Overall, I think Beyoncé and the producers of the video did a good job of giving the lyrics deeper meaning through the video and emphasizing the darker, 'uglier' side of what it takes to be beautiful; however, they didn’t really make an effort to go any further in depth about the ramifications of the theme of the video.
This video reinforces the idea that America holds women to a certain "standard" that is being generated and even promoted by the media through platforms such as magazines, movies, and the culture of Hollywood. We see this standard being relentlessly sought after as Beyoncé works out and measures herself on a scale (and then steps off, looking dejected) and as other beauty pageant contestants eat cotton balls to keep themselves full, rub Vaseline on their teeth, and get spray tans.
This makes the video more meaningful because many women can relate to feeling pressure to be a certain shape or weight. The video proves even more meaningful when at the end of the video we discover that Beyonce doesn’t win the pageant, she gets second place, which means that all the things she sacrificed and the things she put her body through were for nothing.
The decision to resolve the plot this way acknowledges the fact that the American beauty standard is unattainable and trying to attain the unattainable is a dangerous game. This is emphasized when the music pauses and the pageant host asks Beyonce what her aspirations in life are. The video then cuts to Beyonce drowning with a voiceover of her stuttering, obviously at a loss for an answer, in the background.
This is significant because as Beyonce strives to fit into an ideal, she is losing herself in the process, which is something that many celebrities and models experience when working in an industry focused on perfection. Another thing that makes this a good music video is that the meaning and feeling you get from the video is still clear even if you watch it without sound. This is because of the way the producers use lighting and color to their advantage.
The only time there are ever bright colors or lighting is when Beyoncé and the other contestants are on stage. Even then, the lighting is glaringly bright to the point where it could be considered harsh and unforgiving. Backstage, everything is gloomy, the colors are muted and dull, and the lighting makes all the contestants look washed out and sickly (which obviously is not by accident).
Another choice that I believe makes the video more powerful is the choice to set the video at a beauty pageant. Beauty queens are the epitome of the American 'ideal' and getting a 'behind the scenes' look at what it actually takes to achieve and maintain that ideal is a little shocking. This was a good choice, but it was also an obvious one; had the producers and Beyonce used a different setting or plot line, the video could have made a bigger impression.
Although the video does a good job of presenting the meaning behind the lyrics and making them relatable, the video is a little obvious and the meaning doesn’t go very deep. The video makes you realize that the lengths some are going to to achieve beauty are outrageous- but it doesn’t do much more than that.
In the end, ‘Pretty Hurts’ by Beyonce does exactly what it aims to do (set a backdrop for the song and open up a conversation about beauty standards) and does it well, but ironically it only presents to the viewer the very surface of an issue that could easily be cracked open and expanded upon.
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