Analysis Of Take Me To Church

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Last year, Andrew Hozier Byrne challenged an ongoing battle of human rights by creating a four minute music video of his first single, “Take Me To Church”. Hozier’s initial message of this song is to address that sexuality is natural, and is part of human life. The song alone denounces church principles and promotes a new form of worship, something that is tangible and real (Canon). This message found its way into the gay community and their struggle against public bigotry. Hozier created this video to display Russian abuse and torture of the gay community that still exist today. Due to a compelling demonstration of brutality and strong connection of faith, the video gained mass attention on YouTube. This video helps to communicate to the …show more content…

Russia is known to be a floodlit society, where popular opinion influences the lives of the general population that it is extremely difficult to change their point of view (Gitlin, 172). Human right activists are unable to voice their opinion to the media due to the actions portrayed by anti-gay supporters. In a press conference in 2011, Irina Murayova declared that marriage is only allowed between a man and a women (Interfax). Also in 2013, civil unions and same sex marriage is forbidden, which was alluded to by the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill (Herszenhorn). These current events reflects on how the two main protagonists react in the music video; as they walk on the sidewalk with suspicious eyes, they isolate themselves in the wilderness where they are unnoticed. Society has shunned this select group of individuals, forcing the gay community to commit these actions in secrecy. Many would even attempt to flee the country in order to find freedom from oppression. In the video, the two men are shown looking up into the sky, pointing at a passing plane. Several scenes later, one of the men is frantically grabbing clothes; this hints that both of the men made plans to run away. The couple has reclaimed their humanity and faith for another; although they were caught, they chose to worship something

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