Does dance music objectify women?
Friday 21st December, 2007 @ 3:24 am
I was out today for our team meal which turned into a team drink which turned into going to Liquid, one of the few clubs in busy Ipswich.
You can see some pictures here.
It was a good night and I enjoyed myself. My KDE t-shirt got a few odd looks earlier on in the evening with people being evenly spread between calling me a huge nerd as a compliment and calling me a huge nerd as an insult 
Anyway, heading to Liquid was pretty good banter, got to dance like a fool with some mates and get high on Red Bull whilst trying not to pass out from the really bad body-odour.
I’m far from easily shocked or a particularly morally conservative but I was pretty disturbed by the majority of videos for the dancey songs being just women dancing insanely suggestively in their underwear. I just don’t really see why they are like that. There tends to be more women than men in clubs and certainly more women than men actually dancing so I’m surprised more women aren’t bothered by how insanely one-dimensionally they are being portrayed by the flashing images above the dance floor. I don’t really know what I think should be done or even if anything should be but I find it a bit odd.
Perhaps I’m just not the target audience but I find absolutely nothing attractive about the videos at all. Looks are important but when they are focused on so soley (as in the videos) it is a massive turn-off to me .
I like going out clubbing and dancing and having a laugh with mates but it really bothers me sometimes. If men (outside of early-era Take-That, Relight My Fire is the gayest video ever) can seem to produce videos where they aren’t mindless sex-objects then why is the role reversed seemingly every time a woman is on screen?
Discuss!
10 Comments »
I also find it depressing that woman are constantly objectified in our culture. It is a problem that is widespread and difficult to tackle but statements like yours and subsequent discussion makes a big difference. Also, putting the money where your mouth is works. I tend to avoid certain places where this is common and warn my friends about it.
Thanks for your post
Comment by Vlad — Friday 21st December, 2007 @ 8:55 am
i would claim that both genders are objectified in entertainment, it may just be that its easier to notice the female side as there have been so much talk about it these past years.
Comment by turn_self_off — Friday 21st December, 2007 @ 9:36 am
What a load of codswallop. The reason* women dance in their smalls is because it is hugely empowering. They love the way it makes them feel to inspire desire in men**, and envy from other women. The dance floor is not a place for forming deep and meaningful relationships - it is a place to have fun, and at the same time assert the eons old truth; that women are sexy, and men look stupid when they dance. I, along with a rather large proportion of the male population appreciate this sterling effort knowing full well that of course there is more to a woman than her tempting gyrating booty. In the same way that as man’s bulging muscles flex as he carries home the firewood or wrestles a bear outside the family home - women know full well there’s more to him than his tough exterior and conquor their primal homebuilding instincts even as they try to ignore the tingle in their loins. ***
* Okay, of course, no rule fits everyone
** Discussing the general case of a heterosexual red blooded lass, I don’t know enough to comment on any more.. exotic sexual preferences.
*** Again, no doubt there are many exceptions, I am teasing slightly here.
Comment by Philip Scott — Friday 21st December, 2007 @ 3:27 pm
>> I’m surprised more women aren’t bothered by how insanely one-dimensionally they are being portrayed by the flashing images above the dance floor. <<
Why do you think there are more women on the dance floor dancing?
Exactly *because* of those videos! They see the videos and don’t think about them, but just act.
But in the end, thats probably nicer.
Comment by damjan — Friday 21st December, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
Well, think about how it would be if they used males for those vids. Would you still go to such a club?
And for wearing a KDE-shirt I would indeed call you a nerd as well
I mean, you go to a club to have fun, not to promote your favorite computer program(s). You wouldn’t dance on a KDE-meeting either, would you?
Comment by Person — Friday 21st December, 2007 @ 7:08 pm
I don’t think that you should consider things so deeply otherwise you’ll never feel at ease. It isn’t a bad thing to let relatively harmless things go. Also I haven’t found a women that doesn’t want to be wanted sexually (Spiritual and Intellectual fulfilment generally come from their clique and lovers (not necessarily sexual lovers) which is something that only people who understand you can ever provide) so things aren’t so bad, everybody wins.
Comment by Dave Taylor — Friday 21st December, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
Philip: I LOLed, point taken an amused
Person: I wear the t-shirt because I like the t-shirt, promotion is secondary.
Dave: I don’t want to feel at ease in this world. I’d rather think about things too deeply than be apathetic about the bad things in our society.
Comment by Mike — Friday 21st December, 2007 @ 10:32 pm
Mike: Then good luck, your fighting against human nature.
When I said “relatively harmless” I meant that not the paraphrased “bad things in our society.”
Comment by Dave Taylor — Saturday 22nd December, 2007 @ 12:53 am
I think the reason is simple: usually women go to clubs to dance. And usually men go to clubs to meet and see women dancing
(obviously there are women looking for partners in discos and men that really enjoy dance music, but IMO they are a minority)
Comment by Vide — Sunday 23rd December, 2007 @ 7:51 pm
I don’t think dance music objectifies women. I am not offended at all by it and I dance to it myself at clubs. I don’t mind the attention I get because I am having a good time.
Comment by Tina Anderson — Thursday 27th March, 2008 @ 9:51 pm
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