MUCHTALKS: TOO HOT OR NOT?
Sexual Imagery in Music Videos
(1 hour)

Produced: 2003

The following questions and activities are based on the order in which information is presented in the video.  The activities included here cover three different types of questions and assignments: basic review questions on information that is presented in the video; questions that deal with issues or events requiring further research; and assignments that require personal reflection on the issues being explored.  You may wish to view the video, or sections of it, more than once. 

The activities included here are only suggestions.  You may wish to adapt these for the students in your class.  Some of the questions might be best addressed in small group discussions or in a form of classroom debate; you may wish to extend others to include specific actions or participation in a campaign.  Obviously, it is important to use those activities that best suit the students and the curriculum. 

1.     This program opens with a MuchMusic PSA promoting media literacy that contains a series of images from a number of videos.  We are asked to consider if these images are sexist or satiric, degenerate or ironic, exploitive or explorative, stereotypes or send-ups, gratuitous or provocative, and demeaning or empowering.  Discuss your immediate responses to the images you have seen.  How you would define the terms that are listed here?  Which of these terms would you use to describe the video images being presented?  Be prepared to explain your decision.

2.     What is your response to the Christina Aguilera video?  The MuchMusic Internal Review Committee hears that viewer comments fell into two main areas:  the video presented a bad body image; and the video was too sexually explicit.  Listen to the other comments that are made about the video.  Which ones do you think are valid?  Offer specific examples from the video to support your opinion. 

3.     Various artists talk about whether or not there can be too much sex, or sexual imagery in a video.  The discussion includes talk of boundaries, artistic expression and an industry formula that seems to require scantily clad women to promote certain artists.  George Stromboloupoulos, one of the hosts, says statistics show that young people today are inundated with sexual images—they are exposed to 14,000 every year on television alone.  CJ Sleeze talks about the fact that the media made her the way she is:  “everything I saw growing up, everything I’ve been exposed to has created the image that I am now.”
a)     Describe whether or not you see evidence of the media’s influence among your peers.  Is this influence positive or negative?  How can you tell?  What criteria shape your response? 
b)    What media play the strongest role in your life?  Are there specific images or messages that have been very influential or powerful for you?  Have these images been positive or negative? 

4.     The Hip-Hop artist K-OS says, “video killed the radio star”.
a)     Explain the meaning of this statement in your own words.  According to K-OS, how does this apply to many of the artists using sexually explicit imagery in their videos today?
b)    How does he define sexual exploitation in videos? 

5.     Author and columnist Josie Vogels discusses how “sexy” is defined in the mainstream media today.  What does she see as problematic with the media definition?

6.     Tegan Quin, Chantal Kreviazuk, Nelly Furtado and several other women express concern about the images of women that are being presented in many music videos and the messages that are being conveyed to audiences.
a)     Explain several of the concerns they express.  What impact do they think these images are having on young women?  Why is this impact negative?  Do you share the concerns expressed by these women?  Why or why not?
b)    Chantal Kreviazuk says, “at this point, it takes a lot of guts to keep your clothes on.” What videos are available that present an alternative to those that contain sexually explicit imagery?  What makes these videos different?  What messages are being conveyed?  Do you think these videos and songs are effective?  Explain your answer with specific examples. 

7.     At several points in the video there is a discussion about power in the music industry.  The panelists agree that for the most part, the music industry is controlled by men and the images that we see in mainstream videos are ones that they have chosen.  Select one of the videos shown here.  Use the checklist below to help you interpret its value messages and the images presented.  Consider the following questions: what social issues are dealt with in the video?  How might those messages change if people of a different social class or race were included, or if the male and female characters switched roles?
a)     Does the video present the beliefs of one particular group?
b)    Who is in a position of power?  Who is not?  Who benefits as a result?
c)     Does the video exclude any groups of people or their beliefs?
d)    What stereotypes are used?  To what effect?
e)     What definitions of happiness, success, or morality are implied?    

8.     There is also discussion about where male and female power comes from in our culture and how it is defined in many music videos.
a)     Explain how the panelists and audience members feel about sexuality being equated with power.  What viewpoints do you consider valid?  What qualities do you think make a person “powerful” in real life?  Do music videos reflect this reality?  Should they?

When audiences are primarily made up of young women and girls, why are some artists concerned about sexuality being equated with power?  What messages are given to young men through these videos?  Are these messages ones you can accept?  Why or why not? 

9.     In discussing the controversial imagery in music videos, the panelists examine the responsibility of the artist in today’s society. 
a)  Discuss the various viewpoints expressed here.  What is your opinion on an artist’s responsibility?  Is it the role of the artist to present images and messages that are socially responsible?  Is the artist responsible only to him/herself, or is he or she also responsible to his/her fans?  
b)    What is the role of community standards in the music industry? 
c)     What responsibilities do we have as consumers?  Where does consumer power come from?

10.   Tegan and Sara Quin take to the street in Vancouver to ask people how they feel about the Christina Aguilera video.  Conduct your own survey to find out how young people in your school feel about this video as well as the use of sexual explicit images in general.  Summarize your findings.  How do these responses compare with those of the people surveyed in Vancouver? 

11.   Matthew Good states: “we’re entertained by nothing at all—by marketing.  Not art, literature, music, but by what has had the most money pumped into it—not necessarily what says anything in particular.”
a)     What reasons might Matthew Good have for making this comment?  Can you think of examples in our culture that prove this statement to be true?  Are there exceptions to this in our culture?  Explain your response with examples. 

12. “If they’re giving you an empty vessel, and it is marketing, then they must consider you an empty vessel.” 

    “Sex sells, but you don’t have to buy it.” (Matthew Good)

a)     In what ways are marketers trying to target young people today?  Consider your roles as student, family member, resident of your community, etc.  Can you think of examples that would demonstrate whether or not these marketers have been successful?
b)    To what extent is it possible to resist the strategies of advertisers and marketers? Have you or your peers been successful in this kind of resistance?  Read several copies of Adbuster’s magazine, or visit their website at www.adbusters.org to investigate what “culture jammers” are doing today and why.   What strategies of theirs do you think are most effective?  Why?

13.  “If you spend all this time thinking about videos like this, and they cause such an uproar, what aren’t you thinking about?  We spend all this time contemplating if this is morally this or morally that, and yet we don’t really seem to have a problem with dropping bombs on people most of the time, do we? 
a)     Discuss the images that are used to illustrate the point that Matt is making here. How do these images contribute to the impact of his statement?
b)    Is Matt right?  Do we get caught up in entertainment media to the point where we forget about other important issues of our day?  Is the Christina Aguilera video worth debating?  Present reasons for and against discussing and examining her video, and others like it, in detail.    
c)     Identify other issues that, in your opinion, we should be thinking about today.  What issues outside of the entertainment media should be part of our discussion and debate?

14.  “Of course they don’t show this [images of terrorism and war] on entertainment television.  Maybe they should.  Wonder how the ratings would do.”
a)     What do you think would happen if these images were part of mainstream television fare on major networks?  How might viewers respond to the images and stories?  Why don’t we see more of these stories on prime time television?  Do you think we should?  What kinds of images and stories are presented now?  Why is this the case?  What is the purpose of prime time television programming?   

15.  The panelists agree that what many videos with explicit sexual imagery don’t explore is what constitutes a healthy relationship.  They also agree that while sex and love might be presented in a video, rarely is the connection between the two explored in any depth. 
a)     What do you think defines a positive, healthy relationship? 
b)    What qualities is it important for each partner to share?
c)     In your opinion, are there music videos available today that portray a positive, healthy relationship between men and women? 

16. “Don’t ask if this is a good or a bad thing.  Ask what’s going on here.” 

Analyze the messages and values of a music video of your choice.  Make your selection based on the availability of song lyrics as well as the video for the song.  Use the following questions as a guide for your analysis: 
a)     Identify the major visual images in the video.
b)    Examine the content of the lyrics.  Describe the ways in which the images in the video relate to the lyrics and melody of the song.  To what extent does the video represent your interpretation of the lyrics? 
c)     Examine the technical components of the video.  Consider the use of color, lighting, editing (pace, juxtaposition, cutting on the beat), special effects, and the connection between audio and video components.
d)    Using the checklist from question #6, interpret the ideological and value messages being presented.  
e)     Determine the target audience.  Would the video have any appeal beyond this target audience? 
f)      Evaluate the video for its creative treatment of the song’s theme and for using video techniques in innovative ways, or conversely, for its use of visual cliches and formulaic gimmicks. 
g)     Write a review of this music video, summarizing your responses to the above questions. 

17.  a)  Select song lyrics you like and prepare a storyboard for a music video that, in your opinion, presents men and women in positive roles.  What elements of the video can contribute to this portrayal? 
b)    If a video for this song already exists, compare your outline with the video that has been produced, noting differences and similarities in imagery and techniques.

18.   K-OS and Little X discuss the hip-hop music industry.  Both men say that hip-hop is considered “street music” but that there are voices from the street that have been “filtered off”.  As a result they say, hip hop has become formulaic, and it has been difficult in the industry to create videos that are “different” than what we typically see.  Using relevant videos, websites and periodicals, investigate the world of hip hop music and respond to the following questions:
a)     Where did hip hop music originate? 
b)    How would you describe the current formula in hip-hop videos?  How faithful have the current examples of hip hop remained to their origins?
c)     Are there examples of music videos that break the formula or are considered atypical?  What is included in these videos that makes them different?
d)    What voices from the world of hip hop are missing from the current video material that is available on MuchMusic?  What effect does the “filtering off” of voices have on the industry and on audiences?

19.  At the conclusion of the program, Hannah Sung mentions the website for Girls, Women + Media Project (www.mediaandwomen.org) which is a “resource for students, teachers, consumers, parents, mediamakers and businesses…and NOT for women only”. 

Visit that site, as well as the site for MediaWatch, an organization committed to challenging “racism, sexism and violence in the media through education and action”.  Investigate these organizations using the following questions as a guide:
a)     Summarize the goals of these organizations.
b)    What actions or campaigns have they been involved in?  Explain whether or not these actions have been successful. 
c)     What advice do they give consumers regarding media images of men and women?  What action is it possible for consumers to take if they are exposed to offensive material or exploitive imagery in the media?
d)    What resources do they provide or recommend for young women?

20.  Based on this video and your discussions with your peers, what advice would you give young men and women today about media literacy, sexual imagery and music videos?   Develop a guide for viewers your own age that will help them “watch carefully and think critically”.

Biography:

Carolyn Wilson is a teacher, author, consultant and President of the Association for Media Literacy in Ontario, Canada.  Co-author of the best selling textbook, Mass Media and Popular Culture, Version 2, she has given presentations across Canada, and in Austria, Brazil, Costa Rica, Greece and the United States. 

In 1998, on behalf of the Association for Media Literacy, she accepted an award for “The Most Influential Media Organization in North America” from the World Council on Media Education.  Carolyn teaches Media Literacy, World Development and English at St. Michael Secondary School in Stratford, Ontario.  She is also the CHUM media education consultant for the London Public Library, which houses the first Media Literacy Centre of its kind in North America.

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