Dreamworlds

Dreamworlds is an instructional well made documentary which demonstrates the sad true reality of the contemporary music video industry. The message transmitted in the music videos is generally the same: the objectification of woman’s sexuality and the veneration of male dominance and control. Women are reduced to a single identity, a submissive passive sexual being. The movie does not portray a puritanical criticism of exposed sexuality but try to get the audience to meditate on how we as a society, accept the denigration of woman’s dignity by using their bodies to sell anything, including CDs.
The documentary is broken down into three parts that are intimately connected. All parts show the patriarchal cultural views which reduce women to their sexuality. Part one begins by stating that since the beginning of industry in the 80s, music videos present provocative images of woman’s body to attract attention. This is consistent in all genres of music. Hip Hop and Rap show prevalent images of violent male sexual behaviors towards women. In Techniques of Storytelling, women’s bodies appear repeatedly with bands, or as part of the audience, or fulfilling the sexual fantasies of men. In Constructing Femininity, our culture according to the music videos, define woman as a sexual being. Being addicted to sex and submissive to men is what is normal for women. Women will do anything to have sex with whoever is available. They will have sex in public spaces or have group sex. Part two starts with Pornographic Imaginary. Like in pornography movies, footages involving erotic encounters between women and use of violence against them are also present in music videos. Disturbing scenes like men throwing food at women’ bodies are disturbing. In Ways of Looking, the narrator explains that the message of what means to be a woman is how well their body can attract and be wanted by men. Part three talks about female artist being trapped in pornographic world. They realize that you cannot sell CDs unless they appeal to the sexualization and exposure of their bodies. They find themselves being pressure to fall into the same cliché. In Masculinity and Control, in order to have a submissive persona the industry needs dominant figure whose masculinity is define by power and control. Sexual violence is showed with acceptance, normalcy and is celebrated because the women in the videos seem to like it.. What values are these videos teaching the young audience who watch them? Crooks and Baur state that “exposure to sexual to violent pornography may have negative effects on men’s attitude and behaviors towards women”1.
One can argue that the narrator does not convey that woman’s sexuality is harmful and evil. It differs from the religious teaching on non-reproductive sexuality as sinful. The movie presents the belief that all people’ sexuality should be celebrated, enjoyed and satisfied. However, it proclaims that it is unethical to present woman’s sexuality as the only meaning of her existence. The music video industry fails to show the other sides of women (intellectual, professional, social activist, artist) resembling the patriarchal mentally which are transmitted by the main religious authorities that reduce women’s role in society to the fulfillment of her obligations at home as mother and wives. Often, this industry combines pornography images with the stories of the songs just because this is what sells, turning the images very predictable and often the same. It demonstrates social construct of masculinity and femininity reflecting an individualistic approach to sexuality. Gender inequality is public being communicated by defining masculinity as the dominant and powerful sex, just like most religions assert.
Dreamworlds invites us to reflect, rethink, and evaluate our approach towards sexuality and gender equality as a person and as a society. If the media is so influent in our popular culture, it is discouraging to belief that we will have a more equal society. After Dreamworlds I will never watch a music video the same way I used to.

Notes
1- Crooks, Robert, & Baur, Karla, Our Sexuality, Eleventh Edition, (2008), Page 520