American Girls Music Video Analysis: The Industry & Closeting.
The video opens with Harry walking onto a set, which mirrors celebrity perfectly. His life is a stage, and he must perform.
He’s then seen riding a motorcycle, which is symbolic of freedom and rebellion.
However, he’s unusually sad given the situation. Note that he’s wearing a yellow tie, which contradicts his demeanor. To me, this represents his truest self: warmth, optimism, and happiness. It’s close to his throat and wants to be let loose. Unfortunately, It’s being blown to the side.
Turns out, he’s not moving at all. Someone is pulling the strings and creating an illusion of agency. Even his efforts to take control of the narrative and escape are futile. We see this theme a lot throughout the video. Note that the man steering Harry is shrouded in blue, a color typically associated with sadness, which is fitting. But, most of all, that color is tied to Louis. I think this indicates that they are being controlled by the same monster. Harry’s image is intertwined with Louis’, and their decisions have a ripple effect on one another. It’s leverage—a subtle reminder that the person he loves is at stake, and it can/will be used if necessary.
A clapperboard makes an appearance, covering his face, removing his identity, and ending any chance he had at internal peace. The high number on the slate suggests that this has happened many times: his dreams crushed over and over again. It’s just another day, repeating the same takes and ending in the same way.
Harry, leaves the set and happens upon another guy in his same situation, turning to give him a thumbs up. The industry treats everyone badly, and he empathizes. So all that’s left to do is be kind and encouraging. He tries to be real in an environment full of artificiality.
This is the first moment we are introduced to his costar. Keep in mind that this is the only person Harry shares a scene with in the film review, which I will get to shortly. This guy is Louis, trapped in the same web of lies and control as everyone else, but it’s different than the previous interaction. Harry looks at him with longing, begging for him to glance back and break character. Every actor in the music video share the same box, but these two share the same closet.
This is very important and will make more sense later on. Just know that this is planning. They’re directing this person on what to expect when an explosion occurs.
We see another instance of Harry’s vehicle being worked on/tampered with. This one feels a bit more like a warning than direct curation based on the events that follow.
He’s actually driving this time. He is finally on his own, and the reigns have been loosened a bit, but there are still rules to follow (see above image). The freedom feels too good, though. It’s so nice to be able to take small liberties—almost like a high. It makes him lose sight of the expectations set for him. He gets too comfortable: saying too much, signaling too hard, not being as cautious with his love and identity. The consequences are explosive. People begin to speculate. His image has been cracked. It’s time for damage control…
The fire must be put out. But how? Let’s circle back to image of the person given instructions regarding explosions. It’s revealed that she is a stunt double (emphasis on the word stunt). The decision to make the double a woman was intentional. She is the damage control. The one who steps in when there is gay catastrophe, represented by the explosion. Note that the man overseeing the “clean-up” is the same one who was directing the stunt double. This is overwhelmingly the loudest part of the whole music video.
We cut to the cast reviewing the final product of the film. I think this is representative of a debrief or meeting where Harry is confronted with his actions, reprimanded for them, and reminded of how he’s meant to act. The three main attendees are the stunt double, Harry, and the man, who I believe, is meant to be Louis. As I mentioned, H & L’s closets are intertwined and reliant on the compliance of both of them. It would make sense for him to be there alongside the stunt. They’re all directly involved in the process of keeping up appearances. Her being in between them is also symbolic. Not only of them being torn apart but, also, of the fact that Louis has beards too.
As they’re watching, a shot of the man (Louis) and Harry is shown. This is the first time either of them have smiled in the entire video. They seem so happy and carefree—in love. Harry’s reaction to seeing it is so heartbreaking. The longing and sadness is so apparent. How could something so pure be wrong?
The following scenes depict Harry dodging and running from land mines. I think this represents him tiptoeing the line between what’s acceptable and what isn’t. He’s trying to navigate being true to himself without getting hurt by the impact.
Not everyone will come out unscathed, though. Harry is in pristine condition and even given a lint roller. His image remains in tact. His costar’s (Louis), however, is not. He’s shown with soot all over his face. Maybe he missteps, or maybe he’s just the scapegoat. As we know, Louis has taken the brunt of punishment when it comes to his career (blacklisting). Harry is their piggy bank; Louis is their means to an end.
This sequence of the motorcyclist doing flips in front of a sunset is reminiscent of Harry’s desire. Real, unbridled freedom. Even if it’s dangerous, the reward is worth the risk,
The blue wall has returned. He’s back to square one. The cycle continues. Rinse, repeat.
