Joel Johnson
It’s Not Rape if You Sing It:
Animals The Music Video a refreshing portrayal of American culture. The pop rock band Maroon 5’s new hit single Animals from their fifth studio album V is their 10th song to reach the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. At first glance it appears to be just another unoriginal pop rock song; melodic, repetitive. But as we look at the press that surrounds both the song and its music video we find a controversy surrounding sexual violence and objectification. There can be no question of a need of such discussion in regards to the themes that Animals the music video brings to light. That being said, the question in this discussion should not be whether it promotes these topics but rather if it does a good enough job of making the audience critically aware that these problems exist. This will be done by looking at the video and its song from a radical Feminist perspective. Bell Hooks defines Feminism as, “ a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." And the first step of ending these things is showing how they are a part of our culture which this video does brillintly. The music video is clearly, rather than promoting rape culture, is not only a sardonic view of the song lyrics themselves and the meaning behind them but also critiquing the hegemony of the sexually violent culture we live in today. In this paper I would like to analyze the music video Animals by Maroon 5 from two different angles. The first
Director Sut Jhally, in his documentary film, “Dreamworlds 3: Desire, sex, and power in music videos”, analyzes the issue of how women are portrayed in the music world. Jhally, in his film argues how music and media has become a proud industry when it comes to advertising women, all for the benefit of popularity and record sales. Jhally believes these videos both inform and misinform our culture about our dominant attitudes regarding femininity masculinity, sexuality and race. He uses an empathetic tone in order to appeal to pathos, the feelings and experiences in women when he presents video clips that are somewhat offensive to watch as proof that women have become a common necessity shown in music videos. Often presented as being sexually aggressive and submissive, being objectified by men. He also intentionally wants to try to stir up emotions as he introduces song lyrics of women being called inappropriate names and images of women being fondled by men throughout the film. Sometimes, aggressively without consent.
This study works to examine the use of sexual objectification of women in music videos today. The primary purpose was to examine the differences between genres, specifically hip-hop and country. I tested the following; Women are more likely to be sexualized in hip-hop music videos than in country music videos.
Music videos are often seen as the parts of the song’s story that an artist has trouble putting into words. Sometimes these details are unnoticeable at first glance, while some are essential to giving us vital information on what the song is actually about. Michael Jackson’s famous “Thriller” music video is often viewed as a Halloween binge watching classic, but judging by both the visual and audio components, it may be more than just a crowd of dancing zombies. There are quite a few moments throughout the video that can easily be seen as symbolisms of abuse, stalking, and rape/sex. By viewing the Thriller music video with this thought in mind, I hope to help you see the true evil lurking in the dark.
In her article “The Venus Hip Hop and the Pink Ghetto: Negotiating Spaces for Women,” Imani Perry argues that the objectification of women in the music industry is normalized in our society. Her purpose is to persuade us that most feminists who fight against the objectification and exploitation of women are ultimately colonized by the sexual fantasies of men. As a law professor at Rutgers Law School, Perry structures her text in a very effective manner. Using a general-to-specific organization scheme, she begins by outlining the recurring image of sexualized women in music videos, then presenting various cases of prominent feminist figures in the music industry.
Intro: Like various art forms such as film, television, and literature allows artists to express their own sense of identity, that being nationality, race, class, ethnicity, gender or sexuality. In this case, Queen uses music to illustrate the themes of gender and sexuality through their music video I Want to Break Free (1983). This essay will attempt to discuss how Queen’s music video, I Want to Break Free, explores queerness in relation to queer theory. Firstly, I will introduce the ideas and arguments of queer theory through Gilbert Herdt article Same Sex Different Cultures (1997). I will then discuss Queen’s portrayal of drag within the music video and how it can be seen as queer rather than heterosexual. Lastly, I will argue that
This proves that half the demographics do not see the importance of sexual attraction or making themselves centre of attention while with the opposite sex. The girls that I surveyed were older teenagers between the ages of seventeen and eighteen, and these people were all for Lily Allen’s campaign for slamming the sexualised music videos. This shows that the older girls realise, the ideology of being ‘perfect’ does not exist, and these women shown in these videos are not ‘realistic”.
The Film Dreamworlds III examines the explicit nature and the objectification of women in music videos across music genres. A similar theme is presented throughout these various music videos as women are sexualized and exploited. In addition, many music videos display the domination and antoagonizing nature of a man controlling the numerous women submitting themselves to him. The portrayal of these images in music videos advertise and influence audiences to accept this behavior on screen, which in turn strengthens aggressive masculinity and the pornography of women.
Recently the song White Privilege II by Macklemore has caused much controversy because of the fact that it called out specific artists such as Iggy Azalea and Miley Cyrus, but not because of the actual problem it was trying to address- white privilege. However, there are plenty of songs on the top charts about pointless things spreading around unfavorable messages such as enforcing negative stereotypes and gender roles through their lyrics, music videos, and even the artists themselves participating it. Younger audiences should be educated about the negative effects of sexualization because it is shown commonly through pop music in song lyrics, music videos, and how artists represent themselves. The fact that sexualization is often present
All over history, music has been a critical commitment to people’s lives. Various kinds of music have been created after some time and impact people in unique ways. Of the numerous kinds that have come to frame, hip-hop has turned out to be more prominent inside today's standard pop culture. Alongside the formation of music recordings, hip-hop's popularity has taken off and changed from various perspectives. Inside the music videos of most hip-hop artists, men and women are portrayed in unmistakable and clear ways that may subconsciously influence our perspectives of the standards of today’s society. Hip-hop music videos are so present among the people that these depictions of sexual orientation parts frequently go unrecognized. The complicated
Initially when I was emailing you about what I was going to formally analyze, we had discussed me writing about Chris Brown’s embodiment of double standards that allows famous men to be violent, specifically in regards to his attack of Rihanna in 2009. Although a serious issue that warrants attention and discussion, it appears Brown’s affinity for violence has taken yet another turn for the worse in the form of date rape. Although domestic violence is still a relevant topic in regards to Brown I found in his visual art he tends to celebrate rape culture more so than domestic violence. Because many of Brown’s recent music videos embody and make light of date rape I thought I would have more to write about for this particular assignment because
This research paper will examine the difference in how women’s sexuality is portrayed in hip-hop music videos. Are women empowered, or are they objectified when they express their sexuality? The public image of how women move, speak, sound, look, dance, talk, dress, and act is controlled by corporate networks who present these societal-norms to people through many mediums. Dominating how women are portrayed in music videos, men are introducing audiences to certain tropes and ideals women are expected to live up to. This heteronormative, White male fantasy, is unrealistic for women and creates an unhealthy obsession and expectation that females of all sizes and races are supposed to embody. In Women in Popular Music Media Empowered or Exploited? (p.9), Jamie Glantz asks “Are women represented as the subjects of their own desires, or do they seem to be preforming as the objects of someone else’s?” Men and women alike intend for women to follow these societal rules. Audiences do not realize the messages they are being fed through hip-hop music videos. The popular, male vocalized, music video for the summer hit of 2013 “Blurred Lines,” which appeared to be a lighthearted video of Robin Thicke and Pharell dancing with women wearing swimsuits. The male performers make faces at the camera and one another, while the women wear clunky shoes and nothing else. The men attempt to grind on the ladies legs, but the models just look distracted by the lamb featured in the video or a
On March 26, 2013, Robin Thicke released the single “Blurred Lines”, a song that went on to be the longest running number one single of 2013 (Dredge 1). Thicke anticipated gaining fame from the song’s catchy beat, but the song would also bring him infamy, as many thought the song promoted misogyny and rape culture. Thicke’s hit single eventually reignited a debate over the role of sexism and misogyny in pop culture and music lyrics in particular. A brief analysis of contemporary popular music evidences that sexist and misogynistic themes are prominent within the lyrical content of many songs. Once one recognizes the almost undeniable sexism in a significant amount of popular music, it begs the question how to address this issue, if at all. Many feminists and harsh critics deride such sexist music and seek to ban and censor sexist songs. Others believe that chastising sexist artists can be useful, but banning such music is an inappropriate response. Others chose to ignore this issue, as they are ultimately indifferent to the prevalence of sexism in modern culture. In my opinion, many popular songs have disturbingly sexist implications and, while it is inappropriate to ban such songs, it is worth analyzing this issue and denouncing artists who are blatantly misogynistic.
Using “All About That Bass” as an entry point, I will analyze how “body positive” media perpetuates a “white feminist” ideology of who is included and targeted in their messages. For this analysis, I will look at three key themes embedded within the song’s lyrics and music video. First, I will discuss the song’s (cis)heteronormative basis for its “body positivity,” as well as how sexuality and fat politics are often paired. Next, I will analyze the function of the racialized body and what it means for Trainor, a white woman, to appropriate racial tropes for
The song lyrics of this video contain references to more explicit sexual behavior. For example the lyrics, “You’re far from plastic, talk about getting blasted” make women seem like plastic models and provides the message that it’s okay to use women for sex. The song is said to perpetuate rape culture by rejecting the concept of clear sexual consent: there should never be any “blurred lines” relating to sex. A music video called defined lines was created in response to this music video in order to challenge the message portrayed by “blurred lines”. The roles were reversed where the men in the video were portrayed in a sexualized manner and the women were wearing suits. It is obvious after watching the defined lines video that sexualizing men seems ridiculous and yet women are sexualized so often that it has become a definite part of our
The film Zootopia, written and directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, follows the life of a small, yet spirited rabbit as she endures the trials angst of pursuing a profession as a big- city police officer. The city of Zootopia is a lively, thriving metropolis where Judy Hopps, the story’s protagonist, bravely embarks on her dream of pursuing a career in law enforcement. The writers employ a buoyant, kid-friendly storyline to comment on a myriad of social injustices and inequalities abounding in modern-day society. Feminist literary criticism utilizes feminist ethic and ideology to analyze the way in which male supremacy permeates the language and themes ingrained within literature. It allows readers to observe literature from a renewed, unorthodox perspective, and therefore extends the spectrum of accepted ideas and convictions. Zootopia is wrought with commentary on the pervasive presence of female oppression in the workforce. Oft beleaguered Judy Hopps combats disrespect and prejudice from her colleagues, condescension from her family and community, and gender bigotry that requires her to continuously prove herself as both a legitimate and qualified officer.