Intertextuality

A media text is intertextual when it references another media text within it.

Artists may choose to make an intertextual music video to increase its popularity: if the reference is famous enough (a popular movie or book), it will result in more viewers. The reference must be obvious and done well.

EXAMPLES: (the music video is on the left, and the reference on the right)

Iggy Azalea - "Fancy" references the movie Clueless (1995).

The exact same outfits are used (a yellow tartan skirt and blazer set. This outfit is iconic to the movie so it is a blatant reference). Many more scenes from the movie are identically referenced in Iggy’s MV.

The song talks about being rich and “fancy”, which relates to the main character of Clueless, who is spoiled.

Taylor Swift - “Love Story” references Romeo and Juliet: the popular play by Shakespear which is the main focus of the lyrics and the MV. The visuals match the lyrics and it is set in the 1800s

Blur “The Universal” references A Clockwork Orange (1971)’s opening scene at the Korova Milk Bar. The band members wear the same white jumpsuits and eye makeup. The song lyrics suggest a dystopian future, and Clockwork is a dystopian film.

Madonna’s “Material Girl” (1984) references Marilyn Monroe’s musical film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953). It’s an iconic film which has a theme of money and wealth being the most important. Madonna’s music video is a homage of Marilyn’s film as it copies it with some exaggeration to amplify the lyrics’ meaning. The lyrics are about money and consumerism being the way that society is built: so Madonna exploits men for money.

Will I use intertextuality in my video?

I won’t because as it’s a conceptual video it doesn’t make much sense.

However, I will be referencing Wong Kar Wai’s film “Chungking Express” (1994) as I am using the same effect in a crowded place, and a similar colour palette throughout. But it’s more like a pastiche than an explicit intertextuality reference.