Introduction & Female Objectivity

Hello Readers,
My name is Carson Schoellkopf and I grew up in the state of Vermont. I am currently majoring in Digital Media Studies and Geography at the University of Denver. Throughout the majority of my life music has played an important role as an educational tool as well as a form of entertainment. Growing up my dad played lots of bands along the lines of Grateful Dead, Phish, the Beatles, Talking Heads and such while my mom played a greater variety of “world” music. These different genres helped me to develop a deeper appreciation for what goes into musical production. Although I don’t currently play an instrument, my love for music is exemplified in my constant search to find new bands and my exploration of the auditory environment. When exploring musical boundaries I like to understand what ideals and beliefs the artists have and in turn listening to music becomes an educational process.

I feel that the portrayal of gender within media today mirrors a lot of the values we hold as a society. With the incorporation of religion into human cultures over several thousands of years we have developed ideals (such as heterosexuality and male-dominance) that have become normalized in the public sphere. Much of the “pop” music and Hollywood hits that are released today present cookie-cutter images of how males and females should look, act and think. These ideals are well reflected in the three California Girls music videos we watched in class. Such as what is discussed in Dreamworlds 3 about the exploitation of women, the music videos we watched in class present images that show women as objects and accessories.

In the original music video by the Beach Boys you see a lot of beautiful women who are glammed up and positioned around the musicians. This portrays the idea that the band members, who are all men, are something to be sought after (male dominance) and that the women used in the video provide an image for females to “idolize” and pursue. In the music video by David Lee Roth he creates a similar environment where females are merely there for observation and entertainment. This portrayal of females only promotes the objectification of women, such as the images seen in Katy Perry’s version of “California Girls” as well. Perry’s on stage persona and music video character (Auslander, pg. 4) are both presented as an ideal to strive for, and suggest that women (and more specifically “California girls”) are like candy. Although I believe these portrayals to be negative, one could argue that Perry’s performance is meant to be liberating in a sense that the creators of the music video are celebrating her feminism.

The celebration of feminism is an idea that has been around for many years (especially within indigenous cultures) but only truly gained momentum in popular culture during the social revolution of the sixties. Although Whiteley would argue, “discussions about ‘sexual liberation’ were framed in terms saturated with male assumptions.” (pg 10) I still feel that this era marks a beginning of new sexual identities within the public sphere and the beginning of understanding male-dominance and its effect upon society. The artists Alanis Morrisette and Liz Phair are both females from the nineties who exemplify this ideal of feminism. After listening to both of their albums I noticed that many of the themes they cover talk about power and acceptance, along with free will and determination. Although slightly drowned out by the popularity of Hip Hop within the younger generation, these female artists were still able to provide a voice for those with no vocal chord. As Whiteley states, “In the new millennium… women generally have an increased presence, but that there is still a long way to go.” (pg 8) Showing us that there is a gradual movement towards female liberation within media, but as long as Katy Perry is being “played” by Snoop Dogg this freedom will never develop.