For this entry I am analyzing gender in the “Cardigan” music video by Taylor Swift. Throughout the video Taylor is saved several times by her piano.
Masculine stereotypes: In the beginning scene of the video Taylor is sitting at a dirty piano in a dirty house. She is dressed plainly. The lighting in this house is dark with mostly brown tones. Towards the end of the video right before she is brought back to the house she is in the ocean somewhere with rough water. In this shot the lighting is dark again as though there is a storm coming.
feminine stereotypes: In the second world she is surrounded by plants. Mother nature and nature in general is something that is tied to femininity because nature gives life and has nurturing aspects. In this world the lighting is bright and sunny. Throughout the entire video she is looking away from the camera partaking in licensed withdrawal. She is also lightly playing the piano throughout the video. This demonstrates feminine touch while also keeping the video quiet. Throughout this video she gets saved by her piano three times this signifies that she may be a damsel in distress type character. She is also wearing a dress and after coming back to the house, from the beginning of the video, at the end she wraps herself up in a cardigan and sits with her legs crossed. Sitting in this position and wrapping herself up makes her take up a very small amount of space in the frame.
gaze theory: This video lacks all aspects of gaze theory because there are no elements of sexualization or objectification.
Shared by: Margaret Shiverick
Image Credit: https://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/taylor-swift-cardigan-lyrics-meaning-is-the-video-about-joe-alwyn/