Music Video Analysis: Where Is The Love - The Black Eyed Peas

 Where Is The Love - The Black Eyed Peas (Michael Jurkovac, 2003)

"Where Is the Love?" is an R&B/Hip-hop song by American hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas, released in 2003 as the lead single for their third album, Elephunk. This is a conceptual driven video that enacts primary social and historical contexts center on how terrorism, racism, and war are harming our global community. It discusses bombings, terrorism, many forms of discrimination, and the kinds of principles we are not teaching today's youngsters, as well as the representation of the black community in our society. 

CONCEPT, PERFORMANCE, AND NARRATIVE

This is a conceptual music video, but also has a narrative of the black community, with many representations through symbols that emphasize the title of the song "Where Is The Love". Additionally, many other depictions of racial discriminations were also described through its mise-en-scène. It also features The Black Eyed Peas performancing in many footage.

CAMERA WORK

Many close-ups portraying faces of children were seen throughout the music video, as it may reinforces the message of love and peace (which could be emphasizes when youngsters are involved). Hand-held cameras were also used as it helps creates such shakiness, demonstrates the movement of a society, when people are seen putting on question marks, helps creating a revolutionary atmosphere for the viewers. A long camera angle, was used in the scene where it lets the audience see William and the graffiti on the wall behind him, saying "We are not minority". There are some zoomings here and there into the crowds, showing the group of people who are running to hang up question marks here and there on the streets, emphasizing the change people are trying to make in this society.

MISE-EN-SCÈNE

The question mark is the motif that runs through the music video. Numerous traits of this symbol are used to develop a concept. Because it is a particularly prominent shade of red in the otherwise washed-out film, the question mark literally represents the most vibrant sign. The spectator is prompted to consider the symbol's deeper meaning by this fact. The inclusion of this symbol, which appears in the song's title "Where is the Love," makes it clear that the video is asking its audience a question. 

The majority of the young people in the opening scenes of this music video are black, and the portrayals of black people in this scenario are generally not positive. The majority of the participants are black and wearing dark clothing with hoods. The fact that they are all wearing hoods suggests that the black adolescents have plans to commit significant crimes because this clothing choice is one that we would generally connect with criminals. It creates the idea that all criminals in America are people of color, which over time will help to distinguish the stereotypical "criminal" in the minds of young audiences who continue to watch this music video.

Young black people are seen hastily sprinting through the heart of Los Angeles, seemingly away from approaching police cars. Again, the viewer is immediately alerted by this that they might be crooks or thugs. The Black Eyed Peas are trying to reach young people, but this representation is extremely derogatory to them, and the fact that only one race is being stereotyped negatively may have a negative impact on them. They may pick up on the representations that are being promoted in the opening scenes of the music video along with the stereotype and not want to associate with black people in general. However, looking at a prefered reading perspective, the artists would want us to acknowledge how discriminated the black community had been portrayed in our society (specifically the United States).

The wall graffiti that reads "We are not a minority" makes the argument that people of different races shouldn't be prohibited from being friends with one another. It argues that black people are the focus of racial inequity because it features a black member of the Black Eyed Peas. Technical elements, like the long camera angle for this particular sequence, work well since they let the audience see Will.i.am and the graffiti on the wall behind him. This could imply that this race has experienced racism in society the most, and it also supports the idea that black people in early 21st-century civilization were less important than white people. 

EDITING

There seems to be not much noticeable editing techniques used in the music video. Color grading was used to make the colors more contrast and achieve much rougher look to the video, making it more serious and street-like look. Additionally, there are also specific scenes where heavy grains were added to indicate the used of old hand-held cameras, in which shows that there are people that are recording the movement of this group of people, to spread to message of a peaceful world.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS

This specific R&B music product is very different from the other general music videos of the same genre. Often, R&Bs depict the more appealing, glamorous and sensual side, which helps providing the sexual pleasure. Where Is The Love approaches a very different plot, as it displays peace and love, without any image portraying sexual aspects or such alternatives. This is considered to be a breaking codes and conditions point, where the director doesn't follow the same patterns of codes and conventions of a genre.