Why Don't You Love Me?

Watch the Beyonce video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’ 

 

1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?

This video shows how Beyonce is seen to be a typical housewife as she is doing tasks like washing, cleaning and cooking. Although she is wearing hardly anything and is seen to be clumsy and dumb, this shows that these gender roles may be a performance and she is seen to be a sex object for males, also the tasks she is doing can easily be done by men.

2) Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women?

McRobbie would view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women as she has a high following and is very glamorised in this music video. She is also styled in western traditions such as blonde straight her. Also, she is hardly wearing any clothing and her clothes are skin tight showing a lot of her body, she is able to promote this to teenage girls and empower others minds.

3) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?

I believe that beyonce reinforces the traiditonal male gaze as in this video she is dressed in hardly anything showing off legs and skin. Her acting and movement also links to Mulveys male gaze and she is just seen to be a sex object.