Note that your final mark will not be saved in the system.
Music Video: Turntables (Janelle Monáe) (exams from 2024) GapFill
You must fill all the gaps before clicking ‘Check Answers!’
Janelle Monáe’s ‘Turntables’, released in September , is a protest song that predominantly rails against in America, as well as LGBTQ+ rights and .
The video intentionally employs iconography such as Monáe’s militaristic costume and the large American flag used as a backdrop. In particular, Monáe’s appearance is reminiscent of the uniforms worn during World War II and the 1950s, a time when America was still racially . This creative choice could be seen to create a contrast between the American ideals of freedom and liberty with the inclusion of news footage showing police brutality and protests over the decades highlighting the continued existence of systematic discrimination in the nation.
Looking at the video through the lens of Paul Gilroy’s theory, ‘Turntables’ is subversive of the historical attitudes of media concerning race as the star, the actors and the video’s director, an enigmatic figure who goes by the name Child, are all people of colour. There is a celebratory attitude towards the achievements of people of colour in America, such as boxer and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Concerning the intersection of how femininity and race are represented, ‘Turntables’ can be analysed using 's theory of a white supremacist societal structure. In this theory, women of colour have the least amount of power because they are discriminated on the bases of both sex and ethnicity. Monáe, who is non-binary and goes by she/they, is presented in a way that defies this. They dress in a gender non-specific manner and are not presented in a sexualised manner for the audience. Instead, Monáe takes role in the video that defies this power structure, echoing the messages expressed in the lyrics.