The movie entitled Dreamworlds III written and directed by Sut Jhally initiates the audience to enter a familiar territory of a popular media convention, music videos. The filmmaker took on the role of heavily relying on the use of perspective by incongruity. Throughout the course of the film there are displays of various music videos that Jhally alters the context of its presentation to exhibit a correlation between those videos and sexual violence. It is easy for most of us to concur that music videos are generally sexualized, but Dreamworlds attempts to bring out new perceptions on how a well-known form of entertainment effects our sexual and gender identities. There are specific strategies that Jhally decides to utilize to get his message across in an understandable and relatable fashion.
One of the biggest strategies used in the film was that of re-narration. Jhally does a great job at taking a collection of videos and speaking to them with clear diction, conciseness, and a tone that the demands and keeps the attention of the audience. The video themselves already tell a story but through his narration, we are able to see a different perspective and take on the central messages and meanings behind them. At times he would show a clip of a video and then begin to narrate. Other times he relied on narration to foreshadow what was to come. The film itself was broken into different sub-categories, for example: Constructing Femininity, The Pornographic Imagination, Ways of Looking, and Masculinity in Control. Before each new topic was presented, the narration would shift to a constructed thesis being stated to prep the audience for what to expect next. By using his strategy with this certain narrative usage, the idea of engaging the audience is a minimal task to say the least.
Another strategy that was greatly used is how Jhally contributes to making his theories and opinions more validated by how the film is compiled directorially. It is well known that opinions constantly fly around about the nature of music videos. However, someone simply stating that music videos are highly suggestive and portray women and men in negative aspects isn’t highly as effective as the way this film was directed. The film was directed in a way that as it was being narrated the music videos themselves were often slowed down, replayed, or even shortly paused to provide emphasis on various important points. This allows the audience to solely pay attention and take in the central messages through the delay of images being shown. Normally when a music video is watched in regular speed and in one viewing our interpretations are less likely to be fully developed and understood. Through the strategy of the way Jhally chooses to display videos throughout the film, reflections and perspectives are more manifested in our cognitive awareness.
A very important strategy that was used in the film was Jhally’s ability to provide clear, vivid, and concrete examples to rationalize the arguments being proposed. For every argument that was presented there were at least five to ten examples provided in various videos. It wasn’t even in just one video in particular; the audience is able to see the same elements used in more than video. For example if the argument was made that music videos play on adolescents sexual fantasies there would be several clips of different videos that would display an array of the images of male fantasies shown in videos, such as nurses, police women, the role play of a school girl, and the demanding dominatrix. I believe his greatest achievement when displaying videos that supported his arguments is that he is able to show videos that crossed into different genres. He doesn’t just merely focus on the idea that most people have when they believe only hip hop videos are the blame for degrading women and setting the idea of femininity and masculinity in society. The film does a great job showing that this idea can developed been in all genres including pop, rock, and even country music.
The strategies the filmmaker uses to the explore the idea of a “dream world” streamed through three to five minute music videos contribute to various feelings and emotions he is ultimately trying to bring out of his audience. Jhally’s narration for the film made his voice essentially be the soundtrack; to draw attention to the images contained in the video segments shown. The seclusion of images without their complementary sound creates a feeling of images alone are powerful enough to express moods and meanings. When there was other sound provided, it was small amounts of lyrics integrated as it became necessary to support an argument. For example he chose to insert specific lyrics of a Limp Bizkit song that highlight an ex-boyfriend’s rage and clearly express violent thoughts. Jhally believe that the way music videos are constructed might lead to the encouragement of others to evoke violent behaviors and take on the persona of the characters and images portrayed in music videos. He does a great job at providing real life examples of the aftermath of the effect that such ill thoughts and classifications can have on society. This is seen in incidents such as the one in Central Park where real women were openly violated and taken advantage of. Ending the film with rape statistics is another endearing strategy Jhally incorporates to ultimately have a lasting impression on his audience. He isn’t saying music video themes and elements themselves is bad, but that society needs to develop a narrative’s eye to see how the portrayal of gender roles in media ultimately effect us.
One of the biggest strategies used in the film was that of re-narration. Jhally does a great job at taking a collection of videos and speaking to them with clear diction, conciseness, and a tone that the demands and keeps the attention of the audience. The video themselves already tell a story but through his narration, we are able to see a different perspective and take on the central messages and meanings behind them. At times he would show a clip of a video and then begin to narrate. Other times he relied on narration to foreshadow what was to come. The film itself was broken into different sub-categories, for example: Constructing Femininity, The Pornographic Imagination, Ways of Looking, and Masculinity in Control. Before each new topic was presented, the narration would shift to a constructed thesis being stated to prep the audience for what to expect next. By using his strategy with this certain narrative usage, the idea of engaging the audience is a minimal task to say the least.
Another strategy that was greatly used is how Jhally contributes to making his theories and opinions more validated by how the film is compiled directorially. It is well known that opinions constantly fly around about the nature of music videos. However, someone simply stating that music videos are highly suggestive and portray women and men in negative aspects isn’t highly as effective as the way this film was directed. The film was directed in a way that as it was being narrated the music videos themselves were often slowed down, replayed, or even shortly paused to provide emphasis on various important points. This allows the audience to solely pay attention and take in the central messages through the delay of images being shown. Normally when a music video is watched in regular speed and in one viewing our interpretations are less likely to be fully developed and understood. Through the strategy of the way Jhally chooses to display videos throughout the film, reflections and perspectives are more manifested in our cognitive awareness.
A very important strategy that was used in the film was Jhally’s ability to provide clear, vivid, and concrete examples to rationalize the arguments being proposed. For every argument that was presented there were at least five to ten examples provided in various videos. It wasn’t even in just one video in particular; the audience is able to see the same elements used in more than video. For example if the argument was made that music videos play on adolescents sexual fantasies there would be several clips of different videos that would display an array of the images of male fantasies shown in videos, such as nurses, police women, the role play of a school girl, and the demanding dominatrix. I believe his greatest achievement when displaying videos that supported his arguments is that he is able to show videos that crossed into different genres. He doesn’t just merely focus on the idea that most people have when they believe only hip hop videos are the blame for degrading women and setting the idea of femininity and masculinity in society. The film does a great job showing that this idea can developed been in all genres including pop, rock, and even country music.
The strategies the filmmaker uses to the explore the idea of a “dream world” streamed through three to five minute music videos contribute to various feelings and emotions he is ultimately trying to bring out of his audience. Jhally’s narration for the film made his voice essentially be the soundtrack; to draw attention to the images contained in the video segments shown. The seclusion of images without their complementary sound creates a feeling of images alone are powerful enough to express moods and meanings. When there was other sound provided, it was small amounts of lyrics integrated as it became necessary to support an argument. For example he chose to insert specific lyrics of a Limp Bizkit song that highlight an ex-boyfriend’s rage and clearly express violent thoughts. Jhally believe that the way music videos are constructed might lead to the encouragement of others to evoke violent behaviors and take on the persona of the characters and images portrayed in music videos. He does a great job at providing real life examples of the aftermath of the effect that such ill thoughts and classifications can have on society. This is seen in incidents such as the one in Central Park where real women were openly violated and taken advantage of. Ending the film with rape statistics is another endearing strategy Jhally incorporates to ultimately have a lasting impression on his audience. He isn’t saying music video themes and elements themselves is bad, but that society needs to develop a narrative’s eye to see how the portrayal of gender roles in media ultimately effect us.
