Critical Investigation

To what extent do music videos sexualise women, with particular reference to ‘Anaconda’ by Nicki  Minaj?

Angle:

Is the sexualism shown in Nicki Minaj's video effecting the audience?

 Hypothesis

Nicki Minaj is a celebrity that shows sexualisation of women in her music video which causes female in the audience to see her as a role model and try to be her.

Linked production:

The changes in the music industry

Migrain

On Instagram she posts pictures of her backside or her cleavage. In her Instagram there are many pictures of her and August Alsina in which she claims is her brother. She gives herself a negative representation as in most of her pictures she’s mostly naked; this shows that she lacks in modesty.

To society, she is seen as a negative model. This is due to the fact that she causes many little girls to be following her and see her as an example. Although it is arguable that she is comfortable with herself she still dresses in a very inappropriate manner.

The major generic conventions within the chosen text, being rap artists revolve around a few key words that some or all are mentioned in one song. These key words are the main themes for rappers; these words are those that are associated with sex, alcohol, drugs, weapons, women, materialistic belongings, reputation and also how good they are about what they do. These key conventions are portrayed in a range of artists’ music dating back a couple of decades to the present, we commonly see these aspects of artists under this genre and it becomes their focal points.

Her genre is mainly hip hop and this is shown by what she shows in her videos. Hip hop music, also called hip-hop rap music or hip-hop music is a music genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements: MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching, break dancing, and graffiti writing.

Media representation:

Nicki Minaj is always represented in a positive way in her music as she has some sort of dominance over men in her videos. Although there is female sexualism in her videos as she is always half naked with men surrounding her, Nicki seems to be above them as she represents herself in a manner in which the audience would feel that she is dominant.  Regardless, she is not seen as a positive ideals as journalists and concerned parents talk about her as being a negative influence to younger females. Feminist see Nicki Minajs popularity as a very negative impact on society as she influences girls into doing the things that she does in her videos. Many people seem to comment on Nicki Minaj and the things that people witness in her videos as Nicki Minaj was only discovered recently.

Media languages and forms

In Nicki Minaj's videos there is a reference to her performance. Looking closely at 'Anaconda', she keeps on referring to 'Anaconda' which is a males private area. The connotation of this would be that she is asking to engage in sexual activities. In this video, there is a lot of close ups shown of Nicki Minajs backside which in this video it seems to be empowering her. She is wearing very thin clothes that seem to show her figure, she is showing her backside, her legs, part of her stomach as well as her arms. One could argue that this liberates her and gives her some sort of confidence as she is able to show her figure like that.  The mise- en scene is very relevant to the music and the lyrics. It is arguable that the lyrics encourage people into engaging into sexual activities.  For example, her twerking and ass movements show her confidence and reinforce sexual activities. When she raps, the pace of the song increases which follow with more close ups.

 Nicki Minajs audience include girls from the age of 15-26. Many young girls seem to be into Nicki Minaj’s music as many girls feel that what she does in her videos will help them to get attention from guys as she seems to have many guy fans.

Historical

Minaj briefly signed with Brooklyn group Full Force, in which she rapped in a quartet called The Hoodstars composed of Lou$tar (son of "Bowlegged Lou"), Scaff Beezy and 7even Up.[23][24] In 2004 the group recorded the entrance song for WWE Diva Victoria, "Don't Mess With", which was featured on the compilation album ThemeAddict: WWE The Music, Vol.6. Minaj left Full Force, dissatisfied with their lack of success,[citation needed] uploaded songs on her Myspace profile and sent several of her songs to people in the music industry; at the time, she was managed by Debra Antney. Fendi, CEO of Brooklyn label Dirty Money Entertainment (who also discovered rapper Gravy), signed Minaj to his label. Originally adopting the stage name "Nicki Maraj", she changed it to Nicki Minaj: "My real name is Maraj. Fendi flipped it when he met me because I had such a nasty flow! I eat bitches!"[25] On Fendi's label Minaj appeared on the street DVD, The Come Up Volume 11, featuring underground rappers from New York.[citation needed]

Minaj released her first mixtape, Playtime is Over, on Dirty Money Records on July 5, 2007[26] and her second, Sucka Free, on April 12, 2008.[27] That year, she was named Female Artist of the Year at the 2008 Underground Music Awards.[28] In 2009 Minaj was involved in a conflict with ego trip's Miss Rap Supreme winner Rece Steele, who was annoyed when Minaj interrupted her interview and put a sign behind Steele's head;[29] Minaj hung up on interviewers from Spate magazine when they asked about the incident.[30] She released her third mixtape,Beam Me Up Scotty, on April 18, 2009[31] and it received favorable coverage on BET and MTV.[32][33] One of its tracks, "I Get Crazy", reached number 20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and number 37 on the magazine's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[34]

After Minaj was discovered by fellow rapper Lil Wayne,[35] in August 2009 it was reported that she signed a recording contract with his Young Money Entertainment.[36] That November, she appeared with Gucci Mane and Trina on the remix of "5 Star Bitch" by Yo Gotti.[37] Minaj also appeared on "BedRock" and "Roger That"[38] on the compilation album,We Are Young Money (2009).[39] The singles peaked at numbers 2 and 56, respectively, on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100;[40] their parent album reached number nine on the U.S.Billboard 200, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[40][41] Minaj was featured on Mariah Carey's "Up Out My Face", which reached number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100.[42] At Jay-Z's suggestion, that February Robin Thicke featured Minaj on "Shakin' It 4 Daddy" and included her in several live performances (including The Late Show With David Letterman).[43]

 Economical

In Nicki Minajs videos, there are usually many men who are most likely to be topless. There’s always a group of girls dancing and ‘twerking’ with her. Her videos are highly creative as she comes out with unique videos such as Anaconda.

Political

Mtv and Vevo don’t experience much of censoring in her videos as she doesn’t use inappropriate language. In one or two videos Mtv and vevo would have to censor the lyrics but this is usally very rare.

Issues/Debates

Representation and stereotyping

Many people argue that the manner in which Nicki Minaj represents herself makes herself look like the queen of rappers.  Although she is shows a lot of her body in her videos, Nicki Minaj does present herself as someone who is dominant. She also usually has a group of men in her videos that she gets to dominate. It is arguable that she is trying to show an alternative to music videos that usually sexualise women? Her way of lifestyle has caused many young girls to try to imitate her and try to lead her lifestyle.

Regulation and censorship

In Nicki Minaj's, a lot of censorship takes place. This is due to the fact that her videos are not suitable to be put on tv, therefore Vevo and Mtv had to step in and censor her videos as her videos include a lot of inappropriate language. There is this new british law that was presented on the Guardian where they now have introduced a new age restriction on music videos as most of hip hop music videos are not appropriate to be shown on tv. America has yet to follow this british law. For now, Nicki Minaj is not effected by this as she is signed by an American institution. The coalescence of media regulation began in 2003 where VEVO and MTV would have to censor what is inappropriate to a younger audience as everyone has access to the internet.

Media Technology and the Digital Revolution

 Videos, images, phrase once released can never be completely taken down completely. Tweets, Instagram photos and Videos at shooting ranges have gotten Nicki Minaj a lot of attention. The verification on her Instagram as well as her twitter has gotten her a lot of attention from the public as well as publicity. The changes in media technology and the digital revolution has made it easier for singers to advertise their music through social networks where they are able to alert people about new releases or about music interviews or photo shoots. This goes into their advantages as they wouldn't have to go as far as paying for bill boards to advertise their music and such.

Media Effects

The copycat theory a way that younger generation would be influenced from idols on tv.  Girls would idolise her as she presents herself as the ‘Female Boss’ who is able to do many things that include dancing. The way she talks and dances and has dominance over people has gotten a lot of girls to be influenced by her and start listening to her music.

Moral panic

There is some sort of moral panic that has was raised from Nicki Minaj's videos. This is because she is changing many young girls by showing them her lifestyle. She tries to justify sex and not 'love em or cuff em.' This refers to not have any emotional attachment after engaging sexual. This causes young girls to be justified and to think that engaging with sexual intercourse without 'love em or cuff em.' Many parents have raised awareness. There was also an article on the guardian about how she is teaching young girls an alternative lifestyle.

Gender and ethnicity

This is a very hard genre that recognises females. This genre is usually for male rappers but Nicki Minaj was able to show an alternative to this by being one of the most successful female rappers. She is able to rap as well show some sense of dominance in her videos which make her have more power over the men in her videos. She does show some sort of gender possession in her videos as she shows that she is dominant over the males in the videos such as 'super bass' where she pulls one the performers ties in a manner that shows dominance and power over him in her music video.

Audience Theories

The users and gratification includes an audience that seeks entertainment and escapism; this is because they want to be amused and watch something interesting as well as watch something that includes things or a lifestyle they desire. Many people wish to be rich and recognised like Nicki Minaj is.  It is everyone’s wish to be in fancy cars, to have men running after them and to be making big sums of money. Not many people are in a position in which they could live the fancy lifestyle so the audience are most likely to feel some sense of escapism from reality by watching her videos. Also, in today's society not many females are seen as dominant over males like she is in her music videos. This could reassure her audience as she shows an alternative lifestyle in her music videos.

Marxist and Hegemony

One could argue that in her music videos, Nicki Minaj presents an alternative lifestyle and by ding this she changes the cultural norms. After doing some research on different cultures, I found out that there is no culture that accepts Nicki Minaj lifestyle. Religions, in the other hand, don't accept this. Nicki Minaj was able to introduce different norms for young girls as she is seen as role model from young girls. Nicki Minaj does challenge religion, cultures and popular norms by offering an alternative lifestyle. In most cultures, women shouldn't be too outgoing and in most cultures women do not posses the dominance over males. By showing dominance over males and by showing confidence in showing her body she challenges most of religions and cultures and causes moral panic.

Genre theories

A musical genre is ‘a set of musical events (real or possible) whose course is governed by a definite set of socially accepted rules’.

The notion of set, both for a genre and for its defining apparatus, means that we can speak of sub-sets like ‘sub-genres’, and of all the operations foreseen by the theory of sets: in particular a certain ‘musical event’ may be situated in the intersection of two or more genres, and therefore belong to each of these at the same time. There are many genre theories about what music videos fit what specific genre. For them to fit certain genre theories they have to got include certain things. Andrew Goodwins says that music videos more often than not tend to include a demonstration of typical genre characteristics.

Post-modernism

The term post-modernism has been applied to a host of movements, many in art, music, and literature, that reacted against tendencies in modernism. Post modernism theories claim that we have left the period of modernism and reject the age on enlightenment.  The word post modernism refers to the movement in arts, literature and music. It claims that we have changed what entertain us. Post modernism theories argue that due to the changes that have occurred in the last years, one could not claim that we live in modern society any more and that we have entered a post modern society.

Media texts:

Anaconda

Super Bass

Other Media texts

I dont like- Chief Keef

Best thing I never had- Beyonce

Rude boy- Rihanna

Love Sosa- Chief Keef

Tv documentaries

Nicki Minaj- my time now

Internet links

http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/news/162/sexism-racism-endemic-in-music-videos-new-briefing

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/sexualised-music-videos-only-teach-women-how-to-sell-out/story-fni0cwl5-1227070613498

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/brendanoneill2/100245877/the-feminist-war-on-sexist-pop-videos-is-fuelled-by-ugly-misanthropic-prejudices-of-its-own/

http://likes.com/music/20-most-antifeminist-music-videos-of-all-time