In watching Leslie Gore’s “It’s My Party”, Fiona Apple’s “Criminal”, and Lil’ Kim’s “How Many Licks” music videos, we see very different representations of women: being an object of affection, being sexually submissive, and being in control by adopting a typical objectified image. In all cases, women are being objectified, but the most recent video, Lil’ Kim’s “How Many Licks”, in an attempt to give women sexual power, demonstrates the inevitability of women being sexually objectified.
I have to wonder if it is worse for a man to objectify a woman, or for a woman to objectify herself, and other women. In watching Lil’ Kim’s “How Many Licks” I want to think that she is making a point by taking control of her sexuality and blatantly requesting sexual deeds. Lil’ Kim takes charge of her sexuality by not holding back into submission as in “Criminal”, but by taking a more male approach and blatantly asking for it. In many contemporary pop music songs, men are often portrayed as objectifying women as sex objects. Their music videos often show scantily clad women bumping and grinding and flaunting their barely clothed bodies to give an image of sex as power; that women need to be scantily dressed and sexually promiscuous in order to gain any power. Lil’ Kim’s video simply emphasizes this. At first I had a very positive view of her video thinking way to go for her take charge attitude. I first thought she was trying to say I can do it like the men. Well, in fact she can; she objectifies herself like men objectify women. In the video she is seen in the contemporary typified image of objectified women – barely clothed and dancing in motions that resemble sex.
In a song where a woman is blatantly asking for sex, one would think the woman holds the power, but in this video the women still need to be scantily clad and dancing promiscuously in order to gain any control over their sexuality. The way she and the other women are dressed in the video presents a very common image seen in popular culture today. Such an image is one designed to appease men. Even though Lil’ Kim is demanding to be sexually pleased, the power is still in the hands of the man as she must have the sexually objectified image of a woman in order to get what she wants. This does not paint a positive picture for female sexuality. Either you are submissive and controlled as portrayed in Fiona Apple’s video for “Criminal”, or you have a pseudo-power over your own sexuality by adhering to what culture considers sexy. In both situations, it is men who are still in control because they cause the submission, or they will only accept a sexual request when the woman assumes the objectified sex role. I give Lil’ Kim props for not holding back, and even though the video is critical of the many sex object roles women play (i.e. the different Kim’s being built like Barbie dolls), the “normal” Kim we see in the video isn’t much different. This is giving the message to women and young girls that you must be sexual in order to gain control; sex is power, but you can only assume power in a sexual image.
This makes me wonder what is considered proper now, but it also makes me wonder if being a “proper” woman is another objectified role – that fitting into that proper mold means you can’t gain power and you become a submissive sex object as in “Criminal”. I think this paints a very confusing picture for youth today. What is a woman’s role? How do they have power? What should be expected of their relationship with men?
As shown in these videos, popular music doesn’t do much to give men an alternative scenario either. Men appear to be the ones who objectify and determine how the women will gain their pseudo-power. This gives youth the image that men need to objectify women to have power and control over female sexuality.
These images seem to be a vicious circle. If men are always the ones to objectify and be in power, women must assume the roles the men set in order to have some sense of power. In these images, female power is determined by the male. This paints an image that women can’t gain power if there isn’t a man to determine how she will be objectified, and a woman must objectify herself in order to be given that “power”. These videos make it seem inevitable. This is all the more reason why popular culture should be studied in schools, so the youth can make sense of these images, criticize them, and make their own choices rather than following the messages they receive.
"This is the end..."
15 years ago
The connection you make between the images presented in the video and the words of the songs are along the same lines I talk about in my posting. What if the Lil' Kim video had her dressed in normal, everyday clothes?
ReplyDeleteYour closing line about students needing to understand what is being presented to them is something I agree with whole-heartedly. They are presented with so much information and shown so many was of expression, it almost becomes impossible to tell what is real and genuine and what is commercially planted.
Abigail,
ReplyDeleteI've also been thinking about what made Lil' Kim's video seem less empowering the more it went on. I think that lyrically speaking, although it was blatantly sexual it was more empowering than it was graphically as a music video. The main problem was the "plot" of the video was literally making Lil' Kim into a commodity to be consumed, and forcing her into packages at the end of the video, that made the lyrics seem to resemble more an enslavement by her own sexuality rather than a situation where she had power over her own destiny.
It is a quandary to me still about how students can best learn how to descriminate and read the signals presented to them by culture outside of the classroom, especially thinking these very songs may be on the ipod that they are avoiding class by listening to.
- John Byrnes
www.blog.lib.umn.edu/byrne201/heorot
Good post Abby,
ReplyDeleteAs I have been reading the different blog postings today, I keep asking myself more and more questions. In relation to the lil kim video, a lot of people are viewing her as being objectified and objectifying other women. Mainly because of her dress but also because of the lyrics. Now when we say that men objectify women, we mostly refer to the sexual exploitation that is done to them. The way they are portrayed in videos or even what is being said about them. But I will everyone to look at the kim video in a different lens. They way she is portrayed now, she is seen as objectifying herself and other women. If she were saying the same thing but in a business suite would she still be objectifying herself and other women or would she then be objectifying the men with the language she is using. If not then is it possible for men to objectify other men and when do when get the opportunity to objectify men.
Abi,
ReplyDeleteYou made very similar points to what I was trying to say, but as I see you've done it much more eloquently! :) You made a really interesting point in the last part of your blog where you say, "If men are always the ones to objectify and be in power, women must assume the roles the men set in order to have some sense of power. In these images, female power is determined by the male." I think this is an incredibly interesting observation to make. Lil Kim is, according to herself, becoming the ultimate female in charge by defying traditional gender roles for females - not only is she acknowledging her sexual compliance, but is blatantly asking for it. However, would that power still exist if she wasn't objectifying/degrading the female sex first? I mean, she isn't dressing and behaving that way for the enjoyment of other women, but by the men she is controlling. I think as teachers, like you say, it is so important that we teach our students to be critically aware of the world around them. However, while they may find it easy to point out the way a character like Katherina in "Taming of the Shrew" challenges gender roles, is it as easy for them to point out that viewing artists like Lil Kim might indicate we should be swinging back the other way? Regardless of what she sings about, her image is still as a mass-produced commodity, a sex doll, nonetheless. I think it's so important for our students to learn to make their own meaning out of the images and artists they see (and idolize), and find out what is commercialized by the people in power and what the real world is like.
Abigail,
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job highlighting the struggle for power and control in your post. Specifically, I enjoyed your conversation regarding the role of men. Even though female artist may feel they have the control, as you said so well in your examples, the power is still seems to remain in the hands of the men.
I, like you, thought perhaps Kim's goal in this video was to say if you (i.e. men) can do it so can I. Perhaps she was trying to take the control and be empowering to women. But as you pointed out, even if this was her goal, she not only objectified herself, she added to the objectification of women as a whole. How do we continue to fight this battle, when now women are objectifying themselves and each other?
Hi Abigail,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I took a slightly different approach to the videos, I would agree with you completely. And if I have learned anything from my psuchology classes it is that there is no right or wrong. Everything is relative. Lil Kim may be an inspiration to some young women and may mean destruction for others. Some women may not take her video so literally but may walk away with the message that they can take charge of what they want out of life. Others may internalize her video quite literally and may solicit themselves for sex. I think that these types of music videos are definately influential, but they should not be able to in and of themselves dictate who people will be.