Representation & how useful it really is!

If you want to convey a lot of information about a character or a social group, the best way of doing so is through representations. However representations of groups can often stereotypes.


Anything involving a group can be stereotyped, to make them more identifiable in the media. Here are some stereotypes/ ways that stereotypes can be created-

• Age - all teenagers love rock and roll, have no respect and do drugs and alcohol.
• Gender- all women like housework
• Nationality- all Germans are Nazis
• Places - It always Rains in England

A stereotype is simplistic and doesn't allow for complexity or depth, sometimes there'll be absolutely no truth in the stereotype. 

To give myself a challenge, instead of doing a conventional rap video, i've chosen something completely different.

To explain representation, I'm have chosen Weird Al Yankovic's Parody rap song "White and nerdy" Based off of Chamillionaire's song "Riding Dirty".

Firstly, the social group of Nerds and Geeks are being represented, more specifically those who are white, as the song title goes. The Video and song in my opinion is wholly positive, there are no sub texts or hidden meanings there to cause offence, it's just a comedic songs used for comedic purposes, with Weird Al playing this 'White and nerdy' character and using common traits and things associated with a nerd or geek. It could be argued that it's poking fun at the overly masculine rappers that Hip Hop seem to spawn, with a song about the total opposite of what most rappers would be like.

The Representation of these social groups are constructed primarily through the lyrics, and with visual accompaniments. Mise en scene is the biggest element helping with constructing, mainly through props and costume and theme's that our prevalent amongst people who fit into the 'White and nerdy' Category. Here are some examples of how a 'White and nerdy' person through this video can be identified, with the lyric in quote marks.

Being very good at math. "I know Pie to a thousand places"

Participating in games of chess. "and even the chess team"

Collecting Superhero figurines. "All of my action figures are cherry"

Knowing computer code and a made up Sci Fi language. "I'm fluent in Javascript as well as Klingon"

With the editing, it's very conventional to a rap video, as it flows with lyrics, and cuts at the end of the lyric, to keep up with the flow of the music.

In terms of a Rap Parody an audience would expect all of this. This is because they want to be entertained and also connect to the rap portion of the song.

The Ideologies that are suggested, as explained is what 'White and nerdy' People are like. Another is the Ideology that this group of people and the culture of rap should not mix, this is evident as the chorus features lyrics about Weird al wanting to associate with the 'Gangsters' but he can't because of how 'white and nerdy' he is. 

Levi Strauss's theory of Binary opposites is heavily abundant in the video. With the two contrasting groups of Rappers and Geeks as the main premise of the video. However, towards the end, the two blend together, in these two pictures they show a blend.

The two men look like they are doing a shady drug deal, where in actual fact, Al pays for a Star Wars Dvd, a popular franchise in nerd culture.

Weird Al gets refused to play bowling with the 'Gangsters' and is directed to the 'nerds' instead. The blending is that the two groups are in the same place doing the same thing, whereas outside of the bowling alley
they wouldn't be near eachother

The representation isn't typical to the genre, as is the point of the song, which states how nerds can't associate with rappers, because of how nerdy they are. In most respects, it is a fair representation, but is one to not take seriously and is for the basis of comedy, as both groups are quite diverse with the definitions of 'Nerd' and 'Gangster'. In terms of a rap video, it's subversive in it's representation, but the genre itself, it's common as it matches the lyrics being said.