When you watch MTV today, you surprisingly may not find many music videos playing like MTV had long ago. However, music videos are still popular today on outlets such as Youtube and itunes. These music videos are still being played every day even though MTV does not. In addition, these videos play an important role in society in the way it influences us and in the way the visual actions interpret the music and lyrics.
When you listen to music, most of the time it may be on the radio or stereo. In other words, you do not usually watch music videos when you listen to music. However, I argue that by watching a music video, it changes one’s experience with that particular song from that point on. The visual aspect of the music video can change how one views the song. For example, a song may seem upbeat and exciting when listened to on the radio. However, the visual aspect of the music video may suggest a morbid and sad feeling that contradicts one’s previous opinions. Then, when listening to the song on the radio again, the same individual may not seem so excited and upbeat about the video. Personally, whenever I watch a music video, the video is instilled into my head from that point on. Then, whenever I listen to the song without the visual aspect, like perhaps on a car stereo, the music video is played in my mind while the music is played. The music video affects me far after I am done watching it and makes me feel different the next time I hear the same song, based on the visual aspect alone.
The same can be said for how the visual aspect of the video affects the meaning of the lyrics. For myself, I do not usually listen or pay attention to lyrics. I usually focus on the overall beat and melody. However, I find it hard to ignore the lyrics when a music video is being played. Perhaps because the artist may be speaking with the lyrics or the video is visually relating with the lyrics. I believe that a music video has all control of interpreting the lyrics. For example, Kevin Williams writes in “Why I [Still] Want My MTV” about a music video and the images presented. One lyric is “Right now, nothing is more expensive than regret” (150). However, the music video further interprets these otherwise confusing lyrics by showing an image, “A rolled condom appears bathed in light” (150). This reveals the true meaning of the lyrics that, without the visual aspect, could be left to be interpreted into anything.
The final aspect that, in my opinion, affects society today is the influences of dress, fashion, and actions that the music video expresses. I argue that this is based on mostly the visual aspect because the lyrical aspect alone can be interpreted by the visual aspect. Nevertheless, actions in the music video highly influence myself and society. For instance, “shutter shades” are glasses famously worn by Kayne West. The glasses offer no useful value. Rather, they are just fashionable because West wears them in his music videos and performances. The same can be said for clothing and many different types of fashions. Even the actions artists perform in their music videos influence society. For example, various dances such as the cupid shuffle or the “duggie”. Particular brands of products can be used in music videos that influence others to use the same because it was in the video.
Overall, I believe music videos have a direct affect on my life and society’s. The visual aspect effects the music’s meaning which affects how we listen to it and the feelings and emotions we get. Also, our fashion and actions are influenced based on the actions of the video.
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