Much like advertisements, the images of women in media and in music videos are detrimental to our society. Sut Jhally’s documentary "Dreamworlds 3" opened my eyes to how these images influence how American society constructs our ideas of femininity and masculinity. 
Jhally believes that music videos have become a pervasive and profound way that messages about sexuality are passed on. Music videos have become more sexually charged throughout the years, and now, sexual imagery defines the music video genre. This change in the music video empire is not only seen in the types of films made, but also who directs them. Gregory Dark, a previous pornographic director, now shoots videos for artists such as, Britney Spears, Mandy Moore and Counting Crows.
The male, heterosexual, pornographic imagination has hijacked commercial culture and the media. Women’s bodies are consistently used as objects to improve the visual appeal of music videos and other media. They are shown as being in a constant state of sexual arousal and dependent on men. This narrative reinforces the “fantasy world” of desperate women who are always available for sex. Many of the images used fragment women into body parts, and erase the complete person. Women are also often seen with money being thrown on them, or their bodies being used to swipe credit cards. this not only reduces them to how much they cost but fulfills fantasies about strippers or prostitutes.
The most terrifying thing about these images is that they are working their way into the inner identities of women. This story about their sexuality becomes internalized and they begin to believe that they need to rely on the male gaze to find them attractive.
But these images affect masculinity too. “In fact, just as music video tells us a story of female passivity, it tells an equally powerful story of masculinity being tied to power, intimidation and force,” says Jhally.
Along with this hyper-sexualized voyeurism comes hatred and disrespect for women. There are multiple examples of men who feel entitlement to women's bodies and act on those feeling of power. During a New York City Puerto Rican pride parade in 2000 and a Mardi Gras festival in Seattle in 2001, groups of men doused, sexually assaulted and stripped women of their clothes in full public view.
While these stories and images of women cannot directly cause sexual assault, they do contribute to the dehumanization of women. These videos, along with other cultural influences, create an understanding in our society that might sometimes encourage certain violent behaviors against women.
With these images, women receive a message about their identity that links their bodies and their sexual appeal to men. The stories told in music videos and in the media contribute to our understanding of male and female sexuality. These ideas inform our comprehension of our culture and how we learn to be women and men.
The importance of analyzing these images is not to define whether sexuality is good or bad. The real issue is that there is not enough discussion of sex. The stories that are told only represent one idea of sexuality and this story is harmful not only to women but also to men.
