Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 8-1999 Creativity Or Collusion?: Representations of Women in Music Videos Jan E. Urbina Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Urbina, Jan E., "Creativity Or Collusion?: Representations of Women in Music Videos" (1999). Master's Theses. 4125. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/4125 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CREATIVITYOR COLLUSION?: REPRESENTATIONS OF WOMEN INMUSIC VIDEOS by Jan E. Urbina A Thesis Submittedto the Facuhy of The GraduateCollege in partial folfitlment of the requirementsfor the Degree of Master of Arts Departmentof Sociology WesternMichigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan August 1999 Copyright by Jan E. Urbina 1999 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are certain individuals that touch our lives in profound and oftentimes unexpected ways. When we meet them we feel privileged because they positively impact our lives and help shape our futures, whether they know it or not. These individuals stand out as exceptional in our hearts and in our memories because they inspire us to aim high. They support our dreams and goals and guide us toward achieving them They possess characteristics we admire, respect, cherish, and seekto emulate. These individuals are our mentors, our role models. Therefore, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the outstanding members ofmy committee, Dr. Susan Caringella-MacDonald, Dr. Zoann Snyder, and Dr. Charles Crawford. I thank each ofyou foryour support, assistance and guidance. I would also like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Caringella-MacDonald, my chair, fornot only allowingme the opportunityto do theresearch I wantedto do, but for her encouragement and enthusiasm for this project. Her belief in me has made all the difference in the world. Martin, mi amigo mejor, mi novio, mi esposo, y mi vida, I want you to know that to say thank you will never adequately express how grateful I am foryour love. You consistently demonstrate your generosity of spirit, your belief in me, and your commitmentto brighter todays and evenbetter tomorrows. ii Acknowledgements--Continued You share your knowledge, your wonderful sense of humor, your warm and generous heart, and yourself unselfishly. You make the extra effort to show how much you care. I want you to know that the wonderful qualities you possess do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. You are a true egalitarian and positively the best thing in my life. Te amo, mi vida, con todo mi alma, ahora, manana, y siempre. And finally, I dedicate this project in memory of Madeline Elaine Bisbee Reynolds, my paternal grandmother. Her zestfor life and unwavering belief in me is something that I will always cherish. Her physical absence is a sorrow in my heart. I miss her still. Jan E. Urbina lll CREATNITYOR COLLUSION?: REPRESENTATIONS OF WOMENIN MUSIC VIDEOS Jan E. Urbina, M.A Western Michigan University, 1999 There is a need in the field of sociology to expand our knowledge about how media-generated representations of women impact our lives. This research was designed to exploreparticipants' perceptions ofnmsic video representations of women. Usinga pre­ test (swvey), treatment (educational video) and post-test (swvey), I analyz,ed participants' perceptions of how women were represented in nmsic videos. The educational video exposedthe techniques, which are used by the male-dominated nmsic video industry, that present women in demeaning ways. The post-test proved useful in my attempt to determinewhether the educational video impacted participants' understandings of the ways inwhich women were portrayed innmsic videos. I foundthat this particular group of participants, prior to viewing the educational video, was akeadyhighly aware of the negativeportrayals of women in musicvideos. In fact, most did not believethat the portrayals were actuallycharacteristic of women.. Also, themajority did not believethat music videos actuallyinfluenced their beliefs. Plus, some reported that the messages in countty western and thythm and blues videos portrayed women in a less stereotypical, more active and independent light. However, the overall consensuswas thatmost representations of womenin music videos were demeaning. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEOOEMENTS n LIST OF TABLES....................................................................................................... vnt INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 1 Benefits of the Project.................... ..................................................... :............... 2 :Layouto f theDo cument..................................................................................... 3 THEORY 5 LITERATIJREREVIE W................................................................................... 12 Media Images and Representations............................................................. 12 The Politics ofMed ia Representations............................................ 12 Gender Roles.................................................................................. 14 Stereotypingand Framing............................................................... 16 PopularCuhure.... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .... ... .. ... ........ .. .. .. .. ....... .... 19 Hegemony and Popular Cuhure.. .... .. .. .... .... .. .. ....... .... .. .. .......... 21 Masculinityin Popular Cuhure............... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23 Who is BehindMass Media?...................................................................... 24 Music Video as Argument.......................................................................... 27 RelevantS tudies ofMusicVideos.. ............................................................ 31 Messages About Women inM usic Videos...................................... 32 Roles of Women inM usicVideos.............. ..................................... 34 IV Table of Contents-Continued Media Effects............................................................................................. 36 CriticalReadi ng of Text............................................................................. 48 The Male Gau: Womenas Objects ...... , . .. ... .. .. .. ....... .. ... .. 51 Consequences of Media-Generated Messages int he Real World..................................................................................... 54 Conclusion 56 METHODS 58 Purposeof the Research............................................................................. 58 Research Design........................................................................................ 58 The Educational Video: DreamworldsJI: Des ire, Sex andPower in Music Video........................................................................................... 59 Instrument Development............................................................................. 70 Subject Selection and Sample..................................................................... 74 Risk to Subjects......................................................................................... 74 Protection for Subjects............................................................................... 75 Data Collection Procedure......................................................................... 75 Confidentiality of Data............................................................................... 76 ExpectedFindings .......................................................... .-........................... 77 FINDINGS . ......... ... .............. .... ....... ....... ...... ............... ....... .... ........ .......... 78 DemographicInformatio n .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... ..... ... ... .. ... .. 78 Non-Viewer Participants............................................................................ 78 PreferredT ypes of MusicVi'1�Qs .... .... ...... .. ... ... ...... ........ ..... .. ............. .... ... 79 V Table of Contents-Continued Viewing Patterns........................................................................................ 79 What RespondentsLiked Bestand Least inMusic Videos .......................... 80 MusicVideo Themes 82 Examining the OffensiveMessages inMusic Videos................................... 84 Examining the Influencean d Realismof Music Videos............................... 87 The Emotional, Physical, and Sexual Portrayal of Womenin MusicVideos ····················································································· ..······· 89 Women Portrayed as Exlu"bitionists . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 93 CommunicationPatte rns inMusic Video Stories........................................ 96 Perceptions of MusicVideo Actors and Stories.......................................... 98 The Camera's Focus................................................................................... 105 Characteristics and Behaviors ofWomen in Music Video Stories 107 Roles and Occupations ofWomenin Music Video Stories.......................... 109 Women's Dress inMusic Video Stories...................................................... 112 MusicVideo Settings................................................................................