Katy Perry in The One that got Away music video addresses both the male and female roles during a romantic relationship, as well as when a couple breaks up. The visuals tell two parallel stories. The first story is about a young couple who are elated, enthusiastic, and enamored of the love entity. Rumors suggest that the couple in this video was inspired by her relationship with Jonathan Lewis. The mood shifts after a few happy scenes to more negative ones. After a few blissful scenes, the mood of the video shifts to more negative interactions between the two.
Perry is able to portray her male characters and female ones as equals in a very few scenes. The young lovers are shown to be equally happy in the video segment where they dance and laugh with each other. They paint pictures of one another, too. She depicts them as individuals fighting the world. They are both united. Her characters, who are adventurous, bold, and silly, do not care about the opinions or thoughts of anyone. This is an excellent example of equality between men and women in a romantic relationship. It shows a balance of mutual respect, a common ground, and a sense of harmony between the two. Perry sends teens a strong message by showing them a picture of an active couple. This is how she prepares them for future relationships. She prefers to portray happiness and playful scenes, instead of erotica or violence in the home. She portrays this as if she were saying “this is what love is supposed to be like, and how it can bring joy when done properly.” This encourages young people to choose someone who is truly special when they are choosing a partner to spend the rest of their lives with.
Perry makes this show of impartiality even more impressive by bringing back the young lovers after they had argued. They were previously shown wearing gender-specific clothing: Perry in pink and her lover with a black jacket. But now, both are wearing the same ripped white tee. The change in clothing to reflect the severed relationship between the two effectively shows that gender does not matter when you are experiencing heartache or grief. Perry uses this image to show that, no matter what gender you are, everyone feels pain. You have to find ways to cope in difficult situations to keep your sanity and health. The women in the painting are not wearing clothes that are specific to gender or personality. Instead, their clothing is distressed, and they don’t wear clothing that is gender-specific.
Perry shows male and woman expressing different emotions. Perry shows that she and her boyfriend are both struggling to cope with the loss, but she portrays them in a stereotypical way. Perry shows her boyfriend driving away from home in his Mustang to let off steam after their argument. She is shown with black makeup and tear-stained eyes as she cries her frustration. It is a reference to the belief that men, being hard-bitten, tenacious and never showing any sign of weakness or tears, are perceived as more strong and tough, while women, on the other hand, are seen as sensitive and delicate. It is not only negative because it encourages boys to hide their feelings, but it also damages the positive message of gender equality.
In the immediate aftermath of this scene, a black Mustang driven by her lover was lashed from the edge of a steep cliff. He had swerved the car to avoid boulders. He was distracted by the pink veil, which belonged to her sweetheart and fell from his visor. This was a memento of the precious moments they shared together. Soon after, an older version is seen visiting the crash scene and remembering their lost love. The woman is once again dressed in gender-specific clothing: basic black pencils skirts, dark colored blouses and black pumps. Her colorful, vibrant feminine clothing before represented her happy personality and her bubbly relationship. Now, her clothes are bare and harsh. It symbolizes her broken spirits and constant lamentation following the loss of first love.
This could be taken in a negative way. It’s a sign that tells young girls to have a boyfriend because it brings out their personalities and inspires passion. It may be true, but it can also reinforce the belief that these goals are impossible to achieve or even lost without a partner. This belief discourages teenagers in developing the skills and habits needed to be an independent, ambitious, growing member. This belief encourages young people to find their value in their partner’s thoughts and actions, which can negatively impact their mental health and self-esteem.
The video speaks volumes in many ways about gender roles and stereotypes. This video uses a range of stereotypes to achieve different rhetorical goals. Perry uses her visual representation as a way to reach out to teens, delivering both positive messages and negative ones about gender through literary and rhetorical devices. Perry wants her music videos to be a way to communicate the meaning of the song. But she also uses them to send a message to teens about what genders should and shouldn’t mean. The viewer will be affected by the strong points of the video, regardless of what aspect they are focusing on. It depends entirely on how deep the viewer’s thinking is and what elements they are paying most attention to.
