Research for Music Videos: Part 6 - Laura Mulveys ideas on representation.

‘In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure which is styled according’ (Laura Mulvey, 1992)'

Mulvey explains in this statement that the representation of females is shown through the mise en scene in music videos. The male is shown to be the dominant and powerful component, where as females are shown as objects of desire through the lack of clothing. Although there is a split between the passive and active female, in both representation they are shown as a sexual desire to the male gender.

For example, artists such as Beyonce and Madonna passively show themselves as 'sexy' in a lack of clothing, however females that may be present in hip hop videos by 50 cent do not usually make direct eye contact with the audience so are therefore seen as active females.

 

Beyonce in this video is showing alot of skin also supporting Mulveys theory on representation. Although she is passive, in the video it is clear who is more powerful. Jay Z is seen as having a high status as he sets the car alight and the mise en scene has connotations of power. Moreover, Beyonce then walks over to Jay Z, again, in very few clothes however covered in a fur garment also suggesting that she may be percieved as an 'object/animal'. Furthermore, when beyonce is in the rain scene the editing is slowed down in order to emphasis the flicking of her wet hair which also connotes sexual things. 

Missy Elliot - The rain (Supa Dupa Fly)


On the other hand, this video by Missy Elliot refutes Mulveys theory as Missy Elliot is present with plenty of clothes and makes numerous accounts of eye contact with the camera. All the females in the video are dressed in a presentable manner in comparison to music videos such as Dizzie Rascal - Holiday. In the base track where Missy Elliot is present in front of a fan, she is dressed in a bin bag with oversized glasses on as though she is a fly, which is not seen as sexy as the fish eye lense makes her appear bigger than she is. Missy Elliots approach to music videos is not to present females as objects.

Whereas artists such as Dizzie Rascal presents females as objects through their lack of clothing and actions. For example, two females in Dizzie Rascals video (holiday) kiss, representing females as sexually adventorous for the male desire. Moreover the camera shots are usually on parts of the females bodies such as their bottom and their chest. However, Dizzie Rascal is presented as very powerful and dominant, through mise en scene as he is dressed in a white suit which connotes power and high status. He and his male collegues are surrounded by females which are dancing provokatively.