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What is the impact of stereotypes in media
What is the impact of stereotypes in media
Media influences on stereotypes
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In today's’ society the music industry is larger than is has ever been. With the access to music through social media, streaming sites such as Spotify and Pandora, and buying sites like iTunes make is simple and easy for anyone to get music. Music is everywhere and certain genres of music tend to have certain fans and followers. One of the big concern for society however is the certain ways men and women are portrayed in the music industry. I am studying the various gender images in music because I want to find how genders are being represented in the mass media that is music. In order to understand how genders are being represented in music, I will take an overhead look over rock and country music to see how genders are seen in the genres
Sex can be referred to the physical and physiological make up of a person, being those between male and female. This can include things like reproductive organs and secondary male and female characteristics. Now, gender is the “social or cultural distinctions associated with being male or female” (Little, n.d.). This can be further developed into the aspect of gender identity, or how an individual identifies as having more masculine or feminine features and characteristics (Little, n.d.). In all, in references to music, the ideals from songs and artist can form the aspects of people stereotyped in the genre of music. This means those is one genre of music like country would be thought of and have different ideals than that of an individual represents in the rap
Surprisingly, Country music has been on the back burner of gender and sexualitiy issues, more than likely due to the outpour of content in rock and rap music. In a study done by University of South Carolina graduate Anna Rogers, found that most country genre songs generated a positive message in their music. Though not against the establishment like rock music would be , country music has trends in making unrealistic situations on both genders. Both males and females artists reflected music in which idealize perfect relationships and fairytale endings. However, the genre also has a significant view of male and females fighting and having miserable and detrimental break ups. (Rogers,
Times have changed, and along with the times so has country music. American country music lovers have went from Loretta Lynn and Waylon Jennings, just two of the many classic oldies, to Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, two very appealing country music artists. However, it is not only the tune of the music that has changed, it is the image, the appeal, and overall the type of icons the media is portraying these modern music stars as. Icons such as Lynn and Jennings had identifiable features within their music as well as their appearance that spoke sweet southern belle and rugged twang. Whereas Underwood’s and Bryan’s appeal now is much more sexualized than it was during the oldies. These changes affect the way modern day singers are marketed compared to former country music stars, instead of focusing on talent it is now looks.
I. Introduction Gender plays a big role in music, I became aware of gender role in music when noticing how most songs talks about women and how they are being either exploited or empowered. Most music videos even in the 80s either objectified women or respect sexuality. Women are usually sexually alluring in music videos, stage performances and even in the song lyrics. Most music video uses video vixens or video girls that are usually dressed or performing sexually. For example, “Siouxsie Sioux frequently performed wearing black leather and rubber bondage attire, as well as heavy eye make-up, making overt statements about her sexuality.
In band people are divided up by the instrument they play, but for each section there is also a stereotypical personality. The stereotypes for me high school band are kind of weird, but have stayed a constant norm for as long as I’ve been in band.
B. The lyrics of country music reflect people’s values as times changed. According to “Real Country: Music and Language in Working-Class Culture", published by MasterFILE Premier in Ebsco Host, country music depicts the ethos of American people, for instance, country music “demands a consideration of race, and “speaks to aspects of gender identity…and intersections of religion with contemporary mas culture”.
wardrobe, band members wear is a little different from what is trending in the modern society. Ripped skinny jeans or shoes, hoodies in the dark shaded colors are common type of clothing members wear. Additionally, many seem to understand that band individuals have poor hygiene due to how many men have long hair and not a clean cut shave. As said before, many of the stereotypes are not fully wrong. According to Makewav.es, in the article Misconceptions About Rock Music, by Maddie Smith and Talia Alvarez, who both stated, “Will not try to defend the fact that some artists in the industry, like Danny Worsnop and Ronnie Radke, are recovering addicts.” The authors explain that some truth behind what is said about alcohol or drug consumers on band members is true. It has been indicated that not just the act of a small groups has produced a negative image on people who play
In society today, media such as movies and music share huge roles in the dynamics of culture especially concerning communication. In Dream Worlds 3: Desire, Sex, and Power in Music Video we see how famous singers and producers in the making of their music videos have the power of illustrating our language and beliefs. From the music we listen to and things we watch, we are constantly gaining new knowledge by the message that is being presented to us. The main focus of this specific documentary was how women in the music or media industry all together are treated. From this documentary and lectures in class we see that media objectifies, stereotypes, and degrades women and their bodies as advertisements and money makers. Themes in the film discussed
I chose to write about my opinions on how masculine stereotypes were created through adjectives, derogatory terms and comparisons in song lyrics in an opinion column format. In opinion columns, personal pronouns can be used which can convey more radical opinions of a chosen topic. I explained how derogatory terms are incorporated into song lyrics which negatively describe the LGBTQ+ community. As well, through the use of adjectives, many stereotypes of “being attractive” were created which caused many self-conscious males to feel they need to reach those societal standards. Since opinion columns utilize opinions of the writer, many different audiences can be targeted and educated about another opinion other than their own. During the 1970s, many song lyrics incorporated how the ideal male will look like and what “rules” they had to follow.
Of all musical genres country music is perhaps the one most influenced by a male presence. Country music is often associated with the classic cowboy strumming a guitar around a campfire or riding his horse with a guitar strapped to his back. Even the politics of country music is inclined towards a male-dominated, republican, conservative, pro-war stance (Spong 184). The stereotypical women of country music “behave properly” and passively follow the same values as men do. Therefore, in 2003 when the Dixie Chicks, a three member all female country music band, became the top selling female group of all time it was quite an accomplishment. Their success began in 1997 with an image that embraced their versatility. Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, who are sisters, played fiddle and banjo and provided background vocals to lead vocalist Natalie Maines, gifted with a strong, clear voice. Maines stood out from the others with her forceful stage presence. They wore feminine, bling infused, non-countrified outfits. They were pretty to look at and kind of goofy in demeanor (129). The kind of young women fans could imagine having a lot of fun with, but also the kind that young women could identify with through their music. Songs like “Goodbye Earl” described a strong woman who has had enough of her abusive husband and ends up killing him. However, the band delivered it in a style that was far from morose. It sent a clear message of girl power for many women (129). Many accolades followed from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association (CMA) which included Entertainer of the Year, Top Vocal Group, and album of the Year (Towner 293). During the first five years of their career they sold 28 million copies of the three records...
In our world today every country has their own set of avowed and ascribed identities for it's population. An avowed identity is one a person gives to themselves, a woman might say she’s a sister or a wife. The opposite of that is an ascribed identity, or how society sees someone. For example, a rich person could be perceived as a snob. To ascribe someone with an identity is to judge them based on societal norms. The entertainment industry in America is no different then it's parent culture. Both men and women in this industry have identities placed on them, and they change based on their career. Women are given more negative ascriptions than men in the media. That is how Americans identify people they read about, with the identities the media gives them. Women are more negatively perceived that men in the music and fashion industry because of their ascribed identities in the media, and gender roles in our nation.
Women have consistently been perceived as second-class citizens. Even now, in times when a social conscience is present in most individuals, in an era where an atmosphere of gender equality 'supposedly' exists, it is blatantly apparent that the objectification and marginalization of women is still a major social issue. In reality, progression in terms of reducing female exploitation has been stagnant at best. Not only is the degradation of women a major problem that to date has not been eradicated, but it is actually being endorsed by some music celebrities. There are a growing number of people who purchase rap albums that support the fallacy that women are mere objects and should be treated as such. As the popularity of rap continues to climb at unprecedented rates, so too does its influence on the perception of women. In the vast majority of hip-hop songs, the depiction of women as sexual objects, the extreme violence directed towards them and the overall negative influence these lyrics have on the average adolescent's perception of women make rap the absolute epitome of female exploitation.
“Music is something that everyone can connect with and as it continues to evolve, so will society.” To evolve, one must know what their evolving from and what their evolving in. Today’s music industry is driven by technology and social media. It is difficult to make it because it has transformed into something much more catastrophic than just an artist pursuing their dream. For a woman in the music industry, it has also proved to be crucial and demanding. This industry has commutated the roles of women and subjected them to negative stereotypes. In order for a woman to be successful and remain successful in this industry, she has to evolve.
The effects of objectifying women in music videos are entirely negative. Women grow up with the idea that they should always seek to attain a men’s attention. Hip-hop music videos do not represent females as the human beings that they really are. This creates an inequality o...
...be a part of. The women promote concepts like independence and freedom for women and have helped fuel the feminist movement in the world through music. Conversely, rap music is a Black male-dominated genre that promotes aggressiveness, sexuality and dominance over women (Conrad et al., 2009). This genre is notorious for being misogynistic and sexist towards women (Conrad et al., 2009). As the world continues to evolve and grow, hopefully women will get the recognition they deserve in music and in the world in general. This way, there can be equality between the sexes in every aspect of life. However, the only way that this can happen is by allowing space for women in male-dominated genres like rap. Music is a social phenomenon that is constantly bringing people all over the world together. Hopefully in years to come, we can eradicate all inequalities within music.
As one moves past the initial onslaught of rhythmic beats that calypso has to offer, it is difficult to miss the way in which it reverberates with negative and demoralizing images of women to their male counterparts. Whether it is within the lyrics of Sparrow’s “Drunk and Disorderly” or Square One’s “My Ding-a Ling”, an ample number of verses are often dedicated to making lewd comments about the female body and the suggestive body language described through thinly veiled rhymes and puns, can be offensive depending on the listener. The half naked models being displayed on the various album covers of calypso, soca and rap mix tapes further reinforces these negative connotations. This bandwagon has been jumped upon by many, including the rap genre in the last two decades, wanting to capitalize on a marketing strategy that generally purports to flag consumer attention, playing on their sense of eroticism. The sections titled “Music, Sex, Sexism” and “Woman Rising” within Peter Manuel’s text: Caribbean Currents, dive into the many issues surrounding gender within music as well as female portrayal specifically in calypso. Observations can be made simply by reading through the textual comparisons. Many aspects of this subject area allude to the fact that the issue of gender portrayal in music can be construed differently depending on who the critical listener happens to be. With the increased awareness and heightened sensitivity to the way in which females are portrayed in popular media, it is important to reflect on the impact these lyrics have on male-female relationships within the communities who most often enjoy this music genre.
The lyrics of music play an important part of interpreting the meaning of the song. The roles which women have been allowed by the society to embody have changed drastically. Women may question their roles because of what they see portrayed by popular culture or media. Change in female’s identity can be seen in how women are viewed or how they portray themselves in popular culture specifically through music. In general, music continues to...