
Individual views of women can have varying responses based on gender, race, socioeconomic status, and various other distinguishing factors. The way that musicians portray themselves and others changes the way that society generally views them. The larger debate is whether it is always empowering for a woman to sexualize herself or if commercialization of sex creates a societal obligation to do so. I argue that female artists have the right to express themselves sexually, but also have a responsibility to consider the way their sexual empowerment changes society’s views – for better or worse. Female artists can command their sexuality, understanding the patriarchy’s reliance on female images and use “sex sells” to their advantage. The near pornographic way that women are portrayed in music videos has historically had a negative impact on society’s view of women, but the male dominated music industry was essentially obligated to do so. The modern, postfeminist movement is more inclusive of female artists and is working towards a desexualized culture. Popular artists such as Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus have been scrutinized their entire careers because of this issue and have made great strides in breaking down society’s expectations. Although the music industry has come a long way, there are still many young artists who strive to embrace sexuality but are still cast out by society’s expectation. 

In a discussion about women’s choice, objectification vs. subjectification, and society, it is important to clearly define the expressions. Samantha Thrift makes great connections in her essay on women in popular music and advocates for women’s choice. She defines sexual subjectification as “a representational practice that “endows women with the status of active subjecthood so that they can then ‘choose’ to become sex objects because this suits their ‘liberated’ status...In this way, sexual objectification can be presented not as something done to women by some men, but as the freely chosen wish of active, confident, assertive female subjects.” (Thrift 106) It is difficult for female artists to navigate the rough landscape of objectification in the music industry, particularly in the modern age. 

Throughout history, males have dominated the music industry as artists and in terms of audience appeal. Many popular songs are about men’s control over women, often portraying women as property and showing a lack of respect. In an article from Brown University about the development of hip-hop and gender constructs, “songs are filled with violent, raunchy language, misogynistic allusions, sexual innuendo – sometimes blatant references to lewd sexual acts – and suggestive dancing.” (Brown) With a patriarchal culture that also dominates the media, female artists have a lot of obstacles to overcome and a social responsibility to make a change for audiences. The digital revolution brought with it an ease of access to sexual media forms, especially for young people and most popularly music videos. With the early rise of music videos and their automatic cultural significance, it became important for women’s empowerment groups to understand the impact women’s portrayal has on societal expectations. The music industry has always been a culture motivator and thus has a great impact on society’s views, the popularity of songs with misogynistic themes only supports the culture that oppresses women. Stevens writes about this in her essay, featuring a 2009 study about the effects of sexualized media: “the main theoretical explanation for the priming effect is that the media indirectly activate stereotypes, or stored schema about social groups (i.e., women), which, in turn, directly influence judgments of others and social issues.” (363) Popular music plays crucial role on society because any song may sell hundreds of thousands of copies, with music videos featured all over the internet, yet few actively care about the messages that they are spreading to listeners.

A culture of male dominance has created a double standard within the music industry; this problem has created a system where female artists are essentially rigged to fail. In a harshly criticized media environment, it is often difficult for female artists to find the balance between female empowerment and satisfying their male viewers. Historically, men have been the primary audience; for a female to succeed, she is obligated to consider the men that drive sales. Many argue that it is impossible and women are implicitly objectified because of their desire to satisfy the male audience. If a female artist is willing takes the stage in front of 10.1 million viewers, scantily clad holding a foam finger, as Miley Cyrus did in her 2013 performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, it is her artistic right to do so. With constant surveillance and commentary, females are under such pressure to conform to the media’s expectations and society’s standards. Jackson and Vares write about Miley Cyrus as a prime example in their journal: 

“gossip blogs which maintains a critical and denigrating gaze on female celebrities; blog writers taking every opportunity to shame those whose lifestyles and/or bodies are deemed troublesome and excessive (e.g. over sexed, overweight, overly thin bodies; promiscuous and drug taking lifestyles). She highlights the way in which young female celebrities are encouraged into hypersexual representations of themselves only to then be scorned as a ‘famewhore’ or ‘slut’ in a ritual of slut-shaming.” (3) 

As Cyrus matured as an artist, she had critics on both sides of the spectrum. Many modern feminists cheered Cyrus on as she took a grasp on her sexuality and transitioned from innocent Hannah Montana to a reinvented Cyrus who “Can’t Be Tamed” as her music videos indicated. Another large portion of the world was filled with angry parents who view Cyrus’ explicit lyrics and dance moves to be harmful to their children who grew up with the wholesome Disney star. Following Cyrus’ MTV performance came criticism from parents and censorship organizations who felt the entertainment company was wrong for “(continuing) to sexually exploit young women by promoting acts that incorporate ‘twerking’ in a nude-colored bikini. How is this image of former child star Miley Cyrus appropriate for 14-year-olds?” (Dziawura) Many organizations went as far as to ban the featured songs and Miley Cyrus all together. It is understandable that parents would want to discourage their teenagers from scandalous dance moves, and Cyrus’ performance is an extreme example of sexualized media, but society has created a culture where Cyrus is the one to blame for her own body. It is a shame that there is a cultural expectation that Cyrus needs to represent a certain value and change her brand to continue to promote the wholesome America from her previous Disney Channel show. Cyrus was directly scrutinized for her performance while her co-performer, Robin Thicke, continued to effectively promote his song “Blurred Lines” about a grey area consent, a song that just further promotes the rape culture that defames Miley. This double standard is a part of the major issue within the music industry that created a culture for men to dominate. 

With such a diverse pool of people considered feminists, concrete statements are hard to come by, but it is important to have that diverse group which allows women the freedom to choose what they find liberating. Destiny’s Child was one of the early groups to have “their greatest commercial success based on songs advocating the power of the independent woman.” (Thrift 106) A major pop group labeling themselves as feminist was a risky move and the girls were not afraid. Destiny’s Child, like Miley, were constantly watched and critiqued by major media outlets, Jackson and Vares speak about this in their research: “Yet under a critical public and media eye, female artists walk a fine line in terms of their engagement in ‘sexualised’ performances, perpetually risking harsh condemnation and concomitant falls in popularity.” (3) The group prospered despite the obstacles put in place by a male dominated music industry. Their success was critical for the advancing of wide spread feminism and to build society’s expectation for what it means to be feminist. 

The claims in Samantha Thrift’s essay are centered around the change Beyoncé created in the music industry. Thrift opens a dialogue about Destiny’s Child and the creation of a self-described “you-can-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too feminism.” (105) Thrift’s choice in analyzing Destiny’s Child is particularly interesting because they are an all-black, all-female group who thrived on songs about the weakness of men. Their chart-topping songs such as “Bootylicious” and “Independent Women” blatantly “[inverted] music video gender conventions” (Thrift 108) and created a new cultural dialogue for women at the time. The men that previously dominated the music industry were being challenged by none other than a group of powerful, sexy black women. Even in a society obsessed with objectifying the female body, the ladies were criticized for creating a sexual message that prioritized a “big booty” and small waist like the star of the music video, Beyoncé. The girls of Destiny’s Child quickly reacted to this, claiming that “‘[Bootylicious]’ is G-rated. It’s about self-confidence and being confident about your body whether you’re thick or tiny or petite. Whatever your size is, you’re bootylicious. Be proud of who you are. Be bootylicious...” and “‘Bootylicious’ doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have a big booty. It’s all about attitude and feeling good about yourself and not looking like everybody on TV.” (Thrift 115) The members of Destiny’s Child had to carefully navigate the balance between standing up for women, “keeping it classy,” (117) and appealing to male audiences. They effectively did so, using the sexuality inevitably desired by men to sell their music and spread a powerful message about independence to listeners across the world. The rocky politics of empowerment were just beginning at the time, with themes of “girl power” just being brought into the popular music scene, and the power of sexualized femininity gaining appeal with young women. Through their music, Destiny’s Child rallied for women’s independence and solidified their early role in a postfeminist movement for young women. 

For those female artists who choose to share their sexuality as a part of their brand, it is important to understand the impact that their choice has on society. Artists must understand the male gaze and the male dominated industry and the way that plays a role on their viewership. When defining the concept of male gaze, there is an understanding that the media is not always directly male, but is always male-dominated due to the audience direction. TriniTrent noted this in an article that “music is a product, women are used to sell that product and the primary target audience for media companies are men.”  Using this knowledge, female artists can feel empowered by their ability to understand the industry and use it to their advantage. For some artists, they are actively aware of the desire of the female body and can use that to sell their brand. Rosalind Gill notes this as a phenomenon in all of society, not only the music industry: “For one thing, men in the office waste whole afternoons staring at your bottom, placing bets on whether you're wearing underwear. Let them. Use that time to take over the company. But even if you wear lingerie for you, for no other reason than it makes you feel good, that is reason enough to keep it on.” (12) For those who choose to do so, using sex to sell their brand is a valid form of empowerment if the woman actively decides this. In a report by Rebecca Hains, she discusses this from the early feminist punk-rock perspective:  

“‘SEX ISN’T DIRTY… AND IT ISNT ‘BAD’ UNLESS SOMEONE IS FORCING IT ON YOU.’ The fanzine Hungry Girl is even more explicit: ‘SLUT. Yeah, I’m a slut. My body belongs to me. I sleep with who I want... I’m not your property’ Seen through this lens, scrawling ‘slut’ or ‘whore’ on one’s body is a way of taking ownership of a slur in attempt to delate it- much the same as embracing the word ‘girl,’ rescuing it from trivializing connotations.” (16)

The issue with the music industry is not just about scandalous dance moves, but has a deeper problem rooted in rape culture and the harsh expectations for women. There are clear movements hoping to change society’s view on women, but the music industry is holding it back. Even now, there is music that uses derogatory words like slut and bitch, but in the music video, these are the desired women that the men gawk at. Music is published that strictly promotes women who look a certain way, while simultaneously demeaning the same woman for looking that way. This promotes the double standard for women and creates an environment where young girls aspire to ‘be someone’s bitch’ not a respected individual. 

On the opposite side of the spectrum, some people feel that popular artists are contributing to rape culture through the vulgarity of their music. Those who take this position often believe that hypersexual music performances negatively influence young girls. There is a possibility that a young girl could develop insecurities because of the highly sexual media they consume, but insecurities can be formed around nearly anything, not just musicians. Knowing that, and knowing young audiences could be watching, feminist musicians generally strive to create empowering messages and show girls what it means to own your body and be an independent woman. Artists have a certain amount of social responsibility to understand the skewed perspective of society which shames a woman’s natural body. Even in a very digital and image based society, it is ultimately up to the viewers and listeners to choose what they consume and how they interpret the media. If movements are continually made to desensitize society to the female body, then sexual media will no longer be a debate – it will simply be media with no connotation. Humans are inherently sexual beings and it is crucial for artists to show there is no problem with anyone’s body and it is okay to be liberated for the right reasons. 

Once combined, the complex politics of empowerment and possible beliefs on the way the music industry allows women to portray their bodies coincide to create a shift from objectification to subjectification. Rosalind Gill researched these media effects for years and wrote about this post-feminist shift in her journal: “Women are not straightforwardly objectified but are presented as active, desiring sexual subjects who choose to present themselves in a seemingly objectified manner because it suits their liberated interests to do so” (9) Music has the power to shape society’s views and the way that we understand gender. Thus, female artists should continue to represent sexuality as form of art. “For every female artist who identifies as a feminist, there are many more who are commercialized for sale to the masses.” (Dziawura) The music industry has consistently supported a male dominated system, and the popularity of any misogynistic song further amplifies that patriarchal structure of society. Females in the music industry who strive towards a future of liberated women and media will inspire a more positive track for girls in the future. Sex always sells, it is mostly important that the industry is held responsible for that and women can feel empowered independent of the societal pressure.
