Sunday 4 April 2010

Ashanti - Foolish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUPrnu3BEU8 Textual analysis

The opening of the scene is of two men sitting in a car and talking about trying to get a girl. It then leads on to Ashanti going on a date with the main male, as the are walking into the place of the date he gives money to man at this point he is hiding the fact that he is giving him money, this could mean that he is handing him money for something he shouldn't. He later hands money over to someone else for bringing them a table, the male is handing moeny over as if he has a lot of money to waste. This could signify that he is very wealthy and has a lot of money. Ashanti asks the male what he does he pauses and says construction, this could implies that he is lying, which also leads us to think he is doing dodgy things to get his money. It shows two shots of the male leaving the house and Ashanti standing at the door and waving goodbye, at the second shot she asks for moeny and that's when he lifts up his top and use stack of money in the belt, he hands over a stack to Ashanti, this also stresses the fact that he is involved in something dodgy, as a normal person who is doing a 9-5 job wouldn't have money in their clothes like that.


It then shows a scene of Ashanti and the male arguing and her throwing the car keys out the window, this could mean she doesn't want material things all she wants is for him to love her genuinely. They then carry on arguining, till he then has a swing at her with the lamp however she bends down and he misses her, this is actually a serious situation as it shows he is aggressive and tried to hit her. Whilst he attempted to hit her she os singing, ' I don't know how I allow you to treat me this way and still I stay.' This could mean that she knows the way he is behaving is unacceptable however it sounds as if she's not about to leave him anytime soon, also that line sounds as if he has tried to hit her or been agressive toward her before, so it's not the first time it has actually happened.

There's a scene shortly after where he comes back to her house, which looks as if it is her parents house, he knocks on the door and she answers the door. When she answers the door her mother also comes out and starts shoutig at the male, this could mean that Ashanti has no control over her own life, as when her partner returns it;'s her mtoher that askd where he's been not her. This could mena to some extent her mother controls her life and from what we gathered before Ashantis partner controls her. This could stereotypically mean that females are controlled by others, firstly in the video by her partner and then later in the video by her mother.

It then leads to the scene where Ashanti is packng her bags, at this point hse has convinced the audience she is going to finally leave her partner. She is walking down the stairs to leave the house and she opens the door and her partner is standing at the door, as soon as Ashanti sees him she drops her bag and hugs him. This could signify that she is extremley weak when it comes to him, as she loves him dearly and could also signify she is weak. However, if the audience listen to lyrics carefully whilst Ashanti is packing her bag she sings, 'kknowing that i should go' that doesn't sound convincing to the audience that she is going to leave, it sounds as if she knows she should leave but she can't.

All in all, this song and video represents a woman as weak object of a male. Ashanti in this video wants to escape from the relationship and knows she should however she can't because she is in 'love' with her partner who has continuously argues with her, cheated on her, leave for days without telling her where he is going and lastly and most importantly he's attempted to hit her. She knows she should leave him but she doesn't. At the end when she hugs her partner the word foolish appears, this could mean she is foolish for taking him back once again.

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