Women Studies

Introduction

Music has a huge influence over our society. It paints artists in a certain light so that we as consumers aspire to be like our favorite musicians. From their clothes, to their hair, to their lifestyle as a whole, these artists are placed on a pedestal to be admired as we try to emulate them. When they sing about certain places or products in their music we aspire to go to these places or to obtain these things; their ideology becomes our ideology. Women in the music industry have a very different representation then men do. For the most part women are seen as sexual objects; they are placed in music videos to be pretty and to glorify the male musician. If the woman is the musician herself, to be successful she is still overly sexualized to appeal to the masses. This objectification of women, especially of black women furthers the racist ideology held in place by society that black women are inferior. Not only do they deal with the discrimination that comes with being black, they deal with the discrimination that comes with being a woman which leads to self-objectification.

Review of Literature

The Double Standard

The objectification of women has become an acceptable part of our society because of the power dynamic it promotes with men as the dominant and women as the subordinate. Men are allowed to continuously objectify women through crude lyrics and their presentation of women in music videos, but when the table is turned and women in turn objectify men or aim to take control of their own sexuality it is deemed inappropriate. Musician Robin Thicke released a song titled “Blurred Lines” in which he sang about his hated of the blurred line between rape and consent, painting women as animals, desperate for him to supply them with sexual gratification (Abera). While Thicke, T.I., and Pharell sang in tailored suits, three naked women danced around them throughout the video, clearly displaying the power dynamic amongst the sexes. When three Law students parodied Thicke’s song they were not met with the same acceptance that Thicke received. Their song titled “Defined Lines” promoted female empowerment as they switched the power dynamic, presenting men as the subordinate and women as the dominant, while breaking down the idea of male dominance. The parody video presented shirtless men in their boxers, as well as defining female empowerment and the rights of women, while Thicke’s version had topless women parading around as he objectified them, yet the parody video was the one flagged as inappropriate and removed from YouTube. The video that promots the rights of women and removes women from the subordinate position in society is deemed inappropriate. By removing the video society clearly states their opinion of objectification; objectification is allowed as long as it is geared towards