Textual analysis of a music video 'Toxic'

Genre/Mise en scene.

Due to this video being of a pop genre there is a noticeable added emphasis of on movement, in form of dance choreography. Britney is quite significantly known for her ability of dance, with some dance sequences in her previous music videos becoming famous and instantly recognisable, so including a dance routine is for the desire of Britney's fans who are typically teenage girls who eagerly anticipate some form of movement. Although these explicit dance moves may also highlight Britney's growing desire to express her sexuality as a female artist to a broader male target audience, In this video there are numerous scenes with her gyrating against males in a sexually suggestive manner. This controversy has also been present with Britney's previous music video 'Baby one more time' as she wears a sexualised school uniform.

In terms of costume its clear to see that there is an obvious effort to sexualise her to image. Due to Britney not being purely known for her signing talents, she relies on sex appeal to remain in the public eye. Britney wears several revealing outfits within the toxic video, all of which conform to Laura Mulveys theory of 'the male gaze', significantly the air hostess ensemble which is so short the audience catch a glimpse of her underwear. The reoccurring change in costume is also used in order to keep the audience interested, such as the mixture of blonde, black and red hair worn by Britney adds further variety to the video.

Typical themes of Britney Spears' music videos are ones of freedom and a bid to escape due to her open lifestyle and intrusive publicity. This is evident in the toxic video, The opening shot is of a plane and two birds which is symbolic of Britney's desire to be free from the image that has been created for her.

Editing.
The editing of this video adapts to the fast beat of the song and matches the tempo. This rapid style of editing is an employed technique in a majority of music videos and the song 'Toxic' is very conventional in this manner. the fast paced editing also keeps the audience interested. However this isn't always the case with Britney's videos, a juxtaposition of this is her single 'Everytime' which is of a slower tempo and includes slow motion and long takes.

Camerawork.
Being the central artist Britney Spears is obviously the focus of this music video. this is shown through the use of close ups and mid shots. The only occasions when long shots are used is to display her dance routines, illustrate the fact she is on a motorcycle, and to adequately show of her body. Another aspect of this video is that the use of other performers is kept to a minimum. So its clear to the audience that Britney Spears is the main 'product' being displayed.

Intertextuality.
In terms of intertextuality the nude body suit worn by Britney during the dance sequences of the song could have in fact been influenced by Holly valence's music video 'Kiss Kiss' released two years earlier as they bare a very similar resemblance.
Britney plays a number of superhero heroine types throughout the video, and the format of the video in general evokes a comic book feel. The director of mise en scene could have perhaps took inspiration from Manga comic strips, it could have also been in an attempt to pay homage to the comic 'Witch Blade' which include female heroes.

Narrative/Performance.

The narrative for 'Toxic' adheres to Steve Archer's definition of a music video the 'music videos will cut between a narrative and a performance of the song by the artist' and 'a choreographed dance might be a part of the artists performance'. Thus being in the form of a music video it has the ability to give the audience a more varied insight into the artist than a stage performance can with the added extra of a storyline. Uses of close ups allow the audience to feel closer to the artist of which some may idolise. And narrative can also present the artist in various roles within a story such as Britney riding on the back of a motor cycle in front of a CGI background which isn't possible without the medium of a music video .

Star Image/Brand.
Britney Spears is recognised perhaps more significantly for her look and celebrity rather than her singing talents. So within the music video 'Toxic' its clearly apparent that the concentration is extensively based around Britney and the image trying to be conveyed. It appears her main selling points are based around her body, as her target market is essentially teenage girls so there is an overwhelming theme on her desire to gain some 'freedom'.

Voyeurism.
This music video conveys an obvious attempt to sexulise Britney conforming to Laura Mulveys theory of 'The male gaze'. In a scene she wears a diamond embellished nude bodysuit which is very sexually alluring, this simply highlights the pop music videos deliberate aims to objectify Britney and in turn promote her provocative sexuality to a young audience.