Gender and Sexuality in Music Video

Growing up, I was surrounded by hip-hop music. My parents were gangbangers in their earlier years, so my early life consisted of a constant stream of all forms of hip-hop, from Tupac, NWA, Public Enemy, Ice Cube, etc. I loved everything about it, except for the language that my parents didn't want me to hear, but that didn't stop them showing me the greatest hits of the late 80s and early 90s. It wasn't until I got older that I noticed the imagery that accompanied the music videos, which were full of half naked women in almost every video. Even songs with deeper intellectual meanings to their lyrics has accompanying music videos with unrelated images of misogyny and stereotypes of black men, which promote distorted ideas about sexuality and gender.
One of the music videos that exemplifies this stereotype of gender and sexuality is Bruno Mars' "24K Magic". I will have to admit, I love this song and have listened to it countless times. But there is a lot to be said about the lyrical content and images in the music video. In the music video, the men play the role of "players" and "hustlers", having the best and most flashy clothes, jewelry, cars, and more. They even have their own jet! This certainly makes it seem like men are the ones who get these things, and the girls are only there to look hot and dance around these things. In the lyrics, Mars describes how he has girls all around him because of the things that he has. The women have no identity of their own, and are shown as just shallow objects looking to admire the men who are on top. Without sound, you would interpret the story of the music video as the guy getting whatever material goods he can get his hands on, which will attract females, whose only desire is to serve the men who have these items.
While I love Bruno Mars as an artist, this video reinforces harmful stereotypes of gender and sexuality, especially when the target audience is 13-18 year olds. While Bruno Mars performs next to the pool, the girls just stand around in the background in their bathing suits. This can be harmful in teaching young girls that they shouldn't strive for anything other than that, but more dangerously, teaches young adolescents to treat girls like objects and to chase material things exclusively. This example can apply to several different moments in the music video.
While it hurts me to criticize a song that I love, it's important to notice these themes that permeate hip-hop music videos, as well as genres across the spectrum.

Generation M

Misogyny is extremely prevalent in our media, whether we want to come to terms with or not. Some people want to act like it doesn't exist pervasively, whether it be in our movies, television shows, video games, or music. Growing up as a young boy, I've noticed this misogyny permeate throughout the years. Whether it be the spread of pornography amongst my adolescent friend groups, slurs, or insults, it became more and more prevalent. I'm not going to pretend I was above reproach and criticism as a preteen because I definitely was a part of it. Whether it was reciting sexist jokes from movies or sexist lines from rap songs with my friends, it became a common thing amongst us middle schoolers.
This was paired with the twisted view of masculinity that was pushed on us prevalently through the media. Rather than the good virtues of masculinity we might've learned from our parents (like respecting others, providing for people we care about, having good manners, etc.), we were taught virtues of machismo and brutality from media. They taught us that masculinity meant being heterosexual, white, and tough. These media portrayals also taught us that women LOVED to be pursued by men, and that was their main goal in films. A women's desire, other than that, wasn't a priority to anyone. I wanted to be that tough guy growing up, and I definitely didn't want to be associated with anything feminine, in fear of being made fun of by my friends.
I believe these factors contribute to the violence against female by males that are part of the whole "bro culture" as described in the film "The Bro Code". When male children are raised on these values, they begin to maliciously manifest into their adult years. Media still perpetuates these same ideas that we grew up, allowing some guys to justify their beliefs. Porn and media consumption has popularized ideas that they believe every girl wants, regardless of their personal interests and wants.

Consuming Images

Visual images are one of the biggest influences on the way we can perceive the world around us. The commercial is one of the most prolific form of communication. Both advertisers and journalists utilize images and photographs to help shape the opinion of the people they are exposed to.

Photo Source:http://100photos.time.com/photos/sergeant-ivan-frederick-hooded-man 

An example of this is the journalistic photo of "The Hooded Man, an Iraqi man being detained by U.S. troops in the Iraq War. In 2003, Sergeant Ivan Fredrick took this photo of a man being tortured by U.S. troops in the Abu Ghraib prison. The photo was one of many cruel photos take by U.S. soldiers torturing, humiliating, and harming imprisoned Iraqis. This photo was featured prominently in mainstream media, evoking a lot of different emotions from the people who viewed it. Similar to the "Napalm Girl" photo, this one shows the harm that is done to the other side during wars. Without getting into controversies of the war itself, this image evokes feelings of the brutality and violence both sides, including the United States, commits in war. The man in the hood is being stripped of any humanity or individuality he may have had by being covered up by a hood and striped of his clothes. He is being inhumanely tortured, and conjures up feelings of remorse to the people in the Middle-East that some people may have never considered. He is standing on a box, being forced to balance himself in fear of being shocked by the wires inserted into his body. He is also in a Christlike pose, which is eerie in itself, as it is clear he was being mocked by the people in charge. You cannot help but feel remorse and pity for this human being treated as anything but that.

Another example of images that evoke emotions and sell a certain worldview is this advertisement by Pedigree, focusing on dog adoption. While more of a light image than the previous "Hooded Man", it evokes emotion in a similar way. Obviously, adopting dogs is a a good thing to do, and this advertisement definitely conveys how it benefits both the dog and owner. The man's life in the first image is a solitary one, with just him enjoying the view of the ocean. In the next image, he has a faithful canine companion, and shows just how much dogs can really improve our lives. Adoption gives the dog a place to call home and an owner who loves him, and gives the owner a friend who will love them unconditionally. This ad is certainly effective in conveying the message and worldview that it intended to.

Image Source: https://adsoftheworld.com/media/outdoor/pedigree_dog_1

Oil Pipelines Are Good for You

If you were to ask a friend or colleague about examples of propaganda, they will often point to the extreme examples of the propaganda pieces used by Nazi Germany, the USSR, North Korea, China, etc. Often times, they won't take a step back to notice how much propaganda is used by the United States. Whether is be films glorifying warmongers, like American Sniper (which makes me roll my eyes just thinking about), advertising, or commercials. People love to watch a film depicting an American "war hero" fighting for the true American people. These movies are a form of propaganda that make people support whatever cause is being presented to them, whether they realize it or not. 

The same can be said for some forms of legislation proposed by the Trump administration. Claiming Trump to be a controversial figure is an extreme understatement, but there are a lot of people who fully support him in whatever he does. He has used his rhetoric and propaganda to make people feel like Trump stands for the working-class American who will restore America to the "great nation" it was when these people were teens, which MAY be referring to the time when minorities/women/LGBTQ demanded equal rights but I don't want to jump to conclusions. 

Trump has used his rhetoric and propaganda to get (some) American people to agree with him moving forward on the Dakota Access Pipeline. The controversial pipeline has sparked much protest across the country, and Trump has issued a memorandum on the DAPL. According to the White House website, the pipeline "serve[s] the nation interest" of the American people. The website also claims that 90% of the pipeline is done with just 10% more. The website fails to mention the indigenous people that will be affected by the last 10% of the pipeline. Trump has used propaganda (from the "most credible" White House website), to say that the pipeline is beneficial to American infrastructure and to the American people. What is Trump getting from this? Well after some investigation, he is getting quite a bit. $2.5 billion has been contributed to the pipeline, including several major banks like Wells Fargo, US Bank, Bank of America, as well as several investment companies like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan Chase, to name a few. Trump promises that the workers, environment, and Canada will benefit from this pipeline. Now, Trump claims to no longer have any conflicting interests in the pipeline (he used to before selling his stocks), but has not made further comment on his involvement.

Donald Trump has pushed the rhetoric of making "America Great Again" and "Drain[ing] the Swamp", but has sided with the side of the billionaire 1% over the American people, and has convinced people through propaganda that he is working in the best interest of the American working class. 

Sources:

White House memorandum:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/24/presidential-memorandum-regarding-construction-dakota-access-pipeline

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/who's-banking-dakota-access-pipeline?gclid=CjwKEAiAi-_FBRCZyPm_14CjoyASJAClUigONT-ECVOwzFNvC-dpqGay8F0sNhX0yJwGm3LJTslkHxoCtr7w_wcB

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-benefits-from-the-keystone-xl-pipeline-and-dakota-access-pipeline-pros-cons/

FAKE NEWS!

This past election year has been an interesting one to say the least. With one of the most controversial elections of our nation coming to a head, many people turned to the press to help them form their opinions on who to vote for and where to stand on certain issues. We as Americans have always been guaranteed free speech and the freedom of press. It is the responsibility of the press to do what they can to inform the American people and investigate and call out politicians on their false claims or controversies. Currently, I believe that the news media has failed to challenge the claims made by political leaders, leading to other "alternative" news sites to push stories that simply aren't true, or can't be backed up by evidence. 

We've seen the press do investigative journalism to uncover major malfeasance by either politicians or large organizations. For instance, The Washington Post's investigation and reporting on the Nixon Watergate scandal, or The Boston Globe's investigation of the child sexual abuse scandal of the Catholic church. But during the latest election year, we saw an influx of "fake news" scandals against both candidates. "Fake News" refers to the false information or propaganda published under the guise of actual news. Many people that I know, including my conspiracy theorist brother, have turned to alternative news sites during the election, because Donald Trump has made a blanket statement where any news that criticizes him is "fake news". This hurts the American people because now that the press is taking a hard stance against Trump, it is too little too late. Some people would rather believe that Hilary Clinton is a satanist and Democrats molest children in a pizza shop in DC, than look at corroborated facts. Infowars is one of the most notorious fake news sites. This site is combination of conspiracy theories and fake news headed by Alex Jones, an eccentric tin foil hat conspiracy theorist. He led the charge in the "fake news" attack against Clinton, Podesta, and the DNC. Here, Jones talks about the Clinton's ties to satanism. It doesn't take a genius to realize this is insane, but many people believer everything that comes from Infowars. 

Now that Donald Trump is president, we are seeing a dangerous precedent take place. After the exhausting election of 2016, Trump has repeatedly called reputable news sites fake; these sites include CNN, NBC, The New York Times, and more. Just today, his administration barred several liberal leaning news outlets from attending a press briefing. He has deemed these the enemy of the people, and leaders of "fake news". Several conservative leaning site were allowed including Fox News and Brietbart. The freedom of press is being undermined slowly, and false information will begin to be more widespread than ever. But what can you expect from a 70 year-old white billionaire who is addicted to the news? 

Joystick Warriors

A disclaimer: I play a lot of video games. I own an Xbox One and play (almost) nightly with my friends online through Xbox Live, so I have a good understanding of video games and the violence within. I do enjoy the explicitly violent titles like Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, etc. I've grown up playing video games and while I can say that I have personally never felt drawn to committing acts of real life violence, I cannot speak for everyone. I'm also able to recognize the influence of modern gun manufacturers in today's most popular shooting titles. 

I cannot think of any real life instances of gun violence that is influenced, but video games definitely glamorize real life models of guns in such titles as Call of Duty, Battlefield, and more. In these games, players can use real life models of guns and the games provide the players with the exact name, firing rate, and damage inflicted with real life guns including AK-47s, M16s, and more.  

Gun customization menu in Call of Duty, including real life specs and names of the weapon

In doing this, gun manufacterurs are marketing their products to video game players across the world, and could possibly lead to some of them buying a gun they used in a video game, in real life. 

Game can also depict really explicit gun violence situations, regardless of what is going on in the real world. In one of the Call of Duty titles, Modern Warfare 2, the player is put in control of a Russian terrorist group committing a mass shooting in an airport with real models of assault rifles. The sequence was met with much criticism, but it begs the question of how much realistic gun violence in video games can eventually lead to real life gun violence. 

[source for image: 

https://www.google.com/search?q=modern+warfare+weapons+gif&espv=2&biw=1242&bih=580&tbm=isch&imgil=fmQDFjUV9FS9MM%253A%253BQQJsD9GonFxh-M%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fcharlieintel.com%25252F2015%25252F07%25252F21%25252Fblunderbuss-stg44-and-svo-weapons-for-advanced-warfare-available-now-on-xbox-one%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=fmQDFjUV9FS9MM%253A%252CQQJsD9GonFxh-M%252C_&usg=__9KrDTMVkk-fs-boLfTK7MAYwizI%3D&ved=0ahUKEwj3ipfQ-Z3SAhVK6IMKHUtKDm4QyjcIMw&ei=on-qWPcxytCPBMuUufAG#tbm=isch&q=call+of+duty+weapon+menu+&imgrc=yGT-T1h_aaAG9M: ]

What is "Happy Violence"?

Violence is explicit in all forms of media nowadays. Sometimes it's a necessary part of the story, intended to show the urgency and reality of the events unfolding (for example, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List). When these films approach dramatic subject matter, violence is a necessary tool to show the stakes of what's going on. But what is "happy violence"? 

To me, "happy violence" is violence, whether it be in TV or film, that is highly stylized and lacks real consequences. In some ways, it is even light-hearted and does not hold the weight of actual violence. It is violent for the sake of being entertaining, and it works. In the 2000 film "American Psycho", the main character is a rich, white-collared serial killer. The film is a dark comedy that features several scenes of Christian Bale committing horrendous acts, but it depicted in a way that we root for him and laugh as he hacks, slashes, and eats people throughout the movie. 

Christian Bale hacks Jared Leto to death in a comedic scene from American Psycho (2000)

I actually enjoy the movie a lot though, but I'm able to see the way they portray violence without any real consequence and it is actually entertaining. Christian Bale is a very handsome and charming character in the movie, so we forgive him for what he's doing. "Happy violence" indeed. 

No stranger to the "happy violence" is Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino is one of the most famous and celebrated directors of our time, and he features countless amounts of violent scenes throughout his movies. One of his best films, "Inglorious Basterds", deals with a team of Jewish-American soldiers fighting Nazis in WWII. The movie features many scenes of "happy violence" where Nazis are killed. Now, no sympathy should be granted to Nazis, but it's easy to point out that the violence is meant to be entertaining and comedic. In this scene, a soldier beats a German officer to death while the characters around him cheer and laugh. A great scene nonetheless, but an example of Tarantino's stylized "happy violence". 

In the final act, They even kill Hitler in one of the funniest scenes of the movie. He is repeatedly shot in the face and while it is very graphic, we don't care because it is Hitler being killed.