Representation of Women

(By Lauren)

Music video producers of today represent girls by 'borrowing' an old stereotype from the showgirls of the silent film era in the 20's and Burlesque girls from even earlier.

Characteristics of the Burlesque girl:
*Corsets
*Feather boas
*Fishnet stockings
*Props/ accessories such as whips and canes
*Elbow length gloves

Another stereotype of women in music videos is 'The Stripper'. These characteristics include:
*Bra's and G-strings
*Close up shots of girls wiggling their bums
*The open crouch
*Pole dancing/ dancing on men


A third stereotype would be the women impressing the stereotypical gangster male. The characteristics of the women would be:
*Afro-American women
*Torn shorts/exposure of body
*Bikini tops
*Krumping moves
*Bling jewellery
*Tattoos on body and piercings

These representations have an effect on girls in the real world as they are coping the appearance, attitude and lifestyle of the celebrities in the media. The messages of these representations are that girls are cheap, easy and passive. They are to be watched by men in a sexual way, to satisfy their needs and to give them pleasure. This is called the male gaze which Laura Mulvey explored in her Feminist theory. A good example of this is the song 'Lollipop' by Lil Wayne. Therefore, women are often represented in a negative light in some music videos. Children need to be protected from seeing these kind of images and videos as it give them a bad impression of women and will warp their views of them.