Of all the pop culture/media facets we have, the music industry seems (at least to me) to be the most sexually forward. There is so much sex in music videos like
Britney Spears' Circus 64,254,589 views
Sunblock's Baby Baby1,576,282 views
N.E.R.D.'s Lapdance 2,086,127 views
Lady Gaga's Alejandro 107,710,824 views!!!!!
I think that a discourse about sexuality is really valuable because it creates discourse about all kinds of sexual preferences. Sex in the media, especially the candid kind of sexuality in Gaga's videos, makes it shameless to be a sexual being. And we are all sexual beings. I think the shamelessness is a good thing. To me, it is an amazing thing that the media has the power to eliminate taboos. During the Motion Picture Production Code (1930-68) discourse about anything explicit was banned. Sex was not talked about and a lot of sex was taboo - especially gay sex.
It is really crazy how much sex appeal in the media changes between cultures, and is subject to change. Your post made me think of changing sexual ideals in Japan, which are quickly becoming Westernized. Singer Kumi Koda is changing the ideals of what's appropriate for women to perform on TV, and Japan is responsive. Her music videos are strikingly similar to risque-MTV videos in the U.S. Check one out:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KB0vtVpXog
Even if gay sexuality is not openly accepted in the U.S. (or Japan) yet, the fact that these ideals are subject to change means it's possible.
Cool vid, and yeah I agree about the point you bring up about sex appeal changing relative to cultures. I mean, i don't really understand the relativity because I only have firsthand experience in American culture and with American sexual norms, but I read some of the video comments and they definitely speak to a different sex culture than I am used to in the US
ReplyDeleteOne youtube commenter said:
"Koda Kumi started so much of this sort of strong sexuality in women in the Asian music industry for good reason. Female sexuality has been pushed down in the Asian culture for so long while male sexuality over exposed. Look at jrock and men wearing belly shorts and short shorts to show their crotches and men kissing each other to sell albums. Even has been Even Lady Gaga has admitted that she was inspired by Koda Kumi and has watched all her pvs."
Its like really hard for me to imagine male objectification and female conservatism because it is opposite way around in American sex culture.
... ps. This artist is VERY reminiscent of 90's Britney Spears