I became slightly self conscious of my body around middle school. I thought Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” was a good message for young girls. I was not alone, because the video reached over two billion views, and received significantly more ‘likes’ than ‘dislikes.’ I also heard it sung by girls all around me constantly. It was not until I grew up a little bit, and really understood the lyrics, that I realized the song was objectifying women. Some people even argue that it is encouraging an unhealthy lifestyle.
All About That Bass
Trainor created this song with the intent of promoting body positivity. Instead it only emphasizes that women are “supposed” to please men, stating “I can shake it…like I’m supposed to do.” For the majority of the video, Trainor is pointing at her body, as well as dancing with other girls wearing revealing clothing. This is likely a result of the industry, and supports the claim that “cultural and industry expectations motivate female artists to participate readily in their own sexual objectification” (Aubrey et. al). The representation in this video turns a lot of eyes onto her, and she becomes the object of many gazes.
The Gaze
This objectification reminds me of Michel Foucault’s “Discipline and Punish.” This book describes the panopticon, an institute where prisoners are placed in cells in which they are unable to see the guard. This gaze gives the guards power in the same way that men watching the music videos have power as women are conforming to invite the gaze. They become the observed to a mass amount of people, and are portrayed as sexual objects.
This theory supports my claim that women lose power and agency as a result of their portrayal in music videos. While women do have some agency as to how they are portrayed in the videos, many of them are asked to follow the industries requests. They do so in order to make a living off of their career as music artists.
How this Media Affects Body Image
With music being teen’s number one source of media, they are constantly bombarded with the messages of it. And often times, these messages are negative. The rap genre is a major perpetrator of objectifying song lyrics (Aubrey et. al). While these lyrics are spoken quickly, the messages can still stick out and subconsciously affect how we view ourselves and others. It is easy to listen to music and enjoy it, but it is more difficult to look at it critically and think about if that is something you really want to expose yourself to. The same thing goes for the artists, and whether or not you want to filter your music based on what kinds of things that person has done (such as illegal or harmful acts). Are you supporting those acts by supporting the artist? This is a complicated question, and one I do not have an answer to. But, it is a good thing to keep in mind.
Works Cited
Aubrey, Jennifer Stevens, et al. “Check That Body! The Effects of Sexually Objectifying Music Videos on College Men’s Sexual Beliefs.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, vol. 55, no. 3, July 2011, pp. 360–379. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/08838151.2011.597469. Accessed date 4 March 2019.
Foucault, Michel, 1926-1984. Discipline And Punish : the Birth of the Prison. New York: Pantheon Books, 1977. Print.
Trainor, Meghan. “All About That Bass.” YouTube, YouTube. 11 June 2014, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk. Accessed 4 March 2019.
Objectification in Music 