This music video is an illustration as it has a clear narrative and also contains some performance from the artist. Therefore it has a long open which opens the narrative. The video starts with a close up of the artists face in the mirror, examining her face. This could represent the problems that many women have with their flaws, behind her you can also see other women doing the same and getting ready with crowns e.c.t on; which indicates that she is at a pageant. Also the first shot immediately relates to the songs name 'pretty hurts'. This shot is followed by a different mid-shot of the artist wearing a sachet that says 'miss 3rd ward', she has a negative look on her face which could suggest that she is upset with the placing that she has come. While this shot is shown non-digetic sound of a piano is playing, which may be used to represent her sadness. While this non-diegetic piano is still playing, diegetic sound is also used which is the women talking whilst getting ready, a long shot is used in the of the artist getting ready for the pageant, while also showing her competitors around her getting ready. The shots change as the the piano key changes, and then shows a very slim woman pulling her skin as though she needs to lose weight, this also links to the name of the song as the woman clearly doesn't need to lose weight however she thinks she does to be pretty and become successful in the competition.
As the intro is still playing, there is then a long take shot of the artist; who clearly doesn't fit in with the women that are also taking part in the pageant as she argues with one and sits on her own. The shot then quickly changes to a long shot of her coming out of a toilet with her hand over her mouth, this therefore suggests she is not happy with her weight due to the pressures of society. After a few more close up shots of the other women, the artist is then called to the stage and starts to perform her song, there is a mid shot of her doing this. However for the first bit of the song there is no sound just her singing and then the audience clapping her; which is to make the scene of the video realistic. The non-diegetic sound of the sound track then comes in and there is a close up of the artists face looking unhappy, this follows with many other shots of her with the same expression on her face, suggesting she is having a hard time at the pageant due to not having confidence. This could be an inspiration to teenage girls as many suffer from low self esteem, in addition the target audience for this video is teenage girls and young women.
Further on, when the lyrics of the song come in there is then a mid shot of a shot that's been used before of the artist standing with the sachet on. This shot contains performance as she is lip syncing to the song. It then cuts to more long shots of the artist continuing to get ready, however these are different shots at different times of the pageants; which implicates the artist as she is in the narrative has done more than one of these pageants. There is then a shot that is literal to the lyrics as the mid shot shows the the artist brushing her hair and the lyrics are 'brush your hair' these lyrics are explaining what her mother told her to do, and that she is pretty no matter what she thinks. This is then also followed with a long shot of another literal meaning to the lyrics, as the artist is putting wax on her teeth and the lyrics says 'fix your teeth', this implies the measure you have to go to in order be perfect for the pageant.
Continuing this, there a variety of shots of the women continuing to get ready for the pageant. There is then a tracking shot of the artist getting weighed and measured by on of the employees at the pageant, at first she looks happy and confident, but then he waves her off as though she is too big. Then he measures her waist and is also then dismissive of her, which creates an unconfident look on her face. These shots are clearly linked to the lyrics 'pageant the pain away'. There is then an establishing shot of all the woman on stage at the pageant, including the artist. They are all smiling and all look confident. Straight after that shot there is then a long shot of the artist sitting down and then two of the girls at the pageant moving away from her; which emphasises again that she doesn't fit in. This then cuts to an extreme close up of the artist taking some pills, this could be drugs or diet pills as it looks like the artist doesn't see herself to fit in due to not being as skinny as her competitors. The shots carry on to the artist being shouted at by one of the workers as he makes suck in and lengthen out her legs, he only picks her out, out of all of the other girls that are there. As the lyric 'tv says thinner is better' the is a long shot of the artist exercising, therefore these lyrics have a literal meaning to the visuals. She then weighs herself and looks hugely disappointed.
After this the music then cuts out and a man asks the artist a pageant question, this makes it realistic. While she's answering the question the non-diegetic backing tracks cuts in again, there is then a long shot of the artist jumping into what looks like a pool, therefore this could express her trying to get away from all the pressures, this quickly cuts to a close up shot of her crying, implying that the pageant isn't actually her aspiration. The answer to the question doesn't get an answer straight away there are shots in between of the artist at the pageant looking unhappy, therefore this suggests that there is more to life than your appearance. The answer to her question is quite ironic as she says her aspiration in life is to be happy but all of the shots show her looking unhappy and not fitting in. The next shot shows her breaking the trophies she has won, implying she no longer wants to do pageants.
There is then a close up to the artists face that shows her having some plastic surgery as the lyrics say 'there's no doctor or pill that can take the pain away' therefore this means that you'll only be happy once you accept yourself in the way you look and who you are. After this, it then shows a two shot of the artist and the woman that was from the beginning of the video, that is clearly scarily skinny. The artist doesn't win, the other woman does, you can tell the artist is clearly upset by this as she tries to put on a fake smile and then cuts to shots of her shouting and braking her trophies again to express her anger. The end of the video is how the video started however this time she is looking into the mirror with a happy look, suggesting she has now accepted herself, as this is shown the lyric is 'are you happy with yourself?... yeah'. There is then a quick flash back of her winning a competition as a little girl, but this competition is a singing one.
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