STAR IMAGE
In the peak of their careers, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were constantly pitted against eachother, and were forever competing to be the 'Number 1' female in the music industry, creating contrasting star images in order to try and be the most sucessful singer.
cHRISTINA AGuilera's 'dirrty'
When creating her star image, Christina decided to take the 'bad girl' route. This star image is flaunted in her video to 'Dirrty' which incorporates several different media categories in order to bring together her rebellious image.
To begin with, the costume and make-up is extreme, and in some cases her outfit scarcely covers her body parts. Her first outfit is made of red leather, and reveals lots of bum and stomach.
She sits astride a motorbike and speeds off, suggesting she isn't your average girl, but is more courageous and to be considered a daredevil.
Throughout the video Christina is featured in lots of tight leather,
bikini tops, and an extremely short skirt, making her become desirable and percieved as sexy and daring.
bikini tops, and an extremely short skirt, making her become desirable and percieved as sexy and daring.
She wears lots of black eye-liner and dark make-up, portraying her as 'grunge' and she appears very attractive to the audience.
They have also incorporated piercings into Christina's look, which are seen as hardcore, and gives the impression that she is a 'bad girl.' They focus a lot on her stomach and belly button, which is seen as a 'vaginal porthole' and is considered a desirable body part.
The dancing incorporated into the video makes Christina a subject of an erotic gaze,
as it is extremely raunchy.
as it is extremely raunchy.
This is also shown in her body language, where she is poised in certain ways to make her seem more sexy.
The setting of the video is a dark underground boxing club. This is reflective of Christina, who is being portrayed as mysterious and rebellious. There is graffiti on the walls, and the whole set is dingy and trashed. This tells the audience that Christina is fearless, and will associate with people considered dangerous and 'dirrty' as she is brave and a daredevil.
Setting the video in a boxing ring, and incorporating Christina into the sport gives her stereotypical male traits. When she is boxing, she appears as strong, courageous and 'one of the lads.' This means that the female audience would admire her audacity, and then men would find Christina attractive and feel as though they could relate to her. She also gets hit by her opponent, and the fact that she carries on to win shows her strength and determination.
In the video they feature a lot of sweat, which is an indexical signifier of sex. In the lyrics, Christina says "Sweat until my clothes come off," which makes her appear as promiscuous and enticing. In the mise-en-scene Christina also holds a red cloth, as the colour is also symbolic of sex and lust, confirming her promiscuity.
Britney spears' 'Sometimes'
Britney Spears' approach to creating her star image differs hugely from Christina Aquilera's. Despite Christina's 'bad girl' vibe being very successful, Britney Spears created her own girly and innocent image.
In the video Britney is portrayed as innocent through the use of soft focus. The filters used on the clips give a white glow, which shows Britney as angelic and pure, which adds to her star image of innocence.
Britney is also seen as virtuous through the set. The colours of the deck and beach are very serene, and the beach is seen as a relaxing and light-hearted place.
The green of the grass and the blue sky are also associated with peace, along
with the activity of a picnic, which is seen as childish and romantic.
with the activity of a picnic, which is seen as childish and romantic.
They also incorporate a venue which is extremely bright and tranquil, where Britney is holding a pink beach ball. This represents her as pure and child-like.
The video features a cheesy and gentle dance routine, in which the dancers form a heart around Britney. The dance also incorporates moves that represent friendship and harmony. This imagary portrays Britney as lovable and kind, adding to her innocent star image.
The costumes in the video represent purity, as they are white or light pastel colours. Each colour is soft, which tells us that Britney is also soft and innocent.
Britney's shown as vulnerable as there are people towering over her while she sits huddled on the floor. Also, she is often seen clinging to things i.e. the pillar, the telescope pole, telling the audience that she needs stability in her life.
Throughout the video Britney often gives the camera 'puppy dog eyes' to communicate that she is sweet and lovable.