Sexism In Music Videos

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Unlike their male counterparts, female artists are defined by their appearance. Constantly under the microscope of the media, female artists are publicly chastised for every outfit worn and each selfie posted. The standard of media scrutiny placed on these female artists not only affects these specific women, but this sexist attitude is then transferred over to our society. Through demeaning lyrics, sexually objectifying music videos, and the prevalence of internalized sexism, music media’s current portrayal of female artists perpetuates a societal norm of sexism in our society. As sexually objectifying lyrics have become more commonplace and rhetorically blatant in recent years, it is hard to find popular music that does not perpetuate negative …show more content…

Through analyzing popular music content, researchers at the University of California in Santa Cruz and the University of Wisconsin in Madison found that 90% of music videos feature women in sexually objectifying sequences (Grabe & Hyde 2843). In addition, researchers found a linkage between music video viewing and “traditional gender-role attitudes and a stronger acceptance of women as sexual objects” (Grabe & Hyde 2843). By categorizing music videos into genres to analyze, research at the University of Missouri found that R&B/hip-hop, pop and country music videos featured sexually objectifying sequences most prominently, respectively (Aubrey & Frisby 475). Each genre used different visuals that aligned with its genre norms, however, every example conveyed the same resounding message of sexism. For example, R&B singer R. Kelly’s 2013 music video for his song “Cookie” features the singer in a mansion filled with women dressed in skimpy, lingerie-esque versions of maid costumes. R. Kelly is the only male featured in the video, and throughout the video he remains fully clothed while his female companions wear lingerie or swimwear as they provocatively dance around him (Nazario). Similarly, former tween heartthrob Jesse McCartney is the only male featured in the music video for his 2010 popular single, “Shake”. …show more content…

The study claims that today’s culture allows women in media to “‘choose’ to be portrayed as sex objects” which in turn translates to “a victory for feminism” (Hatton & Trautner 66). While there is no doubt to the existence of female empowerment in music media, this study fails to compare the margin of these feminist articles to the industry standard. These few and far between instances of positive praise to these women cannot compare to the countless instances of blatant sexism that occur in today’s media sphere. A 2013 content analysis on popular media indicated that 39.3% of consumed media includes sexualizing messages, equaling “21 sexualizing references per hour on average” (Vandenbosch, Vervloessem & Eggermont 186). Even though some media outlets occasionally exhibit respect for these female artists, it is far from commonplace for a popular publication to maintain a completely anti-sexist media presence. This observation just goes to show the inherent sexism towards women in

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