The Beauty Myth

From researching Wolf's theory of the Beauty Myth, and various other theorists discussing the topic, I have discovered many influential concepts of beauty.

Therefore I have decided to resist the trend of the 'ideal woman' and opt for a curvier, more unique in appearance actor to star in my music video. This is because I feel that the media influences the public into aspiring to be impossibly perfect and flawless, thus I shall deny conformists and present a modern twist on beauty in my music video as this will allow the public to relate more easily with the actor.


Below is some feedback via the social networking site Facebook from peers having watched my presentation on the Beauty Myth:

This supports the theory that beauty is objective, and further elaborates on the comments I made about media distorting the public's perception of true beauty.

Once again this feedback agrees that beauty is objective; however the latter half of the comment suggests they disagree with Wolf's theory- that the media sells beauty in the interest of the public rather than perfection.

Having read the feedback from my presentation I have decided that I shall conform to the public's opinion and present an artist that is beautiful to the public whether or not they have physical flaws.

The Male Gaze

I have studied Laura Mulvey's theory of the Male Gaze and have come to these conclusions:

Below is a music video for an unquestionably male gaze video.

However here is a female gaze music video to contrast with the one above.

From researching this theory I have decided to conform to the ideology of the male gaze in my music video. Therefore I shall present a woman who appeals to the male audience, even though the target audience is primarily female. This is because modern music videos follow typical conventions, such as incorporating attractive women to suit the male desire, thus I shall abide by the codes so to create a realistic music video.


Below is some feedback from my peers, having watched my presentation on the male gaze:

The point raised about neutral gaze's is valid as in many music videos a deeper message is conveyed thus they avoid using a male perspective as the focus on women may distract from the video's underlying message.

This comment agrees with the male gaze theory yet sees it as not posing any problems; I disagree with this as I feel a music video is another form of media similar to that of a feature length film and thus this issue is important.

Therefore, though I decided to conform to the male gaze in my music video I shall resist the uncomfortably sexual shots of women so to allow my music video to appeal to both genders.

Representation

Having researched representation I feel it best to select a moral subculture to represent, as opposed to, for example, the rock genre- where sex and drugs are both symbols of this culture. Therefore I have chosen my final music video to represent the strong and independent woman. Thus I have decided to incorporate physical representation of this, for exampled effeminate objects within my music video, such as a piano, as well as symbols of power, including stormy weather. Furthermore I shall represent indie rock as their swerve from mainstream music has enabled the sub-genre to become vastly popular amongst those determined to protest against the 'norm'. To represent this group I shall conform to indie fashion within my music video as well as selecting a song that fits the genre.

Below are some comments from peers shared over the social networking site Facebook after having watched my presentation on representation:

This comment suggests that some artists do not present themselves as sex symbols but rather can represent something entirely different and specific to the niche target audience of their music, such as with Avril Lavigne being a skater chick. I appreciate what Natasha argues about Avril Lavigne not being a sex icon, and how this still enables her music to be successful.

This inference is likely in the music industry as women appear to represent vulnerability and helplessness by their lack of clothes.

I agree with Peter as men are portrayed to be the dominant, protective figure in music videos; much like how our old society worked.

From this feedback I have decided to portray a strong woman in my music video, as these comments suggest the unequal representations of male and female status is wrong, thus my woman shall appear to  be dominant. As well I have chosen not to represent sex in my music video, but to have a concealed woman, so to enforce this concept of strength rather than vulnerability.

Artists as Role Models

Females are statistically more susceptible to copying artists' behaviour, and teenagers specifically, are unable to resist the attachment to a role model; whether that be your parent, teacher, or a celebrity. However, often in the celebrity world these very role models are exactly the opposite of the ideal young person- with their reliance on drugs and alcohol, teen pregnancies as well as foul language and behaviour. An example of this would be the former artist Amy Whinehouse, who died of drug abuse, and suffered years of addiction including a period in rehab. Fans of Amy looked up to her and wouldn't just listen to her voice but mimic her actions as well. This could lead to the increase in young smokers, drinkers and drug addicts. It has also been argued by critics that the pregnancy of two of the Spice Girls correlates with the rise in teen pregnancy in the year 1988. This is possible proof for the theory that 14-16 years olds are led astray by unsuitable role models. Due to this the government set up a programme of approved role models, including the actress Billie Piper. However, by the government insisting on young people to look up to role models of whom they have approved, this decreases the likeness that teenagers will obey- due to their rebellious teen culture. Another aspect in which the government fail to help the cause is by pressuring schools to deliver acceptable grades; this puts further pressure onto the students, convincing them they are failures if they do not live up to expectations. Once deemed a failure some girls may turn to having children as their only option, as they believe the education path is closed to them.

Popular Music

The music industry is constantly changing, partly due to the development of new technologies and methods of consuming music; such as Napster and other file sharing websites, as well as the iPod and iPhone. However nowadays bands have to sell their image as well as their music. From this, developed cultures and subcultures creating rivalries such as the Mods V Rockers. This was caused by the defining of people by their choice of music thus forming this sense of culture around the genre.