An introduction to some theoretical perspectives when analysing femininity in music videos

1. An introduction to some theoretical perspectives when analysing
representations of femininity
GENDER IN POP MUSIC VIDEOS
Andy Wallis

2. KEY TERMINOLOGY
• Dominant ideology
• Male gaze
• Voyeurism
• Dismemberment
• Performativity
• Gender fluidity

3. MEGHAN TRAINOR
• Analyse the key signifiers in the three imagers in front of you.
• Question: What messages about femininity and gender does this performer
embody?

4. MALE GAZE
• Laura Mulvey believes that women are placed in the media to be
looked at.
• She calls this ‘the gaze’.
• This can be both:
• Voyeuristic – The notion of looking and gaining pleasure
from seeing these beautiful objects
• Fetishistic – A more highly sexualised desire to have
something, women are placed as objects of desire.
• Therefore ‘The Gaze’ can be voyeuristic and fetishistic – turning
women into a fetish (object) that is beautiful and celebrated for
her looks but considered as an object.

5. DISMEMBERMENT
• A theory developed by Jean Kilbourne who said that
dismemberment is used in print advertising to:
• highlight one part of a woman’s body while ignoring all
the other parts of her body.
• employ female body parts for the purpose of selling a
product.
• leave many women feeling that their entire body is
spoiled on account of one less than perfect feature.

6. LILY ALLEN – HARD OUT HERE
• How can we apply Mulvey’s and Kilbourne’s ideas to a study of women in music video?
• As you watch the following video make a note of how the audience is positioned as either
male or female. And how we are encouraged to ‘look’ both voyeuristically and
fetishistically?
• Does the gaze shift sides in parts? Why is this interesting? Do we have a ‘female gaze’
emerging?
• How is the female body dismembered and for what purpose?

7. https://youtu.be/E0CazRHB0so

8. DEBATE
• Is Lily Allen challenging / subverting / adhering to the male
gaze?
• How did it position you as the audience?
• Does it reinforce or challenge (or maybe both) objectification?

9. GENDER AS A CONSTRUCT - BUTLER
• Judith Butler says gender is a role we play and we choose to
conform or resist.
• She says there are some set rules that are constructed
through the media but we can choose to actively resist these
through performativity.
• Sees gender as a PERFORMANCE.
• Gender is socially constructed.
Can you think of any celebrity or musician that actively resists the dominant ideological
perspective on gender or who is gender fluid?

10. LADY GAGA

11. LADY GAGA & FEMININITY
• How does Gaga present modern
femininity?
• Does she conform or resist dominant
ideology? Why in each case?

12. GENDER AS PERFORMANCE
https://youtu.be/T7CCtcoYieI