Women’s take on star system
The obsession with body and sex as seen in music videos and in American pop-stars’ shows.
Ever since songs have become an object of consumption through music videos, the visual language has increased its impact on the world of music. In the span of 3 minutes or so, the plot on screen or the sequencing of images (more or less coherent ) must serve a number of purposes. The video must be convincing, it has to trigger emotions, prompt identification, remain carved in a person’s mind and most of all, it must fuel the desire to buy the record.
The melody, the arrangement, the vocal qualities of the singer are no longer enough on their own. What is needed now is the creation of a persona: the voice is gift-wrapped inside an attractive package. This trend proves even more critical when considering the landscape of pop female performers, especially if American: these women don’t only sound amazing, they are also amazingly fit and beautiful.
By analysing the videos of the most famous contemporary songs, by the likes of Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Miley Cyrus, it is easy to spot the common factor: quite obsessively, they all make a display of the “perfect” combination between body and sex. As it is, the lyrics are often stuffed with innuendo as well as more explicit sexual content. The impression is that sex is the predominant, if not the only topic of contemporary pop music.
Half-naked bodies, tiny and scanty dresses, breasts and bums are all in clear display, the dance steps are devised ad hoc to excite the watchers, especially males. These days, the hippest trend among pop stars is twerking: it’s a sexy movement that makes a person’s buttocks twist and jerk, highlighting the perfect curves of the figure. To be fair, the dance is of African origin, but in its modern use there is no ethnographic purpose. The goal is simply to spice up the image of pop stars, already sexually explicit of its own (see: “Check on it” by Beyoncé, “Twerk it” by Busta Rhymes and “Pour it up” by Rihanna). The young performers present themselves as pussycats: well inclined to satisfy their partner’s desires, they rub up their body against the guy and wiggle in a way that leaves little to the imagination. In other instances, the women themselves firmly assert their power by subjugating the men, who are used to fulfill their fantasies in classic bad-girl style.
The “Alternative” in the music scene
Contemporary female singer-songwriters.
Lucky for us, there are quite a few young singers and song writers in full attire. These girls have focused on their voices as their unique weapon of seduction, while playing the guitar or the piano. Clearly, they are less juicy material for the news, possibly because they privilege a selected audience and favour musical experimentation (Polly Palusma, Norah Jones, Regina Spektor, Zoë Lewis, Corinne Bailey Rae, Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles to name a few current names) over the economical impact of music videos. Most likely, the preciousness of the song is of paramount importance for these artists, far above obsessive self-marketing strategies.
A domestic phenomenon: Diana Del Bufalo and the irreverent songs against stereotypes.
During the past few months, I have had the chance to observe two phenomena of relevance for the music scene and media outlets: two young singers have reached success by moving against the “laws” of the star-system. One did so through the content of her lyrics, while the other became a sensation primarily thanks to her outfit, rather than her voice. I am thinking of Diana Del Bufalo and Sister Cristina Scuccia, both former contestants in two different talent shows, “Amici 2010” and “The Voice 2014” respectively (on the media, Suor Cristina’s victory was anticipated by many viewers well before the final result).
Over the course of her experience on television, Diana Del Bufalo became popular because of her eccentric spontaneity and her sparkly nonconformist attitude. These qualities are at their height in some videos the girl posted on her Facebook profile, as a kind of game. In these original compositions, she strikes up profane lyrics on treacherous boys, clichés about love and unpleasant gender stereotypes, with her strikingly melodious pop voice. The combination of the two elements is deliciously exhilarating.
“Mine is hairy” is the refrain from her summer hit, titled “The Forest” (or in “The Bush” for the sake of innuendos): the song is a protest against the heavily edited fashion photographs from the magazines, where the obsession on perfect aesthetics is extreme. It was an instant success, the number of users sharing the video on social networks reached a crazy high peak. Diana looks like the latest champion of girl power, English rose style.
On the other hand, Sister Cristina became a source of wonder even overseas: her blind audition was a spectacle unique its kind. The coaches couldn’t believe their eyes, rapper J-Ax even cried, and the public was in a frenzy: it proved to be a great surprise and top entertainment for the Americans, who are generally used at scrutinizing different sorts of contestants. The video of her performance was one of the most clicked on You Tube, the adventure of this 25-year-old Sicilian girl was followed by millions of Italians. Wether critical or supportive of her, the audience was hooked on the most compelling story happening in a talent show in years. Some considered that the thirst for success was incompatible with the life of a nun, by definition centred on humility and prayers. Others, on the contrary well received her participation to the programme, reading it as a sign of renovation within the Church. More in touch with the worldly side of things, the religious circles were eventually embracing a more direct and efficient style of evangelisation.
The hairy girl and the nun: quite at the opposite sides of your usual women in pop music. Looking beyond the sensational element, these two stories highlight the “power of anomalies”. In other words, some situations may appear comical on the surface, but at a closer look they might trigger interesting reflections…provided that the observers are perceptive enough to catch on.
What if we chose to sharpen our sensitivity and try to change the status quo? Humour can be the right approach in life to overturn stereotypes and prejudices. The current standard in women’s entertainment is unrealistic and demeaning of their dignity and their value. How about we worked out some clever alternatives to it, more in tune with us as women and artists? This is just the beginning…I’ll leave it you to come up with other winning ideas!
