Representation in Music Videos

Artists and characters in music videos often fit general stereotypes. This is used as a quick way to convey information to an audience; a couple of hints that a character fits a stereotype lead the audience to assume that they completely fit this label.

Gender

In music videos men and women are presented very differently...

Women

Objectification: Jason Derulo feat. Snoop Dogg- Wiggle.

In this video women are represented as sexual objects. Extremely low angle shots of the women put the focus on their buttocks. The video shows countless women in costumes consisting of crop tops, bikinis and hot pants. The camera rarely lingers on their faces; instead we are shown their bodies as they dance provocatively. This conveys a message that the value of women lies in their physical appearance. As we don’t see their faces, we do not recognise any particular characters in the video. This gives a sense of promiscuity. In addition, the shots of the artist in a bed with six women suggest that they are all there to please the man, and have very little self-respect.

Empowerment: Beyoncé- Run the World (Girls).

In this music video the artist is trying to express a message of female empowerment. Despite this, there are many similarities between this video and Wiggle. The artist and female actors are wearing significantly less clothing than the men, again reflecting how female sex appeal is used to sell music. In addition the women wear suspenders, which are characteristically recognised as attire of strippers or prostitutes. This emphasises the idea of women using their bodies for money. In addition the dance moves, which are slightly more ladylike, are still emphasising sexualised body parts. As in Wiggle, Beyoncé is using sex to sell her song. Whilst her fan base is predominantly women, she is using her appearance to draw the attention of men.

However the idea of this video is to empower the artist. Beyoncé is taking control of her own body and basically conveying the message that she can wear what she wants and do what she wants; she is not restricted due to her gender. This fits with the lyrics of the video, and suggests that her appearance allows her to control and manipulate men, rather than the other way round.





The Victim: Taylor Swift- I Knew You Were Trouble

Swift uses a narrative-based music video to present herself as a victim. This is much more common in female artists’ work, as women are stereotypically more sensitive than men.

The first two minutes of the video feature a voice-over by Swift, describing the relationship and the toll it took on her emotionally. The mise-en-scene in this scene have been used to reflect Swift’s emotional state- the abandoned dessert represents her emptiness and loneliness, while the litter signifies the mess the relationship has made. Furthermore her position lying on the ground shows that the relationship has drained her.

The pink hair in the video shows that Swift is desperately trying to appeal to her boyfriend and fit in with his lifestyle. However the colour is very feminine, so also suggests that deep down she isn’t tough or nonchalant enough to handle the relationship.

As it is a narrative-based video, the audience follows Swifts story and watches her boyfriend kiss other women in front of her. Then we also see her reaction and can empathise with her. Having the audience feeling sympathy toward Swift is the desired reaction, as it emphasises her position as a victim.

Men

The Gangster: Kanye West feat. Rihanna & Kid Cudi- All of the Lights

In this video, the male African American rappers fit their stereotypes as ‘Gangsters’.

Then he stands, dances and jumps on a police car, showing his disrespect for the law. This reflects his confidence- he is not afraid of being arrested.

The other male in the video is Kid Cudi. Like West, he wears a lot of expensive looking jewellery. The men are expressing their wealth and fitting their stereotype as gangsters.

The men contrast greatly to the women in the video. In one scene West expresses his dominance over women by domestically abusing his girlfriend. In addition, while West and Kid Cudi are very much covered up, Rihanna is wearing almost as little clothing as possible and is provocative in her performance. Furthermore Rihanna’s is the clearest performance to see- West sings mostly in the dark, and while Kid Cudi’s performance is slightly lighter than his, he is mostly facing away from the camera. This objectifies Rihanna as it suggests that her appearance is her best quality.  
  


The Poet: Ed Sheeran- The A Team


This is a very different male stereotype, and these more emotionally expressive men are much less commonly found in music. In his video for The A Team, Sheeran’s narrative-based video features a female protagonist.

Sheeran only cameoed in the video, buying the Big Issue from the protagonist. Her vulnerability is shown by her position sitting on the floor, covered in blankets. Sheeran shows his kindness by sitting and talking to her. This shows that he is sympathetic and doesn’t feel inferior.

Sheeran presents prostitution in the video very grotesquely. Rather than sexually objectifying women in his music video, he highlights the dark truth about women having to sell themselves. The scene isn’t at all explicit- the audience is only shown the exchange of money and the protagonist’s devastated expression afterwards. This shows that Sheeran is far from using sex to sell his song, but instead using the video to speak out against prostitution.

The video also shows that the central character is using the money from prostitution to buy drugs. It presents prostitution as something entirely destructive and toxic. Furthermore it shows her sense of self-worth; she is ultimately exchanging herself for drugs.