Music Video Analysis: Ironic

The music video of Ironic by Alanis Morissette, directed by Stphane Sednaoui, is the
music video I have chosen to study for the compulsory music video analysis that is not within
my chosen genre Morissette falls under alternative rock and post-grunge genres.
The video begins with a tracking shot of a blue car on a
winters day, and quickly sees Alanis walking to the car and
then getting in and starting it. Soon after we can decipher that
this is a performance video
in Joan Lynchs music
video structures (1984). A
shot reverse shot is
present in the car when
Alanis is looking in the mirror to see behind her and the
passenger is herself, with the camera then cutting back to
her as the driver. This
technique makes the video seem more surreal as it defies
reality she cant be in two places at once, therefore it
foregrounds her and is helpful in developing Morissettes
star iconography in Goodwins codes and conventions
theory. This could also perhaps be a play on the song and
its lyricism, with the focus being on irony. It would be ironic
for her to be in two different places, and so this is a more
literal interpretation of the lyrics. Additionally, this could fall into Propps category types as
Alanis could be the dispatcher and the hero.
The mis-en-scene of the video sees all the different versions of Alanis adorned in jumpers of
a single colour: red, green or yellow. The enigma code of these
colours could also relate to the songs lyrics too, suggesting the
irony of all three versions being dressed in such similar clothing.
It makes the audience wonder why they are dressed like this,
and if this was indeed an intentional feature. There are several
close-ups throughout the video of Alanis in her several forms
mist of which depict some erratic form of emotion, typically
laughter. Consequently, it can be difficult to distinguish a
narrative within video as it seems somewhat disjointed. However, I believe we are seeing a
circular narrative as the video is set in a car and Alanis is seen moving forwards until she
eventually leaves the car. This video falls under the enhanced performance category of Jon
Gows six central music video genres (1992) as we see performance in the form of lip-
synching from Alanis, but its blended with the narrative which, although is disjointed,
enhances the story. Alanis erratic appearance in much of the
video also gives the video some texture instead of relying on
Alanis just appearing driving car.
Alanis, in all forms, is dressed somewhat conservatively and
wears clothing that is acclimatized to the winter months.
Subsequently, she is not portrayed in a way that would
provoke Laura Mulveys male gaze theory that is
commonplace in several music videos with females at the
helm. Alanis isnt portrayed as a subject of desire within the video, with the mis-en-scene
suggesting she is a typical girl-next-door type and isnt intending to be provocative.
The ending of the video is the reverse of the beginning.
With Alanis now at the destination, she gets out of the
car and the shot tracks out and fades to black. This is
demonstrative of a circular narrative as we have gone
through the narrative in a linear fashion, but have
arrived back to the same point as we started. However,
this point is at a different time of day so we could
perhaps say this is a relative narrative too as it has
manipulated time and space. We can tell its later in the
day as the sky is darker, and the lighting is generally much dimmer. This shift in time and
space could signify the lack of prosperity irony brings, in terms of the lyrics. The lyrics
contain instances such as It's like rain on your wedding day and It's the good advice that
you just didn't take all of these are negative and are extremely unlucky, and so the dim
lighting could reflect the melancholy this brings.