Jhallys Dreamworlds

Jhally in his film Dreamworlds II: Desire/Sex/Power in Rock Video, deals with a plethora of issues relating to the depiction of both men and women in rock video, as well as the consequences, and the idea of the dreamworld. Exploring the male adolescent “dreamworld” can be an utterly frightening place; however, this place is unfortunately the one that is plastered over every television screen throughout the nation and even the world. This dreamworld is often times made up of women as the role of a cheerleader, stewardess, maid, librarian, police woman, nurse, or just a stripper – to name a few. The women are there to be looked at when the men stand close by and do essentially whatever they want to the women portrayed in this “dreamworld". Not only does this become extremely disturbing when watched out of context, the fact that it takes it being out of context to make it as disturbing is the most unsettling.

our attitudes are shaped by what we see and the way we treat each other. In other words, when we see things that happen in music videos like scantily clad women being tied up and verbally or physically abused, we are less likely to feel shock because in videos those are most of the images portrayed. These women are being objectified – when they are treated like highly sexualized objects, there is no thought, or care into the actual person or personality they are just an object to be looked at. Often times objectified women simply become fragments, they are reduced to a body part, just boobs or a butt or a nice body

So what, all videos do it, why does this matter? Jahlly argues that in some cases there is nothing wrong with appealing to fantasy nor is there anything wrong with desiring attractive men or women. However, the problem arises when this is the only way women are presented- nothing else. Their only human qualities are the ones that please men and strictly make women sexual beings. Women are presented in this light because it is the high powered men in the business that are hiring porn directors to direct music videos thus appealing to the same senses that are heightened when watching pornography. The one way that women presented is the only pornographic way and that is the only way. Even when female artists create a video they can only use the language of sex that culture allows, thus they are almost forced to take on fantasy roles and for the camera and in turn, the male gaze. While one may argue that there is no one forcing them to perform these actions that is true, however due to the fact that we have become desensitized to the objectification of women it is the only way we have seen them be portrayed. If they want to be successful, female artists have repeatedly fallen into the same trap as those before them. To combat this image, we must first combat the idea of desensitization and take a real look at what is being portrayed in the images that flood the television screens and provide role models for young adolescents.