Goodwin’s theory‘Basket Case’ – Green Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUTGr5t3MoY

Which of the 3 types?

The music video for Basket Case by Green Day is of both Performance and Narrative.

The music video shows the band playing instruments and singing which conforms to stereotypical performance videos.

However, it could also be argued that the video depicts a narrative storyline because the we see the band not just performing in a regular studio which we might first expect, but in a mental institution where the band specifically act as patients in the building.

3 key features used

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The band are in the location of a mental institution as the title of the song suggests they are ‘basket cases’. Other lyrics reinforcing this nature include ‘sometimes my mind plays tricks on me’ and ‘am I just paranoid?’.

There is a relationship between music and visuals. The sound of the electric guitar resonates across the whole record, particularly at the start where it is present only alongside Billy Joe’s lead vocals.

The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. During numerous close-ups, Billy Joe’s expression will reflect the mood of being in a mental institution, helping the audience to gain an understanding of the situation and tone. 

5 ways to analyse music videos• Thought Beats – The structure of the song is traditional -

verse-chorus-verse. The artist’s voice can be easily recognized. The artist is communicating the story through both the lyrics of the song and the visuals onscreen.

• Narrative and Performance – the video has no narrative but the stars perform in it.

• The Star Image – the artists are depicted as insane, which is a common punk image.

• Relation to Visuals – the song is about having a panic attack and the video amplifies this theme by taking place in a mental hospital.

• Technical Elements –The video has no dialogue or SFX after the song begins, contrasting the visuals with sound. The editing is fast-paced, reflecting the pace of the song and the chaos of the setting.

Representation of gender

In the video the balance of gender roles focuses heavily towards the males with the band members being of one gender.

The two female characters fall within feminine stereotypes as they are both nurses – a typical female job in a hospital. This makes the narrative easier to understand for the audience.

On the other hand, it is clear that the males are performing the role of the ‘doctor’ which is very stereotypical of men as they are generally represented as being stronger than women in the media.

This video only features two women whereas around ten males are featured. Therefore, there is a distinct gender imbalance.