore

This video (Misery Business - Paramore) follows predominantly a performance structure but also has parts of narrative structure included. This is typical of pop punk/alternative music videos, as is the story that's being told. The narrative tells a story of someone who thinks she has the right to pick on everyone else in the school because they are different from her. The story concludes with the band arriving at the school where the taunting is happening and making fun of the girl bully, showing her a lesson and saying that even if you're different, you shouldn't have to put up with people making fun of you.

It opens with several long shots showing each band members quickly, cutting each time to the beat of the track. This immediately shows the audience the genre of the track as they know it is going to be one lead by a variety of instruments. This is also shows by the close-ups of guitars throughout the introduction of the song. The shots of the band also vary between close-ups of their faces, giving a detailed view of each member and long shots of the whole band to give the audience an over all image. The shot then cuts and pans up and back down to show a long of a cheerleaders, connoting the difference in the two groups of people (the band and cheerleaders) and giving the audience an idea about what the video is going to be about. There are also close ups of cheerleader iconography(pom poms, short skirts etc.) which juxtaposes with the music iconography (guitars, microphone's and drum kits) of the band, emphasising the difference between the two further. Adding further to the juxtaposition is the lighting of the shots. The lighting appears to by quite dark when showing the band, however, as the shots change to focus on the cheerleaders, the lighting brightens. The choice of costume also helps emphasize the differences as Paramore are dressed in black and red/orange, connoting a fiery personality, appose to the cheerleaders who are dressed in blue and yellow, connoting more of a happy-go-lucky personality. A brown haired girl who is introduced to the narrative later is also shown wearing blue, however the connotations are different as it gives the impression of her being quite boyish and having more of a manly personality, as blue is stereotypically associated with males.

The shots alternately cut between Paramore and the cheerleaders until it stops on a long shot of the cheerleaders and begins to zoom, preparing the audience for something coming from behind. The shot gives the impression that it will carry on zooming until passed to cheerleaders to focus on something behind them, however, is interrupted by a girl, dressed obviously different, pushing her through. The shot then cuts to a long shot of the girl pushing her way through (previously a medium close up) to give the audience a clear view of who she is. It then cuts back to a close up, showing the girl from different angels and giving the audience a further view of the girl. The shot then cuts to an extreme close up of Hayley Williams, contrasting with the girl previously shown, which gives a strong juxtaposition between the two characters. The shots then cut quickly, alternating between the close up of a girl and the close up of Hayley Williams, giving a further juxtaposition and also, connoting a rivalry between the two.

The narrative continues to show the girl parading through a school corridor until she comes across a girl stood at her locker with long blonde hair. The shot shows a close up of the girls plait, giving the audience an idea of what will happen next, creating a sense of dramatic irony. As the girl is wearing pink and has long, blonde hair, it is clearly opposite to the girl who is pushing her way through the school. This difference is amplified when a close up is shown of the blonde girl turning round so her face is clearly shown and then the shot cuts to a close up to the brown haired girl. A two shot is then shown to show the strong difference in appearance further. This also backs up the story in the music video that because she is different, she thinks she has the right to taunt others (the difference is shown here clearly). Once the blonde girl realises that the brown haired girl has cut her hair off without her knowing her expression is shown in a close-up to emphasize the expression and give the audience a clear idea, making the reality more believable and therefore making the audience have empathy for the character. Close ups of the affects are then shown, giving both audience and character a clear realisation of what has happened. The brown haired character is then shown walking away from the camera, the close up giving the audience a clear view of her smug expression, connoting an impression that says she does not care about what has just happened. This is amplified when the camera shows a medium shot of the blonde girl screaming (after the brown haired girl has left), showing that audience the damaged left. The shot then cuts to a long shot of the band and then back to a close up of the blonde girl screaming again. This connotes a long lasting damaged due to the shot of the band performing in between each shot.

The second part of the narrative is shown in the same way as the first. As in the first part, a close up of something that gives clues as to who the next 'victim' is going to be is shown. The brown haired girl is similarly shown parading through the school corridor, a determined look on her face, shown in medium close up to give a clear view of her expression. A close up of a sign leading to the nurses office is also shown, creating dramatic irony once more. A medium shot of a boy coming out of the room is then shown. The shot pans up from his pot/sling to reveal his face which looks anxious as to who might be outside the door. The effect of having a close up of the pot shows the audience why this boy is the next target (he is already vulnerable). When the track climaxes this is the point where the brown haired girl is 'ready to strike' once more. The boy is then shown backing away from something the audience cannot see (but will correctly presume to be the brown haired girl) before the shot cuts to a medium long shot of the girl approaching and pushing the, already injured, boy into a wall cabinet. This goes against typical stereotypes that girls are the weaker sex as the roles are reversed and the female is the one doing the bullying.
Similarly to the previous incident, the boy is shown in a medium shot whimpering due to the after effects of the girls actions. A shot of the band is also shown between two shots of the boy in pain, connoting passing time and giving a realisation to the audience about how much pain has been caused. A close up of the girl's reaction to what she has done is also shown, once again showing that she is not bothered about what she has done and people should not be so pathetic.

A third scenario is shown, introduced by a two shot (medium shot) of a couple stood at a locker. Previous to this shot a close up of the brown haired girl is shown, once again, walking through the corridor with a stern look on her face, connoting that she is ready to 'strike' once more. The shot of the couple at the locker then cuts to a close up of both the male and female, smiling and looking happy and in love, this lets the audience see clearly how they're feeling, making the reaction once the brown haired girl does something, even more intense. Once again as the track becomes more up beat the girl is seen approaching the scene. She then grabs the face of the girl in the relationship, shown in a close up (for emphasis) and proceeds to kiss the boy. This shot is an over the shoulder shot, giving room for the audience to see the girl's expression and the way she is feeling. However, the girl is blurred to ensure that the full attention is on the brown haired girl kissed the boy. The shot alternatively cuts between the band and the narrative structure, once again showing passing time, connoting that these actions have gone on for a while. A close up of the girl (in the relationship) is then shown so the audience can see her hurt reaction clearly. The shot then cuts to a close up of Hayley Williams (lead singer of Paramore) who is looking smug as though she is ready to do something like the brown haired girl. The shot then cuts back to show the brown haired girl licking her lips, connoting something that she's enjoyed/sucess and leaves to scece. Similarly to the previous incidents within the music video the shots cut between the band and the couple to show the lasting affect the girl's actions has had on them; close ups are used for emphasis and to show the audience a clear image of what the characters are feeling, in this case the boy looks shocked and the girl upset.

A long shot of the band walking out of a room in the school is shown, followed by the ever too familiar close up of the brown haired girl walking through the corridor, as if she is ready to destroy someone else. A two shot is then shown of Hayley Williams and the brown haired girl squaring up to each other. A close up of Hayley Williams removing chicken fillets from the brown haired girls' bra is then shown. This is shown in a close up for emphasis and to show the audience that the girl that has been tormenting all the other people is getting what she deserves; humiliated herself. A medium shot of Hayley Williams with the chicken fillets in her hands is then shown to show the audience exactly what has happened, adding to the pay back towards to brown haired girl. A close up of the brown haired girls' reaction is then shown, as it was with her own 'victims', creating irony and giving the audience a clear view of her distressed reaction.
The shot cuts to a medium, point of view shot of Hayley Williams wiping make-up off the brown haired girl. The band are then shown performing and Hayley Williams is shown in a medium long shot holding a 'RIOT' sign. This not only links with the title of the album that the track has been released from but also connotes what Paramore have caused by giving the brown haired girl a taste of her own medicine.
Hayley Williams is then shown in a medium shot holding up the wipe she used to remove the make-up which is full of make-up, showing the audience that despite her being so different and feeling the need to bully people she is still fake and not being herself. A close up of the brown haired girl is shown to, once again, show the reaction, as it did when she was abusing others. The shot cuts to Parmore in a medium shot, ensuring the whole band are seen, laughing and walking away, mirroring what the brown haired girl did once she had finished.
The video concludes with the band performing and Hayley Williams dropping the microphone, connoting the end of the song and the end of a successful narrative. The final shot is a long shot of the back of the brown haired girl left in the school corridor, looking distressed. As the shot has gone back to her more times than it went back to the people that she had been bullying, it shows that she will have the longer lasting damage that will be harder to overcome and has therefore got everything she deserves.