Applying Music Video Theory: Little Mix 'Shout Out to My Ex'

In terms of mise-en-scene, Little Mix use costume to sexualise themselves in a very empowering way, rather than being objectified by the male gaze. The girls are aware of their own attractiveness, and, being the only people in the video (besides a brief male cameo later on), they are fully marketing themselves and their own sex appeal, adhering to Carlsson's theory of commercial exhibitionism. They sell themselves as being powerful (dynamic posing in the opening), attractive (smouldering at the audience as they lip-sync), sexy (dancing in little clothing) and playful (Leigh-Anne throwing

popcorn into Perrie's open mouth). Because of this broad range of qualities they market themselves as, as well as their variety in race, body size, origin in the UK, et cetera, they appeal to a wide and diverse audience of people. Since this audience is mostly teenage girls, it is arguable that sex is being used as a shock factor for marketing, as Railton may argue; however, the sex is mostly implicit, and the empowerment of sexuality may be seen as a positive message to give to girls growing into sexual maturity. The revealing costumes make sense in the environment in which the performance takes place - eg. wearing bikinis by a pool - and don't seem to coincide with the race of the girls. Railton argues that black girls are often portrayed in music video as more sinful and 'slutty' than white girls, but in the first few shots in front of the camper van, Leigh-Anne is the most covered-up member of the band. This is contrasted in the pool scene when she is wearing the most revealing bikini, so the theory may be applied, but the lack of sexualisation through the rest of the video creates some form of equilibrium rather than creating a hierarchy of innocence between the girls.

(It is also interesting to note that the change in clothing between shots may be a marketing device within itself, reflecting the fashion advertised by big clothing companies at the time of the song's release - perhaps encouraging women to go out, buy similar clothes and dress like them. It could also be seen as a form of entertainment for viewers to look at the outfits, fitting into Kaplan's theory of hybrid music videos.)

Again, Railton can be drawn upon through the use of props, with typically feminine items such as hairdryers and fans being used by the girls. They also take selfies and photos of each other, which is seen as a female's pastime, particularly in the case of white girls. However, since each girl of every race contributes to this, it does not adhere to Railton's ideas of racial defamation. Actors' skill also plays a part here, with choreography and facial expression furthering the music video. On the line, "I hope she's getting better sex", Perrie gyrates her hips and makes sexual gestures, again sexualising

herself. Because she is dancing by herself and not being watched by men, her femininity and sexual attractiveness is empowering rather than degrading. The lines "guess I should say thank you / for the hate-yous and the tattoos" are punctuated by Jade lip-syncing into the camera, pulling a disgusted expression. Goodwin's policy of amplifying the song comes into play here, emphasising the sarcasm in the lyrics. This happens again in the lyrics "that hurt me, I'll admit" when Perrie wipes away non-existent tears. The lyrics are illustrated through literal text form on the lyrics "over it", when Jade shoots a gun to reveal a flag with the same lyrics written on it. Intertextuality also comes into play with subtle references to the 1991 film Thelma and Louise (the similar car, female cast, road trip through a desert landscape, taking photos on a Polaroid camera). Carlsson's idea of binary opposition even comes into play when Little Mix drive past the attractive male hitch hiker, waving him off and leaving him stranded. His position of helplessness as a symbol of the ex-boyfriend empowers the female leads. He also has a passing resemblance to Perrie's then-recent ex Zayn Malik - perhaps an element of shock factor for marketing purposes, as Railton suggests.

When analysing editing, Keazor and Wubenna come into play with the quick edits cutting to the beat of the song, mirroring the upbeat pace. The video frequently cross-cuts between the band singing and dancing towards the camera in a staged performance, and small moments of loose narrative (i.e. the pseudo-documentary moments). However, there is no clear story, and is cut to look more like a montage of their image as a band than anything with a real story, especially with the lack of continuity editing present, linking into Vernallis' theories. Said ideas are also seen in the use of deigesis, or lack thereof. The actions in the video are often uncompleted and disrupted in some way, e.g. Jade mailing the letter and Leigh-Anne throwing the popcorn, again emphasising the idea of a montage. K&W's suggestion of using visual effects is also apparent in the frequent use of slow motion, e.g. the close up on Leigh-Anne on the lyrics "my life" being slowed down to maximise attention on her attractiveness.

Camera shots are used to market each of the girls individually with close-ups on each of the girls at separate times to brand them all as individuals and empower them as separate marketing attractions. There is a particular emphasis on mid-shots and close-ups of the girls laughing and smiling, again illustrating the themes of the song itself. Through aerial and birds-eye shots, the emptiness of the landscape is emphasised. It is arguable that the setting and loose narrative expressed here are illustrations of the lyrics, if taken as a metaphor; the desert could be a visual representation of the emptiness left in someone's life at the end of a relationship, and the girls happily cruising through it may exaggerate the song's themes of moving swiftly on after a bad relationship. Female empowerment is again shown through long shots of the girls driving the car, showing that the four of them are alone, with no male presence to protect them or dictate that girls can only enjoy themselves in the company of a man. Goodwin's notion of looking is hardly present in this video, with the girls looking confidently into the camera and very few shots tailoring to the male gaze to fetishize women. One counter-argument to this is when Jade sings the line "go ahead, baby, I'mma live my life" and she leans back on the car, exposing her throat and pushing out her chest, which is displayed through an extreme close-up and then a long shot to show her whole body as she sits back up; however, there is no objectification from the camera (e.g. panning across her body, as is seen in other videos such as Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball), therefore she seems to be sexualising herself for the camera rather than the camera sexualising her. Goodwin's theory on demands of the record label also applies here. The whole video revolves around the performers, with the girls either being shown as a group in long and mid shots (and establishing shots only in the car scene), or as individuals in (extreme) close-ups, marketing them individually as both a band and the separate members. Each girl is given an equal amount of screentime to broadcast themselves in as separate people. Again, this appeals to Carlsson's commercial exhibitionist policy, selling the girls rather than their artistic credibility or identifying them through any sort of narrative.