This critical investigation will look at 'How does the R&B genre construct certain gender ideologies? Why might this be a concern in a post feminist society?' I've chosen to do this because gender roles are quite interesting in R&B videos as they are played around with and this provides new messages to audiences. Feminism is a equal rights movement against men for women and we thought to be said in a post feminist era. Post feminism is a society where men and women have gained equality. The R&B music videos I am looking at will explore the changes in traditional gender roles starting with Aretha Franklins respect, then using Neyo's Miss Independent and Rihanna's Hard to demonstrate that men and women can be different and its okay to be. Although Ithink my research will prove that its more acceptable for a woman to be masculinised than a men to be feminised because there is more social stigma.
In the olden days the dominant ideology behind R&B was men were like the red blooded dominant alphamales and women were the sexual objects but were to be looked at but not touched, as it would of been too controversial for raunchier scenes but today's generation is desensitized to all the sexual content. R&B emerged from soul music originally which was similar in the content they'd be singing about love, lust, lack of respect from men and just generally being emotional and feeling put down by their men who were seen as protectors and women the nurturers. Aretha Franklin soul singer of the 70s had a hit with 'respect' as it was a song most women could relate to in that time period where men where the breadwinners and women were housewives. From a Marxist perspective women are thought to absorb the anger that males face when they're alienated at work because of the power of the ruling class. Due to laws like the sex discrimination act women are now able to work.The song contrasts with my texts such as in Neyo's Miss Independent working women are seen as more respectable and more desirable to men so its still about competing for men's affection. However it could suggest that we shouldn't emasculate men because of this. However with Rihanna's hard it could be argued that respect is always gained as she acts like one of the lads and gambles away. Even in the lyrics we see that shes concerned with the material items that men are usually concerned about causing gender trouble 'I need it all ,the money, the fame, the cars, the clothes' as men like to flash about. This differs from Aretha Franklins respect where she demands ''All I'm askin' is for a little respect when you come home'. The similarities between all 3 texts is the whole idea of whoever is more dominant has they key to do what they like and is more of the leader than the follower.
Thursday 30 December 2010
Task 5-Essay Plan
Introduction- a history on feminism and post feminism & introduce my texts Rihanna & Neyo
1st paragraph - talk about the typical representations in the R&B genre
men as promiscuous and women as passive link it & compare to
-the historical context Aretha Franklin-respect
2nd paragraph- Neyos Miss Independent
- gammon and marshment (female gaze)
-New right theory on traditional breadwinner and housewive role ( its challanged)
links to masculinity crisis
-Quotes from 'David Gauntlett: Media, Gender and Identity' Men were more likely to be assertive (or aggressive), whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were much more likely to adventurous, active, and victorious, whereas women were more frequently shown as weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, or laughable or merely ‘token females’
'It is our view of gender (which everyone agrees to be culturally constructed) which leads to this view of sex - Judith Butler
Gaye Tucheman- Symbolic anhilation
Representing women- myths of femininity in the popular media : by Myra Macdonald – Tessa Perkins (1979) stereotypes survive by undergoing change and by convincing us that that are not entirely false (pg13)
Pg87- feminist were criticized for ignoring the existing facts of life, i.e that the majority of women still see themselves as housewives and that a high proportion of products are aimed at women in their traditional role rather than in their business role.’ (ASA Spokesperson in the Guardian, 26 June, 1978)
3rd paragraph briefly mention his other song 'because of you' a more reinforcing videos of gender roles women being sex objects etc..
4th- Introduce Rihanna her background & her culture.. how it affects her music.
Madonna’s erotica album blurred gender confusions, fluidity of sexuality, and transgression of masculine and feminine stereotypes SIMILARLY artists from a later stage may of been inspired by her.
Goffman -superiority, domination shown through body language. In Rihanna 'Hard' shes holding the gun and in other shots theres high angles of her wearing a top with bullets around the neck juxtaposed with her childlike mickey mouse hat to show her innocent side.
Richard Dyer's structure of binaries presents black women as 'loose, violent' with a lack of control and they are focused on the exotic dangerous nature. They are more dominant than males and usually in the videos they have some object/ action which shows they have the men right where they want them. E.g in Rihannas ' So hard' shes stomping around with explosion in the background and her makeup and costume anchor her daredevil nature as its black and prominent.
Introducing Feminism- Cathia Jenainati- Judy groves (2007)
Nancy Friday -Made a career out of compiling and examining women’s sexual fantasies. She aimed to deconstruct the angel/whore dichotomy by celebrating women’s erotic pleasure in its various representations.
Representing women-myths of femininity in the popular media:by Myra Macdonald (2003)
Pg28- Laura Mulvey ‘it is always possible that the female spectator may find herself so out of key with pleasure on offer with its ‘masculinization’ that the spell is broken’
Pg 105- women are ‘either idealised as Goddesses or dreaded as man devouring monsters’
(Fay Weldon, The life and lovers as a She devil, 1983) ‘Nothing is impossible, not for she devils. Peel away the wife, the mother, find the woman, and there the she devil is’
Marina Warner pg 110- the female form tends to be perceived as generic and universal with symbolic overtones; the male as individual even when it is being used to express a generalized idea’
Refashioning the body pg 215- Barthes ‘ there is social prohibition against the feminization of men, there is almost none against the masculinization of women’
‘A woman attired as a man may be seen as ‘power dressing’ or as adapting the mannerism of lesbianism’
5th - mention Rihanna Te Amo to back it all up..gives women the message we dont need men
hypodermic needle, voyerism self objectification & densensitization to the raunchy lesbian video = POST FEM
Gulsen Huseyin (A message for the media, young women talk- Jane Waghorn) – women can also interpret laddism as a sign that men would prefer them to go back to being more traditionally ‘feminine’ since men feel they are being more ‘masculine’
four key themes in racial representations: Alvarado Et Al
- exotic
- humorous
-dangerous
-pitied
Uses and Gratifications- escapism /personal identification /entertainment.
psychographics- mainstreamers, reformers & aspirers
6th-how they have become such a strong figure in the R&B industry through this new representation.
pg127- just as black female prostitutes in the 1940's and 1950's actively sought clients in the street to make money to survive thereby publicly linking prostitution with black female sexuality, contemporary black female sexuality is fictively constructed in popular rap and R&B songs soley as commodity-sexual service from mone and pwer, pleasure is secondary.(8:Selling hot pussy:representations of black female sexuality in the cultural marketplace:Bell Hooks)
pg 123- ' the fascination with black 'butts' continues. In the sexual iconography of the traditional black pornographic imagination the protuding butt is seen as an indication of heightened sexuality...links to Hard rihanna and the flag
pg124- many black women singers, irrespective of the quality of their voices, have cultivated an image which suggests they are sexually available and licentious.
Conclusion-the future of women in r&b? give examples
hegemony allows the ruling class to create new gender expectations
1st paragraph - talk about the typical representations in the R&B genre
men as promiscuous and women as passive link it & compare to
-the historical context Aretha Franklin-respect
2nd paragraph- Neyos Miss Independent
- gammon and marshment (female gaze)
-New right theory on traditional breadwinner and housewive role ( its challanged)
links to masculinity crisis
-Quotes from 'David Gauntlett: Media, Gender and Identity' Men were more likely to be assertive (or aggressive), whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were much more likely to adventurous, active, and victorious, whereas women were more frequently shown as weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, or laughable or merely ‘token females’
'It is our view of gender (which everyone agrees to be culturally constructed) which leads to this view of sex - Judith Butler
Gaye Tucheman- Symbolic anhilation
Representing women- myths of femininity in the popular media : by Myra Macdonald – Tessa Perkins (1979) stereotypes survive by undergoing change and by convincing us that that are not entirely false (pg13)
Pg87- feminist were criticized for ignoring the existing facts of life, i.e that the majority of women still see themselves as housewives and that a high proportion of products are aimed at women in their traditional role rather than in their business role.’ (ASA Spokesperson in the Guardian, 26 June, 1978)
3rd paragraph briefly mention his other song 'because of you' a more reinforcing videos of gender roles women being sex objects etc..
4th- Introduce Rihanna her background & her culture.. how it affects her music.
Madonna’s erotica album blurred gender confusions, fluidity of sexuality, and transgression of masculine and feminine stereotypes SIMILARLY artists from a later stage may of been inspired by her.
Goffman -superiority, domination shown through body language. In Rihanna 'Hard' shes holding the gun and in other shots theres high angles of her wearing a top with bullets around the neck juxtaposed with her childlike mickey mouse hat to show her innocent side.
Richard Dyer's structure of binaries presents black women as 'loose, violent' with a lack of control and they are focused on the exotic dangerous nature. They are more dominant than males and usually in the videos they have some object/ action which shows they have the men right where they want them. E.g in Rihannas ' So hard' shes stomping around with explosion in the background and her makeup and costume anchor her daredevil nature as its black and prominent.
Introducing Feminism- Cathia Jenainati- Judy groves (2007)
Nancy Friday -Made a career out of compiling and examining women’s sexual fantasies. She aimed to deconstruct the angel/whore dichotomy by celebrating women’s erotic pleasure in its various representations.
Representing women-myths of femininity in the popular media:by Myra Macdonald (2003)
Pg28- Laura Mulvey ‘it is always possible that the female spectator may find herself so out of key with pleasure on offer with its ‘masculinization’ that the spell is broken’
Pg 105- women are ‘either idealised as Goddesses or dreaded as man devouring monsters’
(Fay Weldon, The life and lovers as a She devil, 1983) ‘Nothing is impossible, not for she devils. Peel away the wife, the mother, find the woman, and there the she devil is’
Marina Warner pg 110- the female form tends to be perceived as generic and universal with symbolic overtones; the male as individual even when it is being used to express a generalized idea’
Refashioning the body pg 215- Barthes ‘ there is social prohibition against the feminization of men, there is almost none against the masculinization of women’
‘A woman attired as a man may be seen as ‘power dressing’ or as adapting the mannerism of lesbianism’
5th - mention Rihanna Te Amo to back it all up..gives women the message we dont need men
hypodermic needle, voyerism self objectification & densensitization to the raunchy lesbian video = POST FEM
Gulsen Huseyin (A message for the media, young women talk- Jane Waghorn) – women can also interpret laddism as a sign that men would prefer them to go back to being more traditionally ‘feminine’ since men feel they are being more ‘masculine’
four key themes in racial representations: Alvarado Et Al
- exotic
- humorous
-dangerous
-pitied
Uses and Gratifications- escapism /personal identification /entertainment.
psychographics- mainstreamers, reformers & aspirers
6th-how they have become such a strong figure in the R&B industry through this new representation.
pg127- just as black female prostitutes in the 1940's and 1950's actively sought clients in the street to make money to survive thereby publicly linking prostitution with black female sexuality, contemporary black female sexuality is fictively constructed in popular rap and R&B songs soley as commodity-sexual service from mone and pwer, pleasure is secondary.(8:Selling hot pussy:representations of black female sexuality in the cultural marketplace:Bell Hooks)
pg 123- ' the fascination with black 'butts' continues. In the sexual iconography of the traditional black pornographic imagination the protuding butt is seen as an indication of heightened sexuality...links to Hard rihanna and the flag
pg124- many black women singers, irrespective of the quality of their voices, have cultivated an image which suggests they are sexually available and licentious.
Conclusion-the future of women in r&b? give examples
hegemony allows the ruling class to create new gender expectations
Task 4- web biblio
http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~abarian/class%20pdfs/Selling_Ho-Pussy.pdf
8:Selling hot pussy:representations of black female sexuality in the cultural marketplace:Bell Hooks
pg 123- ' the fascination with black 'butts' continues. In the sexual iconography of the traditional black pornographic imagination the protuding butt is seen as an indication of heightened sexuality
pg124- many black women singers, irrespective of the quality of their voices, have cultivated an image which suggests they are sexually available and licentious.
pg127- 'whats love got to do with it' sung by Tina Turner evokes images of the strong bitchified black women who is on the make. Subordinating the idea of romantic love and praising the use of sex for pleasure as commodity to exchange, the song had great appeal for contemporary postmodern culture.
pg127- just as black female prostitutes in the 1940's and 1950's actively sought clients in the street to make money to survive thereby publicly linking prostitution with black female sexuality, contemporary black female sexuality is fictively constructed in popular rap and R&B songs soley as commodity-sexual service from mone and pwer, pleasure is secondary.
8:Selling hot pussy:representations of black female sexuality in the cultural marketplace:Bell Hooks
pg 123- ' the fascination with black 'butts' continues. In the sexual iconography of the traditional black pornographic imagination the protuding butt is seen as an indication of heightened sexuality
pg124- many black women singers, irrespective of the quality of their voices, have cultivated an image which suggests they are sexually available and licentious.
pg127- 'whats love got to do with it' sung by Tina Turner evokes images of the strong bitchified black women who is on the make. Subordinating the idea of romantic love and praising the use of sex for pleasure as commodity to exchange, the song had great appeal for contemporary postmodern culture.
pg127- just as black female prostitutes in the 1940's and 1950's actively sought clients in the street to make money to survive thereby publicly linking prostitution with black female sexuality, contemporary black female sexuality is fictively constructed in popular rap and R&B songs soley as commodity-sexual service from mone and pwer, pleasure is secondary.
Wednesday 29 December 2010
Task 3 Historical Context Research
Aretha Franklin- respect 1967
this song was from a womens perspective aboout respect and recognition from partners
different to my contemporary text as Neyos Miss Independent shows how respect is gained and how these women are more desirable because of their ability to stand their ground. Also it could be as sign that we shouldnt respect men any less (emascuated men) if they're working under women and are inferior to them. In Rihannas Hard it could be argued she already has her respect because she acts like the lads gambling away and says:
'And I want it all
It's gonna take more than that
Hope that ain't all you got
Baby all you got
I need it all
The money, the fame, the cars, the clothes'
These materialistic things are what men are concerned about typically challenging the female sterotype of being too focused on love etc. Contrasts with the respect lyrics:
'All I'm askin' (oo)
Is for a little respect when you come home'
This shows us the womans place is at home and we can see the clear change in society now as its more acceptaable to work due to laws ike the sex discrimation act and from a marxist feminist perspective women are thought to absorb mens anger from their oppression at work which colud be the case here.
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the similarities is the whole idea of whoever is stronger,and dominant has the most respect so this puts them in the driving seat.
the similarities is the whole idea of whoever is stronger,and dominant has the most respect so this puts them in the driving seat.
Tuesday 28 December 2010
Task 2 Book Bibliography
A message for the media, young women talk- jane waghorn (editor) (1999)
Gulsen Huseyin- pg 48 – women can also interpret laddism as a sign that men would prefer them to go back to being more traditionally ‘feminine’ since men feel they are being more ‘masculine’
Pg 49 – the media are helping to perpetuate the divisions between men and women
David Gauntlett- Media, Gender and Identity (2002)
Masculinity crisis- women show that they can do everything that men can, this provider role becomes diminished.
‘Men were more likely to be assertive (or aggressive), whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were much more likely to adventurous, active, and victorious, whereas women were more frequently shown as weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, or laughable or merely ‘token females’ (Gunter,1995) - pg43
Gaye Tuchman-symbolic annihilation -pg 43
Giddens, modernity, and self-identity- ‘Goffmans theatrical metaphor for everyday life- all the worlds a stage’
Everybody presents a performance for various audiences
Judith Butler- Queer theory and fluid identities
Butler argues the binary nature of sex is seen as given but this itself is a construction- a way of viewing bodies
It is our view of gender (which everyone agrees to be culturally constructed) which leads to this view of sex (pg 138)
Butler undermines feminisms one universal feature- an emphasis on women (pg139)
Gender as a performance- ‘behaviour is all that our gender is’ (chapter 7)
Madonna’s erotica album blurred gender confusions, fluidity of sexuality, and transgression of masculine and feminine stereotypes
Directions for living- role models, pop music, and self-help discourse – chapter 10
E.g. Madonna was a sexual icon in 1980-90s challenging traditional assumptions about female sexuality
‘Men with unusual feminine traits aren’t seen as role models’
r.m- Rihanna domestic situation- challenging stereotype model
Introducing Feminism- Cathia Jenainati- Judy groves (2007)
Nancy Friday -Made a career out of compiling and examining women’s sexual fantasies. She aimed to deconstruct the angel/whore dichotomy by celebrating women’s erotic pleasure in its various representations.
Representing women- myths of femininity in the popular media –by Myra Macdonald (2003)
Part 1- Disciplined approaches: redefining femininity
Pg13 – Tessa Perkins (1979) stereotypes survive by undergoing change and by convincing us that that are not entirely false
Pg28- Laura Mulvey ‘it is always possible that the female spectator may find herself so out of key with pleasure on offer with its ‘masculinization’ that the spell is broken’
Part 3- From Mrs Happyman to kissing chaps goodbye: advertising reconstructs femininity’
Pg87- feminist were criticized for ignoring the existing facts of life, i.e that the majority of women still see themselves as housewives and that a high proportion of products are aimed at women in their traditional role rather than in their business role.’ (ASA Spokesperson in the Guardian, 26 June, 1978)
Part 4-Enigma Variations
Pg 105- women are ‘either idealised as Goddesses or dreaded as man devouring monsters’
(Fay Weldon, The life and lovers as a She devil, 1983) ‘Nothing is impossible, not for she devils. Peel away the wife, the mother, find the woman, and there the she devil is’
The contrast between the image and the text renews interest in the riddle of femininity, posing sexuality against innocence, fragility against strength, and vulnerability against self-confident indifference.
Marina Warner pg 110- the female form tends to be perceived as generic and universal with symbolic overtones; the male as individual even when it is being used to express a generalized idea’
Refashioning the body pg 215- Barthes ‘ there is social prohibition against the feminization of men, there is almost none against the masculinization of women’
‘A woman attired as a man may be seen as ‘power dressing’ or as adapting the mannerism of lesbianism’
Gulsen Huseyin- pg 48 – women can also interpret laddism as a sign that men would prefer them to go back to being more traditionally ‘feminine’ since men feel they are being more ‘masculine’
Pg 49 – the media are helping to perpetuate the divisions between men and women
David Gauntlett- Media, Gender and Identity (2002)
Masculinity crisis- women show that they can do everything that men can, this provider role becomes diminished.
‘Men were more likely to be assertive (or aggressive), whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were much more likely to adventurous, active, and victorious, whereas women were more frequently shown as weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, or laughable or merely ‘token females’ (Gunter,1995) - pg43
Gaye Tuchman-symbolic annihilation -pg 43
Giddens, modernity, and self-identity- ‘Goffmans theatrical metaphor for everyday life- all the worlds a stage’
Everybody presents a performance for various audiences
Judith Butler- Queer theory and fluid identities
Butler argues the binary nature of sex is seen as given but this itself is a construction- a way of viewing bodies
It is our view of gender (which everyone agrees to be culturally constructed) which leads to this view of sex (pg 138)
Butler undermines feminisms one universal feature- an emphasis on women (pg139)
Gender as a performance- ‘behaviour is all that our gender is’ (chapter 7)
Madonna’s erotica album blurred gender confusions, fluidity of sexuality, and transgression of masculine and feminine stereotypes
Directions for living- role models, pop music, and self-help discourse – chapter 10
E.g. Madonna was a sexual icon in 1980-90s challenging traditional assumptions about female sexuality
‘Men with unusual feminine traits aren’t seen as role models’
r.m- Rihanna domestic situation- challenging stereotype model
Introducing Feminism- Cathia Jenainati- Judy groves (2007)
Nancy Friday -Made a career out of compiling and examining women’s sexual fantasies. She aimed to deconstruct the angel/whore dichotomy by celebrating women’s erotic pleasure in its various representations.
Representing women- myths of femininity in the popular media –by Myra Macdonald (2003)
Part 1- Disciplined approaches: redefining femininity
Pg13 – Tessa Perkins (1979) stereotypes survive by undergoing change and by convincing us that that are not entirely false
Pg28- Laura Mulvey ‘it is always possible that the female spectator may find herself so out of key with pleasure on offer with its ‘masculinization’ that the spell is broken’
Part 3- From Mrs Happyman to kissing chaps goodbye: advertising reconstructs femininity’
Pg87- feminist were criticized for ignoring the existing facts of life, i.e that the majority of women still see themselves as housewives and that a high proportion of products are aimed at women in their traditional role rather than in their business role.’ (ASA Spokesperson in the Guardian, 26 June, 1978)
Part 4-Enigma Variations
Pg 105- women are ‘either idealised as Goddesses or dreaded as man devouring monsters’
(Fay Weldon, The life and lovers as a She devil, 1983) ‘Nothing is impossible, not for she devils. Peel away the wife, the mother, find the woman, and there the she devil is’
The contrast between the image and the text renews interest in the riddle of femininity, posing sexuality against innocence, fragility against strength, and vulnerability against self-confident indifference.
Marina Warner pg 110- the female form tends to be perceived as generic and universal with symbolic overtones; the male as individual even when it is being used to express a generalized idea’
Refashioning the body pg 215- Barthes ‘ there is social prohibition against the feminization of men, there is almost none against the masculinization of women’
‘A woman attired as a man may be seen as ‘power dressing’ or as adapting the mannerism of lesbianism’
Sunday 19 December 2010
Task 1 Textual Analysis
other two text i will briefly go into te amo and because of you..
Neyo -Miss Independent
As he strolls past the women in the workplace we see he is the only man amongst them .The female gaze (Gammon and Marshsment) is on him even though he’s in not sexually objectified. The next shot emphasises the fetishization of the woman's legs filmed from a low angle. This could also hint at sexual harassment in the workplace where women are still objectified althought they're independent but they still possess that alluring female charm. Even when he looks out the window he checks a woman out walking her dog so in terms of gender representations the man is still the one making the 1st moves ( chivalry factor) and they're known to have roaming eyes therefore its re-enforced.
In the meeting scene it could suggest that m
en don't pay to attention to anything unless they have a beautiful woman motivating them. Furthermore the scene when Neyo manoeuvres his hands around an imaginary waste of a woman it emphasises that women are sexual objects there to be looked at. When he goes up to her the mise-en-scene is him behind hint towards a post-feminist era where she is leading the way with her books.
The type of shots used are close-ups on different females such as 'oral fixation' (pen in girls mouth-phallic object) spectators gaze and female gaze. When Keri Hilson comes on screen her boobs, legs, face, the slow pan up illustrates her 'to-be-looked-at-ness'.
The backing dancers-women-‘bootyshaking’ even when the women go down slowly with their suitcases dancing by the women is sexual compared to the men. They take their blazer off and throw it at the screen almost stripper like as if they're rejecting their independence. New Right would argue for the keeping of traditional values like the nuclear family where the gender roles are very clear. The mother portrayed as the h
ousewife and the man as dominant. The male backing dancers reinforce this role in their suits.
The way in which the woman is splayed over her work desk in inappropriate-suggests women are good for nothing but the obvious.The shaking of the hands suggests equality.
‘Men were more likely to be assertive (or aggressive), whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were much more likely to adventurous, active, and victorious, whereas women were more frequently shown as weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, or laughable or merely ‘token females’ (Gunter,1995)-David Gauntlett- Media, Gender and Identity
It is our view of gender (which everyone agrees to be culturally constructed) which leads to this view of sex - Judith Butler
Neyo -Miss Independent
As he strolls past the women in the workplace we see he is the only man amongst them .The female gaze (Gammon and Marshsment) is on him even though he’s in not sexually objectified. The next shot emphasises the fetishization of the woman's legs filmed from a low angle. This could also hint at sexual harassment in the workplace where women are still objectified althought they're independent but they still possess that alluring female charm. Even when he looks out the window he checks a woman out walking her dog so in terms of gender representations the man is still the one making the 1st moves ( chivalry factor) and they're known to have roaming eyes therefore its re-enforced.
In the meeting scene it could suggest that m
en don't pay to attention to anything unless they have a beautiful woman motivating them. Furthermore the scene when Neyo manoeuvres his hands around an imaginary waste of a woman it emphasises that women are sexual objects there to be looked at. When he goes up to her the mise-en-scene is him behind hint towards a post-feminist era where she is leading the way with her books.The type of shots used are close-ups on different females such as 'oral fixation' (pen in girls mouth-phallic object) spectators gaze and female gaze. When Keri Hilson comes on screen her boobs, legs, face, the slow pan up illustrates her 'to-be-looked-at-ness'.
The backing dancers-women-‘bootyshaking’ even when the women go down slowly with their suitcases dancing by the women is sexual compared to the men. They take their blazer off and throw it at the screen almost stripper like as if they're rejecting their independence. New Right would argue for the keeping of traditional values like the nuclear family where the gender roles are very clear. The mother portrayed as the h
ousewife and the man as dominant. The male backing dancers reinforce this role in their suits.The way in which the woman is splayed over her work desk in inappropriate-suggests women are good for nothing but the obvious.The shaking of the hands suggests equality.
‘Men were more likely to be assertive (or aggressive), whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were much more likely to adventurous, active, and victorious, whereas women were more frequently shown as weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, or laughable or merely ‘token females’ (Gunter,1995)-David Gauntlett- Media, Gender and Identity
It is our view of gender (which everyone agrees to be culturally constructed) which leads to this view of sex - Judith Butler
--- ---
In his other video 'because of you' the stereotypes are reinforced of women being sexually objectified
Rihanna- so hard
It starts off with her in front of line-up on army men her being the chief as she walks past them up and down like she’s in control of them yet they are the ones who pull out the phallic gun. Her image draws the male gaze where she’s wearing the red lipstick (femme fatale) and has dirt on her cheek and two pieces of black tape to conceal her breasts so she in control of what the audience see (post fem). The scenes when she’s stomping around the sand with landmines going off demonstrates her fearlessness its anchored by the lyrics as well as the mise en scene dark makeup, clothes; spikes. The way she dances in the garage setting she holds her crotch like a man. She fires the gun into the
air and when she walks off the camera focuses on her bum.The scene where she rubs herself with mud is for the male audiences to fulfil their sexual desires. As we can see the background accessories here are men simply holding guns but look like they’re frozen as they want the attention on Rihanna. The poker scene portrays she’s one of the lads gambling away into money enjoying risks. Also she’s the only women playing with guys. Could be seen a man’s fantasy of having one women shared with many men.
Although when she’s in the Mickey Mouse hat and bullet made top, her childlike innocence is present as Mickey Mouse is for children but bullets as her tough exterior are associated with violence so the two images are set up in binary opposition. When she’s waving the flag her outfit could be considered raunchy due to exposure of her dangling buttocks and tattoo which expresses
her rough nature.Gulsen Huseyin (A message for the media, young women talk- Jane Waghorn) – women can also interpret laddism as a sign that men would prefer them to go back to being more traditionally ‘feminine’ since men feel they are being more ‘masculine’
Nancy Friday -Made a career out of compiling and examining women’s sexual fantasies. She aimed to deconstruct the angel/whore dichotomy by celebrating women’s erotic pleasure in its various representations. (Introducing Feminism- Cathia Jenainati- Judy groves)
In another video of hers from the same album 'rated r' her song 'te amo' ( i love you) sparked some controversy over the act of lesbianism which injects into womens mind that we dont need men and for men perhaps its fulfilling their sexual fantasy's.
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the main differences in terms of gender roles is that Neyos is presented as the new man to some extent as hes working below the woman which suggests a post feminist era and that working women have that power to hold their on makes them a bit more desirable eliminating the passive pretty houswife figure, but competition between sexes is still present in Rihannas hard. She appears to develop a more masculine sense of style and attitude this could suggest that men are stil seen as the dominant top dogs as women have to change to be more successful and have that determination like men to suceed and be taken seriously.She provides a challenging role model figure to younger girls encouraging independence.
Wednesday 17 November 2010
plan
Rough version of an intro
In this investigation I shall be researching how the R&B genre constructs certain gender ideologies and why might this be a concern in a post feminist society. the artist I'll be primarily focusing on is Rihanna due to changes in her appearance, songs,and lifestages and compare it with Beyonce who represents women from the feminist perspective as her songs and videos reinforce the dependent weak women wheras Rihanna is more independant and free with songs such as 'hard' and 'te amo' where she challenges stereotypes.
1-talk about the typical representation in the olden days of artists such as Mariah Carey
In this investigation I shall be researching how the R&B genre constructs certain gender ideologies and why might this be a concern in a post feminist society. the artist I'll be primarily focusing on is Rihanna due to changes in her appearance, songs,and lifestages and compare it with Beyonce who represents women from the feminist perspective as her songs and videos reinforce the dependent weak women wheras Rihanna is more independant and free with songs such as 'hard' and 'te amo' where she challenges stereotypes.
1-talk about the typical representation in the olden days of artists such as Mariah Carey
(songs such as crybaby and always be my baby..to her recent songs like touch my body) where we see the more confident and direct attitude of women coild be argues to be sexually promiscuous like how men were.
2-Brief history of feminist period then post feminist
feminism in old days used to protest against the exploitation of women and conformed to stereotypes raised in society e.g the maternal housewife figure..evolved into women becoming the more dominant figure and them men becoming de-masculinised and becoming the meat (change in stereotypical gender expectations.)
3-effects (on audience and artist/s) these representation have had on women in the R&B genre
uses and gratifications- personal identity/escapism/entertainment/surveillance
effects theory- sees audience as passive
two step flow- The two-step flow of communication model hypothesizes that ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders, and from them to a wider population.
Cultivation theory- watching tv affects peoples perception of the real world. 'cultivates' viewers perception of reality.
desensitization
male gaze
4-how they have become such a strong figure in the R&B industry through this new representation. the journey of artists such as Rihanna who has benefited from Mariah Carey and Beyonce.
Rihanna-positive messages to people a new confident typa of woman who doesnt need a man although her 'te amo' video sparked some conflict as they were presented as lesbians.
5-conclusion -the future of women in r&b? give examples
In the future women will become more stereotypically challenging, controversial and create new norms. Men tend to use women in their videos a lot more to sexually obejctify them and the number will become almost equal but women will not be at the forefront although they'll be close behind...hegemony..
proposal for linked production
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Wednesday 3 November 2010
Issues and debates linked to my C.I
representation and stereotyping
Richard Dyer's ( how we are seen determines in part how we are related)
structure of binaries presents black women as 'loose, violent' with a lack of control and they are focused on the exotic dangerous nature. They are more dominant than males and usually in the videos they have some object/ action which shows they have the men right where they want them. E.g in Rihannas ' So hard' shes stomping around with explosion in the background and her makeup and costume anchor her daredevil nature as its black and prominent.
Goffman -superiority, domination shown through body language e.g in Rihanna 'So Hard' shes holding the gun and in other shots theres high angles of her wearing a top with bullets around the neck juxtaposed with her childlike mickey mouse hat to show her innocent side.
media effects
Cultivation theory in its most basic form, then, suggests that exposure to television, over time, subtly "cultivates" viewers' perceptions of reality. This cultivation can have an impact even on light viewers of TV, because the impact on heavy viewers has an impact on our entire culture. Gerbner and Gross (1976) say "television is a medium of the socialization of most people into standardized roles and behaviors.
eg if viewers keep seeing a certain construction of a repeated concept/image they may start to believe its the dominant ideology.
densensitisation exposed to too much sexuality e.g in Rihanna's ' Te Amo' where the lyrics anchor it
post feminism
In Beyonce's 'If i were a boy' she is presented as the more dominant figure where her partner waits on her hand on foot suggesting that society is not so patriarchal. In Rihanna's 'Te Amo' she promotes lesbianism in her video giving the message that we don't need men.
gender and ethnicity
Male gaze/ self objectification/ voyeurism
four key themes in racial representations: Alvarado Et Al
- exotic
- humorous
-dangerous
-pitied
audience theories/genre theories
Uses and Gratifications- escapism /personal identification /entertainment.
Richard Dyer's ( how we are seen determines in part how we are related)
structure of binaries presents black women as 'loose, violent' with a lack of control and they are focused on the exotic dangerous nature. They are more dominant than males and usually in the videos they have some object/ action which shows they have the men right where they want them. E.g in Rihannas ' So hard' shes stomping around with explosion in the background and her makeup and costume anchor her daredevil nature as its black and prominent.
Goffman -superiority, domination shown through body language e.g in Rihanna 'So Hard' shes holding the gun and in other shots theres high angles of her wearing a top with bullets around the neck juxtaposed with her childlike mickey mouse hat to show her innocent side.
media effects
Cultivation theory in its most basic form, then, suggests that exposure to television, over time, subtly "cultivates" viewers' perceptions of reality. This cultivation can have an impact even on light viewers of TV, because the impact on heavy viewers has an impact on our entire culture. Gerbner and Gross (1976) say "television is a medium of the socialization of most people into standardized roles and behaviors.
eg if viewers keep seeing a certain construction of a repeated concept/image they may start to believe its the dominant ideology.
densensitisation exposed to too much sexuality e.g in Rihanna's ' Te Amo' where the lyrics anchor it
post feminism
In Beyonce's 'If i were a boy' she is presented as the more dominant figure where her partner waits on her hand on foot suggesting that society is not so patriarchal. In Rihanna's 'Te Amo' she promotes lesbianism in her video giving the message that we don't need men.
gender and ethnicity
Male gaze/ self objectification/ voyeurism
four key themes in racial representations: Alvarado Et Al
- exotic
- humorous
-dangerous
-pitied
audience theories/genre theories
Uses and Gratifications- escapism /personal identification /entertainment.
psychographics- mainstreamers, reformers & aspirers
''On the triumphant Hard, she snaps: "No pain is forever: yup, you know this." It is an album that rings psychologically true, and provides a fresh insight into how and why Rihanna's fans find it easy to identify with her. '' - The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/aug/06/eminem-rihanna-video
Sunday 24 October 2010
Beyonce
'If i were a boy' highlights in the video the problems women face and how it would be if the gendered roles/stereotypes were subverted.
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html
Tuesday 19 October 2010
Rihanna
Rated R album her comeback album from when she got abused by ex boyfriend Chris Brown her songs and videos got more raunchier as it could of been to show him what he was missing. Also because as a celebrity she is a role model to younger girls and needed to be free from domestic violence therefore she promotes feminism.
How does the R&B genre construct certain gender ideologies> Why might this be a concern in a post modern society?
CRITICAL INVESTIGATION Q
How does the R&B genre construct certain gender ideologies? Why might this be a concern in a post modern society?
How does the R&B genre construct certain gender ideologies? Why might this be a concern in a post modern society?
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Ideas for critical investigation
possibly music videos as teenagers tend to listen to the latest music
Issues and Debates
Issues and Debates
- artists life influencing their music
- how lyrics affect the audience
- how audiences emulate what they see in videos if it has sexual content
Media Theories/Ideas
- voyerism/Self objectification/ Feminism
- todorov- equilibriums
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