Analysis of Video Clip

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iRpJ7XvxgTE
The scene which I have chosen to analyse is a backstage segment between one of WWE's "couples", Beth Pheonix and Santino Marella.

Throughout this scene, there is no music played. The only sound other than the two characters speaking is the non diegetic sound from the audience in the arena. The lighting used within this scene is high key. This clip has not had anything edited to it as it was originally played live on television.

The institution which produce this text is World Wrestling Entertainment,inc, therefore meaning it has no connections with Hollywood. This show in which this scene was showed on is WWE Raw (WWE Monday Night Raw). WWE promote this show with regular advertisements on television channels such as Sky Sports and Sky One which indicates that it is a commercial television show. WWE is a mainstream distribution. WWE shows are aired on prime time. WWE Raw is their "flagship show" and is shown live at 2AM from the United States on Tuesday Mornings on Sky Sports 3 in the UK. The majority of UK viewers watch it when it is repeated on Thursday nights at 9PM on Sky Sports 3. WWE Smackdown is shown on Friday nights at 10PM on Sky Sports 3.

WWE often refer to themselves as "Sports Entertainment". They are most certainlly a hybrid genre as their shows contain elements from a variety of genres which would be in soap operas or dramas. Due to the fact that WWE is "fixed/scripted", it is clear that it is a broadcast fiction. WWE shows do contain the majority of elements in which a broadcast fiction does, for example both have a title sequence, theme tune and a tragedy.

Santino Marella, a young Itallian man and Beth Pheonix, a young American woman are one of WWE's "couples". It is often asked, "who wears the trousers in this relationship?". This is due to the fact that Santino often ends up being defeated in matches and is the "underdog" while Beth is a dominant woman who is often victorious. Their characteristics are illustrated strongly throughout this clip (last weeks episode of Raw). Beth Pheonix, the number 1 female villian in WWE, is represented in two ways. She is represented as a promiscuous sex object as well as a dominant tough unstoppable force. The clothing she is wearing is provocative as it is leather and shows her cleavage. The fact that it is black and red connotes evil, blood and danger. Unlike the other women in WWE, Beth Pheonix is quite muscular which also illustrates that she is strong and powerful. Her blonde curly locks and black leather provacative costume represents her as a sex object, in a similar way to Catwoman. From the way she shouts at Santino and destroys his mobile phone shows that "she is the man in the relationship". Santino Marella is also a villian in WWE, however is slowly gaining fans from his comic character. He is represented in a vunerable way in this scene from his girlish scream to his facial expression as the scene closes as it looks as though he is about to cry. As this scene opens it looks as though Beth cares about Santino as he is complaining about his loss, however as he breaks the bad news to her the stereotypes of men and women reverse and makes Santino look physically weak while Beth looks physically strong. Both of these representations are not fair however could in some ways reflect society.

WWE's primary audience are children, in particulary males aged 6- 15. WWE's secondary audience is males aged 15- 20, however WWE do intend to appeal to everybody. WWE is extremelly popular in the United States which is where the majority of the fans are. However WWE is aired worldwide, therefore is popular amongst many different countries. Not only do males watch WWE, but females do so aswell. This is due to the "female gaze".

A message which may be given from this text is that men and women are equal, therefore the days were a man could push around his woman are over (feminism). Also the audience may be sympathetic to Santino when he is about to cry even though it is done for comedy.

The narrative structure begins with an equilibrium while Santino complains about his loss to Beth, however a disequalibrium begins once Santino breaks the bad news to Beth. A new equalibrium does not occur.