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Gazed representation: Analysis of gender portrayal in Hindi and English music videos
Abstract
The study based upon content analysis, mainly compares genderrepresentations through male gaze, framing, and camera lens inIndian and European music videos from year 2009 to 2013 It is ananalysis of sixty music videos, thirty from each industry,comprising the top six chart busters from each year of thechosen time frame. The theoretical framework of this research isembedded in the nexus of Laura Mulvey's male gaze and"lookedatness".. It observes the sexual depiction of leadcharacters through dressing style, onscreengender presenceas well as gender representation in popular music videos.Findings reveal that Hindi songs were shot with strongermale gaze slant as compared to American/British songs andmore screen time was given to females in both music industriesyet individually, Hindi songs were more centralized on femaleleads. Both Indian and European music videos featuredfemales in provocative sexual apparels while displayingseductive behaviors, while majority of singers/heroines werebarely or semicladyet males were usually fully dressed in almostall observed songs. Results also reveal that most of the songs weresung by male singers/leads but the focus of the videos remainedprimarily on female characters and their bodies. This studyprovides an important approach for future researchers, as themanufactured reality of gender through the contemporary Easternand Western music industry is strikingly different from the realgender trends and practised culture in the respective societies,which needs to be further investigated in the context ofglobalization.
References
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