Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson

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Thriller came out in 1983 and it is considered as the most famous music video of all times. The Music Video is 14 minutes long and has over 100,000 views on YouTube. There is a shorter version of the video which was shown on MTV and that runs just under 5 minutes and it still carries a few minutes of the storyline. Thriller cost about $500,000 to make and Jacksons record company did not want to pay for it as his last album had failed and they had already financed two on the music videos in that album. Michael Jackson was so sure about this video that he was going to pay himself but then John Landis, the director, took the projects and made it and they all loved it. 

Thriller

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The video won for Best Performance Video, Best Choreography, and Viewers Choice at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. At that time most homes had Video Cassette Recorders because thats how you could watch videos back then, so Michael Jacksons 'Thriller' Music Video was sold as a VHS or beta copy and it included the full son and the behind the scenes documentary. This tape became the best selling Music Video at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA (Embed)

Thriller

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Michael Jackson did not have to pay for the video out of pocket because they made deals with Showtime and MTV to cover the costs. Showtime got to air a one hour special with the 'making of' documentary and the 14 minute film before it was broadcast anywhere else. When MTV heard about this, their executive Bot Pittman decided that losing a Michael Jackson video to Showtime was unacceptable, and paid $250,000 for the exclusive broadcast rights once Showtime's window ended. MTV was founded on the principle of not paying for the videos, so Pittman got around this by paying for the documentary, even though the money was really used to pay for the film.

Finance

One of Michael Jacksons early Pop Videos was 'Rockin Robin' which was made with Jackson 5 in 1971. The Video has limited sophistication and it fits Goodwins theory as the boys are dancing on the stage and that relates it to a boy band, also there are lots of close ups of Michaels face and we see him lip syncing singing at the same time which shows the audience that he is the lead singer. Another example could be 'Rock with You' made in 1979 were we see him singing and dancing in his glittery costume with disco lighting. 'Billy Jean' made in 1982 is the first interesting Pop Video that tells a story rather than just lip synching. In the Video he is shown as a detective who it trying to find out things about the girl he likes.

Early Michael Jackson

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi_XLOBDo_Y (Embed)

Caption: : MJ - Billie Jean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X-Mrc2l1d0 (Embed)

Caption: : MJ - Rock with you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2vzTKh-O5c (Embed)

Caption: : MJ - Rockin' Robin

The way you make me feel

Laura Mulveys theory of the male gaze applies to the song 'The way you make me feel' as the girl is shown in a black sexy dress and it is attracting all the men after her. Also  a part of the lyrics says 'the way you make me feel, you really turn me on' which lets us know that the lady is used as and object of male erotic desire. The girl does not have agency either to move the plot forward, the plot goes as Michael leads her to do what he wants. As she is surrounded by men the whole time, this shows how this is reflected as a patriarchal society. 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzZ_urpj4As (Embed)

Caption: : MJ - The way you make me feel