Gabriela Moreira

A2 Music Videos

Representation in Music Videos

Popular music videos have set definitions of how power is unequally distributed
between both genders, what it means to be male in society and what is
appropriate of women. In the video for Like A Boy, Ciara attempts to highlight the
differences within the treatment of men and women in a relationship, and the
double standard that has existed for years. Society has deemed females as
submissive and pious in a relationship, in comparison to males being overtly
masculine, behaving as they please this is a conventional portrayal of gender
that is heavily present in many music videos. Ciara chooses to create the
representation of a female acting like the dominant male in a relationship in
order to demonstrate the very evident double standard that exists. By doing so,
she takes the power and allows viewers to view things from a womans
perspective. As this is a hip hop song, it defies the conventions expected for a
music video of this genre, in which it is usually presenting masculinity of men
and sexualisation of women.
The video begins with Ciara saying ladies, I think its time to switch roles,
establishing the ideology of the video. The first shot is a close up of her arms,
exhibiting many tattoos and heavy masculine rings that are typical for the
dominant males in hip hop videos, with the next shot being a long shot of Ciara
sitting in a large throne-like chair, connoting her dominance and strength. Her
costume is large, baggy clothing and chunky gold chains, contrasting to how
females usually present themselves as sexual objects consumed by the media,
but typical to how males in hip hop are portrayed, and she is sat slouching which
emphasises her portrayal as a man, as society would deem this unladylike. This
and the costume brings out the masculine approach that she is trying to convey.
The next few shots present the man in the relationship sitting at a lower level as
Ciara is standing and circling him, implying she has greater power than him. This
is similar to videos in which the female is sat being objectified as the man sings
around and to her, in attempts to seduce the sexualised woman. The long shots
of these scenes are used to portray the way in which the man is quietly sitting on
the chair whilst presenting Ciaras assertive body language and angry facial
expressions, acknowledging she is the greater sex, with close up shots of the
man being used to express how he is weak and helpless. As both characters are
seen sitting in chairs at different points of the video, this is also used to
emphasise the difference in their dominance, as the male cowers in his chair
looking like he is being scolded, where as Ciara is relaxed on her chair. These
scenes are juxtaposed against each other; the long shots allow us to see how
Ciaras throne is too large yet she makes herself comfortable with it, meanwhile
the males chair is too small in comparison to his body. Mid shots are used to
show Ciara holding her crotch area as she sits, which plays with gender roles as
generic types of men in hip hop are usually seen doing this in videos as a way to
assert their power.
Laura Mulveys theory of sexual objectification and the male gaze in music
videos implies that the media is directed at the male viewer; women dancers are
typically used as adornments to the male ego and are overly sexualised. A long
shot is also used to present Ciara and other women also dressed as men
performing masculine dance moves, contrasting how women in groups are
usually shown in videos of this genre. If this were another video, the women

Gabriela Moreira
A2 Music Videos
would probably be dressed down and be more exposed, having seductive dance
moves, however these women are all completely dressed in baggy masculine
clothing in a way that doesnt allow for them to be sexualised or exploited, and
thus not permitting the male gaze and contradicting Mulveys theory. In another
scene, there are two Ciaras, one dressed as male and the other as a female. As
the male alter ego, Ciara is dressed in a suit and cornrows, performing masculine
dance moves, and the female remains feminine, in a short dress and heels. The
dress and heels emphasise her legs and body which could lead to her being
sexualised though it creates a sense of voyeurism, she chooses to take control
of her sexualisation in an empowering manner, as several times she takes
control and shows dominance. A prime example is when the male alter ego is sat
on the floor as the woman is standing with one of her legs placed on the mans
shoulder she does this asserting dominance yet remaining feminine, defying
gender stereotypes as instead of portraying herself like a man she is now shown
being the female yet openly superior. It is a very clear contradiction of how
women are usually represented in music videos. When she is holding the man
down with her heel, a close up shot is used to express the feminine characters
daring facial expression, emphasising how she is unafraid to defy these
conventions, and a close up shot then shows the man on the floor looking
confined. Again, a long shot is used presenting her flicking her hand to force the
male character off-screen, ensuring the audience knows that she is the
authoritative one here. Throughout the song, lyrics include would the rules
change up or would they still apply?, if I act like you, walk a mile in your shoes,
would you like that and Ciara goes on to give examples such as staying out late,
having separate bank accounts, being lied to and manipulated, etc. These lyrics
establish the double standard society has, where men feel it is acceptable to do
this to the women they are dating whilst the woman is expected to stay faithful
and honest. It also expresses how Ciaras intended meaning is to present how it
is unfair, and successfully portrays how if the roles were switched men would be
dissatisfied. Ciara uses the video to subvert patriarchal views of gender norms
and representations.