Q)Analyse how the Billy Jean music video by Michael Jackson represent or subvert black stereotypes of black identity.
Q) Billie Jean was one of the very first videos on MTV to feature a black artist. The video’s immense popularity helped bring MTV into the mainstream and breakthrough racial barriers on TV networks. It helped propel the album ‘Thriller’ to the bestselling album of all time. The "Billie Jean" single reached No. 1 in 10 countries in the spring of 1983, including seven consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 - becoming the second-highest selling single in America that same year.
When MTV launched in 1981, viewers struggled to find videos featuring black artists. The network so sparingly showcased African Americans .One African American who attempted to appear on MTV, was Rick James, who made a slick video for a song called super freak. At the time, however, MTV refused to play videos by black artists, and they rejected this clip, continuing to feed America a steady stream of rock and EuroPop.This refusal to play black music was a holdover from radio station programming, where it was assumed that you would lose your white listeners if you played black music.MTV's director of acquisitions, Carolyn Baker, explained in the book I Want My MTV: "It wasn't MTV that turned down 'Super Freak.' It was me. I tuned it down. You know why? Because there were half-naked women in it, and it was a piece of crap. As a black woman, I did not want that representing my people as the first black video on MTV." This shows how Michael Jacksons Billie Jean changed the music industry by the production of Billie Jean subverting the black identity at the time.
"Billie Jean" was inspired by letters Jackson received in 1981 from a woman claiming he was the father of one of her twins. Eventually, Jackson received a parcel containing a photograph of the fan, a gun, and a letter instructing him to kill himself at a particular time. The fan would do the same once she had killed "their" baby, so they could be together in the next life. To the mother's dismay, Jackson had the photograph of the woman framed and hung above the dining room table of their family home.
Billie Jean introduced the heads who ran MTV to the concept that white viewers would respond enthusiastically to videos featuring a black performer, something they had not previously believed. The music video was directed by Steve Barron. Barron's original idea of the mis en scene for the video was more complex and involved a group of dancers. With budget playing a factor, they simplified the concept and went with the idea of Jackson having a Midas Touch, with the squares he stepped on lighting up. To save on set design, they used a technique where painted glass was placed in front of the camera to fill in the wide shots without building actual set pieces. You can see this on some shots where Jackson is on a sidewalk with a city landscape behind him.
The lyrics "So take my strong advice, just remember to always think twice.(Don't think twice) Do think twice!" Suggesting the audience should take his strong advice and think clearly before you get involved with someone.This is also a case of the ‘devil versus angel’ trying to give someone advice. The “don’t think twice”echo obviously represents the devil/bad choice and the “do think twice” is the advice Jackson chooses to take from the angel. This could link to the stereotype of the token black person by Jackson giving advice and taking the moral high ground.The lyrics "Then showed a photo of a baby crying, his eyes were like mine (oh no) The “oh no” signifies MJ’s horror at the similarity between their eyes, as it lends credence to Billie Jean’s claim that he fathered her baby. This could be linked to the stereotype that black fathers have lots of children and Jackson is even starting to believe himself that the baby is his child. The editing of the music video also focuses on his eyes during this section to emphasises Michaels worry that they are similar in appearance.
