ten golden rules

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Ten golden rules (music video) 

Sunflower by Rex Orange County 

• The artist is a white male, and whilst he stars as the main actor in it the main other ethnic group represented are African- American males. The fact that he is the main actor in the video promotes him as an artist by bringing him exposure, whilst the representation of the African Americans reflects the neighbourhood the music video is set in. 
• The music video is set in a town in California, whilst the warm tones, sunny sky and mise-en-scene used make this place look nice, by the look of the buildings you can tell the town is not as economically stable as other places in California such as Beverly hills. However, I believe that the video represents the community there in a positive way suggesting it is the people that make a place nice not the money or the town itself. I believe it is also reflective of the fact the black people in America are some of the least privileged, but the video suggest that money doesn’t necessarily mean happiness as they all seem happy and laughing with each other at the end. 
• The music video highlights that if you have a ‘sunny’ outlook on life you will be content and happy, you can see this by his sudden change of facial expression suggesting that he has turned from running away from his problems to facing them, solving them and finding peace within his own life. I think this represents our society today who often take a view on the world that everything is bad and that life is something that we just have to get through instead of experience. 

• The sterotype that black American men in particular are violent or dangerous is subverted in the music video which is positive because on order to break down stereotypes people have to challenge them and show why they are wrong or misrepresented. This is important for black people, especially in media who are often underrepresented and misrepresented. In the music video the black men are friendly, positive and wearing brightly coloured clothing suggesting there is no violence or danger to them at all. 
• I think the music video does represents African American in a way they are not often represented which is positive because in a global context even though they are one of the largest ethnic minorities in America. I often don’t see them represented as a group in media. 
• The context of the video seems to be based in the past when they didn’t have developed technology, so the fact they are playing pool, riding bikes and sitting by the pool suggests a certain simplicity to life back then just not experience by the younger generations nowadays. I think by the fact they are all happy and having fun near the end shows that we can be fulfilled without technology. In addition, the fact at one point in the video he hides being a wall with a man doing drugs behind him is and accurate representation as American and la in particular is known for is drugs use. 
• I think the dominant hegemonic view of this video will be that once the man lets go of his worries and lets go, he can be happy and enjoy life surrounded by his friends and other people in his community. Along with the lyrics to the song, an audience comes away felling pleased, relaxed and happy after watching the music video because the warm tones of orange and yellow in the video make people feel happy as it reminds them if summer or nature.