Women's Role in Music Videos
CO130-A Mass Media & Society
April 2, 2012
Women’s Role in Hip-Hop Videos During the last few decades and more specifically throughout the twentieth century, the music industry has had a tremendous impact on people’s perceptions of women. It can be said, that in the hip-hop genre women are portrayed as sex objects rather than important figures in society. Through demeaning images and lyrics, music videos in the hip-hop genre are a demonstration of how women are underrepresented and stereotyped in the media as nothing more than sex symbols.
Many male hip-hop artists use women as another one of their accessories in their music videos, along with their expensive cars and flashy jewelry. In music videos such as Chris Brown and Kevin McCall’s “Strip,” it is at times hard to realize the reality of what you are watching due to the catchy beat of the song. In my opinion, this is one of the most dangerous aspects of these videos because we subconsciously accept the role that women are being given without questioning it. After you block the upbeat vibe of the song and really start analyzing the content of what you are watching and listening to, you realize that the women that are presented in this luxurious cabin in the mountains are all wearing nothing but undergarments. Throughout the video, Brown and McCall are shown in an atmosphere of indulgence and intoxication that presents women as mere sex objects to them. In various scenes, it is evident that there is a sense of ownership of these women because the men are the ones who are paying for everything. Brown and McCall are shown with a large number of women in order to appear manly and in control. In these hip-hop music videos, women are always financially supported by men and never shown as independent.
Ironically, male hip-hop artists are not the only ones who are portraying women as sex symbols in the music industry. Many female artists succumb to this provocative and stereotypical image of women because they
April 2, 2012
Women’s Role in Hip-Hop Videos During the last few decades and more specifically throughout the twentieth century, the music industry has had a tremendous impact on people’s perceptions of women. It can be said, that in the hip-hop genre women are portrayed as sex objects rather than important figures in society. Through demeaning images and lyrics, music videos in the hip-hop genre are a demonstration of how women are underrepresented and stereotyped in the media as nothing more than sex symbols.
Many male hip-hop artists use women as another one of their accessories in their music videos, along with their expensive cars and flashy jewelry. In music videos such as Chris Brown and Kevin McCall’s “Strip,” it is at times hard to realize the reality of what you are watching due to the catchy beat of the song. In my opinion, this is one of the most dangerous aspects of these videos because we subconsciously accept the role that women are being given without questioning it. After you block the upbeat vibe of the song and really start analyzing the content of what you are watching and listening to, you realize that the women that are presented in this luxurious cabin in the mountains are all wearing nothing but undergarments. Throughout the video, Brown and McCall are shown in an atmosphere of indulgence and intoxication that presents women as mere sex objects to them. In various scenes, it is evident that there is a sense of ownership of these women because the men are the ones who are paying for everything. Brown and McCall are shown with a large number of women in order to appear manly and in control. In these hip-hop music videos, women are always financially supported by men and never shown as independent.
Ironically, male hip-hop artists are not the only ones who are portraying women as sex symbols in the music industry. Many female artists succumb to this provocative and stereotypical image of women because they