Like a prayer-Madonna

Xaviera Mangel
12/11/16
10B
Like a prayer- Madonna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDnUIXF2ly8












I decided to analyze a music video because I love music. Music videos entertain people. The staging, the lights, dancing, etc. make the video fun and unique. They are what make people see things in many different ways. It makes the people be aware of a situation or get a message which the singer wants to transmit to their audience. Every music video has a purpose and a meaning. The music video "Like a prayer" by Madonna has had a big impact on society. It is one of the most controversial videos and one that has really affected people and their beliefs. This music video has themes about sex, religion, and race which are what cause the controversy. Even though this video was released in 1989, it is one of the most controversial videos which caused a conflict between Madonna and the Catholic Church.

The story of the video is about a girl who witnesses an assault on a woman. She keeps on watching what is happening but does nothing to stop it because she gets scared. Then a black man watches the scene and decides to intervene to help the woman. Then the police arrive and arrest this innocent man. Then the girl gets really scared and leaves until she gets to a church. According to the site http://www.shmoop.com/like-a-prayer/meaning.html, she goes inside and sees a saint in a cage who looks a lot like the black man on the street, and says a prayer to help her know what to do. He looks like he's crying. She then lies down falls asleep. She dreams about being in space with no one to help her. Suddenly she meets an African American woman who symbolizes earth and emotional strength and helps her know what to do. In the dream, she goes back to the saint, and starts to get feelings for him. The saint becomes a real man. She picks up a knife and cuts her hands. Then she starts getting a sexual feeling for the saint which represents God and tries to seduce him. She knows that nothing's going to happen to her if she does what she believes is right. Last, she wakes up, goes to the jail, tells the police the man is innocent, and he is freed.

Religion is the most important theme because this music video has really impacted people since everyone has a different perception of their own religion. There are many religious symbols seen throughout the video. Some examples are the necklace of a cross she is wearing, the setting being in a church, the other important character is a saint who she gets involved with, burning crosses, her falling from the sky representing Heaven, and many more. Also the stigmata, which are the holes she gets when cutting her palms, are the holes Crist had. These symbols show the guilt in Catholicism that if you do something that feels good you will be punished as shown in the video. All these symbols make the video seem as if Madonna makes fun of these things and doesn't take religion seriously and doesn't respect it. Even though she doesn't see it as a bad thing, this video really caused problems for people who were very religious. Some lyrics may mean two different things this is why it can be controversial. For example, when it says "I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there." This can be seen as an act of praying or as a sexual act.

Race is another theme seen in this video. It is represented by a black saint. Madonna is shown having a relationship with him which caused controversy at that time. Also, a black man is accused of a crime he didn't commit. Objectification of women is shown. It is seen when a woman is being raped by men when being robbed. Also Madonna dances in a sexual way, showing her skin, and trying to seduce the black saint. Last, the theme of violence is shown throughout the rape and also the burning crosses which represent the Ku Klux Klan (violent group).

The targeted audience can be men about Madonna's age or others since she transmits a sexual message. Her messy hair and provocative clothes symbolize sex which shows her sexual appeal towards her male audience. This is seen as objectification of women because of the sex part which for me is the central theme in this video. For example when her full body is shown and she is singing in front of the burning crosses this shows her sex appeal and the fire represents the sex and makes her more provocative. Thought the video the camera angles are very important since it helps emphasize the message the video wants to transmit. Most of the camera angles are eye-level. There are some close ups which help emphasize the emotions and the message they want to give. For example the close ups for Madonna are made to show her feeling of sex and sometimes feels worried about the black man. Another example is the close ups and extreme close up to the saint (black man) that makes the audience see he is sad and is crying showing his tears, and also another extreme close up of his eye showing he is crying blood. In the scene when she sees him first crying she is against the light so you can see how the camera is centered on her and her appeal. There is a bird's eye view and long shot which shows the vulnerability and isolation. Crane down may be seen when she is falling from Heaven to her world. There is also a shot making Madonna look small next to the saint and showing how she admires him. The crime scene in the video is in black and white which makes it seem that it is dark, dangerous and not a safe place. On the other hand when they are in the church it is full of colors and light which makes it seem safe and happy.

The purpose of Madonna is to rebel against the church since there are many offensive symbols by making fun of the elements of the Catholic Church, and showing the way she sees it and thinks about the church. The mood and tone are very negative. For example, in the scene of the burning crosses it makes the audience feel danger and fear. The video makes very religious Catholic people get offended, feel shock, and may say the video is disrespectful to their religion. The video makes people scared, there's a feeling of hate, and a violent effect. The language used transmits a very harsh and violent message since some words are very negative. Also, the meaning of the lyrics used can be represented in different ways or can mean a distinct thing to others. There are some literary devices in the lyrics which emphasize what Madonna wants to transmit but also makes the audience have a different point of view. An example is when it says "I hear your voice, feels like flying. I close my eyes, oh God, I think I'm falling, out of the sky. I close my eyes, heaven help me." This can have a sexual meaning and also there is alliteration using the letter f and h. When it says "in the midnight hour" it can mean that sex usually happens at that time. Also the title "Like a prayer"can refer to how she is comparing it so sex since it uses the word "like."

Madonna's idea of the video was fight racism by showing a black man being made guilty for a crime he didn't commit and a black man with a white girl. But with the controversy in the song it seems to be another message: kissing with a black saint, burned crosses, and had sex with a black man in a church. I really think that this video is offensive because of all the themes presented specially objectification of women and the contradiction of religion. Even though this video was made a long time ago it may still affect society and people should really respect others religions and women should be treated as people, not objects for sex.

As the video is ending there is like a celebration where everyone dances and sings which symbolizes how Madonna wants to transmit the message that the story has a happy ending. At the end of the video the cast takes a bow and the curtains come down. This represents how Madonna wants to show how real the video is by making the audience see that it was a real story. Despite the happy ending Madonna wants to show, throughout the whole video you see themes about race, religion, and sex as mentioned at first which for Madonna meant something and for most of the people it meant an offense for them, it caused an impact in their lives, and that is why this video has been one of the most controversial videos in history.