Dream by Dizzee Rascal

A level Media Studies Fact Sheet Dream by Dizzee Rascal This image is used for review purposes under the fair dealings policy. A level Media Studies Fact Sheet Dream by Dizzee Rascal AS Component 1: child-like backdrop to the video and contrasts with Investigating the Media the contemporary issues and problems depicted. A level Component 1: Media Products, An example from Muffin the Mule Industries and Audiences can be viewed via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spQY2FbCUtM Subject Content: Media Language Focus Area: Representation, Consider the codes and conventions Media Contexts of media language: • Dream combines elements of performance and narrative, typical of the music video form. PRODUCT CONTEXT » Two ‘worlds’ are constructed – the salubrious • Dizzee Rascal is a solo rap artist within 1950s sitting room and the contemporary the genre of garage/ grime who won city setting, established through the set, the Mercury Music Prize for his debut props and puppets on the grand piano. album, Boy in da Corner, in 2003. » The video features a female pianist who • Dream was released as a single in 2004, taken directly addresses the audience, introducing from Dizzee Rascal’s second album Showtime. Dizzee Rascal and singing some lines • Dream samples lines from Happy Talk, a from Happy Talk. She acts as a presenter/ single that was released in 1982 by Captain narrator and reacts to the action, arguably Sensible and originally featured in the musical reflecting the ‘typical’ or ‘expected’ response South Pacific (a Broadway stage show in of an older audience to rap music. 1949, film version released in 1958). » Dizzee Rascal performs and • The video for Dream was directed by Dougal directly addresses the audience, also Wilson for the Colonel Blimp production commenting on the narrative and company. Wilson is an award-winning actions of the puppet characters. director of commercials and music videos. » The narrative is linear, featuring disruptions and a resolution that reflects PART 1: STARTING POINTS – Media Language the dominant message of triumph over Cultural Contexts: adversity through commitment to a dream. The video references 1950s children’s television, • The video features many postmodern elements, most specificallyMuffin the Mule, which was aired juxtaposing 1950s children’s television characters on the BBC from 1946 until 1955 (when it switched with familiar contemporary iconography to ITV). The BBC programme was presented by such as the nightclub and off-licence, and a Annette Mills who sang and interacted with a matriarchal older female with a young male grime artist. This creates a fable-like quality puppet mule and other characters who appeared to the video, as Dizzee Rascal tells the story on her grand piano. The programme was broadcast of the development of a successful career. live and was hugely successful, becoming the first children’s television programme to have its own • The images are highly illustrative, often featuring a literal interpretation of the lyrics e.g. merchandise. The actress who plays the female ‘off licence’, ‘young babymothers’. This adds pianist in Dream bears a clear resemblance to to the sense that a vivid story is being told. Annette Mills, the puppet mule is also featured, and the set is similar to Muffin the Mule. The use of these references creates an innocent, 1 A level Media Studies Fact Sheet Consider how elements of media http://www.studiodaily.com/2005/02/something-old- language influence meaning: something-new-in-dizzee-rascal-video/ • The period setting of the sitting room is Consider how meanings are established established through the mise-en-scène of through intertextuality: the striped wallpaper, floral curtains and • The references to 1950s children’s television, grand piano, connoting a middle-class especially the use of direct address by the environment that contrasts dramatically with pianist, ironically position the audience the contemporary setting of the narrative. as children being told a story. The puppet The stereotypically socially deprived, inner- characters are interwoven into the narrative city environment is constructed through the e.g. Muffin the Mule operating the sound set and props on the piano (e.g. off licence recording desk and the Lord Charles puppet building with letters missing, graffiti). in the pram – this juxtaposition potentially • There are many props that reference childhood: creates a sense of surprise or unease, » Pastel coloured building blocks at the provoking the audience to think about the beginning and end of the video. narrative and messages in the video. » Musical box from which Dizzee Rascal • Dizzee Rascal also intertextually references emerges – and returns to at the end of Captain Sensible, who recorded Happy Talk in the video when it is covered in stars, the 1980s, when he says ‘This is too sensible for connoting his success as a music artist. me, man’ as he climbs out of the musical box. » Toy police car and helicopter. • These references could create a » Puppets – Muffin the Mule, sense of nostalgia and pleasure for youths, policeman etc. viewers who recognise them. » The use of this iconography of childhood Consider theoretical approaches: establishes a sense that the video is a fable with a clear moral message. This, Semiotics – Barthes coupled with the juxtaposition of the • Many of the images illustrate the lyrics but 1950s references, helps to distance the connote deeper meanings in relation to the more audience – there is little attempt to create abstract notion of working to achieve a ‘dream’. verisimilitude or the illusion of reality – it • The idea of ‘myth’ relates to the use of is clear that it is a constructed narrative. iconography such as the ‘hoodie’ which, • Dizzee Rascal begins to use the microphone over time, has become recognisable as prop at the point where he talks about a symbol of youthful rebellion. discovering music and gaining air time. Structuralism – Levi-Strauss (A level) The microphone connotes power – Dizzee Rascal’s voice can now be heard (literally • Many binary oppositions are evident, most and metaphorically), and this signifies a prominently that of the young black male v move away from deprivation and rebellion older white female which reflects the idea of towards achieving his dream and becoming hierarchies of power in society. The female a respected member of society. is physically bigger than Dizzee Rascal, due • The use of simple props and iconography, to the difference in scale, and she shows such as the nightclub signified by the disco disapproval of the anti-social behaviour and ball and dimmed lights, constructs distinct approval of the positive actions. Despite and recognisable settings to illustrate the Dizzee’s success, she arguably retains the lyrics and communicate meanings. power as he gets back into the box at the end. • Other oppositions include youth v police/ Consider how developing technologies authority – with some sense of resolution as they affect media language: all dance together towards the end of the video. • The video makes use of green screen • Anti-social behaviour v hard work and technologies to allow Dizzee Rascal to dedication - the central message of working perform on the piano and interact with the hard to achieve a ‘dream’ reflects a dominant puppet characters. The following article gives ideological message that hard work offers further information about the process: an ‘escape’ from social deprivation. 2 A level Media Studies Fact Sheet PART 2: STARTING POINTS – Representation face connotes her stereotypical British Social and Cultural Context reserve – she does not like this invasion of her personal space and is not used to The representation of the white, upper middle encountering antisocial behaviour. class pianist reflects 1950s Britain when people in » She reinforces dominant messages positions of power tended to belong to hegemonic and ideologies, smiling her approval on social groups. Dream is also interesting to consider the positive elements of the narrative, in the context of the post-war period in Britain for example holding up Dizzee Rascal’s when many people from the Caribbean, as well as album and singing ‘just do it’. from India and Pakistan, moved to Britain to work • Dizzee Rascal is constructed as a rebellious and British society was becoming more ethnically young black male through the dress codes of diverse as a result of this period of immigration. red tracksuit with a ‘hoodie’ top and trainers. The 1950s references create a sense of distance » He appears to be a stereotypically defiant and allow the audience to view the video as an youth who challenges authority at the allegory and understand the use of quite extreme beginning of the video, reinforced by the stereotypes as a way of exploring contemporary lyrics e.g. ‘reckless with no shame’. issues. For example, police brutality may be » As the narrative progresses, a more positive considered as something that would have occurred representation of Dizzee Rascal is more frequently in the past, but there are cases constructed as he describes his strong sense of this happening in contemporary society. of purpose, hard work and achievement. » Later in the video, following Dizzee’s Dream is also interesting to consider in the context transformation, the youths also partake of of the early 2000s when it was released, in relation more creative and less destructive behaviour to concerns about antisocial behaviour amongst (e.g. kicking a football, break-dancing), inner-city youths. The decision by Bluewater establishing him as a role-model. Shopping Centre in Kent to ban ‘hoodies’ in 2005 received widespread media coverage. » This positive representation of a young ‘Hoodies’ have been worn by hip hop artists black rapper challenges many negative since the 1980s and have become to be associated stereotypes of this social group. with rebellion and antisocial behaviour. The • Positive messages and values are embedded in following article gives some further background the representations e.g.

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