Thursday, January 13, 2011
Misogyny in Music Videos
The teaser for the new Kanye West music video Monster has hit the airwaves, and it is very, very disturbing. This site has started a petition and explains more about the controversy. Below I have embedded the teaser, but please be aware the images are very disturbing and possibly triggering, so viewer discretion is advised.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/prevent-official-release-of-kanye-wests-women-hating-monster-video/
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Gross.
ReplyDeleteAgreed--I am terrified to see what the final version will look like...
ReplyDeleteThat's just wrong.
ReplyDeleteI have watched the whole video. While it is disturbing, the song is called "Moster" so these are monstrous images. I like the song but I agree that the video can be disturbing. I will say that this trailer shows the worst of the images in the video as a whole. I this isn't taken in the wrong sense but if this is disturbing, what do you make of horror movies like "Saw?" I find those much worse than a video like this.
ReplyDeleteThe music video has a lot to due with the lyrics of the song. Though misogyny is obvious in this video, it is supposed to represent the horrible depiction that women allow themselves to go through just because they want to have sex with someone famous. The thing that I can never get over is the fact that these women were paid to play these parts in the video so can women occasionally be blamed for their own degradation?
ReplyDelete@Tom I have seen the whole video and it does not change my view except to strengthen it. Whatever the intentions of West (who is known for being a woman-hater) the images help to present women as objects to be used by men sexually. The violence presented makes light of the epidemic of violence against women and trivializes rape, trafficking, necrophilia and decapitation. I am familiar with the "torture porn" genre of Hostel and others and find those also horribly offensive and misogynistic. At least they get slapped with an "R" rating. Presumably, this video will air in daytime on MTV and BET and expose children to still more violent and demeaning images of women.
ReplyDelete@Kevin If the song or video is trying to get us to reflect on why women collude with patriarchy or male supremacy it fails miserably. Women are victimized under patriarchy and while we should hold individual women accountable we should also have compassion for those who are brainwashed into conformity with dominant norms, and understand the powerful pull of money and "fame" under capitalism. What about the men who produce these and other pornographic images and the men who consume them, getting off on the degradation of women--do we also hold them accountable?