Narrative Analysis

Eminem - When I'm Gone

This music video has a very powerful and emotive audience response. Some Youtube responses on this video are 'Eminem inspired me' and 'Eminem's raps are so heartfelt and amazing'. But why do his video create such strong messages? What provokes the positive response Eminem gets from nearly every of his music videos?

Some comments on his music video are:
'Eminem's music makes me feel like I can accomplish anything.'
'Emotional song.'
'I love you eminem are the best father in the world!!'
'Powerful.'

• One reason would be that his style of music is evidently rap. Therefore, conventions of rap music is that it has a narrative or at least some sort of poetical meaning behind it. Therefore, it makes it easier when creating a music video because the visual imagery can be more realistic.
• This narrative-based video follows the lyrics all the way until the end. It is an exact representation   of the lyrics and even the lip-sync, at times, has direct correlation to a conversation between the artist and his daughter. 
• The purpose of this narrative is to emotively connect with his audience and explain that although music is a massive part of his life, he would put family first and his daughter before anyone or anything including his passion for rap. The mise-en-scene of costume suggests that he's not trying to impress the audience with expensive-looking attire, he prefers to wear a hoodie and jeans - casual clothing, making him seem like an everyday guy who has the same problems and struggles as everyone else. 
• This video can be related to the surveillance theory. The mise-en-scene in this video suggests (and also from lyric analysis) Eminem is expressing his worries and tribulations within a rehabilitation group (the video opens with a man standing at the podium telling the rest of the group about his problems.) The audience will like this extra narrative as it could relate to their own lives or make them feel sympathy. Therefore, being more compassionate for the characters within the music video. Within the mise-en-scene, there is flashbacks from when Eminem is rapping (expressing his feelings - which fans of him will know is the whole point of his music) to him speaking to his daughter. In this music video, he sings about getting rid of his alter-ego and putting family first before anyone else. Therefore, the audience will relate and it enables to bring the fame and fortune back to the same level as his fans. 
• This can be applied to Rick Altman's Emotional Response Theory. Eminem's video gives such a strong response due to the the emotional aspects such as including his daughter, his wife and presenting it in the way that he's sharing sensitive thoughts with the whole world. Also, as many people do not attend rehabilitation groups, so in this respect, the audience can experience it within a safe place. The audience will decide to consume this as the message is seen as close-to-home - contextual knowledge of Eminem is that he came from slums and made his musical career from raw material. Therefore, flashbacks involve the audience with his life and gives them exact representations about what he's singing about within a safe place.
• However, Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze Theory does not apply to this video as it is solely focused on a narrative about Eminem's feelings towards his family. It is focused on his daughter and wife - in an emotive, sensitive way. '
• Tim O'Sullivan (1999) says that media texts tell the audience some kind of story that can relate to our own lives. This therefore reinforces the music video's ideology on connecting with the audience through similar everyday issues (rehab groups, problems, worries, tribulations, family) all things in which an audience can relate to and feel compassionately about.