Task Two: Summary of the main points of Andrew Goodwin's Theory (Research)

'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' (1993)

Chapter Four

The Structure of Music Video
Rethinking Narrative Analysis

Goodwin believes that traditional narrative analyses using such ideas as Todorov do not really apply to pop videos. This has served explanation to Goodwin's theory as pop videos are trying to be too innotative. The reasons for the different narrative structures:
1. pop videos are built around songs- and often songs do not pose traditional narrative structures(normality-problem-resolution)
2. the pop video uses the singer both as narrator and as a character
3. the singer often looks directly at the camera- this is an extension of (music-hall) performance and trying to involve the viewer at home with the performance.

Pop videos rely on repetiton. Often the video repeats images in the way the song repeats images in the way the song repeats choruses or lines. This repetition of parts of a song can become familar to a specific genre on TV, music videos or radio.

Pop videos have a form of beginning and closing,which is based on  the structure of music. This is built on the climax or to constant repetition before fading away.


The visualation of a song may exceed the original meaining. The video prvides a visual entertainment encourages more people to watch it more than once. Pop videos can be percieved as a synergical promotion from a film , for example 'You say it best when you say nothing at all' by Ronan Keating for the film, 'Notting Hill'.

Three types of  relations between songs and videos are illustration, amplification and disjucnture.

Illustration- this is where the video tells the story of he lyric 'Pap don't preach' (Madonna) as an  example. Dance is often used to express the feelings/ moods in the song.

Amplification- occurs when the videos introduce new meanings that do not contradict with the lyrics but add layers of meaning.

Disjuncture- this is where there is little connection between the lyric and video or where the video contradicts the lyric. Micheal Jackson's 'Man in the Mirror is an example. Whereas,  the song is about sel realisation bu the video  is full  of radical world events.