Laura Mulvey's ideas on representation

"In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure which is styled accordingly" 
(Laura Mulvey, 1992)

Laura Mulvey view is that women are basically seen as objects in music video. Expected to act and dress provocatively to appeal to the male audience's fantasy. For example, it would be seen as normal for women to be dancing around in little to nothing, or dancing around male artists while they just stand there talking about them like they are objects. This is Particularly common in Rock and Hip Hop genres. 

Akon - I Wanna Love You

Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love

Both of these videos support Laura Mulvey's research. They both objectify women, the outfits alone show this, but add in the dancing along with the song lyrics the message is very obvious!

There are however many music videos, even in these genres that challenge Mulvey's research. For example Estelle's 1980:

Estelle has created a video to reflect the song, about her life growing up. She to has a short dance sequence and the women still dress nicely however, they're in more normal casual outfits, so the focus is more about the songs meaning rather then how the women on the screen look.

Personally I can completely understand Laura Mulvey's ideas with women in music videos continually getting more and more provocative. However, I dont feel it's as one sided as she makes out. Yes, it is mainly women getting objectified however, there are plenty of music videos where men are. Nicki Minaj's Super Bass has loads of slow motion shots of topless men, with close up tracking shots of their muscles.

Also, many female artists are choosing to be provcative in their own videos; Beyonce, Jessie J, Nicki Minaj to name a few! Is it still as bad if they choose to do it? Are they just modern women proud of what they have and Laura Mulvey's view is too old fashioned? Or do they have the responsibility to set a positive view to their younger fans? hmm it quite difficult to say! However bad or not I feel that these videos will continue to push boundaries regardless of what people think!