Gender Stereotypes in Music
*Men are engaged significantly more aggressive and dominant behaviour
*Men are represented as independent, adventurous, unemotional and competent.
*Stereotypical gendered occupations are apparent i.e. Men as fire-fighters/Mechanics, and females as waitresses/cheerleaders
*Women are engaged with significantly more unimportant roles and are usually involved in more explicit, sexual and passive behaviour.
*Women are represented as objects of sexual advances or as sexual objects
-Women are more likely to wear revealing and provocative clothing.
-Women are portrayed as decorative objects that may dance, pose yet may have less overall input like not playing instrumentsThese research findings were not restricted to the hip hop genre only
Feminism (1960s/1970s)
*A movement in which women questioned their position within patriarchal society & the 'private sphere' of home/children/domestic bliss.
*Serves to uncover, challenge and eliminate oppression and dominant gender imagery
*Women began to debate the narrow range of stereotypes across all media
*Women were seen as either virgins, mothers or promiscuous
*Women were seen as sexual objects
*Women are depicted as being inferior to men
*Women are viewed as domestic/based in the home
Sexual Objectification and the Male Gaze (Laura Mulvey)
*Definition of Voyeurism: Erotic pleasures gained from looking at a sexual object (who is unaware of being watched)
*Presence of women solely for the purpose of display (rather than narrative function)
*Female on display is passive and objectified for a male gaze regardless of viewers gender
*Voyeuristic treatment of female body in 'male' videos- use of dancers as adornments to the male ego
*The inclusion of women for women for display is a staple element in music video's- across all genres
*Women connote to-be-looked-at-ness and are the object of the male gaze
Post Feminism (& Introduction of the Female Gaze)
(1980s)
*A re-appraisal of Feminist values
*Does not strive for 'equality' as this assumes men are 'the best'- they wish to surpass male achievements
*Objected to theories which position them as objects of the 'male gaze'
*Identifies a 'female gaze'- women actively desiring men Women began to assert their right to dress and be sexually attractive as long as they maintain control and solid composure.
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