Laura Mulvey Theory

Laura Mulvey states that in film and video women are typically the objects, rather than the possessors of gaze because the control of the camera comes from factors such as heterosexual men as the default target audience for most film and video genres. Mulvey believes that the female model is often put on display directly to the spectator (male audience), thus viewing herself as the male audience views her. In this way, the male gaze enables women to be a commodity that helps the products to get sold. Genres that often use women as objects of male gratification, therefore Mulvey’s theory are usually Hip-hop and RnB.

A video that puts this theory on display is “Timaya-Bum Bum” where the concept of the song is about a woman's backside, the very first scene of the video is of a woman “twerking” (shaking her behind sexually). 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=timaya+bum+bum+

Flo Rida 2010 Artist

http://prezi.com/6pwyq6w_g5s4/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Kings of Leon 2000 Artist

http://prezi.com/9g2gnztup2c0/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Missy Elliot 1990s Artist

http://prezi.com/ctds_oio-jbz/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Queen 1980s Artist

http://prezi.com/ft-imee9fgpm/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin identifies 5 key aspects of music videos that the audience should look out for:

-       Sound

-       Narrative and performance

-       Star of image

-       Relation of the visuals to the song

-       Technical aspects of music video

The structure of the song needs to be taken into account, for example the choruses/verses.

Secondly, the voice of the song. The artists voice is extremely unique and can form identification or trademarks that would work well with the star image.

Lastly, Goodwin also points out the artist’s mode of address. Songs may be seen as stories and the artist becomes the storyteller, making the music video a two-communication device between the audience and the artist.


Goodwin believed that a music video can promote a song by the way it analysises the lyrics. This is shown in many music videos when a character does exactly what the song says. For example, in the song "My humps" by The black eyed peas, the song lyrics are My hump! My hump! My hump! My lovely lady humps! In the video, there is great emphasis on the curves of the womab's body.

Simon Firth

Simon Firth

Simon Firth stated that “Music Videos may be characterised by three broad typologies: Performance, Narrative and Conceptual” 1988. He is music video theorist.

Performance (Concert)

Performance videos, the most common type, feature the star or group singing in concert to wildly enthusiastic fans. An example video of this performance would be Red Hot Chilli Peppers-snow.

Performance (Studio)

Performance videos that shows the star of video will automatically remind the person that is watching the video that the song is important. An example video of studio performance would be One Direct-Little thing.

Performance (Narrative)

A video may tell any kind of story in linear cause-effect sequencing. Love stories are most common narrative mode in music videos. An example of Narrative is rudimental-Waiting all night.

Performance (Conceptual)

Conceptual videos rely on poetic form, primarily metaphor. The conceptual video can be metaphysically poetry articulated through visual and verbal elements. An example of conceptual performance would be Naught boy-La La La.

Richard Dyer

Richard Dyer is an English academic currently holding a professorship in the Department of Film Studies at King's College London, specialising in cinema.

Richard Dyer stated, “A star is an image not a real person that is constructed out of a range of materials, for example advertising, magazines and films music videos”. He believes that one of the reasons so many pop performers are described as pop stars is that they are quickly promoted to this status by their management. This is easily done courtesy of a few placed stories, a famous boyfriend/girlfriend, attendance at premieres/parties and a feature in certain magazines.

Stars are constructed, artificial images, even if they are represented as being "real people", experiencing real emotions. It helps if their image can be copied, for example, Rihana's red hair, Shakira's belly dancing, and Nicki Minaj's dramatic looks. Pop stars have the advantage over film stars in that their constructed image may be much more consistent over a period of time, and is not dependent on the creative input of others, for example, screenwriters writing lines for the star. Stars are brought to the audience to serve one purpose, to make money out of audiences.