Using the Culture Diamond Model to Analyze the Relations between the Artists on Audiences through Music Videos under Vietnamese Social Context Based on Case Study MV “There’s No One At All”: Perspective from Students at FPT University

Abstract

The parasocial contact between artists/creators and audiences is partly established and maintained by media products. Media products such as music videos (MVs) and songs may contain not only the creators’ experiences but also their ideals, philosophy, and enthusiasm. Media products provide a means for audiences to approach admired icons. Audiences can comprehend the message and value the artist wants to impart. However, external factors such as cultural and social context may impact the process of generating music videos and perceiving the message from the creator(s). Sometimes, the messages of creators may not be consumed, or accepted in ways that the creators wish, causing controversy in social and public contexts. This paper aims at testing the relations in Vietnam’s social context through the case study MV "There's No One At All" performed by Son Tung M-TP. The MV was removed in Vietnam since its contents are accused of being "contrary to national norms and customs, negatively harming religion, ethics, public health, and psychosocial," regardless that Son Tung M-TP is one of the singers with the largest fan base in Vietnam currently. The authors use Griswold’s Cultural Diamond Model (CDM) as a theoretical framework and conduct a survey to collect perspectives from 257 Vietnamese youth who are studying at FPT University to understand their thinking and feelings about the MV and compare the findings with what the signers wanted to convey through the MV and common opinions regarding the MV. The findings show that more than half of the responses agreed that the MV's image, content, and lyrics contained negative, suicidal elements. However, nearly a quarter of the respondents accepted the appropriate positive message that Son Tung desired to convey. This study is one of the very first studies that test whether the CDM is applicable in Vietnamese culture and society and plays a milestone in studying the relationship between famous artists and mass audiences in Vietnam’s entertainment industry.