& To what extent is this being challenged by contemporary female artists?
Women are traditionally represented negatively in music videos such as : Satisfaction by Benny Benassi or Call on me by Eric Prydz ect.
As women are shown to be sexually objectified in order to appeal to the 'Male Gaze' (Mulvey 1975). For example in the videos of 'Satisfaction' the women are shown to be dressed in shorts,skimpy clothing,sweaty bodies,orgasmic facial expression and performing in a ''sexually'' charged manner which appeal to the male audience and as it contains sexually assertive female this can also appeal to the male 'fantasy'. Women are portrayed as passive unlike men who are represented as active and more dominant.Even in 'male' videos women are shown to be just for a purpose of display rather than narrative function as the voyeuristic treatment of the female body in 'male' videos are shown as adornments to the male ego and erotic pleasure. As for the videos of 'call on me' women are also represented in the same way and sexually objectified as the use of graphic sexual poses and sexually suggestive 'thrusts' emphasise sexual treatment of the female body.
The emphasise of the female body parts can reinforce the theory of (Goffman 1972) who suggests that codes and conventions such as Dismemberment, domination and superiority can be observed in music videos.For example in both music videos the dismemberment of the female body parts are shown such as the chest, legs, lips which shows women are physically portrayed in sexual or reclining poses yet again to appeal to the male audience and to please the male dominated culture. A culture that is rich in misogyny and sexism as these negative representation reinforces the patriarchal society. This is a society where men have power and control whereas women are disadvantaged, lower in class and status. Theses patriarchal ideologies will stay in place when industries (Media/music) constantly reproduce the same images which become 'norms' to society.
Other examples of music videos which signifies the ideologies that women are represented in a negative light are shown below:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha80ZaecGkQ
Young Money - Bed Rock - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCLxJd1d84s
The Pussycat Dolls - Buttons ft. Snoop Dogg - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-qN6TCY85c
Nelly - Hot In Here
For my main text i will be looking at Lady Gaga & Pink, this is because those two female artists like many other have chose to challenge the stereotypical representation of women in music videos and that they are also contemporary. However the scene i have chosen to look at from the music video of 'Alejandro' By Lady Gaga & 'So what' By: Pink can be questioned on whether the female artist are being objectified or its self objectifying in order to show that they are powerful,independent artists who are sexually provocative and 'in control' or 'inviting' a sexualised gaze yet in power and portrayed as dominant female artists. The narrative of those videos signifies the changes of stereotypes surround female artists. I will also briefly be talking about the changing face of Madonna in the way she is represented back in the 80/90's compared to now.
Lady GaGa Alejandro (Official Music Video)
The opening scene of this video consists of a dark nature and the idea of sadness (e.g the funeral scene) which is complimented by Slow violin music alongside the dramatic slow-motion shots with the Gothic mise-en-scene when someone is carrying a heart on a black velvet pillow, which makes Gaga look like shes starving or sexual . Lady Gaga challenges the representation on men and women as this video symbolises the 'Gay' culture as through out the video Gaga referees back to the challenges 'Gay ' and 'homosexuals' had to endure back in history (e.g the Nazis who mass murdered homosexuals,represented by the men dressed as Nazis or Catholicism which oppress and still continues too do so against homosexuals, represented by Gaga's nun outfit with rosary).
Back in history men were always stereotyped as masculine,strong and active where as in this video men are shown in high heels and fishnet stockings which challenges the stereotypical representation on men .On the other hand women were and even today are shown to by stereotyped and sexually objectified which signifies that we still live in a patriarchal society, however through the use of this video Gaga shows that women can also be as strong,masculine and active as men ( e.g when gaga is wearing the leather clothes and leading the men) in which it also referees back to the Queen of Pop 'Madonna' and her representation which changed over the many year as a result it changed the audiences views back in the 80's/90's. We've seen all this imagery of the Catholic figure before with Madonna and various other artist, but now that we are seeing it more, we as viewers become desensitized to the real meanings of those texts however according to (Fiske 1982) audiences can interpreted certain meanings of a media text in different ways in particular to specific culture.
Lady Gaga challenges those representation and stereotypes of women are as is portrayed as a strong individual and in power when leading the group of men while dancing around.
This can also suggest that she is in 'control' as she uses the men as decorations on the background, whereas stereotypically women are being objectified and used as a objects in 'male' music videos to help to raise the male status and power. Gaga is portrayed as the ring leader and a symbolic figure, this signifies that women can also be active. its arguable to suggest either that Gaga her self is still being objectified, when she is shown to be wearing very little clothes (e.g bra,pants and stockings) or during the bed scene as Gaga is shown to be on top of the man on the bed while her hands are tied to the rope onto the bed, this images also signifies the power of Gaga and the control over men, whereas before women were seeing less powerful and dominant. Women were often consider to be as lower class than men.
This also appeals to (Mulveys) 'male gaze'. However according to (Gammon and Marshment 1988) which criticise Mulveys theory and suggest that women are not passive but also active. Gaga's representation can be controversial as through out the videos Gaga is shown in a new light when she is represented as an 'Biblical' object when shes dressed as a nun in a red latex habit, swallowing rosary beads which symbolises the "desire to take in the Holy''.
This is also done to show that the portrayal of Gaga as a nun is accepting the 'Gay' men around her, however bef
ore this was not accepted by the Catholic religion. Viewers become more desensitized to such issues and debates.
Just like Madonna, Gaga mixes overt sexuality with religion, and in so doing symbolically acknowledge her eternal damnation, this is shown when Gaga is rolling around on a bed as she's getting ready to eat some rosary beads.
In Madonna's videos, she is both feminine and powerful and we can also identify this great combination in Gaga's music videos. Gaga is often criticises for 'copying' Madonna work,however Gaga succeeds by reproducing the work by successfully offering new and contemporary interpretations which appeals to the audiences.
The similarity's between Gaga and Madonna are endless as they are both seen as great iconic figures and both women demonstrate that they are in charge of their sexualities and have their own Independence's as contemporary female artistes who challenge the stereotypical representation of women regardless of whether they are playing a submissive role or the dominatrix.In this videos Gaga introduces her audiences to representations of queer identities just like Madonna. This is shown when they convey feminine desire, sexuality, and pleasure through the use of their backing dancers who identities are articulated. The men in fishnet stockings and high heel dancing around in tiny pants are not the stereotypical representation of men and this is been challenged through the use of Gaga's work. As a female artist she shows strong domination in the pop music industry. This also signifies that fact that in contemporary society the rise of 'girl power' is more accepted and female artists are showing to be more dominance.independence and control of the sexualised gaze and the media.
During an interview with The Times (online) Lady Gaga explains that this music video was inspired her love for her 'Gay' friends and admiration of gay love. In the article she explains that this music video is about the:
''purity of my friendships with my gay friends. And how I’ve been unable to find that with a straight man in my life. It’s a celebration and an admiration of gay love – it confesses my envy of the courage and bravery they require to be together. In the video I’m pining for the love of my gay friends – but they just don’t want me.''
Almost everything in the video covers that statement as it shows the "courage'' & ''bravery'' the queer required in order to be together. Gaga also shows that women are not subordinated.
Web link: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article7129672.ece
Pink - So What (Not Full Music Video)
I was not ablt to embed the full musiv vidoes of Pink: So What, but the link to the full vidoe is shown -->: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUvYR2ZYjVY (Full)
From the opening scene of this video, we as an audience can identify that 'Pink' is claiming her independence as an individual female that is no longer with her husband as she has found new ways of leading with it and gaining her own independence. The title 'so what' suggests that she does not care as this music video challenges the stereotypical representation of men and women alongside their roles in society. Pink’s music video signifies the ideologies constructed around different genders and the representation of masculinity and femininity in relation to hegemony.
Pink is shown to be showcasing the different values of masculinity and femininity as she takes on the role of what a patriarchal society would consider to be a 'man’s' role and plays around with the ideologies constructed or expected of a certain gender for example a man should be strong and masculine whereas the
women is more feminine and often linked to the stereotypical job roles such as house work and family life.
we see this role being challenged from the start of the video where pink is getting another tattoo on top of her other collection and this challenged the role as this is often linked to be masculinity and men.
This video also suggests that men and women behave in different ways due to hegemonic 'norms' which are expected in society. In this videos Pink portrays some of these behaviors and actions by portraying a man’s role as the representation of masculinity and femininity is shown. Even though Pink is portrayed as masculine and loud, at the start of the video pink's ''husband'' is covering her eyes to show that man seem to be in control and in a position of power over the women as pink signs: “I guess I just lost my husband/ I don’t know where he went”.This can also conveys that she in need of her husband and she cant find him suggesting that women need man and can't be independent as through out history men were and still are representation more dominant than women.
We can also see another hegemonic representation of masculinity when pink is singing to her husband and he has his back turn to her, yawning and clearly showing that he is not listening to her. 
Pink challenges the stereotypical representation of womanly qualities when she decides to start a fight in a guitar shop and get in trouble, this type of action is considered to be masculine as men are represented as aggressive and more dominant. According to the patriarchal culture pink supposed to be passive because she is a women whereas men seem to be considered as active. however this is challenged when she take on a man's role.
She posses womanly qualities and challenges this by fighting physically and punches the man in the face to her new dominant characteristic. Other disputes of hegemony Pink represents in this video is when she is holding a drink or a bear can in her hand on the road and causing a scene by being aggressive,out of control and rowdy which is not considered to be a femininan behaviour in society however in doing so she is going against the patricachal society.
The desire of independencey is shown through out the video for example when Pink is cutting down the tree with her and her husbands name on it with a chainsaw which siginifes that she no longer needs him and this idea is reinforced when she says: ''i dont want you tonight' and this suggests that she is more dominant and independent as a women by cutting the the tree herself.
Through out the vidoe Pink illustrates the different in gendre roles and how they are portrayed in soicety and the media. Through out the video Pink pokes fun out of masculinlty and fimininity by switching roles and behaviour of different gender roles for exmaple then she crys while cutting the tree shows that women are emotional but at the same times shows that she is going to be ok without a man when saying 'it ok i'm fine'. Pink also shows that women are not subordinanted by men. This video contains very little sexucal objectifiton of women, when Jessica Simpson walks in the bar wearing sterotypical clothes such as mini skirts and heels which are considerd to be objectifying the femal body or when Pink flashes hery body naked on the red carpet for the cameras showing that she does not care while dancing around and having 'fun' and not pleasing the 'male gaze' or inviting them.
Through out the video pink shows her ability to take on a man's role and show that represenation of men and women alongside sterotypes considered in partichal society can be 'fixed' if society allows the change to happen.
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