Tim O'Sullivan (1998) (Narrative)

Tim O'Sullivan argues all media texts tell some kind of story. Through careful mediation, media texts offer a way of telling stories about ourselves- not usually our own personal stories, but the story of us as a culture.

'No surprises' by Radiohead is a perfomance video because he is lip-syncing. It is abstract and doesn't really seem to tell a story. But when Tim O'Sullivan's theory is applied to it, it can be seen as giving the message that we are being drowned by society.

Tim O'Sullivan suggests narratives have a common structure, starting with the establishment of a plot or theme. This is then followed by the development of the problem, an enigma (Roland Barthes 1977) an increase in tension. Finally comes the resolution of the plot. Such narratives can be ambiguous and linear.

ABBA- 'Knowing me knowing you' is a good video for showing O'Sullivan's theory. They are singing about divorce which reflected society because there was an increase in divorce at the time.