Breaking Down Binaries: Redefining Gender and Sexuality Through the Music Videos of Björk and Missy Elliott

Ghia Godfree Breaking Down Binaries: Redefining Gender and Sexuality through the Music Videos of Björk and Missy Elliott The visualization of music has far- RespectME line, designed in conjunction with reaching effects on musical cultures Missy Elliott’s input. Although the Palm Pictures and popular culture generally, not collection of American director Hype Williams’s the least of which is the increase in music videos does not include any Missy Elliott visual interpretations of sexist power videos, she is known for their original music video relationships, the mode of visual collaborations including “The Rain” (1997), “Sock storytelling, the increased focus on how It to Me” (1997) and “Hot Boys” (1999).4 a singer looks rather than how he or she Despite the different genres of music in which sounds, the need to craft an image to they excel, one of the most common themes in accompany one’s music, and ever-greater Björk’s and Missy Elliott’s music and video work pressure to abide by corporate genre- is the seemingly unlikely combination of nature formatting rules. and technology. This juxtaposition, which is most —Tricia Rose, Black Noise: Rap Music often manifested in videos that reconfigure the two and Black Culture in Contemporary women as distorted or technologically enhanced America1 bodies, challenges preconceived notions about characteristics and behaviors that are usually Amazingly, this paper owes its existence to a categorized as either feminine or masculine. Just DVD—Palm Pictures’ “Directors Label Series” as their music offers a sense of the “natural” compilation of French director Michel Gondry’s female voice infused with the technological music videos—and a pair of shoes—orange and enhancements of electronica and sampling, these pink RespectMe sneakers from Adidas.2 These videos are visualizations of Bjork’s and Missy products have strong connections to Icelandic Elliott’s ability to confound popular conceptions singer Björk Gumundsdottir and American rap of gender in which “categories of nature and and hip-hop artist Missy Elliott, both of whom technology are socially constructed respectively have been successful in continually breaking the as feminine and masculine.”5 Additionally, “corporate genre formatting rules” and upending because both of these artists take an active role in the “sexist power relationships” that scholar the planning and subsequent construction of their Tricia Rose attributes to most popular music music videos, they arguably empower the female video.3 Gondry, for example, is responsible for subject-performer to discover new and broader seven innovative videos in collaboration with ways of understanding gender and sexuality. Björk including “Human Behavior” (1993), In spite of these connections and these artists’ “Hyperballad” (1996), and “Joga” (1997). The ability to demand attention by confounding popular sneakers on the other hand, represent Missy conceptions of what it means to be a woman in Elliott’s partnership with Adidas resulting in the an industry that rewards sexual objectification, A SCREEN OF ONE’S OWN 61 Heather Osborne-Thompson, editor, Spectator 25:2 (Fall 2005): 61 -70. BREAKING DOWN BINARIES their status as “agents” within the realm of music are relegated to the “position of scopic object video production tends to take a back seat to the within the diegesis” and effectively stripped of any privileging of the director’s authorial vision. power or agency within the music video narrative.7 Within the Gondry DVD, for example, the music This stripping of power usually coincides with the videos by Björk are visually stunning as well as physical removal of clothing. Ironically, this is aurally captivating and are undoubtedly a product especially true of many hip-hop videos that allow of both the artist, Björk, and the director, Gondry. black rappers to participate in the white man’s Yet, because the videos are packaged for sale as world of patriarchy and privilege through the part of a larger “Directors Series,” Palm Pictures subjugation of the black female form. tends to emphasize the role of the director, Gondry, In her 1994 book Black Noise: Rap Music and diminish the contributions of the performer, and Black Culture in Contemporary America, Björk. In addition, the absence of any Missy Elliott Tricia Rose elucidates the difficulties hip-hop videos on the Hype Williams compilation acts as music videos have presented for female performers a negation of her work within the canon of hip- interested in articulating anything other than hop videos. With such elisions and inequities in stereotypical viewpoints on gender and power. mind, this paper attempts to refocus attention on The usual hip-hop music video narrative objectifies both Björk and Missy Elliott as authorial agents in women by casting them as relatively unclothed their music videos by considering their positions accoutrements on par with other visual commodities within the music industry more generally and featured. For example, in March of 2005, the lineup music video specifically by examining in detail the on MTV’s Total Request Live and BET’s 106 & thematics of several of their videos. Because their Park, two shows where viewers vote to determine music, stage presentation and offstage personas what is broadcast, included the following videos: are all manifested within their music videos, such Petey Pablo’s “Freek-A-Leek” (2004), Snoop considerations might help to open up a space for Dogg’s “Let’s Get Blown” (2004) and 50 Cent’s the possibility of female authorship in what has “Candy Shop” (2005). Each of these videos, traditionally been considered a “male” genre. which selectively focus on female body parts, demonstrates an aesthetic that is perpetuated on the Women and Music Videos major music video channels, and as a result, music videos continue to inhabit a space seemingly devoid Although it is possible to point to successful of positive or empowering images of women. female artists, such as Björk and Missy Elliott, whose videos do not follow typical conventions, Agency and Authorship the majority of music videos are defined by images of sexually objectified women. This framework— The problems surrounding the representation of exemplified by revealing outfits, suggestive dance women in music videos is further exacerbated by moves and close-ups of open-mouthed, glossy- the disproportionate number of well-known male lipped visages—was established in the early days directors relative to the number of female directors of Madonna’s videos and continues with a myriad working in the field of music video production. The of other female stars such as Britney Spears, structure of the industry more generally contributes Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Lopez and Christina to this disparity; MTV’s Total Request Live and Aguilera.6 These female artists arguably are BET’s 106 & Park rarely feature work from female complicit in creating music videos that conform to directors. In addition, the glossy Thirty Frames patriarchal modes of looking; they often adhere to Per Second: The Visionary Art of the Music Video these conventions because, at the end of the day, contains the videographies of a select number of if the sexiness of the video guarantees it receives music video directors, fifty-three of which are rotation, then record sales are sure to follow. men and eight are women.8 This continues to be a This logic applies to male performers as well, worrisome trend for female artists, as young female as the tendency is to include sexually objectified music video fans may get the impression that they females in the music videos. These “video ho’s” can be performers but not directors. 62 FALL 2005 GHIA GODFREE The dearth of female directors is also In addition, Björk is producing work in a genre highlighted by the release of the Palm Pictures that is typically construed as masculine. According compilations featuring the work of four male to music scholars Charity Marsh and Melissa West, music video “auteurs”—Chris Cunningham, “because of the innovative uses of technology in Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze and Hype Williams. electronic music, it is often deemed a ‘masculine’ Dominated by images of the directors making art form, and this leaves little room for women.”14 decisions on set, the compilations perpetuate the Björk’s emphasis on lyrics, collaboration and myth of the director-as-auteur. The Cunningham, experimentation suggests otherwise. Throughout Gondry and Jonze sets even come with booklets that her music, Björk utilizes narrative-based lyrics interview the directors about each of the videos. The to distinguish her songs from much of electronica choice to include such behind-the-scenes segments in which the male producer/mixer controls the thus positions these men as the main creative forces female voice using it as merely a repeated hook. behind the resulting music videos and elides the Furthermore, Björk is an artist whose music and contributions made by female performers in the music videos demonstrate her commitment to construction, production and reception of their partnerships with other talented musicians and videos. Yet because it is also possible to locate artists. This is especially obvious on the entirely a gender-bending themes that are more closely cappella album Medulla, released in 2004, which associated with unconventional female artists, features bass lines provided by the astounding such as Björk and Missy Elliott, in these original vocal capabilities of Japanese beatboxer Dokaka videos, it is important to consider

Load more