Critical Perspectives: November 2010

I decided to look at One More Drink, Ludacris ft T-Pain for an alternative representation of males in hip hop music videos. This is because it has the common stereotypes of hip hop music videos, such as a lot of females wearing revealing clothing and males who like a lot of sex. However, the reason that I think that this is an alternative representation in this particular video is that the men are not championed for their womanising, but they are trying to stop it as it is considered to be a weakness rather than something impressive, as it stereotypically is represented in other hip hop music videos.

The video begins with a Drinkers and Daters Anonymous meeting. This is reminiscent of support group meetings where people are trying to overcome a weakness in themselves to improve their lives, such as an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting or a Gamblers Anonymous meeting. The meeting is predominantly made up of males; however, there is one woman in the meeting. This is not expected as the meeting is for people who drink to be able to get sex and although women are usually represented as promiscuous, especially in hip hop music videos, it is usually more passive as a man would go after her rather than her taking the lead in looking for a man so this is already an alternative representation of women. Also, the fact that she is at the meeting shows that she doesn't want to carry on being promiscuous, which is an alternative representation because, in music videos, women would stereotypically have no other role other than for sex. Also, she is white, and hip hop videos stereotypically only represent black people.

The support group leader uses language that would stereotypically be associated with a female role as he is trying to provide the group with comfort and support by being emotional and sensitive. He talks about the meeting being "a safe place", showing the group as vulnerable and needing a place for sanctuary. This is an alternative representation of males because they are shown as having a sensitive side and in need of comfort. The support group leader also says that he wants to guide a new member into "the arms of comfort", which would stereotypically be associated with a woman as it is a motherly role that he is playing. This connotes that the reason that they are all in need of support is because they need the comfort of a strong woman, such as a mother, showing women in a positive light as they are there to help.

With the first of the females that the video focuses on, it initially seems that, like a stereotypical music video, she is there for decoration. There is emphasis on her bum and breasts, fetishising parts of her body without focusing on her face. However, when the camera tilts to her face, we realise that she is not a dominant representation of women in hip hop videos because it is clear that she is not attractive. Ludacris notices this but the little T-Pain on his shoulder convinces him that another drink will make him forget what she looks like so her can have sex with her. Ludacris is represented as being weak as he is listening to the person on his shoulder rather than thinking for himself about what is right. Although some people may find it misogynistic that he has to get drunk to sleep with someone that is unattractive, it actually shows the male as weaker than the female because he can't control himself and she still gets what she wants. Also, the fact that he has to drink to the point where he passes out and she is the one that carries him out shows that he has no willpower and she is the one with the strength, which shows alternative representations of both men and women.

When Ludacris wakes up next to another woman, he is shocked and scared by her appearance. This shows him in the more vulnerable role out of the two because it is a man fearing a woman. He resorted to biting off his own arm to get away from her, which challenges gender roles because stereotypically, a woman would be the one regretting a one night stand while the man would think of it as an achievement as it is one more woman to add to the list. Although he regretted this, he is looking for women again in the next shot. The fact that he is making the same mistake for a third time again represents men as weak as he still hasn't learnt, even after having to get a false arm. He finds two women, and both of them are fully dressed, which is not usually seen in hip hop videos as dominant representations of women in hip hop videos are self-objectififying. The first woman in this shot instantly rejects him, which is an alternative representation of women as usually, a woman in a hip hop video would not turn down a man, especially the star of the video. The second woman is also an alternative representation as she is on the large side. However, once again, the little T-Pain convinces him that another drink will make her look attractive.

At the end of the video when it returns to the Drinkers and Daters Anonymous meeting, all of the men have been moved to tears. This is an alternative representation as it shows their emotional sides and they have been moved just by a story. Also, the hugging at the end is strange to be seen in a hip hop music video as in hip hop, men stereotypically keep their distance from each other and they save themselves for the women.

On the surface, the video for One More Drink may seem like a stereotypical hip hop music video due to the objectification of women as they are there to provide sex. However, it becomes apparent that the video actually shows alternative representations of both sexes. The women in the video are represented as stronger than men. They are the ones that are doing the rejecting, while the male is looking for anyone to have sex with and has no standards. Overall, the humour in the video connotes that it is a parody of the hip hop genre as it is showing it as wrong and laughable. This in itself is alternative as hip hop videos are usually serious but the artist is making a joke of the stereotypes.

Critical Perspectives

Sunday 14 November 2010

Relevant Theorists

Monday 1 November 2010

Do alternative representations exist of male and/or female roles in the hip hop genre?