Research: Comparison - "Laura Marling - Rambling Man" & "Ron Pope - Atlanta" - Representation of Gender

I am going to compare the representation of gender within both of these videos, looking at the difference in the way gender is represented depending on the gender of the artist.

Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is an English folk musician from Eversley, Hampshire. She became prominent with the London folk scene, she has also toured with a number of well-known indie artists in the UK. Her debut album "Alas, I Cannot Swim", and her second album "I Speak Because I Can" were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2008, and 2010 respectively. She also won Best Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2012 Brit Awards.
The music video of hers that I am analysing is for the song "Rambling Man", released in 2010 on the album "I Speak Because I Can". This song was nominated for best original song in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. (Source: Wikipedia)

Ron Pope (born July 23, 1983) is an American pop and rock singer-songwriter. He was raised in Marietta, Georgia, United States, and is currently based in New York City. In 2005, Ron Pope, along with Zach Berkman, wrote the internet hit, "A Drop In The Ocean." From the success of that song, Pope went on to pursue a career as a solo artist. His music is now successful in both America and internationally. Pope released a new album ("Atlanta") on April 17, 2012.
"Atlanta" is the debut single for Ron Pope's new album of the same name. (Source: Wikipedia, YouTube)

In Laura Marling's video, the artists character is shown as a serious artist through the still close up and androgynous clothing. The still close up shot of the artists face makes a direct intertextual reference to Sinéad O'Connor's video for "Nothing Compares 2U", enhancing that the artist should be taken seriously as Sinéad O'Connor was well known for not wearing provocative clothing in order to gain fame.

The way that Laura Marling's costume conceals her neck makes this reference even more clear, as this mirrors the clothing that Sinéad O'Connor wears in her video. This representation of the female role is a convention of the folk genre, as the genre is more about the musical ability and the story behind the lyrics, rather than the appearance of the artist. This is a direct contrast to female mainstream pop artists such as Beyonce who dress in little clothing and dance provocatively. Also, both female artists look straight into the camera, giving an impression of confidence and power.

The male character within this video is introduced as sinister, through the use of dim lighting and shadow. The characters facial expressions throughout the whole video are emotionless, suggesting that the character is detached from his emotions. This clear representation of an emotionless male character is linked to radical feminist viewpoints of male oppression, for example Mary Daly's views on society: "The fact is that we live in a profoundly anti-female society, a misogynistic "civilization" in which men collectively victimize women, attacking us as personifications of their own paranoid fears, as The Enemy. Within this society it is men who rape, who sap women's energy, who deny women economic and political power."

This male character is never shot in the frame with other characters or people. This gives an impression of loneliness, whilst also increasing his sinister qualities as it poses the question of why he is so alienated. The shot of the flock of birds enhances the fact that he is alone, and also their movements mirror the movements of the waves.

Within Ron Pope's video for "Atlanta", the female character is washing her face at a sink, as was the male character in Laura Marling's video. However, due to the drastic difference in lighting and mise-en-scene, the woman is seen to be vulnerable and emotional. This is due to the warmer lighting and the close up shot of her face looking down. This is a stark contrast to the representation of the female artist in Laura Marling's video, as she was seen to be powerful and in control of her emotions.

Although, similarly to Laura Marling's video, the male character/artist is always shot alone in the frame, the way extreme close up shots have been used displays the emotion on his face, whereas with Laura Marling's male character, he seemed emotionless. This makes the audience empathise with the male character, as it is obvious through his facial expression and the lyrics of the song that he is hurt.