MTV Video Music Awards Task

Best Male Video

Nominees:

Justin Bieber – U Smile (Winner)

Justin Bieber - U Smile Music Video

Bruno Mars – Grenade

Cee Lo Green – F*** You

Eminem ft Rihanna – Love the Way You Lie

Kanye West ft Rihanna and Kid Cudi – All of the Lights

Who should have won and why?

"Set this house on fire"

"Watch me burn"

We think Eminem ft Rihanna – Love the Way You Lie should have won, as the video sends a personal, serious message. It is the most relatable and understandable video for audiences. The genre of rap/hip-hop usually sends out serious messages about personal experiences and this fits in well. The lyrics and visuals are illustrative and fit together nicely, for example the house behind Eminem and Rihanna as they sing is always on fire – fitting in with the lyrics “I’ll set this house on fire” – and the characters in the video are burning or holding flames – fitting in with the lyrics “watch me burn”. The characters also mime along to the lyrics with Eminem as if they were saying them out loud – “Where you going?” “I’m leaving you,” – which convinces the audience of the story and makes the whole story more realistic to watch. There is also a large range of shots, including close ups and low angle shots to highlight every part of the characters’ story.

Conveying a serious message to audiences