Kritik Terhadap Konsumerisme Dalam Video Musik Radiohead Berjudul “Fake Plastic Trees”

A Critique of Consumerism in Radiohead’s Music Video Fake Plastic Trees

Abstract

Consumerism is a social phenomenon characterized by a shift from need-based consumption to the consumption of signs and symbolic identities. This phenomenon is represented not only through mass media and advertising but also through music videos as part of popular culture. This study aims to analyze the representation of consumerism criticism in Radiohead’s Fake Plastic Trees music video. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the study uses document analysis of the music video as its primary method. Data were analyzed using Theo van Leeuwen’s reading images framework, encompassing representational, interpersonal, and textual meanings, and interpreted through Jean Baudrillard’s concepts of simulacra and hyperreality. The findings reveal three major representations of consumerism criticism: the shopping trolley as a symbol of consumer imprisonment, consumers as spectacles, and the practice of purchasing signs rather than utility. These representations illustrate how modern individuals live within a hyperreal space dominated by images and sign values, where consumption is driven by identity construction rather than practical needs. This study confirms the relevance of Baudrillard’s theory in explaining contemporary consumer culture and highlights music videos as a medium of social criticism.