Previously Oh Comely- Oh Comely is part of a development in lifestyle and environmental movements of the early twenty first century which rebrand consumerism as an ethical movement. Its representation of femininity reflects an aspect of the feminist movement which celebrates authenticity and empowerment

Oh Magazine is owned by Pirates Ahoy, Oh Comely magazine is a bi-monthly British magazine published by Pirates Ahoy! a subsidiary of Iceberg Press, publisher of The Simple Things magazine, and it was first publishes in 2010.

bell hooks- She put the name in lowercase letters “to distinguish [herself from] her great-grandmother. She argues that if feminism seeks to make women equal to men, then it is impossible because in Western society, not all men are equal.

Rupert Murdoch owns a media conglomerate and owns over 800 companies.

Murdoch’s son (Lachlan Murdoch, 49) is set to take over his role as CEO of Fox. He is the executive chairman of Nova Entertainment, co-chairman of News corp, executive chairman and CEO of the fox corporation.

Post-colonialism is an important factor that can affect how we see things within the media, one theorist that can be linked to this is J McDougall. J McDougall is a theorist that we can apply to Letter to the Free. He wrote a book called “Fake News vs New Media”, and wrote “There are always points historically where populations have been discontented or economic hardships have been exacerbated”. This quote from McDougall’s book suggests how Letter to the Free is a song about the history of black lives and discrimination. Therefore, Letter to the Free can be seen as radical because it is challenging the historic events that black people have previously faced and the music video is demanding equal rights for black people and to end segregation and discrimination.

Ghost Town by The Specials and Letter to the Free by Common represent society in very contrasting ways. This is shown mainly through the narratives of the music videos because Letter to the Free is about ending slavery and give more freedom and creating equal rights for everyone. However, Ghost Town is about the economic depression and the employment rates going up in London which has gone out of control. Also, the music videos themselves have different genres, as Letter to the Free is a rap style song and Ghost Town includes two very different music genres; ska and reggae. What is similar about both of these videos is that they are radical and are drawing attention to events (that at the time of writing were currently happening) around the world, and for Letter to the Free, are still happening in the modern world today because of the 13th Amendment. Both of these music videos are also seen as quite radical. Being about the economic depression within the Uk and unemployment rates rising up and eventually running out of control and Letter to the Free is a plea from Common for equality for black people, which could be an event that had encouraged the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.

It is very significant that both Letter to the Free and Ghost Town explore the concepts of post-colonialism. Two theorists who have came up with theories based around post-colonialism are Paul Gilroy and W.E.B Du Bois, who have both came up with theories based around post-colonialism. Gilroy wrote a book called “No Black in the Union Jack”, which can be seen as controversial because it challenges the ideas and messages that are brought across in Letter to the Free. Another concept that Gilroy explores originated from the ideas of W.E.B Du Bois and that is the idea that we as an audience has double consciousness. This idea of double consciousness links to both the music videos Letter to the Free and Ghost Town because double consciousness is the internal conflict which is experienced by subordinated or colonialist groups within an oppressive society. This links to both the music videos because the setting in Ghost Town is in the UK during the economical crisis, which left people out of work and refusing to leave the house. Similarly, Letter to the Free is set in an oppressive society in America because black people are experiencing discrimination and are getting a lack of rights compared to white people just because they are black and through historical events, it is evident that white people saw black people as Slaves and different to the white culture.

It can also be suggested that through the use of post-colonialism, we are able to understand the concept of “the other”. a theorist who can support this idea is Jacques Lacan and Edward Said. Jacques Lacan came up with a theory he called the “mirror theory”, where he explored when an infant first sees their reflection in the mirror. Lecan believes that it is the first time that the infant would recognise themselves. However, some infants might not recognise themselves in the mirror and instead see something else. This theory links with both Letter to the Free and Ghost Town as from watching the music video and listening to the lyrics, it is clear that people will create different interpretations of the message of the song. Another theorist who links to this concept is Edward Said. Said came up with the theory of Orientalism. Orientalist is the link between culture, imperial power and colonialism and links closely to the two music videos because by using the theory of “the other”, it is easier to learn more about ourselves.

Furthermore, it is significant that music videos can change cultures and show the struggles they are facing. A theorist who supports this idea is Althusser. Althusser came up with the theory of ideological state apparatus’, which are used to describe how the structures of a civic society can serve to structure the ideological perspectives of society, which eventually will turn to form our own individual subject identity. Similarly, another theorist who ties into this is Gramsci. Gramsci came up with the theory of hegemony. Hegemony can illustrate how certain culture forms predominate over others, meaning that certain ideas can become more influential than others. Therefore, hegemony is not a total domination, but instead is a continual exchange of power through the use of ideas. It is evident that post colonialism suggests a desire to reclaim, re-write and re-establish cultural identity and therefore maintain power. The theories by Gramsci and Althusser also link to Letter to the Free and Ghost Town because hegemony is a struggle which emerges from negotiation and consent, linking to Letter to the Free because there is a lack of negotiation and equality given for black people compared to white people. In Ghost Town it is similar because there is a lack of negotiation of people fighting and cursing violence within the inner cities.

In conclusion, it is apparent that the idea of post-colonialism can be applied to both Letter to the Free and Ghost Town and that music videos can be powerfully influenced by the dominant cultural and social attitudes of elements such as race, class and gender. This is shown in Letter to the Free as the lyrics are heavily influenced by the mistreatment and discrimination of black people, which therefore makes Letter to the Free a plea to all for equality for black people and to end discrimination to the wider population of people. Music videos can change cultures and show the struggles they are facing, such as how Letter to the Free is a plea for equality and how Ghost Town serves a purpose to bring awareness to the economic crisis and employment rates, as well as trying to bring awareness to the violence that was occurring in cities across the UK. Post-colonialism also helps us understand the other, meaning we can learn about different cultures as well as learning more about ourselves. However, using the mirror theory from Lacan, it is evident that we may percieve the music videos’ messages differently compared to other people, because when a baby sees themselves in the mirror for the first time , they may understand it is them, or they may see themselves as another person, therefore, identifying that people may interpret both Letter to the Free and Ghost Town differently, depending on factors such as ethnicity, occupation and so on, which is why it is important for music videos to grasp a clear narrative structure and follow the tripartite narrative structure which therefore creates a clear beginning, middle and end.

In narrative theory we can talk about many different theorists within this theory, for example Todorov. Todorov proposed a theory which he believed was applicable to all films. He believed that all films follow the same narrative pattern through 5 stages. These are the Equilibrium, disequilibrium, acknowledgement, solving and again the equilibrium. Another theorist we can discuss through narrative theory is Vladimir Propp. Propp believed that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story. Levi Strauss also had a theory of binary opposition which is the system of language and/or thought by which two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another.

Both ‘Letter to the free’ and ‘Ghost Town’ follow Toderov’s narrative theory, therefore giving them a clear equilibrium, disequilibrium, acknowledgement, solving and again the equilibrium. This is shown in Ghost Town for example with the opening being the first equilibrium of driving through the streets of London, showing the audience how London has become like a “ghost town”. The disruption is when the car swerves out of control. However, the new equilibrium is when the band return to the car and are seen at the end on a beach, which could be a symbol of things returning back to normal, because earlier on in the video things were out of control whereas towards the end, things seem to be relatively back to normal.

In Commons ‘Letter to the Free’ it also follows a narrative theory. The music video begins with a shot of the setting and then the focus on a black box, which could represent an infinity symbol of black lives and a constant reminder of the “black lives matter” movement. Then following that the disruption can be shown by Common being seen in a prison, playing music, demanding freedom. It can be argued that the disruption of this music video can be the imprisonment of black lives, which can mainly be seen through the whole video. This also applies Stauss’ theory of binary oppositions as well as Toderovs, because Common is talking about freedom, but in his music video he he has no freedom because he is trapped in a prison and he is trying to prove a point. Finally, the new equilibrium of the music video is the empty shots of the prison and a zooming out close-up of a house, with the outdoor shot symbolizing freedom and the freedom he has finally got. The black box appears to once again remind us of the message of the song that black lives matter and are equal to everyone else.

Key words:

• Media concentration / Conglomerates / Globalisation (in terms of media ownership) – A company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises
• Vertical Integration & Horizontal Integration – Horizontal integration is when a business grows by acquiring a similar company in their industry at the same point of the supply chain. Vertical integration is when a business expands by acquiring another company that operates before or after them in the supply chain.
• Gatekeepers –
• Regulation / Deregulation –
• Free market vs Monopolies & Mergers –
• Neo-liberalism and the Alt-Right –
• Surveillance / Privacy / Security / GDPR –

MURDOCH’S MEDIA EMPIRE-

Postmodernism is about referencing itself

• ‘Structuralism has been very powerful in its influence on narrative theory. Its main virtue is that it is most interested in those things that narratives have in common, rather than in the distinctive characteristics of specific narratives.’

• According to Thompson (1990) ‘in studying narrative structure, we can seek to identify the specific narrative devices which operate within a particular narrative, and to elucidate their role in telling a story . . . it can be illuminating to focus on a particular set of narratives . . . and to seek to identify the basic patterns and roles which are common to them.’ (288)

Tztevan Todorov (Tripartite narrative structure): Beginning, Middle and End.- Memento has no clear beginning, middle or end.

Vladimir Propp (Character Types and Function): Fairytails have similar characters.

Claude Levi-Strauss (Binary Oppositions):

This structural approach could also be referenced to Freytag’s Pyramid exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement as illustrated below.

Elision and Ellipsis- Not played in real time

Flashbacks and Flash forwards

Parallel or simultaneous narratives- Time can run simultaneously.

Dramatic Irony- Knowing something important that the characters don’t.

1. Pastiche- work of art,drama,literature,music or architecture that imitates another artist
2. Parody- work or performance that imitates another piece of work with irony or ridicule.
3. Bricolage – lots of things put together 
4. Intertextuality- deliberate inclusion of another text(surface signs,gestures and play)
5. Metanarrative- overarching ideas,attitudes,values and beliefs are now questioned,people now have there own perspectives and stories about history,science,religious beliefs.
6. Hyper reality- the inability to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality.
7. Simulacrum- is an image or a representation of something or someone.
8. Consumerist Society- towns/villages/cities have high desires of consumption. They are no longer producing just constantly consuming.
9. Fragmentary Identities- disconnecting and recreating an identity.(eg-profile pictures,Facebook accounts)
10. Implosion- links to simulacra- simulations of reality, not judt a representation of the real but the real itself.
11. cultural appropriation- the adoption of elements or an element of one culture or members of a culture.
12. Reflexivity

Postmodernism– Postmodernism is a broad movement that developed in the mid- to late 20th century across philosophy, the arts, architecture, and criticism, marking a departure from modernism. The term has been more generally applied to describe a historical era said to follow after modernity and the tendencies of this era.

Key Words: Re-Imagining, Pastiche, Parody, Copy, Bricolage

Pastiche– Something that imitates previous work

Parody– Imitates pervious work to ridicule it with a sense or irony or as a joke

Intertextuality- Idea that there’s a text inside another text

Characteristic of post modern society- More about consumption

Implosion– Collapse of society

 Jean Baudrillard, Jean-Francois Lyotard, Fredric Jameson– Talk about the loss of a meta narrative

There’s a crisis in historicity