Not Myself Tonight

When I was thinking about music videos it was hard to ignore the continous bombardment of sexual references and females in the role of sex object. Sexuality in music videos is most definately more for selling the music than expressing it's themes and emotions. Apart from perhaps rap and hip hop as lyrics from those genres are typically explicit in nature. When you look at artists such as Adele and Florence Welch you don't see too much exposed flesh and suggestive dancing because their music would not be classed as pop. Pop music has developed a look of sexuality unlike what you would have seen in the past, it has been taken to new heights. These days you see references not just to oral, vaginal and anal sex, but to homosexuality, BDSM, sex slavery, etc. In Miley Cyrus' music video for her song 'Can't Be Tamed' she is portrayed as an exotic bird in a cage, on display for people to stare at and admire and judge. From looking at her tight black outfit that reveals plenty of skin it is easy to tell she is a sexual object to be looked at. This is even more controversial because of her young age. She is spotlighted also. Close up shots of her body add to the sexual nature of the video:Her bare thighs are an obvious sex symbol, it shows she has a beautiful form. The spectators in the background are level with her legs as if they are all gazing at them, suggesting they all desire her - both the men and the women.

This idea is extended by the group dancing, men and women in bird-like costumes move franticly together. It resembles, I hate to say it, an orgy. The bird-like costumes give it a primitive, animalistic feel aswell. This particular moment is very strongly representational of homosexual oral sex as Cyrus pushes another female dancer down her own body and leans her head back, eyes closed as if in sexual pleasure.At this stage in the video she is lying on a bed of feathers in a tight silver outfit that pushes her breasts up and draws attention to them. Her eyes look right at you as she sings, commanding your attention.This moment is fairly self explanatory; a birds-eye view of her lying down as if in the position of her lover. Her facial expressions as she sings suggest she is experiencing intense sexual pleasure. The displays of her beauty are perfectly acceptable as the song is about a strong, beautiful woman who knows who she is and won't change for anyone. However she contradicts herself by conforming to the music industry's projection of sex, sex does sell after all.

Link to video: http://youtu.be/sjSG6z_13-Q

A much more extreme example of the music industry's influence on pop music is Christina Aguilera's video clip for her song 'Not Myself Tonight'. Let me just say that to even view this video clip on youtube I had to sign in to verify that I was over 18 years old. This video incorporates heavy themes of sex, sex slavery, bondage, control, objectification and homosexuality.

Throughout the video Aguilera is seen in various dog collars, including this first shot. In this shot she is dressed in robotic doll-like makeup, her eyes being closed symbolise that she is sleeping, when they open it is like she is activated and the sexual acts begin. So from the first shot she is portrayed as a pretty, submissive slave.

She appears as different characters in BDSM situations, bound and gagged, wearing a leather face mask. She becomes a mute, mindless doll, at the mercy of those around her. This last image depicts a scene that suggests group sex, more obvious than the one in Miley Cyrus' video.

She becomes a 'kitty' character in black leather, like sexual role play, and imitates a licking gesture as if she is drinking from the bowl on the floor. This is a symbol of being low in rank. In the next image you can see a scene where she controls look-alike dolls of her to do sexual acts.

Again, homosexuality seems to be becoming the norm, these scenes between Aguilera and another bound slave suggest lesbian sex. The lyrics of this song talk about becoming a different person on the dance floor, it definately has a club nature. But when you read between the lines and watch the video the signs of mind control are strong. "When I wake up, I'll go back to the girl I used to be, but baby, not tonight," It is like she is saying when she wakes up to reality she will go back to being a normal, acceptable woman but tonight she is asleep, has no will.

Link to video: http://youtu.be/wt-tHcQR67Y