When we consider the use of stereotypes, it is often evident how a binary opposition is at play: how we describe a stereotypical poor or working class person, for example, is broadly the opposite of how we'd describe a middle or upper class person. Scenes within dramas often reflect a use of this idea, with clashing pairs (male, female; rural, urban; rich, poor; heterosexual, homosexual; good, bad; dominant, submissive etc.) of opposites, in other words binary opposites, sparking conflict or tension.
The importance of these ideas is that essentially a complicated world is reduced to a simple either/or structure. Things are either right or wrong, good or bad. There is no in between.
Queer theorist, Judith Butler (performativity of gender), also argues that the binary opposite of gender is problematic.
Binary opposition can be applied in the narrative of music videos. This can be seen in the examples Bring Me The Horizon - Sleepwalking, Bring Me The Horizon - True Friends, Chase & Status - Flashing Lights etc.
In the music video for Chase & Status - Flashing Lights, there are two female characters, one is quite reserved, conservative with a fringe, connoting shyness; and the other is very confident, rebellious, extroverted, wearing a fur coat connoting egocentrism.
She is oblivious however, in her own world, always wanting to be rebellious and fun not being a realist about things. So in the end of the music video, she gets killed by the other girl from being drugged.
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