HCT: Are Music Videos Commercials, Porn or Art?

        Music videos have often been shown to occupy any three of these techniques. Sometimes videos are shown to be largely art and concept based allowing Auteurs to express their creative side whilst some use the visual aspect to build upon the artists meta-narrative and create a popular image for them gaining the public’s trust and attracting them to their music.  Other critics have often remarked how music videos strongly adopt the ‘soft porn’ approach and expose the female body to entice audiences, this is known as the ‘male gaze’, explained by Laura Mulvey.
        The music video could easily be seen as a commercial advertising tool. There is almost always medium or extreme close ups or the artists especially in modern popular music. This allows the audience to associate the music with the image. Artists are also sometimes shown with an object or certain style that is different or easily identifiable, setting them out from the crowd and being unique. The primary reason that music videos are viewed by some as commercials is because of the lifestyles and activities featured in the content of the video. This often means the artist will be portraying them to lead a wealthy lifestyle or one that the audience desires. These are often shown in the form or materialistic objects owned by the artist or perfect love stories etc. This surrealism is valued and wanted by the audience and therefore draws us to the artist or music. Acting exactly as a commercial would. A good example of this is the music video ‘Wild ones’ by Flo Rida where immediately at the beginning of the video we are exposed to the artist participating in sky dives in Dubai as well as driving exotic cars, flying private helicopters and driving expensive speed boats.


       Laura Mulvey was the first to point out the excessive use females in a sexualised way in music videos creating the ‘male gaze’ She pointed out that many music videos in the modern day are versions of soft porn. She included that the sexualisation, voyeuristic treatment of the female body and dismemberment of the female body all enticed the male gaze and objectified women, showing total disregard for the females feelings and treating them as a ‘thing’ rather than a person with feelings. Mulvey explains-The “camera lingers on the subject from the perspective of the heterosexual male”, many females have a problem with this as it shows that the video is designed to be from the eyes of the male showing the media to be directing their products towards men.


        Although a music video can easily be placed into the two categories explained before. A music video can very easily be place in the gap between the two where any type of image can be created through the creativity or the creator and therefore very much an art piece. Matt Hanson explains “it inhabits that crucial space between the commercial and the experimental”. This shows that a music video is something that can be completely concept based and creatively expressive as well as something that can accompany the music and artist in a certain way. This may be by expressing their personal views or interests or paying respects to certain people, even talking people back to different places in time. Also Auteurs are often credited for their work on music videos whether it be art, porn, or advertisement. However Auteurs are often shown to be producing something that is very arty. Therefore the visuals are very impressive as the creator is being very expressive. It is also interesting to the audience as it is normally something quite out of the ordinary or different to so many of the pop music videos out there today. For example the music video of ‘Heaven’ by Spike Jonez involves skate boarders of the Lakai team skateboarding in slow motion. These visuals accompanied with the music creates something special despite the fact they have no connection.


        In conclusion, I believe all music videos can be categorised into commercials, art or porn without any exceptions. Many auteurs have created something that challenged the generic conventions of music videos whilst others have created purely market-driven advertisements. Some also include the use of the female and have fetishist undertones however I truly believe that every music video is an interesting creation in its own. Each has a style to it which makes it unique even if the music or video is somewhat mainstream. Different types of genres may have more soft porn aspects, where others such as indie may have a more creative arty aspect as well as the more pop culture showing more advertisement. With the modern view of art being almost anything and everything I think that music videos are all art forms even if the content may be porn or advertisement, the overall combination of these elements create art.