Dominant Ideologies. Tom Hall

Are music videos a site for challenging dominant ideologies of ethnicity and gender, or do they simply reinforce simplistic stereotypes?

Generally speaking, commercially based artists and their videos are enforcing stereotypes. However, the music that we consider to be alternative listening - i.e. anything that is not mainstream, generally tends to have a different angle on life.

Ethnicity
Ethnicity is a hard topic to deal with, as it carries a lot of racial connotations, which could be perceived as being offensive. For example, "West Coast Gangsta Rap" music is based on the struggle for survival in "the hood". This normally involves lots of drugs, prostitution, murder (usually in the form of a drive-by), and the utter desperation of living in an environment in which the law isnt the rule - it is the younger people carrying guns who have a larger say. This is demonstrated particularly in this video.

Artist: 2Pac
Track: 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted (featuring Snoop Dogg)
URL: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WsFNXAmGz8U

This video demonstrates all that is stereotypical of a black male american gangster. This is shown with the use of guns, police involvment and conviction in federal court.

However, there are a number of videos that challenge this view to the steretypical black male. Kanye West for example in his video "Jesus Walks" depicts the black male not as hustlers, gangsters or pimps, but as subservient to the white males.

Artist: Kanye West
Track: Jesus Walks
URL: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eFKPd_TRVC8

Gender
The stereotypical female in the pop music world is blonde, slim, attractive and manufactured. One example of this generalisation is Britney Spears. Her attractive figure is exploited, commodifying not only herself but the name of women. Her aim is to use herself as a visual image to sell her music, rather than using her music to sell itself. One slight drawback is that this is seen as a way of steretyping and slightly demeaning the name of women.

Artist: Britney Spears
Track: Toxic
URL: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TkIytHD5v9c

However, some women choose to avoid this stereotyping to emphasise their individuality and thier own personal flair. This may imply that they are not in fact beautiful nor appealing, but at the same time, rebels against the representation of woman that they could find offensive.

Artist: The Horrors
Track: Sheena is a Parasite
URL: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gZMrwZItOGE