ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years, 8 months ago - Radar Music Videos

I'd love to see more music videos that are about sexual attractiveness that try out approaches other than featuring passive, infantalised, semi-nude women.

Us human beings are more herd-minded than we like to admit.

There must be a million different ways of making music videos to appeal to a market that is fizzing with hormones.

Get rad filmmakers!

Cx

11 years, 8 months ago - Bruce M. Foster

It's not rocket science. Maybe there is no disjunction at all, just the bad presentation of the underlying facts?

11 years, 8 months ago - Daniel Cormack

@Bruce M. Foster

Ah! I was thinking of a particularly feminine piece of polished leather.

11 years, 8 months ago - Radar Music Videos

Suprisingly few. Am going to do a talk about this at LSFF, probably 13th Jan if you're interested. Will have dug around for examples by then - for now, sadly, very little is coming to mind. Lady Gaga. Raveonettes, Joan as Policewoman usually have interesting sexual twists

11 years, 8 months ago - Daniel Cormack

By the way, what is a 'suedette'?

11 years, 8 months ago - Matt Jamie

I agree that it is woeful - "Wrecking Ball" was just a ridiculously bad video, even aside from the nudity (there was no artistic concept there, just a mess of weak ideas and titillation). The problem is that despite what one might want to do (and other artists like Sinead o'Connor who wrote that open letter to Ms Cirus) - the stars and the record labels will look at the results - 370 MILLION views on youtube for wrecking ball - and there's no argument which is going to make them want to swing the other way. I think you're right that we should do our best when we are making work to make it non-exploitative and to demonstrate equality - making quality films which have these factors and have commercial success is probably the only way to alter the status quo.

11 years, 8 months ago - Daniel Cormack

As I understand it, the Lily Allen video was satirizing the Blurred Lines video. Of course, the danger of satire is that people, especially the targets of the satire, won't get it or, even worse, take it as a sort of celebration or backhanded compliment.

11 years, 8 months ago - Bruce M. Foster

So you thought you made it up. Fancy that.Yeah, it has roots.

11 years, 8 months ago - afia nkrumah

Dan, isn't a young pop star like a filmmaker getting funding for a movie and discovering later that you don't have director's cut or casting approval?

Most of these pop stars entering the music industry, are little more than teens, are you suggesting record and management companies would risk their investment by giving control to them?

I take your point Vasco, but Marilyn and stars of her era were operating under the studio system. Is that what the music industry is like nowadays?

What can we as filmmakers do about this? Any ideas?

11 years, 8 months ago - Marlom Tander

Caroline - you must have seen a load of interesting ones through Radar. Care to post some links?

11 years, 8 months ago - Dan Selakovich

@afia nkrumah That's exactly what I'm saying. Those pop star hit makers have an enormous amount of control over their music video concepts. Right down to who will direct, costume, set design, and editing.

Do you really think there was some exec backstage at the VMAs that told Miley Cyrus to go out and dance like a stripper?

I don't disagree with you, but the blame needs to go where it belongs.

11 years, 8 months ago - afia nkrumah

Hey Daniel, I don't think the director of Lily Allen's video doesn't understand what satire is, judging by the content of the video. The images were doing the opposite of what the song was saying. What a dumb arse! 'Suedette pop tart' is a phrase I made up- suedette is a fake suede material, it looks like soft like suede but on closer inspection it is awful and feels itchy. And pop tart is a bad pun on pop star and also when I was a kid they used to have breakfast bars called pop tarts, that you put in a toaster. They are sugary nicely packaged and addictive but full of chemicals and crap, really, really bad for you.

11 years, 8 months ago - Marlom Tander

Then of course there is the downright weird, but compelling.

My two favourite music vids of all time are one you might remember, if you are of a certain age, and one you'll never have seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP8BLe8KDVM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhCcWua1MeQ

11 years, 8 months ago - Bruce M. Foster

It's not rocket science. Maybe there is no disjunction atalo, just the bad presentation of the underlying facts?

11 years, 8 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Are you really suggesting that female pop stars have NO control over their content? I promise you that they do, and if they say otherwise, it's for publicity purposes.

11 years, 8 months ago - afia nkrumah

well said Vasco!

11 years, 8 months ago - Vasco de Sousa

I agree with Dan Selakovich. The female artists are pretty smart. Madonna and others have planned their appearance.

That said, yes, some women may be pushed into this as far as films go, and girl bands that are created by super-agents. It has been found that films with female screenwriters and female directors feature fewer scantily clad women. (I have the academic article somewhere.)

It's not new, look at some old Marilyn Monroe movies (and even silent films and 19th century artwork and stuff older than that.)

But, I think male pop stars look equally moronic. Take boy bands for instance...