Controversial Music Video - Smack My Bitch Up

This video was directed by Swedish director, Jonas Akerlund, who has also directed videos for Lady Gaga, Madonna, Robbie Williams and The Rolling Stones. He is well known for directing unusual and sometimes controversial music videos. The video shows someone having a night out in London and the video contains lots of nudity, use of hard drugs, sexual content, vomiting, drink-driving and violence. The video was eventually banned from the BBC and MTV and only a lyric free version was allowed to play on Radio 1. The video received lots of criticism and created anger among feminist groups, in particular US National Organisation for Women, which accused the video of encouraging violence against women. Despite the content of the video, the video was allowed to air after midnight due to overwhelming demand and was named MTV's 'Most Controversial Video' in history.

In terms of camera work, there is really only one shot used throughout the entire video and that is a point of view shot, this is showing the audience everything that the character is doing throughout their night out in London. Due to the chosen shot we see the misuse of alcohol and drugs and also the other people in the video that the character meets, and displays their actions clearly to the camera. By using this shot, it has put the audience in the shoes of the character and forced them to see everything through their eyes. This can create more shock and is possibly one of the reasons why the video is so controversial, because if the director had chosen to use other shots such as mid shots, high angle shots or long shots; then we would have been able to see who the protagonist is from the beginning and this would not have created as much shock when they turned out to be a woman. This camera shot may also have been the reason why a majority of people may think the character is a man, as stereo typically, the things that we see them doing are things that an audience would maybe assume a man to be doing more likely than a woman. For example, going home with a stripper, going to a strip club, drinking excessive amounts etc. Therefore, this video breaks stereotypes. A few close ups are used along side POV shots, to show detail of what the character is doing such as injecting themselves and vomiting on the floor, which also creates shock.

Editing also plays a part in making the video so controversial as one of the main features used is fast paced editing. Fast paced editing can help to build up action and cause a long time to feel like it has gone really quickly. It also creates confusion and distortion for the audience as one things seems to be happening one and minute and something else happens the next, and it is hard to keep up. This can be linked to the idea that the character in the video has been drinking and taking drugs and this convention may be used to display the effects of that to the audience. This feature combined with point of view shots can portray the effects very well and capture the audience in the action. Jump Cuts are also used, for example when the character is in the club drinking and then suddenly in the toilet being sick; this like fast paced editing creates confusion and depending on what the camera cuts to creates shock. Again, this may be linked to drinking and drugs and may relate to the idea that actions are forgotten and people cannot remember things after abusing drugs and alcohol. Finally, distortion is used particularly after the protagonist has been to the toilet and injected themselves with what the audience assume to be drugs. This again like the above, clearly demonstrates the effect that drugs have on your mind and body. This is another reason why the video may be seen as controversial.

Finally, in terms of mise en scene there is lots to talk about but in particular, props and costume. In terms of costume, we do not actually see what the character is wearing apart from right at the very beginning of the video when they are seen to put on black jeans and trainers; which is another reason why we assume that the protagonist is male. The props used include, cars, drugs, needles, drinks, etc. All of these together are shocking and are yet another reason why this video is controversial. In terms of lighting, the lighting is quite dark and grimey and links to that of the video.