Railton & Watson - Representation of Black Women in Music Videos

Key Points;

•  They point out that Black women's body is shown throughout history as more "primitive" & "sexually intensive" than white women (Caucasians).
•  Their genitalia and buttocks are suggested to be more "thick" & "primitive" which give physical signs of them being more animalistic sexually.
•  Black women's assets seem to be more on show. On the other hand, white women of history seemed to be more covered up and "conseted". Showing black women are easily available being more sexual objects and Caucasians being more "preserved"
•  Railton and Watson quote; "This imagery is still seen today in music videos where the black woman's body is on display in videos more than white women"

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My Examples

Agree:

  For example; 


Rihanna - Rude Boy

  In this example, the use of her short skirt, animal print background and clothes, provocative dance moves, and Jamaican themed music video, backs up Railton and Watson's theory on Black Women in their point on them being shown in an 'animalistic' fashion. Also, here Rihanna is shown as a sexual object and is "on display". The edit comply of doubles of the lead singer (which is clearly seen in the thumbnail of the video as well) in the same frame, one next to the other. This expresses her provocative style, especially with the added primitive animal-print costume. There are many close ups of Rihanna singing a line of her song, with her dressed in tight animal-print costume and jewelry, also cuts and as well as establishing shots of her leaning on a stuffed tiger posed in a stance which enhances her curvy figure. These range of shots shows the viewer how these two objects (the singer being an untamed "animal", and the lion) are similar on screen.


Nicki Minaj - Stupid Hoe

  Next example, shows the lead singer caged up/behind bars - just like a vicious animal. This adds to the stereotypical points of Railton and Watson's theories and essay on black women. Also she is shown in a lot of skimpy animal print (especially leopard-print) clothes and suits, with her buttocks on display. This gives physical signs of them being more animalistic sexually, rather than Caucasian women in music. The shots her her being shown close up in her cage, on her hands and knees, show her animalistic side and trying to make her a sexual object (with her dancing in a way which expresses this point). The edits that go along with the music adds to the stereotype of a hip-hop/rap style music video, e.g.; just before the chorus starts. As well as this, Nicki Minaj tends to make a lot of faces and growling looking facial expressions with showing her teeth a lot, omitting attitude and her animalistic side.


Nicki Minaj feat. 2 Chainz - Beez In The Trap

  Finally in this example, The lead singer (Nicki Minaj) is shown in a seating position which draws attention to her "animalistic" and "thick" assets which are on display for the viewer. Also the use of costume near the middle of the music video is shown to be leopard-print - this gives her impression to the viewer added animalistic sexuality. In the beginning of the video it shows Nicki staring at the audience, almost like watching them like a predator staring at its prey. The barb wire round her in the frame gives the illusion that shes enclosed, and so she can appear to be dangerous like a wild animal. There are many close up shots of her in the same position and dancing, having her assets displayed very clearly on this music video. This enhances the fact that she is shown as a sexual object.

• Nicki Minaj is a prime example of all these stereotypes that Railton and Watson have pointed out in their essay on representations of Black Women. Many of her other music videos help back up my points and Railton and Watson's essay points e.g.; the excessive use of exposed skin and buttocks, leopard-print hair/wigs and costumes etc.

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  Some of these videos show how Caucasian women who agrees with the points of being "conseted", being more "preserved", and "covered up", (or they could be shown as more innocent compared to black women artist's music videos).

Taylor Swift - You Belong with Me: Here

Nina Nesbitt - Way in the World: Here

Florence Welch feat. Calvin Harris - Sweet Nothing: Here

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Against:

  ALTHOUGH some music videos go against the point of it just being black women who are shown in a "primitive" and "animalistic" way...

For example;


Iggy Azalea - Work

  In this example, Iggy Azalea displays her attitude through her music (hip-hop/rap) and her style. Her clothes display her buttocks and dances in ways that, I would thought, an artist like e.g.; Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim etc. would stereotypically do. Her use of her & a few black women "twerking" in the background at the first chorus (being what black women do in nowadays music videos in the hip-hop/rap music industry) helps fuel the idea Iggy Azalea being like a black woman, in the stereotype.


Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop

  Here, their isn't any animalistic points I could make on her music videos, apart from a prime example on one scene here, which is her dancing or "twerking" with a group of black women, and the display of her body (not to extremes like other examples I've made previously).


Shakira - She Wolf

  Finally, in this example, Shakira is shown in a cage, like an untamed animal would be. This representation of her being mostly horizontal, her climbing around and about in the cage, and the idea of her being behind bars close up, helps fuel the argument of going against not just black women in music video are shown in an animalistic and primitive way.

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How far do you agree with the ideas in the essay?

   I do agree with the stereotypes in Railton and Watson's case study of Sean Paul feat. Béyonce's music video "Baby Boy". It does show Beyoncé in the fashion of her exposed quite a lot,  dances in a provocative and animalistic way, adding in her singing in a way that backs up their points towards their essay.
  After my research and examples given, I have come to the conclusion that I do agree with their points to an extent. Many black female artists do or show signs of the list of stereotypes shown in Beyoncé's song (from Railton & Watson's case study) and my examples I found, although I think a handful of Caucasian female artist's, nowadays, are trying to copy black women in the music industry with how there express their sexuality in a song through their lyrics and moves in their music video. I guess it depends on the artist they are, because not all Caucasian artists go down their route in their music videos/songwriting.

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I agree with Railton & Watson on the following:

• From my research, I have found the majority of black female artists are represented almost entirely as sexual beings and that links to animal behavior are very common.
• In the ten videos I've looked at all of the women that were represented as "animalistic" e.g.; -

1. Rihanna - Rude Boy
2. Nicki Minaj - Beez in the Trap
3. Nicki Minaj - Stupid Hoe
4. Ciara - Ride
5. Ashanti - Only You
6. Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne - Motivation
7. Kelis feat. Too $hort - Bossy
8. Beyoncé - Kitty Kat
9. Destiny's Child - Cater 2 U
10. M.I.A. - Bad Girls

Having said this, I also feel that some of these representations are about the music genre rather than solely down to the ethnic origins of the artist e.g.; -

1. Iggy Azalea - Work
2. Shakira - She Wolf
3. Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop

Although, not all female black artists display themselves mainly as a sexual object in their music videos e.g.; -

1. Beyoncé - Halo
2. Keri Hilson - Knock Down
3. Emeli Sandé - Next To Me
4. Nicki Minaj - Your Love
5. TLC - No Scrubs
6. Alesha Dixon - Knock Down
7. V.V. Brown - Shark in the Water
8. Dionne Bromfield feat. Diggy Simmons - Yeah Right

Music Video Research - Conventions

Katy Perry feat. Kanye West - E.T.

• Artist as Shaman - e.g.; floating in space
• Special Effects - e.g.; flickering lights and background green-screening etc.
• Costume
• Lyrics matched to image/clip - Occurs soindie popetimes e.g.; lead singer mainly
• Artist as part of the story/concept
• Genre Characteristics - Electronic - Sci-Fi/Futuristic

  Katy Perry's "E.T." music video links to Sven Carlsson's theory of a conceptual performance by using extravagant props and costumes to narrate the story, in the video e.g.; the headgear of the lead singer (Katy Perry) playing the part of the alien, floating in space. The artist is shown asour generatione she, and Kanye West, is shown doing supernatural actions e.g.; floating in space & in spaceships.

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Nicki Minaj - Did It On 'em

• Behind the scene clips - e.g.; from previous shows, crowds from the singers past concerts etc.
• Montage - e.g.; loads of clips mashed together to give a compilation
• Performance - e.g.; live on-stage performances
• Stock footage - e.g.; from previous concerts and tours etc.
• Others mime to artist - e.g.; fans singing along to the chorus from previous shows
• Edits matched to music - e.g.; flickering images at the beginning before the soft drop in bass
• Text over video - showing who directed it (in this instance; "DJ Scoob Doo")
• Image Obsession (?) - still (possibly stock images) pictures of the singer - occurs frequently during the compilation.

  In Nicki Minaj's "Did It On 'em" clip compilation, linking Andrew Goodwin's theory, as us are the consumers of songs like this, for example, we can give our own meaning to the song in our minds, although what we can take from the video and its lyrics (from the beginning narrative and chorus) we have all felt like that at least once, so people can relate.

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Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl

• Performance - a dream sequence
• Lyrics matched to image - e.g.; lots of girls in a bedroom linking to "I kissed a girl".
• Artist as storyteller - e.g.; links with the title of the song
• Adolescent Male Fantasy - many girls in a bedroom etc.
• Costume - etc. underwear & lingerie

  In this music video, it links with Michael Shore's theory with music videos being a recycled style that contains an "information overload", and most are routed around the 'views of adolescent male fantasies'. This is a prime example concerning power, girls, wealth and the ideal life. In this video shows the sexualisation of women which links to what men can think about (like one of the examples bullet pointed above).

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Skrillex feat. Sirah - Bangarang

• Narrative - tells a story
• Artist no show
• Special effects - e.g.; the little explosions the children throw at the ice cream truck
• Costume - e.g.; typical street clothes in run-down towns - hoodie, bandana, hat etc.

  In Skillex's dubstep music video "Bangarang", this links with Sven Carlsson's theory on a conceptual video. This is due to the audience watching something other than the artist throughout the performance. This also is supported by not using the artist in the performance at all.

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Jennifer Lopez - Get Right

• Contrived Performance
• Genre Characteristics - Hip-Hop; Attractive women, use of alcohol etc. (more examples shown below)
• Narrative Clips - at the beginning, where the artist acts out several roles
• Artist as part of story/concept
• Screens within screens - featured T.Vs with the music video being played several times at the beginning
• Costume - stereotypical hip-hop style clothing and brands
• Others mime to artist - e.g.; the little girl at the end, and the blonde tipsy women (played by J-Lo) miming to the chorus
• Adolescent male fantasies - provocative dancer on the bar (played by the artist)

  In this music video, it has a back story at the beginning showing J-Lo (the artist) acting several parts in the music video before the audio starts playing. It follows Michael Shore's theory of a 'recycled styles' and views of male fantasies e.g.;  girls, wealth (due to the stereotypical genre style, as shown examples above) and the dancing style, which can give clichéd imagery to others. There is a use of stereotypical hip-hop/rap characteristics to the music video e.g.; club location, close ups of jewelry and clothes of the artist, the artist being attractive, use of alcohol etc.

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Wild Belle - Keep You

• Performance
• Genre Characteristics - Reggae
• Narrative - e.g.; it shows a bit of the story before the music audio starts
• Lyrics matched to image - "tell me what the matter is, little man" showing the man being an young boy
• Artist as part of the story/concept - her being the worried other-half to this man that plays away, saying why can't she 'keep' him for herself, without him cheating.
• Artist no show - other partner in Wild Belle is not present in the music video

  In Wild Belle's video "Keep You", it links to Andrew Goodwin's theory on how we see the narrative, and that we make up in our minds what it means or stands for; "we make up our own meaning of a song in our minds" / "a music video can anchor meaning". So everyone can have their own meaning of the music video because we have to decode the narrative by how see the music video, and that maybe different to each individual/consumer.

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Foo Fighters - The Pretender

• Performance - (Sven E Carlsson Theory link)
• Genre Characteristics - Pop/Rock
• Concept clips
• Special Effects - e.g.; as the red screen shatters into the police wall in front of the band, as they are performing

  In "The Pretender", I also see a link with Sven Carlsson's theory as a music video is perceived as opposites e.g.; in colour, they're shown in front of a bright white and red background, and on the other side there's black and dark, dull colours. They as well show that their music video, by Sven Carlsson's theory, is a performance video, which consistently shows clips of the band performing (singing and, sort of, dancing) throughout the music video.

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French Montana - Pop That

• Performance
• Genre Characteristics - Hip-Hop/Rap
• Adolescent Male Fantasy/Voyeurism - the display of girls in bikinis, money, clothes/brands etc.
• Others mime to artist - featuring other famous rappers e.g.; Drake, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross miming to French Montana (the lead artist in the video)

  In this music video, there is a big element on Michael Shores theory of regenerated styles of males fantasies, with added elements of girls, power and wealth. All of these convey clichéd imagery of "soft-core pornography" (slightly). This is fueled by the use of the genre characteristics e.g.; use of branding on alcohol (Ciroc Vodka pops up a few times), at a party, 'attractive women', doesn't exactly follow a story-line  close ups of jewelry and brands on clothing, expensive luxuries like the house/mansion shown in the background etc.

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The Prodigy - Spitfire

• Genre Characteristics - Pop/Rock
• Conceptual clips
• Special effects - (editing)
• Montages (slight) - blurred stock footage of riots, and horror films (I think)
• Artist as cameo
• Artist as Shaman - supernatural occurrences in the beginning

  In the Prodigy's "Spitfire", they show a link to Andrew Goodwin's theory well, of how we can convey a meaning which can be different to other consumers of this media, because we all have a different meaning to this song - we ignore the common narrative. In the genre characteristics, it's shown as a very aggressive (due to the tone of the music), dark, use of red, black and white/grey a lot, dark locations, close ups of scary figures from some horror films (I think), etc.

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Justin Timberlake - TKO

• Lyrics matched to image
• Concept clips
• Artist as storyteller
• Artist as part of the story/concept
• Genre characteristics

  In this music video by Justin Timberlake, shows a link from Sven E Carlsson with his opposites i.e.; in this video there's very light scenes where the woman is seen to be wearing a white shirt in a spacey, bright atmosphere (even though we know, from listening to the lyrics, there isn't something right) then to a dark atmosphere outside as the woman is dressed in dark clothes, we can't see her very well, and is dragging the artist, Justin, with a car by a rope.

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Amy MacDonald - Poison Prince





• Performance
• Artist as part of concept/story
• Montages
• Themes matched to image
• Narrative clips

  In this video I've chosen, shows a link with Sven E Carlsson's music video theory of a performance video. I really like this video and I'm considering using this song or one of her similar songs for my own re-make later on in the project. I like the choppy cuts as the singer does silent shots. But if I did the re-make to her song or another similar song, I wouldn't do a mostly performance-based music video i.e.; I wouldn't have a band playing in the background because I'd have to depend on others to be there, playing the instruments whether they know how to or not, when I need to film the shots that day.

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Eminem feat. Dido - Stan



• Screems within screens
• Lyrics matched to image
• Artist as storyteller (voice [rap] only)
• Image obsession
• Artist as helper/observer
• Themes matched to image (e.g.; pathetic fallacy)
• Others mime to artist (Stan)
• Genre characteristics (dark themed shots, dirty surroundings/rough and tough living environment)

  In Eminem's song 'Stan' (could mean 'Stalker' and 'Fan' put together) can link with Sven E Carlsson's conceptual performances because we are watching another guy, named Stan for the video, sang originally by Eminem.

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Lily Allen - Hard Out Here



• Contrived Performance
• Genre Characteristics
• Artist as part of the story/concept
• Adolescent Male Fantasy/Voyeurism
• Image Obsession
• Artist as observer 

  In this music video, Lily Allen has made a satire music video, showing how artists are socially accepted in pop culture to dress in a certain way, look a certain way and act a certain way in day-to-day life i.e.; like the video shows being outrageous and out there to 'shock' the public. With the beginning of the music video showing the artist on an operating table having liposuction, and a look-alike American chat show host standing over her, saying i.e.; "Jesus, how can somebody let themselves get like this?" A general response from the social media when the subject is on celebrities and artists. Then we have the artist dancing and singing to the chorus, surrounded by twerking girls. It shows what we expect and accept is normal in music videos nowadays and how things have changed from then and now.

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~ I have now decided to use Amy MacDonald's 'This Is The Life' for my music video. I want this to be quite urban and not too over-done with effects. I would like my music video to shower a message through the video of how the nowadays generation act. I like the indie pop/rock genre and Wild Belle's music video made me choose my genre because the music video is very stripped back in glamour; just like how my music video should hope to look like.

Genre

~ I have decided to choose the indie pop/rock genre and I want to create a simple yet effective music video to get across a message about the younger generation and what most of our generation gets up to. The indie pop/rock genre is a recently new subgenre in the music industry and has become its own by the amount of one-hit wonders and teen starts making it big in the charts from the past 10 years.