Madonna - Justify My Love

For my final video analysis, i have chosen Madonna - Justify My Love because it was also banned on MTV (like 'Like A Prayer) but this video was banned for being too 'raunchy' and caused a lot of controversy. Even though this video is way more sexual than our video will be, i have chosen it because i like the way Madonna is a victim of the male gaze, yet she is in control of them looking at her.

Voyeurism plays a huge part in this video, because there is an obvious reference to sex throughout. Within the first minute of the video the audience see Madonna is wearing suspenders and a bra with just a big long coat over the top. This is a huge example of the 'male gaze'. The way the whole video is in black and white and really slow so it looks almost as if it is in slow motion, makes the whole thing a lot more sexual than it actually is, because it's all slowed down so the audience can see sexual references in more detail.



The way in which Madonna has a man on top of her obviously in a very sexual way but has a man at the side watching, lusting over her, is almost perverse. This also is an example of the male gaze because a man is by the side watching, but Madonna isn't innocent because she turns and looks right into the mans eyes which shows us she wants men to look at her like that, which has worked all over the world.

Thsi video is aimed at men, because of the obvious references to sex. Women would watch this though because Madonna is someone every woman wants to be, a role model for women. Because even though she is being sexual in an obvious way, she has control over the men watching her, she's not being victimised.



Once again, Madonna uses blasphemy in one of her videos. This is done purposely throughout her carrer to draw attention to herself which made her a very successful artist. We see that along with her underwear she is wearing necklaces, and the one that stands out is one with a big crosss on it, sggesting she culd be religeous and the way she acts throughout the video is a form of rebellion.

Throughout the whole video, the lyrics are illustrated throught the images used (sex) which then creates a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. They are then amplified which is why the video is so sexual throughout, to constantly show the meaning to the audience. There could also be intertextual references, but not with other music videos, film or TV, but with porn because of the obvious, crude reference to sex throughout the video.