Analyse a music video in relation to the concept of genre.

Artist: The PoguesTrack: Fairy Tale of New York

Genre: Celtic Punk/Christmas music Producer: Steve Lillywhite

Release date: 23rd November 1987

Celtic Punk This genre was used to by The Pogues to rejoice their Irish Heritage; common themes

in Celtic punk music include politics, culture, religion, drinking and working class pride. The main male vocalist is illustrated drinking in a few scenes where he appears to look

drunk. The way he is singing sounds like he has been drinking too much as it sounds loud, bold and a quite rowdy. Therefore, the vocals relate well to the visuals. (Goodwin)

The visuals of this music video portray the theme of culture. For example, their use of langue: “cheap lousy faggot’ implies they have a working class background but they are pleased with who they are. Although, deviance occurs within the working class which is displayed through the performers pushing each other, indicating they do not have high standards like other classes – reinforcing the working class struggle.

Christmas The mise-en-scene used in this music video consistently signifies Christmas time. For example the

beginning shot and the end shot snow is falling. Additionally, at the start of the narrative, Santa is drinking in a bar – this emphasises the Christmas genre, but also the Celtic punk genre.

The visuals of mise-en-scene such as the costumes the performers wear – hats, coats, scarves and gloves can be associated with the lyrics of the track: ‘when he first took my hand on a cold Christmas eve’ as they are wearing these clothes whilst walking around holding hands during the winter time.

Towards the end the visuals are bright and white, enhancing Christmas spirit. The ending shot shows the protagonists dancing together, making the music video more cheerful and promoting the thought of love at Christmas time. This reinforces the Christmas genre as Christmas is a joyful time of the year.

Denis McQuail’s theory of relating the production to the expectation of the customers can be associated with this genre. This is a Christmas song and was released in November, thus the audience would want to see certain Christmas characteristics, such as Santa and the snow used in this music video.

Inter-textual references Katie Wales notes that 'genre is an inter textual concept' and John Hartley suggests that 'we

need to understand genre as a property of the relations between texts’ An inter-textual reference is “Remember My Forgotten Man” from ‘The Gold Diggers Of

1933’ as they shared political landscape – a theme of Celtic Punk. One shot of the mise en scene shows a man who has come back from the army and is laying down in the street, looking drunk. Likewise to a shot of “Fairy Tale Of New York” where the man is put in a jail cell. They both use chiaroscuro lighting in these shots, relating them even more closely together.

Chiaroscuro lighting and the use of noir effect used in “Fairy Tale Of New York” is also used in the film “The Third Man”. In the music video, this type of lighting is used when a man who is arrested is walking up the stairs. The use of the stairs is a convention used in noir films as it shows authority at the top and suggests the bottom can be dangerous. As the man is drunk, the use of the stairs can be confusing for him as the policeman is holding him upright.

Conclusion

“Fairy Tale of New York” is using features of the genre in order to promote the track, both in their created genre of Celtic Punk and also the Christmas theme. Overall, the mise en scene, uses elements of both genres to use and develop the video, in order to market to fans of these genres. The use of the Christmas theme is powerful as it is a large way to pursue out many audiences who celebrate Christmas and this then perpetuates as a profitable genre as seen by Steve Neale. In December, this genre is played throughout the whole month and will continue to be played for future years, with more profit being made each year as it enters the charts as it makes people feel festive, so they choose to listen to it. Also, the use of the Celtic Punk is promoting to other audiences with the Christmas theme and it is one of the biggest Christmas songs ever, showing the promotion to its audiences were effective.