The definition of Voyeurism is a viewer gaining sexual gratification through observing naked bodies or sexual acts.
Voyeurism is commonly used in music videos to attract more viewers. Its is often used in music videos to objectify women. The camera is used to portray the male gaze, therefore there are a lot of close ups and the use of low angles to show the sexual treatment of the star. This is especially used with a lot of sex symbols for example Beyonce, Brittany Spears and Rihanna. There are many videos that can show the way that female singers being objectified. Here are a couple of examples -
The most well know video for this is Benny Benassi - Satisfaction (2009)
Although this video isn't selling the artist as a sex symbol, it is selling the song through voyeurism. The establishing shot of the music video is a women banging a nail into wood. But she has minimal amount of clothing and is bent over in a very sexual manner that would appeal to a male audience. The jump cuts then used to show her in a mid shot and then a long shot to show off her body. There is also then use of slow motion so that viewer is able to see her whole body shake whilst she is hammering the nail. For a female viewer it is clear within the first 10 seconds that this video isn't really aimed at them. The close ups of the intimate places on the female body is also to emphasis the sexual element of this video. The slow low angles used to show of the females legs as well as a fast paced editing used to showcase a number of images of different females bottoms and lips. All of which over emphasis the sexual nature of the song. The use of power tools can be seen in a number of different ways that link to sex. Firstly the word tool is used to describe a male who sleeps around with a lot of women and doesn't really have a lot of respect for women. The tools are also being advertised which can be seen as the way women are viewed in music videos, they are trying to sell the music off there bodies. Finally there is a contraction to the female stereotype. Females are seen as too delicate to do DIY or manual labour and this video contradicts that and also shows them as being sexually attractive whilst doing it. Also each women is shown to be sweating from that manual labour and working out which links back to the sexual tone of the video and lyrics. The lyrics are also key to this video. "Push me and then just touch me so I can get my satisfaction" This relates to the female objectivity that the video is showing as well as how women can be seen as objects of sex to the male gender.
A more recent video is
Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball
This song can be seen as an emotional song but the artist has ruined this by sexualizing the video to sell it. The video begins with close ups of the artists face and tears streaming down her face this then goes on to her in a room by herself with a sledgehammer and of course a wrecking ball. This continues and there are a lot of sexual innuendos used that do not even relate to the song or lyrics at all. She is seen to lick the sledgehammer and ride on the wrecking ball nude. This is only after we have seen her wall around the room in only a white top and white underwear although white can be used to symbolise purity in this case I cannot see a link to purity when the video is so over sexualized. We also see a a range of close ups, mid shots and long shots to emphasis her lack of clothing when she is on the wrecking ball. Adding to this she bites her lip in a sexual manner as she is on the wrecking ball. Personally I am not sure what to make of this video as it has been made with a clear intention to attract a male audience to watch it even though it is quite an emotional female song. It seems as though the artist wants the male attention and is therefore gaining that from the viewers of the video even if the song with it emotional meaning and lyrics isn't. She is objectifying herself in this video, as this is only of the first emotional songs to have sexual footage and connotations within the video.
As for voyeurism in women it is very rare for a male to be objectified for the sexual gain of women but there are certain cases in which this has happened. For example
How to be a Heartbreaker - Marina and the Diamonds
This video uses all the techniques used to objectify women but to men. The use of the shower room to show the males as wet, and the close ups of the water running of their heads, chests and tattoos. This is alluring to the opposite sex. As well as objectifying males this video also shows a lot of the female artist but as a "player". It shows her as a fully in control women that can have which ever man she wants and the lyrics are are trying to advocate the behaviour that women can fool around as much as men can. The use of the "rules" are also interesting as if to show women how to objectify men. It proves that it is not just something that males can do as well as showing that objectification in music videos works for both genders not just women. Although there are not many videos in which this occurs therefore this could be seen as an exception to the rule.
