Below I have examined some examples of representation in modern music videos and music related media. This includes modern day voyeurism, the male gaze and women in music videos. These are very prominent equality topics currently and always have been, below I have applied these to some examples of music videos and shown how these theories can be applied to real media.
Women in Music Videos
The Evolution of sexy in music videos
Voyeurism - erotic pleasure can be gained by looking at a sexual object
An Exapmle of this can be found in the video of Destination Calabria by Alex Gaudino
Male Gaze- Laura Mulvey 1975 proposed that because filmmakers are predominantly male the presence of women is often for the purposes of display (rather than narrative). This is to facilitate a voyeuristic response in spectators, which presumes a male gaze (regardless of the gender of spectator) one that is or may feel like a powerful controlling gaze at the female on display who is effectively objectified and passive. In male performance videos the voyeuristic treatment of the female body is often apparent, with the use of dancers as adornments to the male star ego.
Maybe the biggest example of this can be found in the world famous blurred lines video....
Exhibitionism - Female performers being at once sexually provocative and apparently in control of and inviting a sexualised gaze in what could be termed as the opposite of voyeurism.
Upload an example of exhibitionism please.
The debate is: Who is exploiting whom? Is the female flesh on display simply a cynical exploitation of the female body to increase male profit margins or a life enhancing assertion of female self-confidence and sexual independence?