Intertextuality Part 1

Intertextuality 

• The shaping of a text's meaning by other text. 
• The relationship between two texts

Intertextuality is used in media a lot, it is when one form of media text references another.For the aspect we are focusing on which is music videos. It can be used in a number of different ways, music videos can reference to films, fashion, magazines but more recently they can reference to social media such as youtube videos and websites such as facebook and twitter.

The best way in which to understand intextuality is to look at some examples:

1.  The most famous music video for intertexuality is Madonna's Material Girl - This is referencing the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

The top three images show Madonna's music video - Material girl and the Bottom shows the film Gentlemen prefer Blonde's starring Marilyn Monroe. 

In this video Madonna is not only referencing the iconic image of Marilyn Monroe in the film Gentlemen prefer Blonde's. But also she is referencing the song Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend and how that is somewhat "materialistic" therefore making Madonna's version slightly like a parody of the original. The underlining intextuality is actually the reference to the way society perceives blonde's. The image of a sexy blonde star and the way she can play men to get what she wants as many young girls who watched this music video back when it was first released wouldn't have been able to see the relationship between the two texts. As the film Gentlemen prefer Blonde's was released in 1953 where as Material Girl was released in 1985. 

2. Another well known music video for intertextuality is Man! I Feel Like A Woman - Shania Twain. It is referencing another music video Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer.

This video is already a form of intertextuality because the idea for the "mannequin" like models came from the fashion prints by Patrick Nagel -  These prints are known for their pale models with heavy black make up and dark hair as well as their provocative nature.

 But Shania Twain is also famous for referencing the music video "Addicted to Love". The music video for Addicted to Love has been parodied a lot due to the mannequin style band it uses. But in Man! I feel like a woman, it has been used as an intertextual reference to the video by making the models in the background male she has copied the format of the original to make it more suited to the song and audience.