Feminism

‘Why Don’t You Love Me [Music Video]?’

1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?

This video reinforced Butler's idea of gender roles being a performance to a large extent. This is apparent during the first minute of the video, where we see Beyonce doing a male dominated task (mechanic), this choreography is used to seduce male viewers as she is essentially moving around int he video as a performer for male pleasure. Even the props used such as clothing that Beyonce wears further intensifies the argument that she is seen as a performer as she is wearing clothes that play a part in the sexual attraction that the viewer will view.

2) Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women? Why?

I believe that there is both sides when it comes to seeing Beyonce as 'empowering'. This is because in the video, it is essentially about a male's dominance who refuses to be with her, and she is doing everything in her power to try and attract him. This will be seen as reinforcing the idea of Bulter rather than McRobbie's view of 'empowering'. However, there are some aspects in the video where it can be seen that Beyonce is empowering women. Scene's where she is seen being a mechanic, is seen as a sense of masculinity and showing a woman doing a male job can be seen as reinforcing McRobbie's view. 

3) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?

I do think that Beyonce is more of a performer in this video rather than empowering women. This is because the entire video and lyrics is about a woman who is seen helpless without a man. It gives connotations of women being lifeless if they have no men in their life. Furthermore, the large emphasis on the clothes she is wearing is not just a prop, but to play more of an attraction for male viewers, which links in with the male gaze. The fact that the video emphasises on Beyonce being sexual in the video through the clothes and movement she does, it reinforces Mulvey's male gaze theory.