The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up Analysis

The Prodigy released 'Smack My Bitch Up' in 1997 as it was part of their biggest hit album 'The Fat of the Land' which was certified multi-Platinum in five different countries. The single had limited airplay because of its content. The music video was created by the Swedish film and music video director Jonas Åkerlund.

The genre of music: Dance/Trance/ Rave

Genre Characteristics in the music video:
• Scenes at Clubs with flashing lights
• Alcohol abuse
• Drug taking
• Violence

These are often things related with the genre of dance and rave music, as it is seen as music of the 'party scene' which is obviously implied as a drug filled, alcoholic, out of control, fast paced and often violent experience.
Conventions of the music video:
The relationship between lyrics and visuals are often amplified, however they are not illustrated as there is not much vocal in the music due to the particular genre of the music it is, therefore there are not enough lyrics to base the whole video around.

Lyrics:
Change my pitch up... Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up... Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up... Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up... Smack my bitch up
Smack my bitch up
Ahaaaaaa
...Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up... Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up...Smack my bitch up

As you can see if the visuals were solely on illustrating the lyrics there would not be enough visuals to create an effective music video as the lyrics are full of repetition. Instead the music video has taken a narrative and concept based structure to portray a typical night out full of violent, drugs, sexual and alcoholic antics. However breaking the stereotype and adding suspension of disbelief, as, at the end of the music video it is revealed that the protagonist of the music video that the audience have been following through over the shoulder shots and point of view camera angles is actually a woman. The traits of the character are often seen as male, as stereotypically it is men that: start fights in clubs, get thrown out of clubs, eat kebabs, dance sexually with women, go to strip clubs, break into cars, start fights with random people, go into the male toilets. These things are all displayed in the music video and help the audience make connotations that the protagonist is a man, however the revelation in the end of the video shows they have been led into a false sense of security.

The music video is fast paced which is typical for the band and the motifs of sex, drugs and dancing are often displayed in their other music videos. Also any changes in pace that appear in the music, happen in the video as it changes pace too. The video has also been cut to the beat and there are added sound effects to help keep the visuals in time with the beat. For example in the beginning of the video sequence, a shower curtain is pulled, a tap is turned on, and a toilet roll is pulled when there is a 'swoosh' sound in the music, this could be described as being Onomatopoeic as the audience know from their own extensive knowledge that a toilet roll being pulled does not make a sound as loud as the video portrays however this particular sounds helps embed into the music and keep in time with the beat. A siren is heard once finished in the bathroom, that fits in time with the music and can also be suggested to help with continuity as this particular person is about to go out and break the law and everything in media is put in or used for a purpose. As the music starts to get quieter the sounds of a stereo is heard as if the protagonist is about to press play on the record that is already playing as once the button is pressed the beat of the track kicks in. The audience could make connotations that this is a reference to 'looking'.

The women in the strip club the protagonist enters convey sexual displays. They have their boobs out and are dancing in an erotic sense. There is a scene where one stripper actually removes her underwear and is naked. The protagonist carries out sexual acts on this particular stripper when they arrive at the protagonists house, again, shots of the stripper naked are shown whilst they carry out sexual activities on each other. This video was often banned on music video channels due to its explicit nature and particular scenes like the ones as afore mentioned.

Over the shoulder shots of the protagonist throughout the video apart from at the end helps the audience feel involved as if we are experiencing exactly what the protagonist is seeing, as it is from the protagonists point of view.

As the crime of drug/drink driving is being committed you can hear a siren of a police car which could be an intertextual reference to realism in society of how too many crimes are being committed at one time for them all to be caught. I feel that realism is the basis of the music video.

The image of the band created in this video is not necessarily a good one. Scenes of drug taking, strip clubs, alcohol, violence, crime and sex, suggests that the band could be heavily involved in these aspects of living. Or on the other hand, it could suggest that the band are in touch with these aspects of society and want to display to the rest of the public that these things actually do happen on a typical night out, and happen by the people that are unexpected to do so. Overall, suggesting that stereotypes are incorrect

The music video always shows that it is from the 90s as there are shots of the protagonist smoking inside a club, when now, it is clear that smoking is not allowed in public places.