Belinda Carlisle / Rihanna

1980's - Belinda Carlisle - 'Heaven is a Place on Earth'

She was born in Hollywood, and was the lead singer of an all-female group called the Go-Go's. The song reached number one in 7 countries in 1987 and has been used in many films, and covered by many people and is still remembered today. The video represents the 1980s in America as we can see from the fashion of the clothes that Belinda is wearing and the back combed big hair that it is typically 80s. Most of the video is just her on her own dancing and singing to the music. I think this represents the empowerment that women were getting at this time, as they were beginning to become equal to men and she is showing her woman power by being alone and confident in a lot of the video. This is reinforced by the fact that there are men in the video which she is kissing and dancing with but you never see their faces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LwoSxc_J4Y

Today - Rihanna - 'S&M'

Rihanna was born in Barbados in 1988, and moved to America when she was 16 and has become an American idol. In the video Rihanna is wearing a dress made from newspaper print with words like slut and needy on it, and later on she wears a top which says censored. The video is literally just sexual innuendos and images. The video is really controversial as it is so explicit and i even had to prove i was 18 to watch the video, even though Rihanna is a role model to younger children which is why if you listen to it on the radio certain words are blanked out. I found an article by NME which tells of how the video was banned in 11 countries for its sexual content. I think this represents today's world in America as it shows that it is not afraid to push the boundaries and make videos that many other countries wouldn't dare to make. The contrast between this video and Belinda Carlisle's is amazing, as it shows how much American values and morals have changed in 30 years to be putting a video like Rihanna's in the charts for the younger generation to see. The fashion in the video also shows how adventurous America is as the video will be remembered for its hyperbolic costumes and sex references.

http://www.nme.com/news/daily-gossip/54791