How music videos contribute towards initiating cultural discourse on societal gender constructs : a semiotic analysis of music videos by three record-breaking female artists

Abstract

Music videos have a long history within popular culture and society, hence the role that music videos play within the world of media representation is vast, and the likeliness of mass influence is highly impactful. Gender is a recurring primary topic of discussion when decoding the patriarchal dominance within media representation. Particular attention must be brought to the ongoing struggles that female musicians face within the music industry, as well as the misrepresentation of gender roles throughout the production process of music videos, potentially communicating a level of influence towards the viewers’ belief system. This Dissertation is essentially a visual analysis on the music videos of three record-breaking female artists, two music videos per artist, exploring the use of both audio and visuals within the selected music videos in expressing concepts surrounding gender within society. These range from ideas surrounding gender stereotypes, gender representation, and even gender discrimination which has been engrained into a patriarchal society.