Representation in Katy Perry’s ‘Part of me’

The close up provides the ‘typically feminine’ backdrop against which the rest of the video is contrasted. Jewellery is prominent, the hands are pale against the dark mis-en-scene, and the viewer is shown an eyeline-match close-up of a heart shaped locket, in which the character’s partner can be seen. This showcases her pride in her relationship, something which the viewer will later see overturned.

This long-shot mimics the protagonist’s view of the scene unfolding as she sees her boyfriend flirting with one of his colleagues. He is placed slightly higher than the woman, showing the audience that he is in control of the situation. The woman is a ‘perfect blonde’ reinforcing the female fear that any male partner will always find a more physically attractive woman than herself.

After confronting her boyfriend, she takes solace in the stereotypically female activity of shopping- but her casual clothes and small-scale shopping help the audience to identify with the protagonist, as she seems like a ‘real’ rather than ‘aspirational’ character.

Here is the first time the audience sees a front-on close up of the protagonist’s face- the camera does not move, and this still shot tells the audience that the character has reached a turning-point in her story. The cut to an eyeline-match of an advertisement for the marines shows the viewers her intentions. Her wide-eyed, calm expression shows her as strong and firm in her convictions.

She arrives at a public bathroom- the mis-en-scene here is stripped of all glamour- in the same way, she is now in only a vest top, and is not wearing her accessories that she was earlier (sunglasses, locket, etc). The character’s sudden release of emotion, again enables other women to identify with her- society (especially the feminist movement) pressurises women to ‘be strong’, and emotional attachment are pain are signs of weakness. Consequently, it is privately that many women unburden themselves, as demonstrated in this sequence. The setup of the shot places the character in the position of the audience- she watches herself in the mirror, again identifying herself with other women. The cutting of her hair symbolises her rejection of femininity, and also appears to be a form of self harm, taking out her anger at her boyfriend on herself.

The protagonist regards her new self, as do the audience. The slow, deliberate placing of the hood seems final, as an end to her ‘old self’. She is no longer angry, but calm, fully aware of her actions, as opposed to ruled by her emotionality, as females are often perceived to be. The hood also acts to cover up her violent outburst at herself, as though she is ashamed of her rash act- joining the marines did not mean she had to cut her hair, and what she did was a very public act of defiance against social norm that she now perhaps regrets. However, her facial expression is determined, showing that she is set on her course of action.

This shot shows the regimented nature of her new life- in the background are rows of beds, all made the same way- uniform and military. In the foreground, we see four women; again, all similar- they have the same facial expression, and the equal numbers of short/long hair, people, and beds all reaffirm the military feel of her new life.

The most prominent feature of this shot is the protagonist’s fierce expression. This, along with her attire, pose, and mis-en-scene, seem totally un-feminine, especially in contrast to the beginning of the video. All the people in the background are in the same pose, demonstrating the uniformity of the military life, and the loss of the protagonist’s individuality.

Again, this shot is entirely filled with non-feminine (and arguably masculine) mis-en-scene. The character has no feminine shape, due to her protective attire, which could be seen as a metaphor for the way she has chosen this life not in order to serve her country, but to cover and protect herself. She is shown setting fire to a letter from her boyfriend- another act of defiance against him. The flaming letter’s placing- between her and another man- symbolises her total rejection of relationships, and how she is setting a destructive boundary between her and all men, to protect herself from being hurt again. However, the fact that she has laid aside her weapon, and is distracted from her duty, implies that she is not committed to this new life.

Here, amongst the male-dominated world of her military life, we see one overtly feminine shot; here, she applies camouflage-cream with the help of a compact mirror. This is a well known female pose, especially as she is shown applying the cream to her cheeks, in the same way that non-military women would be seen applying powder. Her eyebrows are also well-groomed- this shot gives the impression that in order to fit into this new life, she has had to hide her true self, but does not manage to conceal it completely.

This is one of the final shots in the music video- she engages with the audience one last time, staring directly into the lens of the camera. All of her visible self is covered in military gear- camo cream, helmet, combat jacket. These are the trappings of her new life- however, these things are merely a mask, which she has taken on to hide her old self, in order that she may not be hurt again. This plays on the idea that women have had to become more masculine to be seen as strong as men, whereas her decision to join the military showed great strength of character, though her reasoning was perhaps a little misguided.