Laura’s Mulvey’s theory on representation is ‘In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure which is styled accordingly’ There are many possible interpretations of this quote but to my understanding I would interpret this quote by saying men and women are being treated unequally within society as was the case up until women achieved civil rights, which emphasises to me that women are perceived as sexual objects rather than the humans they are. My interpretation of word ‘fantasy’ in this context indicates that women are made to become anything men dream of them to be especially in music videos for example walking around with nothing but a bikini, a lot of makeup and body shots are constantly used and hardly any shots of their faces and emphasises that women are just as objects for men to watch.
Two videos which I feel give a good illustration of my understanding:
Timbaland - Pass At Me
This music video is an good example of how women are represented as sexual objects. I am given this impression because the of images throughout the video and also some of the lyrics. Timbaland is living his fantasy and dream life through the use of girls I am given this impression through the quote ‘I love when I see your pretty ass on the floor’ this shows his passion for women being half naked and dancing about, which I believe is filling his visual pleasures.
I am given the impression that Pitbull also sees women as material objects through the quote, “I got a girl to my right and a girl to my left and the one in the middle and I’m feeling on her breast”, shows that women are just material objects which can be bought through the exchange of money, it also degrades them by them allowing him to touch their breasts without any sort of official relationship.
50 Cent - Candy Shop
In this video 50 cent refers to the big house as a candy shop which I believe implicates that the women are seen as sweets to be enjoyed. Throughout the video we see girls dancing around in bikini’s which really suggest the way women are downgraded within society.
There is also a lot of close up of the girl’s bodies, particularly their bums and hips which may seem ‘fantasying’ to the men. A female never speaks in the video apart from the artist Olivia, through watching It seems that the women know how they are suppose to behave without being told as if it is the norm in society, which it is in the context of music videos.
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