Single Stories: The Modern Music Video and it's Influence

Source:http://images.complex.com/complex/images/c_limit,w_680/fl_lossy,pg_1,q_auto/v7dusrv6gqc7xtme0snn/migos-bad-and-boujee-video

I decided to analyze the Migos "Bad and Boujee" video. It had a different feel then some of the other videos that were listed, and I had never heard of the artist before. I actually liked the lead vocalist's voice. I can see why Migos is so popular. The video was more visually appealing as well, unlike Jason Derulo's video that was exhausting to watch. Even though it might have had a slightly more eclectic quality it sill reinforced many of the same tired stereotypes and that took away from it's creativity. 

I watched this video both with the sound on and then again with it off. I noticed more the second time around without the music to influence my perception. The men in the video are front and center, definitely inhabiting the spotlight while the women are "hanging out" with them at various locales. The opening line of the song is: "You know young rich Niggas. You know so we ain't never had no old money. We got a whole lotta new money though." The theme of the video demonstrates this idea of coming from having nothing to having an exorbitant amount of money. The Migos and their lady friends are shown walking around in a part of town that doesn't reflect how much money they have. In contrast to this both the women and men are dressed in designer clothes and are shown eating in a diner but drinking expensive champagne. They are also eating KFC and Cup O' Noodles. There is definitely an understanding that even though they are rich they have no intention of leaving the atmosphere they are comfortable in. I believe the music video does tell the story of female sexuality. The men are shown as tough and strong, and the women are shown as passive and compliant, there to meet the needs of a male should they arise. One female with gold hoops is shown taking a "crotch selfie" in the back of a cab, and it's implied that the picture is intended for a man.The female's representation in this video tell a "single story of a woman's body," as Sut Jhally discusses in the Dreamworld documentary. The only interesting thing the women are doing in the video is riding around on dirt bikes with bandannas on their faces. 

Some people might argue that the video is demonstrating a realistic representation of young black men's experiences. While this might be the case for the members of Migos, it was reinforcing negative stereotypes. Not just of race but of gender. The men in the video were part of a gang, they were shown getting high and the lyrics talked about "Cookin' up dope in the crockpot." It is very disappointing when black men in videos are shown doing little else then getting drunk, high, threatening violence, and treating women as objects. This attitude does a disservice to the black community and to the young men and women that watch these videos. This video along with it's lyrical content tells it's young viewer that there are specific ways of being in one's body and one's gender. 

Interesting article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caitlin-constantine/body-image-womens-bodies_b_1349960.html

Rollout the Toxic Masculinity

Source: https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2013/10/Screen-shot-2013-10-01-at-10.14.42-PM.png

This week's documentary we watched in class was particularly shocking to me, the images of pornography made my stomach turn. I don't consume pornography, I have trouble understanding the appeal even though I do "get it." Naturally it was hard for me to understand that images of women being humiliated appealed to an audience large enough to make any money. With all the media content out there that reinforces negative gender stereotypes, it's easy to see why most of it passes without any outrage. In Generation M, Prof. Thomas Keith explains this lack of outrage by using Eminem's music as an example. Some of his songs contain violent, misogynistic lyrics, yet he is still widely popular. Keith argues that if he changed the target of his violence from women to the black community, that his career would have been ruined. But he isn't the only artist who makes women out to be objects in their music videos and lyrical content. Many rap, hip hop, and R&B artists are notorious for sexist and violent themes in their songs. Take Robin Thicke's song "Blurred Lines" for example, that somehow, despite being super rapey as well as a rip off of Marvin Gaye's music, got a lot of radio play. Seriously, the worst fucking song to ever be produced.  

Source: https://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/1364425679_Ludacris-WordOfMouf-music-album.jpg

In 2001 rap artist Ludacris released a song called "Rollout." Personally, I enjoy his music, I didn't think about the lyrics too much. I had a mindset that I think a lot of consumer's have: that listening to sexist content in certain types of music "comes with the territory." It's unfortunate how complacent Iv'e been, but I'm starting to notice things more. "Rollout" is not a terribly unique song. Ludacris seems to be alluding to the idea that the media is hounding him and people are jealous of him because he has a bunch of money and diamonds, and a kick-ass car. The lyrics are also sexist. When women are mentioned they are mentioned in a sexual way, they exist for the pleasure of men. The women mentioned in this song, are on par with any of the other "objects" Ludacris owns:

Winning, drilling and killing the feeling
Now who's that bucked-naked cook fixin three-course meals?
Getting goosebumps when her body tap the six inch heels
What in the world is in that ROOM, what you got in that ROOM?
A couple a gats, a couple a knives, a couple of rats, a couple of wives
Now it's time to choose

 These types of lyrics don't just do a disservice to women, however, they send messages to men that their place in this world should be one of power over others, that they are worth more when they possess expensive things and beautiful women. Men are far more complex then these toxic messages suggest, with purposes far greater then "winning, drilling, and killing the feeling." The video is mainly centered around Ludacris and how cool he is but his friends get in on the action too. The first few seconds of the video made me think that perhaps the video wouldn't be as sexist as the song but it most certainly redeems itself. All the men in the video are surrounded by beautiful, thin women with very little clothing on. The men have a confident posture while the women in the video look like they're aroused but not present. At one point Ludacris encounters reporters at the gates of his mansion. He grabs the microphone from the only female in the video portrayed in a non-sexual way. In fact it looks as if he's grabbing her wrist at the same time. That scene in the video was interesting to me, as if intelligent women were intimidating to him.  

Images Have More Power Than We Think

The documentary "Consuming Images" although made almost 30 years ago, was still extremely relevant to what is happening in our current media environment, perhaps even more relevant. One of the things that struck me was some of the images/music were familiar to me, and sparked memories from my childhood. It made me realize just how powerful an image can be to shaping our perceptions, our memories, our attitudes, etc. Now more then ever we are inundated with images at every turn. From billboards on the road, to advertisements in magazines, and a constant stream of persuasive imagery on the web. Every area of our lives is saturated with imagery that we neither created, and sometimes, have no control over. Without pictures from journalists, for instance, we wouldn't have an image to cling to when it comes to understanding war, poverty, and violence in other parts of the world. These images give us a starting off point for shaping our attitudes towards the world around us. I have chosen two images to discuss in this post. The first is an advertisement from The Advocate, a print magazine (also online) that discusses current politics, and social issues pertaining to the LGBT community. The second is a picture of Syrians in a refugee camp and is from an online news source, hudson.org. 

                                                       

This image is for Tylenol PM, an over the counter pain reliever, and depicts two women snapping a "selfie" together on what appears to be a rainy day. But not too rainy to leave the umbrella to the side, implying that Tylenol PM makes you so fancy free you could care less about a few drops of rain in your hair. It appeals to women, specifically gay women.The women look to be about in their early 40's, conservatively dressed, white or possibly Latina. The woman on the left holding the umbrella has an eyebrow ring,which I found sort of interesting, and it's another clue that this article is meant for those in Generation X. I assume Tylenol, which is a partner with HRC, knew the demographic it would be advertising to in this magazine: White, middle class members of the LGBTQ community, in their mid 30's or above. If a person reading The Advocate sees an advertisement for a product they are already familiar with, but didn't know supported the community, then they might be more inclined to buy it. 

This image was found online atop an article entitled "The US and UN have Abandoned Christian Refugees." This image is from 2013 and was taken on the Syrian/Turkish border by Bulent Kilic. It has an image of tents provided by the UN, and the article is very critical of their treatment of religious minority refugees. The purpose of this image is context, but it is also there to evoke sympathy. Woman are holding the hands of their children, everyone in the picture looks serious and somber. In the background we see more tents and refugees milling around them out of focus. The image is not one of children running and playing, they're parents laughing and talking as they go about their daily tasks, they are in complete survival mode. Today we see more and more images of the Syrian refugee crisis. These images are not new but journalists must continue to show them in order to shed light on the crisis there. Unfortunately we see two main depictions out of the Middle East, either the image of a terrorist or terrorists, or the images of people living in poverty or despair. It is a confusing dichotomy of representations and I think it is no mistake that often when we hear the word Muslim, we in turn think of the concept of terrorism, whether we intend to or not. This image above is more humanizing, even though it is not a positive one, and appeals to Westerners that can relate the feeling of wanting to provide for their children. 

Image Source: https://hudson.org/research/12903-the-u-s-and-u-n-have-abandoned-christian-refugees

Proposed Legislations

Almost every time I turn on the news I hear about a new bill of some sort or another that is attempting to get traction in government. The media likes to highlight the ones that fit a certain narrative or ones that would cause a great amount of public outcry. On congress.gov there are thousands upon thousands of bills proposed, waiting to be reviewed. I found a lot of interesting bills but a few stood out to me. One bill (HR 1358) aimed to "protect the scientific integrity in federal research and policy making." This bill was backed by over 70 democrats. I was unable to find who was funding it but I imagine industries that are focused on scientific research would benefit from the passing of this bill. Another bill that was proposed by a representative in California, HR 1322 sought to limit restrictions on abortion and a woman's right to reproductive choice. There were 101 cosponsors. Both bills were submitted just a few days ago and there was little information on either one of them, but it will be interesting to see if they get any traction in congress. One particular bill, proposed about a month ago, would limit the amount of legal immigrants entering the United States. This is obviously a very hot topic right now under our current administration. The bill, backed by republicans, would do away with the green card lottery, and severely restrict foreign nationals from obtaining residency through family members. It would also cut the amount of refugees permitted to this country in half. No big deal, people fleeing violence can probably just go somewhere else right? Lamar Smith, a representative from Texas who is backing this bill said the following: "When you have so many immigrants being admitted, they tend to cluster together, they tend to maybe be a bit more slow in learning the English language, to becoming acculturated, to becoming patriotic Americans," Smith says. I tried finding the number attached to this bill but could not. My son's father is an immigrant, and served in Afghanistan with the Marine Corps. His cousin was able to come here because of the green card lottery.The passing of this sort of bill would have an enormous impact on American families, and I doubt it would be for the better. 




Sources:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1322?r=40
http://www.npr.org/2017/02/07/513957928/republican-lawmakers-propose-new-law-to-reduce-legal-immigration
https://www.congress.gov/search?q={%22source%22:%22legislation%22}

By the People, For the People

Image Source: http://www.salem-news.com/stimg/may242008/corporate_media.jpg

If you open the Facebook app on your phone, as I'm sure most if not all of us have, you'll see a variety of news stories shared by friends, family, and sponsored sources. Facebook is a wonderful tool, don't get me wrong, and it brings information to the masses in a way that I never experienced as a teenager, but it is stuffed full of inaccurate news. When gay marriage was legalized in the United States I went to Facebook first to see what the Supreme Court ruling had been, knowing many in the community would be posting on my feed. Many "friends" on my Facebook page post news stories from sites I can't even take seriously, so I don't bother clicking. Other websites I'm not so sure about, and I have to be careful. Sometimes it's overwhelming and hard to know if I'm reading "fake news" or not. If I want to know about the big things, the headlines, I can turn on any news channel and they'll be covering it ad nauseam. Mainstream media does have it's uses but like many things that are cooperate owned, the needs of the people are not foremost, profit is.
     Journalists have an obligation to inform the public, not fill them with nonsense, but unfortunately many cannot keep their jobs at larger news outlets if they report outside of the narrative. I don't have cable, so if I want to find out about something beyond the headlines I have to make an effort and am choosy about what I listen to and watch. I enjoy listening to NPR which so far has been publicly funded, as well as The Young Turks, also publicly funded. NPR reports on a wide range of topics including international events, world politics, economics, agriculture, social problems, and many more subjects.  On NPR's radio program they host respectful discussions with guests holding many different view points, but they also ask the tough questions. Just this morning I was listening to their Friday morning addition and Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah was being interviewed. Despite the journalists attempt to question Chaffetz, he consistently redirects the question.  I believe that many journalists are remiss to dig deep, either because they feel pressure from their cooperate owners, they have to pay the bills after all, or they've become complacent. There is a sense of hopelessness to a degree that the public will ever get an honest answer to a question from a politician, or from a source of media, no matter how hard a journalist tries. The Young Turks takes a more aggressive journalistic stance on reporting then NPR does, a different style if you will, and they make it an effort to get to the truth. Although their content is meant to be entertaining to appeal to a wide range of audiences, it doesn't compromise the information being put out there. I used to think that a news station was better if it was "balanced" but there is a big difference between hearing both sides of an argument so as to appear neutral, and actually trying to present the truth. I don't need my news media to be Republican or Democrat, Independent or Libertarian, I need it to be honest, and so does the rest of the public.

Sources and interesting videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I49V9pdeVY4
 https://tytnetwork.com/2017/02/16/tyt-keeping-the-establishment-accountable/
 http://www.npr.org/2017/02/24/516983730/rep-chaffetz-says-town-hall-protesters-intimidate-and-bully-people
Senator Proposes Political Test for College Professors

Hyper Masculinity and Violence in Video Games

Image Source:http://oceanofgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/call-of-duty-system-requirements.png

   
      Violence in video games is usually not something that is on my radar. Growing up I occasionally played Sonic the Hedgehog on my brother's Sega Genesis but never really got into them. While watching the documentary I was shocked to see how graphic the images were, and how realistic video games are now. There have been a number of shootings in recent years, as is the case with most tragedies, politicians and the public have blamed the media. Video games are no exception. It's natural to want to understand why violence occurs and when it occurs, especially when there is a mass killing, but many single out media as a primary source for violent inspiration. What I liked the most about the documentary "Joystick Warriors" was that it explored other potential problems of playing violent games, such as lack of empathy and an unhealthy idea of what it means to be a man. While I don't think that playing violent video games causes violent behavior, I can see how the game might contribute, along with other risk factors, such as mental illness, and violence in the home. During the 2005 Red Lake High School shooting Jeff Weise killed his own grandfather along with 9 others before turning a gun on himself. In an interview with NBC news, Dr. Katherine Newman of Princeton University weighs in on the shooting's connection to violent video games: "What I mean by a "script" is that when you look at popular culture, movies, video games, you will see this kind of "shoot 'em" pathway running through many of them" "What it tends to reinforce in a shooter's mind is not so much a violent impulse as a template for how to be notorious and alluring and cool..."
     I believe this appeal to be "cool" is perpetuated by media as well as video game portrayals of men. It's obvious that very little space exists for men in these games who don't fit the hyper-masculine idea of manliness. Not only do violent video games celebrate military violence (in a very unrealistic way), they also create a potential costumer for the gun industry. The guns depicted in the video games are guns that can be purchased in real life, with many of the guns bearing the name of the gun manufacturer. Children start to play video games at a very young age, and many transition to more violent games even if their parents forbid it. The gun manufacturers, by allowing game makers permission to use their models in games, are essentially marketing real-life guns to kids, increasing the risk that they will become adult customers. Video games glamorize guns without demonstrating gun safety or real consequences to gun-violence, and this is the problem.

See Video:
Top 10 Guns in Video Games
   



Sources: 
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7288381/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/school-shooter-followed-video-game-like-script/#.WKqGY_nys2w

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/03/18/red-lake-shooting-explained

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2013/04/29/179853504/a-real-world-connection-between-video-games-and-guns

https://youtu.be/H6nq6LCYLVg

Glamorizing Violence in Movies

 

 According to the late George Gerbner, many of the images of violence that we see on television and in movies is "Happy Violence." In these movies, violence is glamorized, made to seem funny, usually orchestrated by people with sex-appeal, excellent outfits, and kick-ass cars. When I heard the term "Happy Violence" used I immediately thought of the new Ghostbusters movie, as I'd just recently watched it with my son. I heard some complaints when this movie first came out as is common with a remake of  a classic movie beloved by both kids and adults alike. I personally enjoyed the new one and it carried the added bonus of discussing the possibility of paranormal entities with a four year old. Ghostbusters is meant to be satire of course, and it delivers, but it also serves up a lot of violent images, minus all the blood and gore. One scene in particular made me think of how violence is presented without real life consequences attached to it. The Stay Puft marshmallow man terrorizes the city, crumbling tall buildings and smashing cars. Unless the entire city has been evacuated it's likely that people were killed during this ghost invasion or at the very least severely injured. Naturally there are no images of human carnage strewn all across the road, because that would completely change the mood of the movie. Whats even more inexplicable is Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig getting sucked into a giant worm hole and coming out of it largely unscathed.

There are many more examples of violent behavior without consequences in the media, but this one stood out to me because it appeals to children and adults. The antagonist in the movie even kills himself so he can possess others. At an early age we are exposed to violent images intended for our entertainment. I would have never thought of Ghostbusters as a violent movie before because of course it's plot is meant to be fantasy.The documentary we watched in class opened my eyes a lot to the images I take in on a daily basis, and I'll definitely be more conscious and selective going forward. 

Image Sources: 

Stay Puft-http://images.indianexpress.com/2016/06/ghostbuster480.jpg?w=480

Kate McKinnon: http://werrrk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ghostbusters-2016-kate-mckinnon.png