Letter to the free

Q1:How can you apply the concept of Orientalism to Common’s Letter to the Free?

Orientalism is a theory which suggests how people from the west view those from the east which involves stereotyping, prejudges and racism.

This has many similarities to the relationship between black and white which Common emphasises through both video and lyrics. The video and lyrics both show a pejorative view on stereotyping

Q2: Can you apply Fanon’s 3 phase plan of action to this music video?

The setting of a prison is showing Common’s recognition of where black people originated. His lyrics show his idea of being ‘the other’ ‘of having black and brown bodies fill them’ working round the idea of the pronoun ‘them’

Q3: How is the audience called / addressed / hailed (interpellated)? Use examples from both the lyrics and the visual grammar (shot, edit, mise-en-scene) to show how audiences are drawn into a specific subject position / ideological framework?

Ghost town

• Q1: Where can you identify ‘hybridity’, ‘ambiguity’ and ‘cultural polyvalency’ in this music video?

-Hybridity= A cross between two races and cultures

-Ambiguity= Open to more than one interpretation

-Cultural poly valency= Being part of more than one culture

Hybridity and cultural polyvalency are shown in the genre of the music. The specials was a two tone band who produced two tone music (a mix between ska and punk music). They are also shown through the different ethnicities of the band themselves.

• Q2: How does this text apply to Fanon’s 3 phase plan of action?

• Q3: How is the audience called / addressed / hailed (interpellation)? Use examples from both the lyrics and the visual grammar (shot, edit, mise-en-scene) to show how audiences are drawn into a specific subject position / ideological framework?

In ghost town the lyrics, genre of the piece and the mise en scene all mirror each other and create a sense of boredom