I have heard endlessly in class that women are treated unfairly or like pieces of meat. That it is namely 'male' record company owners who are oppressing these women. However, is it not the women themselves that 1.) knowingly apply and audition for these stereotyped roles in music videos? Don't the women train endlessly to have good bodies for the videos? Aren't their a large majority of women who rely on being paid for their JOB in the music video industry? Lastly, is it not indirectly helping the women in the video by paying them for a job, and providing them an avenue to work. These women ask to be int he video, know what they will wear and are paid handsomely for their work. So why does it seem like the video made women out to be victims when they are part of the music video shooting machine just as much as the men in the video? The women oppress themselves, and men are usually blamed.
Also, in terms of the argument over whether the women portrayed send a poor message to young men and women, the videos only affect total and complete idiots. People who have half a brain can tell this is a fantasy world and know on a basic level that they shouldn't pour champagne on a girl or that women in general don't behave or dress like these women. It's like the argument over video games like Grand Theft Auto influencing children to beat up strangers, do drugs and be sexually violent. REGULAR people can tell the difference between reality and fiction and if you can't, you are a block lower on the evolutionary ladder and your interpretation of fictional music videos, videogames and music shouldn't speak for the general masses who aren't idiots. Most people know the difference and a few each year give these media outlets bad names.
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You make a good point but I think the question here is Why do these women want to be featured in the videos? What is it about society that we get this idea that being sexualized through the media is exciting and a great way to break onto the celebrity scene? More and more people today desire and audition for reality television series. And the people who do try out for these shows, try out for many shows. This only proves that these people featured in these videos and these shows willingly and desperately subject themselves to this kind of treatment and also perpetuate these “norms”. But at what cost? At the cost of an eating disorder? At the cost of a woman being sexually assaulted? At the cost of another person moving out to LA to “make it”? With our culture being as mediated as it is these images reach everyone, which is a problem. If Bobby Sue from Red Cloud, Nebraska watches MTV and sees these ladies getting attention for dancing around in their skivvies then Bobby Sue starts to think, “I want to be like that”. And who conceptualized this video? A white, middle-aged guy. You can blame men because men but this norm into society. You can blame women because they keep subjecting themselves to it. It’s society’s problem, not one particular gender’s.
I watched something on VH1 last night about these girls in videos and it took more of a backstage approach to it all. And I will admit, yes these women want to be featured in these videos. Mostly though because if you’re a principle girl in a video you’re taking anywhere from $500-$1,500 just for a days work! Also I think for a lot of these women, they live in this fantasy world. Their lives revolve around being sexualized (this is why a good majority of them have dabbled in porn or exotic dancing, or both). There are too many people out there who believe in these ideas for you to say that REGULAR people can tell the difference between these fantasies and realities because obviously some can’t.
Media outlets should be given bad names for Christ sake. They give us news that doesn’t educate us more about what’s really going on in the world. We aren’t receiving in-depth analysis from them about the current presidential debate or about the war in Iraq, instead we’re getting the SNL skit about Hilary Clinton from three weeks ago. News is so fragmented that there is no way to even begin to piece it all together, and that’s what they’re trying to do. Instead of giving us news, they are trying to entertain us. In an age where more people are going to college we truly are misinformed and dumber all around.
Sometimes I think that the general population does consist of idiots who can not tell the difference between fantasy and real life. Too many people think that the world is exactly whast they see on tv, whether it is reality shows, music videos, and they don't differientate between real and not real. So to many other people really live like that and do those things; like pour champagne over someone's head.
But to the real topic of women in videos and their exploitation. I think that the produceers could put women in a better light, but is this what sells, it seems to be. As far as the women putting themselves into videos, I can't imagine wanting to be "famous" or want to make money so badly that I would allow myself to wear next to nothing and dance around Snoop Dog. but obviously some women do, I ony hope that most of them see it as a stepping stone to their own "careers" where they can decide what they do and what they wear and that they can be in charge.
I agree with killer queen. Yes, I believe that these women that are involved in these videos are aware of the actions that they will take a part of. However, as said, why would a woman want to degrade herself to make money? To an extend, do these women feel so insecure that this may be the only way of gaining attention by others or to prove a point? Is there some kind of competition between women in this sort of business? As women it feels as it's part of our nature to look our best, show how outgoing we can be, and etc. Do these music videos and other sorts of media allow for women to achieve this by taking off their clothes and having men take ownership over them and their bodies?
I think that the media portrays such a skewed image of gender that sometimes it's hard for even a "regular" person to differentiate. Let's face it; these sleazy images of women and even of men surround us every day. Once a person has been exposed to this notorious behavior on a continuous basis I'm sure it is hard for the individual to separate some of the fiction from the fact. When I see videos with women wearing next to nothing, spread out on car hoods, with champagne being sprayed on them- I think trashy and change the channel. This depiction of women, to the "regular" person, seems over -the-top. But obliviously, the videos do well because sex sells. Perhaps, the desire to be in videos like these do stem from some sort of low self-esteem. I theorize the individual wants to feel "wanted". There must be some high she experiences when people talk about her and desire her. Unfortunately, this is setting women back.
Well, I must say, I am a bit offended at this "regular" person argument. As we all know, human beings can be averaged but the model human that is formed from such averaging is not a real person we can see and or aspire to think like. I do, however, know what you mean when you say it. I would consider myself to be relatively sane and my eye is caught by these music videos.
It's not that I'm some lustful psychopath thinking that I should recreate these images; it's just offensive enough that these images are even out there. No matter if you think they're awesome or lame or anti-feminist or whatever, they bombard you with this stereotype which damages both men and women. It's damaging to men because they think they need to have these girls to be viewed as successful. In my opinion, the hot girl is becoming an addition to the "package deal" that we speak of in class.
And of course these images affect women, especially young women who are delicately forming their psyches and ideas of what they think of themselves. It really isn't a "he said, she said" kind of thing where it's "The women oppress themselves, and men are usually blamed.", the whole system negatively affects us all. That some women get paid to do this kind of work is not much of a perk, in my view.
While I understand and agree with your frustration in men continually being "pegged" with the responsibility of oppressing women, I agree with the last posts offense with the term "regular people". While I think that many of us would like to separate ourselves from those people who throw lunch meat on jiggling butts or who even allow that type of behavior to happen to them, the attitudes and thoughts that start this behavior are closer than a lot of us would admit.
The reasons that fantasy worlds work is that they create a desire and then position a way to fulfill that desire outside of reality. The media, even something as "innocent" as chick flicks, can tell someone what they are missing and create the impression that "if only I looked like that" or "if I treat a girl like that then I will get...." Even in watching Dreamworlds, I was amazed at the subtle ways that my own thinking of my body and sexuality had been influenced by music videos, advertisements, and movies. As frustrating as it is to admit, but the ideologies and world views pushed in these "fantasy worlds" have a way of seeping into everyday thoughts and perceptions. And often of ORDINARY, REGULAR people.
I disagree with you on this one. The videos and movies we see do not affect just "total and complete idiots." From what we have learned in class, it is quite clear that we all have become desensitized to these types of images. Even though we may not all go out and commit heinous crimes against the opposite gender, we are still affected in some way or another. A good example is what we learned about in the video from class this most recent week. We seem to assume that those responsible for committing crimes are men. The media only calls attention to gender when those responsible are women. Yes most of the time humans would not do the things they see in videos or video games, but we saw footage of terrible crimes being committed in public, not just one individual kidnapping another and dragging them into a dark alley. I am not at all against racy music videos, or violent video games. I just think it is important for everyone to be more aware of how they affect us. Since watching the movie Dream Worlds, I have become much more aware of the images I see and make it a point to not take them in, in a passive manner.
We like to seperate ourselves from regular people when we think that "their" behavior is degrading or idiotic or lacks in common sense and intelligence, yet we want to be regular people when that norm seems to have a positive affect on behaviors.
When we watch movies,videos and advertisements we want to be regular people when it's a good thing, seem to seperate ourselves when it is not. What we see and take in also affects how we think of ourselves and what we want ourselves to be. Sometimes the images in the videos we want to think of as everyday and normal, but here's the thing, look around, how many women are really a sixe two?? They're not regular people but wwe have been prograamed to think they are, as well as the clothes we see in shows and ads, really does any "regular" person wear that stuff in real life???
What I am saying is that what does a "regular" person mean to us, what we see sitting next to us, what society considers to be the norm or what we see when we open a magazine or watch a tv show or video???
this is a good point for sure....but i think that we should ask ourselves why these women peruse these jobs. I think that it definitely has to do with the fact that they have been socialized by our society to think that this type of job is desirable. Many women and been told their whole lives, through these videos, and media, and unhealthy relationships that they are only good for sex and after your told that so many times it can definitely mess with your thoughts and mind. I don't think it makes these women idiots at all!
this is a good point for sure....but i think that we should ask ourselves why these women peruse these jobs. I think that it definitely has to do with the fact that they have been socialized by our society to think that this type of job is desirable. Many women and been told their whole lives, through these videos, and media, and unhealthy relationships that they are only good for sex and after your told that so many times it can definitely mess with your thoughts and mind. I don't think it makes these women idiots at all!
I think a portion of this is the women's fault. While they are getting paid for exposing themselves in these videos which are often dominated by male run record companies, this could easily be stopped by all the women refusing to degrade themselves by appearing nearly nude in many of these videos. The record companies will not like it at first but they will adjust. After all they will realize that the young men that they are focusing their videos towards, will probably still watch the videos to see the beautiful women even if they are not half naked. After all even they would probably rather see dancing women clothed than just a bunch of guys attempting to sing.
If you get the chance to read the book, Confessions of a Video Vixen by Karrine Steffans, it clues you completely into the world of video girls in rap videos. She says she wrote the book as a cautionary tale, but once you finish it you will not only believe this is a cautionary tale about what to avoid in Hollywood and the rap world, but some younger girls might want to emulate her. She makes her life sound utterly glamorous with a laundry list of stars she's slept with or gotten money from. She also writes about how she knowingly used sex and her power as a female to get the roles in music videos, for one instance she wasn't considered for one scene until she told the director she would do scene topless with little stars covering her nipples, and that was the start of her career. Karrine also talked about how the "other girls" wouldn't do what it took to make it in the business. She was also one of the most popular video girls who disobeyed the rule of sleeping with the stars. So say what you want, but they know what they're doing.
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