Feminism is the study of women’s portrayal in media, culture, politics and other areas of daily life. It allows for classification of texts as either feminist, empowering to women, or anti-feminist, which enforces a patriarchal structure. In Jackson’s video the concept of the male gaze, or male controlled viewpoint, is strongly portrayed from the initial scene. As the music begins, the figure of a slender women in a tight black dress shows on the screen. The viewer can see her body walking seductively towards the screen, yet her face is not shown. While this image not only sexualizes women, it plays towards a male gaze, or a male audience that is attracted to this women. Jackson portrays that this woman is nothing more than a sexual object.
As Jackson confronts the girl throughout the video, she continually walks away, and every time he follows. While his efforts are fruitless, he persists in following her through alleys, parked cars, and into dead ends. In today’s society where harassment and personal safety, especially of women, are highly emphasized, this is blatant disregard of another individual’s privacy. Adding to this action is his highly seductive dancing towards the woman. He sings with his tongue out, thrusts his hips, and moves his hands in the shape of her figure, emphasizing her sexuality. However, this sexual representation of the womanly figure degrades the female in the video. Not only is her body the only thing he sees, but also his seductive dancing emphasizes his control. This further emphasizes the sexual image of women for the male gaze in media. In persistently following and trying to persuade her through song and dance, Jackson assumes power and control in the relationship.
As the video ends, Jackson finally wins over the girl and they embrace in the street. While it is a nice ending to a cluttered love story, this anti-feminist stance shows the woman without power or her own utility. After trying to brush away the persistent Michael Jackson, she subdues to the male control exerted on her. This disempowers women viewers who see a women succumbing to pressures for a male dominant relationship. In fact, this action also emphasizes a societal norm, that men can persist if they find a women attractive, and eventually she will succumb to their attempts. It is the cultural norm of a male’s conquest of the lesser female.
While Jackson’s ‘The Way you make me Feel” is well made and catchy, the anti-feminist representation in the music video gives the song new meaning. The video has amassed over 200 million views on YouTube, showing how mass media can spread perceptions of gender to all over the world. Current culture would be good to examine the messages portrayed through popular media in order to create a more factually representative image of all individuals.
As the video ends, Jackson finally wins over the girl and they embrace in the street. While it is a nice ending to a cluttered love story, this anti-feminist stance shows the woman without power or her own utility. After trying to brush away the persistent Michael Jackson, she subdues to the male control exerted on her. This disempowers women viewers who see a women succumbing to pressures for a male dominant relationship. In fact, this action also emphasizes a societal norm, that men can persist if they find a women attractive, and eventually she will succumb to their attempts. It is the cultural norm of a male’s conquest of the lesser female.
While Jackson’s ‘The Way you make me Feel” is well made and catchy, the anti-feminist representation in the music video gives the song new meaning. The video has amassed over 200 million views on YouTube, showing how mass media can spread perceptions of gender to all over the world. Current culture would be good to examine the messages portrayed through popular media in order to create a more factually representative image of all individuals.
No comments:
Post a Comment