MTV and Genderlect

CULTURE OF MTV

• August 1, 1981, 12:01a.m., MTV: Music Television was launched with the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll," spoken by John Lack.
• The first images shown on MTV were a montage of the Apollo11 moon landing.
• Video Killed the Radio Star (The Buggles) was the first music video shown on MTV
• Before 1983, Michael Jackson struggled to receive airtime on MTV because he was a black artist.
• CBS records denounced MTV in a strong, profane statement, threatening to take away MTV's ability to play any of the record label's music videos.
• His harsh stance worked, and MTV began showing “Billie Jean" in regular rotation, forming a lengthy partnership with Jackson and helping other black music artists.
• Then, Jackson's videos were credited for MTV’s success
• Michael Jackson's 13-minute music video Thriller was broadcast on MTV three weeks before Christmas 1983. It was the most expensive video of its time, costing US$500,000, and the Guinness World Records (2006) list it as the "most successful music video", selling over 9 million units



MTV videos become a testing ground for new film techniques. - Jawitz



It is an intellectual breakthrough. – Gregory Ullmer of the Unversity of Florida



MTv promotes not just music but as well movies.- Hunt and Tuben



Issues on MTV
• In 1984, only 4% of lead performers on MTV music videos were black. (Brown and Campbell, 1986 as cited by Croteau and Hoynes)
• Only 12% of MTV videos broadcast featured a female lead.



Madonna and Cindy Lauper
• Madonna and Cindy Lauper introduces resistance and identity (Lisa Lewis)
• Performances that built apparently traditional images of female sexuality and male pleasure – and styles of dress that drew on the same images – were interpreted by teenage fans as expressions of their own desire. (Croteau and Hoynes)
• The sexuality of these videos was a sign of female power, because women were the subjects, not the objects.
• Female fans who imitated the style of these female performers were asserting their demands for fame, power, and control without giving up their identity as girls. (Croteau and Hoynes)
• Texts of these videos are routinely dismissed in the broader culture as negative portrayals of women.
• MTV helped opened the door for female musicians. (Croteau and Hoynes)



MTV displays images of attractive people living comfortable lives surrounded by contemporary consumer goods.


MTV promotes a commitment to the latest styles – clothes, cars, leisure activities – that requires not only consumption but continuous consumption in order to keep up with stylistic changes.


62 MTV music videos – A research study
• R. Baxter
• C. De Riemer
• A. Landini
• L. Leslie
• M. Singletary
Findings:
- Sexual content was relying on innuendo through clothing, suggestiveness, and light physical contact (Baxter, et.al.)
- Sexually oriented, suggestive behavior is portrayed frequently in music videos. (Baxter, et.al.)
- Frequency of instances of violence and crime content also merits further attention (Baxter, et.al.)
- Provocative visual element accentuates the sexual and violent aspects. (Baxter, et.al.)
- Women are passive, Men are directing women. (Baron, Campbell and fisher, 1986)



RAP VIDEOS
• MEN DOMINATE WOMEN…AS OBJECTS OF MALE DESIRES.
(Pareles, 1990; Texier, 1990)
• BLACK GANGSTA RAP MUSICIANS REFER TO WOMEN AS “BITCHES” AND “HOS” NOT EXACTLY RESPECTFUL NAMES (Wood, 1998)


GENDERED VIOLENCE (J. WOOD)
• GENDER INTIMIDATION
• SEXUAL ASSAULT
• ABUSE BETWEEN INTIMATES
• QUID PRO QUO
• HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT
• GENITAL MUTILATION


MTV - a premise on short attention spans. - Gleick




GENDERLECT THEORY – D. TANNEN

- Believes that masculine and feminine forms of communication should be viewed as two distinct cultural dialects rather than as inferior or superior ways of speaking


Biological Differences
Ø Differences of fundamental experience of living.
Ø Due to the presence of two X chromosomes rather than an X and Y and/or to differing levels of various hormones
Ø Some differences in the structure of the body
Ø Some differences, apparently, in patterns of brain function.



Social Differences
- There is the idea that there is a woman's culture, created in part by male dominance and the exclusion of women from certain realms.
- These differences are enforced as well by ideological practices which associate women with the primitive societies with promiscuity, with dark forces, with the working classes, with irrationality, etc.



Psychological Differences
Based on biological and on social or cultural difference in the main; women are seen as more open, less aggressive, more discerning/intuitive, more nuance in their perceptions and responses.




COMPARATIVE RESEARCH: Men vs Women

MEN

1. Striving for status in a hierarchical social order where they are either one-up or one-down
2. Trying to protect themselves from others influence and from getting pushed down
3. Goal to get and keep the upper hand
4. Asymmetry is an element of status
5. We are separate and different
6. Report talk preserves independence
7. Public speaking
8. Mistake laments for requests for advice
9. Conversations are a competition
10. Conflict is accepted, sought out, enjoyed
11. Struggle to be strong
12. Jockey for position and compete for floor time
13. See interruptions as a struggle for control
14. Comfortable giving information and speaking authoritatively
15. Home is a sanctuary where you don’t have to talk
16. Practiced his whole life dismissing his thoughts and keeping them to himself
17. Want to be the protector because it is the dominant role
18. Masculine talk is associated with leadership and authority
19. Powerful speech is confident




WOMEN
1. Striving for intimacy
2. Trying to protect themselves from being pushed away
3. Goal is to establish connection by having intimate knowledge
4. Symmetry creates equality and community
5. We are close and the same
6. Rapport talk gets at the connection and the relationship
7. Private speaking
8. Laments are part of rapport talk
9. Conversations are negotiations for closeness
10. Conflict is a threat to connection and is to be settled without direct confrontation
11. Struggle to keep the community strong
12. Accommodate their conversation style and yield the floor
13. See interruptions as part of rapport talk because it shows participation and support
14. Comfortable supporting others and cautious about stating information
15. Home is a sanctuary where you can say what you want
16. Practiced her whole life verbalizing her thoughts in private conversations with people she is close to
17. Become the protected which is the subordinate role
18. Talking with leadership and authority is being a bitch
19. Powerless speech hedges, hesitates, and apologizes