I am analyzing the most viewed Bollywood music videos on YouTube using the Sex Role Perspective. While analyzing with the Sex Role Perspective, I will utilize the items for evaluating masculinity and femininity as presented by Hyde (1995, p. 134), and these specific items will be italicized. In this post, I will be discussing the music video for “3 Peg” by Sharry Mann.
Link to video: “3 Peg Sharry Mann” (Full Video) | Mista Baaz | Parmish Verma | Latest Punjabi Songs 2016 | T-Series
Evaluating Masculinity
- Reinforcing stereotypes
- The male characters are shown drinking alcohol while hanging out by their cars, which is a very stereotypically masculine scene that portrays these male characters as willing to take risks and having strong personalities.
- The main male character walks around wearing a necklace made of paper money, paying for things by grabbing bills off of his necklace. This portrays him as self-sufficient and also individualistic.
- Out to dinner with a woman, the main male character tries to pay the bill quickly with a wad of cash and appears upset when his date insists on paying instead. The male character shows a competitive nature here.
- The same male character laters goes over to this female character’s house with his friends and throws money around, dancing with his friends in front of her. This portrays him as forceful and assertive.
- The male characters are seen pushing each other around and fighting, portraying them as aggressive.
- Resisting stereotypes
- Overall, the main male character’s attempts to appear masculine and dominant instead make him appear quite the opposite, and he ends up appearing artificial, immature, and childlike, a stereotypically feminine trait. For example, after throwing around money in front of the female character, he quickly picks it back up, after making sure she was not looking. In this way, the music video is almost critiquing the stereotypical notion of masculinity, showing how such a pursuit of masculine stereotypes can be futile.
- At the end of the music video, the main male character embraces two male characters who were fighting, holding the head of one man and hugging the other. This portrays him as affectionate and eager to soothe hurt feelings, both stereotypically feminine traits.
Evaluating Femininity
- Reinforcing stereotypes
- The lone female character in the music video is shown only when on a date with the main male character and when in her house, while the male characters are always out partying in public, which reinforces the stereotypical concept of femininity being limited to private realms.
- Resisting stereotypes
- While out to dinner with a male character, the female character grabs the bill before the male character can pay and quickly pays for the meal herself. This presents her as assertive, dominant, and self-sufficient, all stereotypically masculine traits.
- When the male character repeatedly tries to impress her with his money, the female character is not gullible or yielding. Instead, she shows stereotypically masculine traits of having a strong personality and being willing to take a stand, dismissing his antics with a strong attitude.
Shared by: Seela Raj
Image Credit: https://www.surreynowleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/16761295_web1_MANN.jpg
