Off Spring-Kristy, are you doing ok?
The video shows the audience the location, such as by
showing classrooms, hall ways. To set the scene, while Dexter (the singer) is
sitting on a sofa in a rough looking building, with a guitar and singing. Within the Dexter singing scene you can see
on the wall the papers of which the girl in the video was writing and drawing
on. I believe this is to show that Dexter is remembering the time this has
happen and he never forgot about it. In the video it shows the girl is trying
to fit in and pretend she is the same as everyone else. Such as their few
scenes where she with a group of females laughing away and they wait for her
when she put make up on, showing everyday normal life in this century.
While deep down she is not actually happy as it seems like
something is happening to her. Such as the scene in the changing room, she
waits and make sure everyone left before she gets change. Along within her locker her photos with her
friends, she starched out her own face. This is normally a sign that she
dislikes herself and the affect of it is normally due to abuse, which leads to
depression. Along with the fact there are scenes where she drawing or writing
in her book, showing her emotions. Example the scene where she drew an eye with
tears coming down it, it tells the audience her feelings. Nevertheless there
are few extreme close up shots of words within her writing. To give out
messages that she is actually hiding her feelings and something bad is going on
for her. Example the first word being shown was “Dear dairy”, it shows that
what she writing goes into her book and how she keeps it a secret. Such as the
word “bruises”, was also shown towards the end of the music video at 3.07.
The male that the audience see in the music video, I believe
it represent Dexter when he was younger. As the song lyrics relates to him
being sorry that he never told anyone or did anything when he clearly knew she
was suffering. So he hopes she is ok now.
According to YouTube there are 2,147,346 views, 10,306 likes
and 109 dislikes. From this information you can tell that this music video is
popular, as within the 2,147,346 views 8,357 people have marked this video as
their favourite. YouTube statistic says
that this music video is most popular to both genders around the age of 13-17.
From experience and looking around, a young adult tends to think that no one
understands them and that they are going through a lot while everyone else is
having a perfect life, and they don’t fit in. Therefore I believe this music
video is popular to them as they can somehow relate to this song or they are witnessing
a situation like the music video. As a
comment on YouTube by Wafflessmellgood said “Goes to show you never know whats
hiding behind a smile”, this comment gained 35 likes.
To back this opinion
up, there are few comments where someone said they can relate to this song and
how it emotionally affects them. Example LS50622 said “I don’t know why I cry
so hard after I listened to this song!!!! QAQ”, while on another website Kayla Louisville
said “This song has helped me out so much from dealing with what it talks about
and I never thought a song could get to me like this one did and I love it and
inspires me to help other people who went through what I did”. It shows that
this music video is powerful, as it manages to help some audience or emotionally
move them.
Nevertheless Dexter said so himself that this song is dedicated
to a girl he use to know who went through abuse and everyone knew about it, but
no one did anything. Now he regrets for not doing anything back then and he now
hopes that this song can help other victims to speak up or overcome their
problem. Such as in the song in the chorus
“Don’t waste your whole life trying to get back what was taken away”, it tells
people don’t grieve about it, they should be strong and move on.
Which is an advantage as it can help others to move on.
Along spreading the word that there are people who go through this everyday and
that people should help them.
Yet the disadvantages
are that it may make some people remember the bad times and end up in
depression again.
Overall this video is kept simple, by not having special affects or wackiness or any flesh revealing scenes. This shows that this music video is a serious one with a message. Also it shows that you do not need any flashy scenes or flesh revealing scenes in order to gain a good music video and rating. A good music video requires a good song.
This song can be purchases in their album Rise and Fall,
Rage and Grace album that came out in 2008. This can be brought in HMV or in
other CD selling stores and on their website. For this song only, it can be
purchased on itune. Or you simply can go see Offspring live to hear this song.
Reference-
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