Music Industry - Miley 2

Learning objective:

To study Miley Cyrus/Music industry Wrecking Ball video with consideration given to Audience responses.

Key words:  

Responses, Laura Mulvey, Male gaze, Patriarchy, Spectacle, Terry Richardson

Laura Mulvey Male Gaze - The male gaze occurs when the camera puts the audience into the perspective of a heterosexual man. It may linger over the curves of a woman's body, for instance. 

The woman is usually displayed on two different levels: as an erotic object for both the characters within the film, as well as for the spectator who is watching the film. 

The man emerges as the dominant power within the created film fantasy. 

The woman is passive to the active gaze from the man. 

This adds an element of patriarchal order. 

Mulvey argues that, in mainstream cinema, the male gaze typically takes precedence over the female gaze, reflecting an underlying power asymmetry.

This inequality can be attributed to patriarchy which has been defined as a social ideology embedded in the belief systems of Western culture and in patriarchal societies. 

It is either masculine individuals or institutions created by these individuals that exert the power to determine what is considered “natural”.

 Over the course of time, these constructed beliefs begin to seem ‘”natural” or “normal” because they are prevalent and carried out unchallenged, thus arguing that Western culture has adopted a hierarchical ideology which sets masculinity in opposition to femininity thus creating levels of inferiority.

Laura Mulvey; Male Gaze theory applied to Wrecking Ball video:

Task 1: Make notes on the slide show above. Bullet points are fine. (Orange books).

Further reading:

1. Patriarchy is a social system in which: males hold primary power; males predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property; and, in the domain of the family, fathers or father-figures hold authority over women and children.
   The Society of the Spectacle is a 1967 work of philosophy and Marxist critical theory by Guy Debord. Debord develops and presents the concept of the Spectacle.
   When Debord says that “All that was once directly lived has become mere representation,” he is referring to the central importance of the image in contemporary society.
   Images, Debord says, have supplanted genuine human interaction.
2. The video was directed by Terry Richardson. Richardson is known for his provocative photography work with celebrities. 

Home work: Complete the Cloze exercise on The Male Gaze.

(To be submitted on Friday lesson 5)

1. _________________________________________________________________

Audience segmentation.

Task 2: 
Watch the video 'Party in the USA' and write an essay considering the theoretical audience aspects of;

• Appeal and targeting
• Stuart Hall response theories; how can they be applied?
• Uses and gratification (Personal identity, social interaction).

Write up in your orange books.

___________________________________________________________

Task 3: Write a short essay on the representation of the event

Miley Cyrus Twerking at The MTV VMA's

Consider:
Issues of Gender representation. [Mulvey and the male gaze.]
Miley’s changing appearance.
The role of pop stars and their influence on young people

Jameela Jamil interview

"I think the video is much more, if people get past the point that I'm naked and you actually look at me you can tell that I actually look more broken than even the song sounds. The song is a pop ballad. It's one of these songs that everyone is going to relate to, everyone has felt that feeling at one point. If people can take their minds out of the obvious and go into their imagination a little bit and see kind of what the video really means and the way it's so vulnerable and actually if you look in my eyes I look more sad than my voice sounds on the record it was a lot harder to do the video than it was to record the songs. It was much more of an emotional experience."

— Cyrus defending the concept of the music video.

Answers to questions on previous blog post

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE? 
Primarily, the Miley Cyrus fans that have grown up over the course of her career and have become young adults. Girls of the same age who were formerly fans of Disney's Hannah Montana.

Mainstream audience that connects with the emotions and themes of the song. (Breaking up and relationship issues). This is a preferred audience who accept the message in the text.

New audiences; tapping into the current Lady Gaga fanbase because of the imagery of the costumes and drama provided by the video which is directed by Terry Richardson. Richardson is known for his provocative work with Rihanna. Balanced fans may be sceptical about Miley's work but be attracted to this collaboration. This is a negotiated audience who may not be fans of Hannah Montana but gain pleasure from the new Miley work.

Alternative fans (fandom) may be attracted due to the controversial nature of Miley promotional work.
Potential a new male audience due to explicit nature. 

WHY WOULD THIS APPEAL TO TARGET AUDIENCE? 

Older Miley Cyrus fans - Miley is different from how she was, there is a fresh and new look. 

Sheʼs grown up and matured, talking about things the established audience now connect with. 

Similar to the old Miley because the songs about emotion and love and staying strong, so it stays in a similar demographic. 

New audience - Edgier with Lady Gaga inflfences. 

The fact that sheʼs shed the persona of Hannah Montana encourages much discussion on social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook.

According to Uses and Gratification theory, audiences would consume Miley texts in order to construct their own personal identity and to engage in social interaction.

There are also oppositional readers who completely reject the new Miley texts and the messages that are sent, they may feel Miley is a poor role model.

Andrew Goodwin Music Video Theory A2 Media