How are media language and intertextuality used in “Burn the Witch” to construct representations of groups, messages and values?
Approx 800 words
‘Burn the witch’ is a song by a band called RadioHead whos music video was released in 2016 . The music video shows the horrifying values of a conservative society against foreigners.It is stated by the animator behind the video ,Virginia Kettu ,that this video is trying to raise awareness on Europe’s refugee crisis and the “blaming of different people’ especially when it comes to ‘the blaming of Muslims and the negativity” currently occurring in European politics. This video is highly postmodern because it creates something new out of intertextuality.
In regards to the media language of the music video , it is connected to be some type of normal society which unravels to be disturbing meaning that is characterised by generic slippage.The video is animated an intertext by a British 1960’s animation show ‘Trumpton’ ,which initially gives the audience a sense of happiness in a set full of colours and social solidarity in the small village which is led by the mayor .The location of the town seems to be in England hence by the post office and dressing wise , the people are dressed in old fashion 60’s gowns.The video starts with a bird which is then followed by a guy who seems like a visitor visiting the town .He is then led by the mayor around the town to have look around and it changes to being contradicting with all initially thoughts of the music video. The movement of the animation doesn’t correspond to the beat of the song making it seem more like a storyline.
One of the first shocking scenes was when there was a man painting a red cross on a door . This sign has been intertextualidad by a symbol symbolising a plague victim which is a medieval practices that dates back to 1665’s Great Plague of London.The red cross was used to mark the doors of victims who has a disease. This type of image may suggest how such victims ,are excluded from the society and viewed as a type of outcast and dangerous person - even though it may probably not be their fault.Another surprising scene was when the mayor shows the visitor some of the workers picking out fruits, who seemed to be all in synch and it's been presented by a farmer holding a stick. The farmer then makes a sign for them to acknowledge the visitor and they all respond by waving at the visitor . This may represent the working class people who are right at the bottom, who have to work in low conditions and maybe don’t get paid as much.It shows how they are exploited and controlled by their leader.Next to the farmer , there's crates which says ‘Jobes’ and people believe that its a reference from the biblical character ‘Job’. Even Though it doesn’t have the same spelling , they have compared it to him and how he was ‘ punished by God ‘ so he had to work which could portray them as being the sinners of a capitalist society.
The biggest intertextual feature in this music video is the last part of the video ,where the visitor is led by the people in the village to an open area were they have built the ‘Wicker Man’ The visitor is told to enter the effigie and burnt alive , but survives .This comes from a movie ‘The Wicker Man’ in the 1979 which revolves around a story of a Christian man who goes to an island to investigate a disappearance. He finds a mad community of pagans indoctrinated by Lord Summerisle ,who follow strange dark rituals who is then manipulated in climbing a big effigie and then burnt to crisp. The music video is not as explicit but still represents the situation. This represents how a seemingly safe community can hold dark values and how certain foreigners are manipulated and brainwashed into thinking that a society will keep you safe but in reality , they will put you down and exclude you .
In the Uk , there's been campaigns where people are wanting to make people leave the country especially targeting the middle eastern Muslim people because of their discrimination towards islamophobia . It represents the moral panics generated by the media around immigration and trying to maintain a national identity . Interestingly enough this music video was released a month before the EU referendum, in May 2016 which could be direct message towards this issue.
To conclude , this music video is been made to show the audience current real social issues in a fictional world in regards to exclusion and exploitation towards the minorities in an obscure way.
