Who is being represented

and how are they being

represented?
If I Were a Boy
In the If I were a boy music video, this is a narrative
music video showing Beyonce acting out several scenarios,
with some performance involved. In the music video, even
from the title we can suggest that the song is about a
female talking about what she would be like if she were a
boy. This means that females and males are being
represented throughout, separated by their personalities.
This screenshot is Beyonce in a police uniform, a
high up and authoritative figure. This goes against
traditional norms of a hegemonic female who would
have before stayed at home to care for the children
whilst a husband would go out to work and be the
breadwinner. We see the roles reversed as her
significant other is sat eating their breakfast as she
leaves for work, reversing the traditional gender
roles. This insinuates how the song is very much in
favour of gender equality and how the artist is an
example of assertive femininity, representing
independence especially for females, suggesting she
feels that women arent usually seen to be the
assertive figure in a relationship.
Colours and their connotations

The black and white could represent how it is a very black and
white situation, that it is plain and how it should be, connoting
simplicity. However, the black and white could also show that it is
simply a dream and is not reality.
In this scene we see Beyonce again taking the
male's role. The woman is usually represented to
be needy and always wanting to know where the
male is, however this again sees a role reversal.
She is out with her friends and ignores a call
from him, insinuating she isnt as interested in
him as he is in her. This obviously upsets the boy,
but she wants males to understand how girls feel
when they are mistreated. She shows strength in
acting as a male would. This shows a woman
representing a typical male role and denying
female stereotypes of being weak.
A couple of times through the
video there is a pause in the
music and there is dialogue
between the characters. This is
a typical feature of a narrative
video but then swaps between the
man and woman, replaying the
situation from different
perspectives. This shows that
everyone has emotions yet they
are perceived in different ways,
and a male having emotions is
seen as weak which is why they
cover them up, the same as
Beyonce is trying to throughout.
Richard Dyer
Dyer suggests that stereotypes are always about power
those with power stereotype those with less power
In the video we see the stereotype being the contrast between men and women
having power, and how it is always one over the other.
David Morley- Reception Theory
This is based on an audience's interpretation of a media text.

Preferred reading is where the audience uncritically accepts the preferred meaning of the text and
Negotiated reading is when audiences acknowledge the preferred reading, but modify it to suit their own
values and opinions.

In the music video, people may experience negotiated reading where they acknowledge the fact that
women are thought to be downgraded for example, however many may now see this thought as an old
fashioned stereotype and therefore acknowledge the meaning, however change it to sit their own values
and opinions that it could mean something else.