For this entry I chose the analyze the music video for “Back To You” by Louis Tomlinson ft. Bebe Rexha. In this music video. In this music video the two singers are the main people present in the video. Bebe Rexhain the video adheres to a few major feminine stereotypes. To begin, she spends most of the time looking off screen, this invites someone to look at her because she is not looking back. Also, when she is dancing she is often gently touching her own body, in a way that would be considered feminine touch and could be seen as sensual. Additionally, most of the dancing she does in the video involves her moving her shoulders and chest in some way. She is also wearing clothes that are more revealing than what Louis Tomlinson is wearing. She spends most of the video wearing crop tops or other similarly cut shirts. When she is wearing a jacket it is draping off of her bare shoulders. Alternatively, Bebe Rexha goes against some feminine stereotypes because she is portrayed as a strong and assertive personality. She spends much of the video standing in the same way Louis is, in ways that makes sure they are taking up as much space as possible in the frame. Even when she is portrayed more feminine or dancing by gently touching her own body she looks very empowered in what she is doing, like what she is doing is something she is doing to herself rather than being done to her.
Louis also adheres to some masculine stereotypes throughout the video. He spends much of the time looking directly into the camera. Doing this does not invite someone to look right at you because you are looking back. Louis is also athletic in the video. He can be seen kicking around a soccer ball and also part of the video was filmed in a soccer stadium. Louis is a dominant figure in the music video where as Bebe is seen less. Louis is almost always standing and sitting in ways that take up much of the frame. Louis is also completely covered throughout the entire video. He is always either wearing a jacket, a sweatshirt, or a long sleeve. He goes against some masculine stereotypes because he can also be seen looking off camera, inviting someone to look at him at certain times in the song.
For gaze theory this video does has certain aspects of gaze theory present. When Bebe Rexha is shown dancing she is often touching her own body while looking off camera or moving her chest and shoulders, in that aspect there is some sexualization. However when she is doing this is appears like she feels empowered by what she is doing instead of it being something that is being done to her. This video completely lacks the objectification typically present in examples of gaze theory.
Shared by: Margaret Shiverick
Image Credit: https://www.toneden.io/tyarrow/post/louis-tomlinson-back-to-you-ft-bebe-rexha-digital-farm-animals-ty-arrow-remix-free-download