My Final Paper
I decided to analyze how women were and still are portrayed on album covers. I believe that this is an issue that is very relevant to feminist film/media studies because it exposes women through a certain type of media. I believe that for the majority of album covers that do include a woman or women on the cover, they are portrayed as some type of object, usually sexual.
The female stereotypes that we are exposed to everyday have become part of our culture. It has become something that doesn’t even shock us any longer because we are so immune to viewing these images and portrayals. When it comes to the portrayal of women in the media, studies have shown that women are portrayed stereotypically across all media types and more likely to appear as sex objects and less likely to be shown as professionals or in positions of power (Foust & Bradshaw). An example of a study includes Alison Poe’s 1976 examination of magazine advertisements showing women in sports noted that the portrayal of women was based on the following beliefs: “a) the woman’s place is in the home; b) women do not make important decisions or do important things; c) women are dependent on men and are isolated from their own sex; d) men regard women as sex objects; they are not interested in women as people� (Foust & Bradshaw). Beginning in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, the second wave of feminism was launched, with liberal feminism bringing issues of women's equality into public and academic communication. The second wave of feminism saw women as an oppressed group who needed to stand up and escape the oppression for their own interests. Out of the second wave, the concept of patriarchy was developed. Women felt as though patriarchy was the central structural standard of society at the time. Women’s disadvantages also were credited by stereotypical images that were held by men and internalized by women through families, schools, and the mass media (Leahy). One major area of liberal feminist research is mass media images of women. Since the early 1970’s, liberal feminist research in mass communication has examined how women are portrayed through gender stereotypes. After looking and researching some of the history and women in the media, I wanted to take a closer look at how images of women in popular music varied from one style to another. I was wondering what exactly was created by the artist’s album cover and what kind of impressions it makes on the viewers. I firmly believe that advertisers believe that women’s bodies sell products and so therefore many images of women are entirely visual.
The album cover is one of the most direct and visible means used to establish a singer’s image and display it to the public. Considerable care must be taken to select the right photograph for a particular singer and album. The marketing campaign must always be thinking in terms of “the big picture� because the album cover is often reproduced in the form of posters and advertising companies. This is so it reaches a wider audience, who in turn form their opinions on the basis of the cover picture (Thaxton & Jaret).
Overall, I still more confidently believe that women are negatively portrayed through the majority of the mass media, especially on album covers. I am grateful that not all album covers that include a woman or women on them negatively portray women. However, even though women may not be the main visual images of some albums, they certainly are the main focus of the lyrics. Take for example songs like Nelly’s “Tip-Drill� or Snoop’s “Groupie.� There is still a long way to go when it comes to respecting women in all aspects of music. I think a lot of it has to do with the particular label that an artist signs with, because the artists do not get to make all the decisions. I am glad that there are many different types and forms of media today that does women justice and presents strong, independent, and sexy without the sexual exploitation.
Works Cited
Foust, James C. and Bradshaw. "Something for the Boys." Journalism History Summer 2007 [p93-100]. 26 Nov 2007.
"Funk up the Web." Ohio Players. Mar 2002. Raz-Up Inc. 10 Dec 2007
Ginsburg, Sandra. "Liberal Feminism Theory and Women's Images in Mass Media." Cycles of Favor and Furor 10 Sep 1999
Harding, Deborah, and Nett. "Women and Rock Music." Atlantis 10(1) (1984): [60-76].
Leahy, Terry. Second Wave Feminism: The Opening Debates. 1990. 10 Dec 2007
Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema." Feminism and Film 16(1975):
Nelson, Michelle, and Paek. "Cross-Cultural Differences in Sexual Advertising Content." Sex Roles 53(2005): [371-383].
Thaxton, Lyn, and Jaret. "Singers and Stereotypes: The Image of Female Recording Artists." Social Inquiry 55(1985): [239-263].