Intertextual References in a music video

Dani California- Red Hot Chili Peppers

This Red Hot Chili Peppers video is absolutely loaded with inter textual references, to many different era's and genre's of music over the past 80 or so years; with many references to specific artists.

Here we see the band imitating Elvis Presley and the typical look of a rock and roll band from the 1950's.



The Chili's as The Beatles and the real thing

Jimi Hendrix Impersonation

As the Sex Pistols

As David Bowie

As Nirvana



The fact this music video was made in 2007 makes it post-modern; as do the many many references to other types of music; particularly those which have influenced the Red Hot Chili Peppers.


The references and direct imitations of other famous artists and era's of music show some of the influences on the RHCP to date, they are not just the most famous artists of the past. For example, the Spice Girls were crazy popular but are completely different to the RHCP, so there was no need to imitate them. The video raises the band up; commenting on their success and suggesting that they are the defining band of this era; the video ends with them returning to their normal clothes and performance style.


The references give the audience a chance to understand the influences behind the Chili's music, and also to identify with them, as the audience would recognise the bands that they are imitating and like the fact that they share the same influences and tastes as the band do.