Plan B - ill MANOR Video Analysis

This video by multi genre artist, film director and actor Plan B (Real name Ben Drew) and is for a song called ill MANOR.

Lyrics


Its lyrics show what many of the looters would of had, using lyrics like 'You can't put us all in prison' which reflects the idea that many people had, that the riots wer caused by the country having a failed Penal System. Another lyric is 'who closed down the Community Centre' with this reflecting the idea that some of the looters that were previously interviewed gave, they had nothing to do. It also reflects the gang culture of the communities who allegedly took part in these riots. It uses the words 'People get stabbed round here there's many shanks, nice knowing someones got your back when you get attacked'. This shows the culture of the gangs and the violence which is shown in these places.

Video


In the video there are many images that would reflect the ideas that people would of had about the people involved in the riots, it shows you the young people in communities, staying near their flats, drinking and attacking passers by. At one point it shows you people being beat up, and a teenage girl filming it all on her phone, showing again the impact that social media could have on these communities and the riots in particular. It is also showing what seems to be the main pictures of the riots, burning cars and makes this a big part of the video. When the song is coming back into the chorus at the end it shows a shot of a fire bomb being thrown into a car, in slow motion, in time with the music.

Plan B (Ben Drew) Opinion


In an interview with Radio 1Xtra he made these points:

• He doesn't agree witht the riots, he just feels that the people who were involved in them should be highlighted, so that they can be helped, and shown that there is a better way to live than this.
• He believes that the riots will not help these communities, it will make them worse, as peoples perceptions, which were already bad, could now be confirmed.
• There is now a divide between the adult middle classes, with those in government believing that they are better than those they are governing. 
• The words CHAV and YOB are used to much, and are taken too lightly in the media, and should be used less as it is possible that it could be as serious as racism and sexism, which you wouldn't ever see in the newspapers. 
• He also believes that having money and paying for an education is not an excuse to think that you are better than someone else, and certainly doesn't give you a right to judge people, after only seeing one side of them. 
• He compares all people to animals, who, when backed into the corner lash out, he calls it a primal instinct and he believes that this is what happened in causing the riots. He says that the people in the 'poorer' communities were oppressed and were pushed back and back and eventually it provoked a reaction, the rioting and looting. 
• He says that it is up to the people in the communities to change the perceptions made about them, by the things they do and the way that they act, especially when there is a spotlight on them, whether it be from the government, the police or other power. 

As you can see in what he says in that interview, and what is in the lyrical content, he is trying to get under the skins of the middle class and those in government, trying to provoke a reaction from them, like they did to the affected communities.