Sam Dubery - Are Music videos a site for challenging dominant ideologies, or do they simply reinforce simplistic stereotypes?

Representation of Women (In comparison to Britney)

1.) Arch Enemy - "We Will Rise"
2.) Walls Of Jericho - "A Trigger Full Of Promises"

1)http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R4Dn02bR4pg
2)http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XOzK0BiHUfo&feature=related

• Female singer breaks fourth wall and directly addresses the audience, creating a first mode of address.
• Positioned in front of her male band members, conveying superiority and strength within her femininity.
• Maintains male gaze by wearing torn 'rags' displaying many parts of her body, creating a voyeuristic viewing, but in a different manner, attracting a different audience than that of such pop persona's, such as Kylie Monogue and Britney Spears.
• Due to the meaning of the lyrics , the visuals, that can be associated with the 'feminine touch', appear more aggressive and masculine, creating macho-posturing but through the genre's own 'hardcore' dancing, rather than synchronised group dancing from pop genres.
• The singer's are seen grabbing there microphone and using it similar to that of pop princess Britney Spears, yet in a more masculine pose, as they hold the microphone upside down and at an angle, which is not typical of a female representation when addressing the audience via the visuals.
• Although the video may challenge female representation as the female musicians act more masculine, with aggressive body expressions and band posturing, yet mid shot and close-up camera angles convey a voyeuristic and pleasurable tone to the video as the female stars are seen as enjoying their role through their facial expressions which connote 'satisfaction' through their music, as Britney Spears depicts during her videos.

Ethnicity

Public Enemy - "Can't Truss It"

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CLhuv-kLj_I

• Black and white video - conventional of the genre.
• Concept - performance mixed based video - conventional of genre.
• Imagery of slavery. The video begins with a voice over narration - unconventional of genre.
• Challenges Ideology of Artist such as Jay Z, where blacks wants to over through White oppression in comparison to Jay Z working with them.
• contradicts own racial attitude by violent reactions.
• comical value as a black couple give birth to a white child.
• breaks fourth wall and addresses audience direct.

LinKin ParK feat. JaY-Z - "NUmB EnCore"

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oRNeI2oLBXw

• Mixed race and genre video - hybridised.
• Dominant Ideologies show Black Artist video containing a dominant black audience yet this hybridised album when Rock band, Linkin Park combine their mellow songs with Jay Z's Rap music create a ideology of brotherhood which reinforces another ideologues and myth of brotherhood, yet challenged the ideologies of black communities.
• The Video is part narrative and part-performance, Rather than concept based, reinforcing the structure of simplistic stereotypical 'black rap' music videos, ye the theme and representation of black and white artists working together openly challenges the idea of black musicians working in black communities as past videos may have represented.