Multiculturalism and Music Videos Effects on the Socioemotional Development of Children and Adolescents

20-Asamen-45576.qxd 5/27/2008 8:51 PM Page 297 CHAPTER 20 Multiculturalism and Music Videos Effects on the Socioemotional Development of Children and Adolescents KHIA A. THOMAS KYLA M. DAY L. MONIQUE WARD n entertainment favorite among teaching young people about culture, race, adolescents and young adults, music and ethnicity. To what extent are members A videos became interwoven into the of diverse ethnic and cultural groups repre- thread of American youth culture with the sented? Perhaps more importantly, for those launching of MTV in 1981 (Aufderheide, who are represented, what types of portray- 1986; Sun & Lull, 1986). The sheer popular- als and messages are provided? Although ity of the channel, which prominently fea- created to promote songs, music videos are tured music videos as well as entertainment likely to do much more than that. Through news and other musically oriented program- their dynamic visual imagery, storytelling ming, spawned several cable networks, includ- features, and appealing artists, they also ing VH1, Black Entertainment Television provide messages about the roles and char- (BET), Country Music Television (CMT), acteristics of individual peoples, ethnic and MTV2. Over 25 years later, the mass groups, and cultures. Because American appeal of music videos remains strong, as net- popular music stretches across demographic works continue to proliferate and music groups and across nations, parents and videos become more easily accessible to the researchers are concerned with their racial/eth- viewing public. nic socialization function. Accordingly, in this Given the rapid spread of music videos as chapter, we first review empirical analyses a relatively newer form of media and their addressing the content of music videos, distinct influence on popular youth culture, summarizing what little is known about the questions arise concerning their role in racial and ethnic makeup of music video 297 20-Asamen-45576.qxd 5/27/2008 8:51 PM Page 298 298 MEDIA AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD’S MULTICULTURAL WORLDVIEW characters and artists, and also considering school girls surveyed by Gordon (2004) the intersections of race/ethnicity and gen- reported watching music videos for approx- der. We continue by discussing literature imately 75 hours per month, which is 2.5 concerning effects of music video viewing hours per day. These numbers greatly on American youth of color. In our third exceed the levels of 39.65 hours per month section, we summarize existing literature on (or 1.2 hours/day) reported among White how music video viewing shapes White high school students in comparable data students’ conceptions of race and ethnicity. (Ward & Friedman, 2006). Thus, with We conclude with a discussion of future higher exposure levels, Black and Latino research directions. youth are likely to be even more susceptible to any potential music video effects. One unique feature of music videos is BACKGROUND: YOUTH their fusion of song lyrics and visual story- EXPOSURE LEVELS AND telling imagery. With this combination, VIDEO VIEWING HABITS some researchers have questioned the rele- vance or salience of one aspect over the Data indicate that music video networks find other, asking, “Aren’t they just songs with their primary audience within children, pictures?” Recent research indicates that adolescent, and young adult demographic song lyrics are subordinate to the musical groups. The target audience for music videos soundtrack and visual imagery in music is between the ages of 12 and 24, with a videos (Vernallis, 2002). It appears as if the median age of 23 (Englis, Solomon, & lyrics only intermittently occupy viewers’ Ashmore, 1994). Substantiating its popular- attention in comparison to the images and ity with this demographic, findings indicate storylines contained within music videos. that over 70% of the MTV audience is under As a result, a strong argument can be made 24 years old (Englis et al., 1994). The major- that visual imagery may play the most ity of viewers watch between 30 minutes to important role in the socialization function 2 hours of music videos per day (Sun & Lull, of music videos. Indeed, adolescents cite 1986), with many reporting watching fre- using the imagery to gain meaning or a dif- quently to stay abreast of current trends, ferent perspective on song lyrics (Sun & fashions, and dances (Brown, Campbell, & Lull, 1986). One of the implications of this Fisher, 1986). study is that adolescents, as a whole, believe Although little comparative data exist, there is “one authentic meaning” to song findings across several studies suggest that lyrics, as shown through the visual imagery usage levels are particularly high among (Sun & Lull, 1986). This finding suggests an Black and Latino youth. For example, internalization process whereby adolescents African American high school students sur- are chiefly in tune to the images contained veyed by Ward, Hansbrough, and Walker in music videos and that they accept, with- (2005) reported watching an average of 3.33 out challenge or alternative explanation, the hours of music videos per day. Similarly, visual representations of these images for Rivadeneyra, Ward, and Gordon (in press) their own judgment. Given the prominence examined media habits among Latino high of music videos in young people’s lives, and school students. Here, students reported their attention to the visual images and sto- watching music videos an average of 20.5 ries, the question then becomes, What kinds hours per week, which is nearly 3 hours per of messages and themes are conveyed about day. And the 176 African American high race and ethnicity (and gender)? 20-Asamen-45576.qxd 5/27/2008 8:51 PM Page 299 Multiculturalism and Music Videos 299 SECTION 1: MULTICULTURAL Chennault, 1986). Many of these crossover REPRESENTATION IN artists represent the growing popularity of MUSIC VIDEOS musical genres such as Latin music, hip-hop, and R&B among American youth in general Level of Representation (Cobo, 2006; del Rio, 2007; Hughes, 2002; Much like other forms of the entertain- Moran, 2007; Sullivan, 2003). Many of ment media, the world of music videos these artists are lesser known within main- appears to be sharply divided by race/ethnicity. stream popular music, after having appeared Early research indicated that characters in heavy rotation on ethnically oriented pro- from diverse backgrounds were in the gramming (Cobo, 2006; Finn, 2006). minority on mainstream musical program- Several premium networks have become ming (Brown & Campbell, 1986), which available in recent years to fulfill the enter- instead featured mostly European American tainment media needs of ethnically diverse performers and characters. Of the 102 Americans, such as MTV Tr3s (Latina videos played per week on mainstream Americans), MTV Chi (Chinese Americans), music networks, only 5.5% featured African MTV K (Korean Americans), and MTV Desi American artists (Brown & Campbell, 1986). (South Asian Americans) (Cobo, 2006; Finn, A decade later, content analyses revealed 2006). These networks are attempting to that roughly 11% of popular music videos bridge the gap between mainstream and on MTV contained non-White characters ethnically oriented programming for these (Seidman, 1992). As the type of music fea- groups of Americans, presenting videos that tured on these channels has changed from feature musical artists of diverse back- solely pop and rock, analyses comparing grounds, and music videos that are relevant racial/ethnic representation across music to the cultural background and experiences video genres revealed that Black males and of these ethnic groups. At this point in time, females were significantly more likely to research is unavailable on how often these appear in rap and R&B/soul music videos ethnically oriented music networks, featur- compared to other music genres (Tapper, ing videos from artists of diverse back- Thorson, & Black, 1994). These same char- grounds, are viewed by mainstream youth. acters appeared much less frequently in pop However, it appears reasonable to assume music videos (approximately 18%), and at that, for White youth, crossover artists that that time, Latina females appeared in only appear on mainstream music networks may 3% of popular music videos and 1% of represent their sole source of media expo- music videos overall (Tapper et al., 1994). sure to people of color. In contrast, music videos shown on ethnically oriented networks, such as BET, almost Nature of Music Video Portrayals: exclusively show minority characters, and if A Focus on African Americans characters from the dominant ethnic group appear, they typically occupy minor roles Visual representations contained through- (Brown & Campbell, 1986; Emerson, out music videos offer viewers of all back- 2002). These figures may have changed grounds a glimpse into how people look, somewhat in recent years, as mainstream act, behave, and live. The videos presented music networks, such as MTV, broadcast are frequently stylized, however, often videos from “crossover artists” from other depicting more of a fantasy world of the ethnic backgrounds with widespread mass producers, directors, and artists than a appeal and popularity (Peterson-Lewis & snapshot of reality. Within this realm, what 20-Asamen-45576.qxd 5/27/2008 8:51 PM Page 300 300 MEDIA AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD’S MULTICULTURAL WORLDVIEW are some of the common themes of how was not provided, it is likely that the major- people of multicultural backgrounds are ity of artists in the country and rock videos represented within music videos? Surprisingly, were White whereas the majority of artists relatively few studies exist on the content of in the rap and hip-hop videos were Black. portrayals of multicultural people within Based on these assumptions, it appears that music videos. The majority of these articles levels of violence and sex are particularly describe portrayals of African Americans in high in video formats likely to feature Black music videos, with few studies focusing artists. More specifically, Jones reported sig- specifically on Latinos/as, Asian Americans, nificant genre differences in portrayals of or Native Americans.

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