Throughout history women have been sexualised in the music industry from their clothes to their actions, despite many women finding success in this competitive industry I argue they are still being sexualised or being forced to conform to male expectations to find success.   

Sexualization is not a normal phonon but a construction which is reinforced, this is apparent in Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ a song which shocked the world with its nudity, outfits and choreography and although it was empowering it also followed the idea that “The presence of woman is an indispensable element of spectacle”(p135 Caetlin Benson-Allio,2013).  She is conforming to the narrative that sex sells. This narrative conforms to the male gaze, embodying the sexual spectacle men view women as in the music industry. However, in Telephone we see that Gaga uses her sexuality to empower herself through the refusal of being an object.  

Within ‘Call Me Maybe’ we see the male gaze driving the video’s narrative with this dramatised stereotypical representation of how a woman would behave when having a crush. She goes about many tasks to get his attention including washing a car in shorts, a tank top and heels in the cold. This was a music video directed by Ben Knechtel, this narrative is an enforcement of the ways men expect women to act which is very unrealistic and just reinforces the stereotype.  

Call me Maybe, 2012

Despite many women using the idea of to-be-looked-at-ness to their advantage like FKA Twigs in Pendulum, she has used the norm of women’s “strong visual and erotic impact” (p135 Caetlin Benson-Allio,2013) to her advantage by drawing her audience in then presenting them with a narrative which is not sexy but vulnerability. She is the subject of her narrative showing her skin whilst using her hair as a metaphor. Allowing us to see something new. Therefore, although the industry has changed sexualization is still apparent, but it is being used differently by female artist to empower themselves. 

By 33749110 – Bally

Bibliography  

Vernallis, C., Herzog, A. and Richardson, J. (2013). The Oxford Handbook of Sound and Image in Digital Media. [online] Oxford University Press -12-16, pp.135–137. Available at: https://academic-oup-com.gold.idm.oclc.org/edited-volume/37183/chapter/324109821 [Accessed 2024].