Kanye West – Touch The Sky

7/27/2019 Kanye West Touch The Sky

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Kanye WestTouch The Sky Analysis Script

1.

NARRATOR

In terms of Richard Dyers star theory, in this video, KANYES image

contrasts drastically to that of later albums (MBDTF andYEEZUS).

This video follows on the image and end-themes of his debut album

COLLEGE DROPOUT; his struggle to breakthrough into the music

industry, the turbulent times of moving to New York in hopes of a

record deal and his consumerist dreams of owning high-end fashion

items.

LYRICS BACK WHEN GUCCI WAS THE **** TO ROCK ID DO

ANYTHING TO SAY I GOT IT APPEAR ON BLACK

NARRATOR (CONTD)

KANYE does share similar themes in this video that are present insubsequent albums such as MBDTF and YEEZUS. His frustrations of

not getting the respect he feels he deserves and to challenge the

industry or genre conventions. However, KANYE is far more

controversial and direct in his lyrics and has changed his image,

which is evident in videos such as BLKKK SKKKNHEAD

SCREENSHOTS APPEAR SIDE BY SIDEBLKKK SKKKNHEAD

AND TOUCH THE SKY

NARRATOR (CONTD)

KANYE directly attacks music corporations and feels its his duty to

speak about the restraints from record labels and the genre

conventions that makes creativity stagnant. This new image is directed


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more a specific target audience, such as hopeful up-and-coming

artists, differing from his previous more commercialised work.

INSERT SNIPPET OF HOLD MY LIQUOR F**K YOU AND YOURCORPORATIONS YOU N****S CANTCONTROL ME FOLLOWED

BY CLIP OF KANYE/ZANE LOWE INTERVIEW (2:462:50) (3:

CUT TO:

2.

NARRATOR

KANYE in this video is what DYER would consider to be a real

character in which audiences can identify with rather than admire so

much. In this video, he is leaving that real image somewhat and

becoming the manufactured product of the music industry.

3.

NARRATOR

TOUCH THE SKY conforms to GOODWINS theory ofintertextuality

through mies-en-scene. KANYE dresses and plays the character EVEL

KANYEVEL alluding to famous stuntman EVEL KNIEVEL and fits in to

GOODWINs theory of relationship between lyrics and visuals or title of

song and the visual text amplifying lyrics.

CUTS TO SCREENSHOT OF KANYE SIDE BY SIDE WITH

PHOTORAPH ON EVEL KNIEVEL

NARRATOR (CONTD)

There are other examples of intertextuality in the video, for example

during the skit with NIA LONG and TRACEE ELLIS ROSS. TRACEE


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ELLIS ROSS says he gon leave yo ass from a white girl references

a KANYE line in a previous video GOLD DIGGER.

FREEZE FRAME AND POINT WHEN IT OCCURS IN TOUCHTHE SKY THEN SHOW CLIP OF LINE IN GOLD DIGGER (2:36

3:08 in TTS) (3:16-3:19 GD)

4.

NARRATOR

TOUCH THE SKY also employs TODOROVS EQUILIBRIUM

NARRATIVE THEORY. A STUNT MAN prepares to fly over the

GRAND CANYON in a ROCKET, whilst battling against his duties to

appease his GIRLFRIEND and his desire to pull the stunt. Another

twist occurs when his JEALOUS EX-GIRLFRIEND shows up at the

event, causing tension. However there is a new equilibrium when the

couple resolve their issues. The narrative ends with the stunt man

dying during the stunt. The video also incorporates LEVI-STRAUSS

BINARY OPPOSITIONS THEORY. In terms KANYE has a WHITE

GIRLFRIEND and BLACK EX-GIRLFRIEND fighting over him. The

WHITE GIRLFRIEND is SUPPORTIVE whereas the BLACK

GIRLFRIEND is oppressive. Finally TOUCH THE SKY uses PROPPS

CHARACTER ARCHETYPE THEORY in which PAMELA ANDERSON

plays the DAMSEL IN DISTRESS, NIA LONG the VILLAIN and

KANYE the HERO.

SCREENGRABS OF NIA LONG, KANYE AND CAPTION APPEAR

WITH VILLAIN, HERO AND DAMSEL IN DISTRESS ABOVE

IMAGES.

5.


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NARRATOR

This video fits into LAURA MULVEYS MALE GAZE THEORY. Men to

appeal to heterosexual men construct Media texts and women are

objectified through cinematography and costume. PAMELA ANDERSONis proactively dressed and is a cultural sex symbol.

6.

NARRATOR

Touch The Sky has an element of performance in the video, changing

the video structure from narrative to hybrid; however the performancefits seamlessly into the context of the videos narrative. Lupe Fiasco

raps his verse at a concert performance. Another twist in Touch The

Sky which conforms to hip hop genre conventions is the use of a skit

with Nia Long and Tracee-Ellis Ross. The use of a skit with celebrities

featuring was common in hip-hop music videos in the late

nineties/early noughties. Skits were also associated with Kanye West

videos as he uses a skit in New Workout Plan, featuring cameos from

Anna Nicole-Smith, Fonzworth Bentley, John Legend, GLC, Vida

Guerra and Tracee Ellis-Ross.

7.

NARRATOR

In terms of verbal codes, the typography is typical of 1970s action TV

shows, such as Starsky and Hutch. The typography matches the

cinematography with is shot with the grainy pixilation of 1970s shows

and ties into the mies-en-scene of the video.

Documents

Kanye West – Touch The Sky