For this post I am analyzing the “What Makes You Beautiful” music video by One Direction. This music videos features the five boys: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne. This music video also features three unnamed girls.
Masculine Stereotypes: While the boys are singing they are all looking at the camera. The time they spend singing is almost entirely spent looking at the camera, or the music is playing over them and they are being filmed from a distance. While they are looking into the camera the camera is shooting up at them from an angle that makes them appear bigger in the frame than they would have otherwise. During the time they are not singing directly to the camera they are shown jumping and running around on the beach, either in the water/sand or over the fallen tree shown. They are also shown kicking around a soccer ball. These all demonstrate the athletic/active stereotype traditionally associated with men/boys.
Feminine stereotypes: About half of the way through the music video three girls are brought in. These girls remain nameless throughout the entire video and are there mostly as innocent romantic interests for the boys. However, only three girls are present compared to the five boys present. These girls spend little to no time looking at the camera even when the camera is close to their face. Instead they spend that time touching their shoulders/ neck and looking down. The girls are also easily charmed by the boys throughout the video. At one point one of the girls and Harry and standing very close and face to face.
Gaze theory: This video lacks all aspects of gaze theory because there is no objectification or sexualization of the girls present in the video.
Shared by: Margaret Shiverick
Image Credit: https://www.thecrimson.com/image/2019/10/29/one-direction-what-makes-you-beautiful-music-video/