Jacob Torres March 6, 2012 COMM 2307.

02 Dreamworlds Dreamworlds III: Desire, Sex, & Power in Music Video is a grotesque, nausea inducing documentary that takes a look at the use of sex and near pornographic images in the videos of mainstream popular music. This hour long film is a social commentary, aimed at forcing the viewer to look at the over-the-top, and chauvinistic manner in which women are asked to behave in music videos. Furthermore, the documentary aims to identify what the repercussions of this style of video are, and how it affects society as a greater whole. Sut Jhally, a Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, narrates the film, and instead of appearing in front of the camera, flashes graphics clips, giving a scene by scene breakdown of the psychological purpose of each sexual image. He explains that music videos take advantage of the pornographic imagination for the purpose of informing society of what is considered normal.

In my opinion I felt the film to be tactless. I understand that Jhally wanted to put these images on the screen for the purpose of turning the mirror back on society, to fully display the videos that they asked to see and allow to exist; however after the ten minute mark I was extremely uncomfortable. If this was Jhallys intention, he more than succeeded, however I feel a stronger argument could have been made through interview. Perhaps he could have interviewed some of the women of the music videos or even some of the music video directors. Throughout the film I was offended by the way Jhally berates the directors, simplifying their artistic vision to that of male adolescent fantasy. Although I too do not agree or condone the directors artistic choices, rather than simply writing them off, Jhally could have provided a more comprehensive documentary by asking the intention of their creations. Furthermore, though Jhally asks whose vision of the world these music videos belong to; he fails to probe further than the surface level

Jacob Torres March 6, 2012 COMM 2307.02 Dreamworlds in blaming the label heads. I argue that the music video industry is not just a couple of men, who dont like women or see them as merely sexual objects, but rather an entire industry, built upon creating images that cater to and are about men. One could easily use the Bechdel Test, an uncomplicated test created by Allison Bechdel aimed at identifying gender bias in medias, and find that most music videos will fail the criterion. The Bechdel Test asks three very easy questions:

1. 2. 3.

Does it have at least two women in it? Do the women talk to each other? Do they talk about something other than a man? As you can imagine, most music videos fail this test, and surprisingly so do most movies.

There is something very wrong with the entertainment industry, if women are still playing second banana, despite being the majority globally. Furthermore, womens portrayal in most media is rarely the role of the strong independent women. As Jhally points out the link between a womens identity, her body, and her sexuality is told in the most compelling of forms, but nowhere in pop culture is the story more focused and told in such relentless fashion than a music video. Post Feminist programming, such as Bridget Jones Diary, Sex & the City, and Ally McBeal are rare, and still a victim of controversy. As Zsfia Kulcsr points out in her Critique of Post-Feminism, this programming displays liberated women engaging in and enjoying sexual behaviors, but it reduces the complexities of feminism "into a marketable success or a disaster story", through the use of the word Post (2011). The Post insinuates that the original political agendas of feminism have succeeded, that there is nothing more to fight for, and women are now equal to men. This, as Dreamworlds illustrates, is simply not true. The use of the word Post, is equitable to slapping the word New and Improved on any other product, it detracts

Jacob Torres March 6, 2012 COMM 2307.02 Dreamworlds from the message itself and is simply used to sell a product or idea. Jhally could have touched on the people who are fighting for equality in media portrayal, rather than a five minute explication of Nellys Tip Drill. In said video, women are engaged in some of the most demeaning activity I have ever had the displeasure of watching, while the lyrics reflect standby misogynistic principles. Standout lines and scenes include, it must be the ass, cuase it aint ya face, with Nelly and his St. Lunatics placing their faces very close to womens behinds each time the line is repeated (10 times); as well as the highly controversial scene where Nelly swipes a credit card through a womans butt. Much to Nellys delight, the woman then begins to bounce her butt after the payment is accepted. This song fill me with extreme discomfiture as both the music video and the song lyrics themselves are terrible, demeaning, over sexualized, and appalling. I believe that, Jhally should take a deeper look at the lyrics itself in the next Dreamworlds. Understanding of both lyric and video is necessary to garner any understanding of the culture that allows such perversion to appear on daytime television. A recent panel discussion held by the America Psychological Association found that as new media increases, access to over sexualized media increased. Furthermore, Eileen Zurbriggen, chair of the task force and associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, believes the consequences of sexualization of women in media today are likely to be a negative influence on girls' healthy development. The panel states that sexualization and objectification undermine a person's confidence in and comfort with her own body, leading to emotional and self-image problems, such as shame and anxiety. Additionally previous studies have been able to link sexualization with three of the most common mental health problems diagnosed in girls and women--eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression or depressed mood.

Jacob Torres March 6, 2012 COMM 2307.02 Dreamworlds Furthermore, if women are not being used as objects of desire in music videos, they are the ones doing the singing. (Enter Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, etc) These artists, while still objectifying their body, attempt to take the power back from a male dominated world, with lyrics like, the dudes are lining up cause they here we got swagger, and aint got a care in the world, but got plenty of beer. These empowered female leads encourage attracting guys with drinking, a statement Laina Y. Bay-Cheng, PhD, of the University at BuffaloState University of New York, fears may give the idea to girls that society wants them to be sexed-up party girls. The current state of the music video industry is in a scary place. It must realize the influential power it holds on consumers, and at the risk of losing a profit, attempt to address these unrealistic and unhealthy norms it ruining society with.

Jacob Torres March 6, 2012 COMM 2307.02 Dreamworlds Citations

Hanes, C. (Nelly) (2003). Tip Drill [St. Lunatics & David Banner]. Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention [Digital Download]. New York, New York: Universal. Kulcsr, Z. (2011). A Critique of Post-feminism. Americana: E-Journal Of American Studies In Hungary, 10. Laina, Bay-Cheng Y. "Popular Culture Encourages Girls to Mix Sex and Alcohol." American Psychological Association (APA). University at BuffaloState University of New York., Oct. 2011. Web. 04 Mar. 2012. <http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/10/mediamessage.aspx>. Dreamworlds 3. Dir. Sut Jhally. Media Education Foundation, 2008. Film. Sexualization of Girls Is Linked To Common Mental Health Problems In Girls And Women-Eating Disorders, Low Self-Esteem, And Depression; An APA Task Force Reports: Psychologists call for replacing sexualized images of girls in media and advertising with positive ones. (2007). Washington, District of Columbia, US: American Psychological Association (APA), Public and Member Communications, Public Affairs Office.