The concept of voyeurism stems from the psychologist Freud and it is used in Media Studies in terms of explaining the gendered pleasures of cinema and refers to the idea of looking in order to gain sexual pleasure.
Andrew Goodwin argued that in music videos the female performer is objectified through a combination of camerawork and editing with fragmented body shots, therefore emphasising a sexual treatment of the star. This is evident in the music video 'Crazy In Love' - Beyoncé, where slow-motion is used from the beginning to capture the female star walking provocatively towards the camera wearing revealing clothing, encouraging the viewer to look and the close-up fragmented body shots focus on her physical appeal, creating a sexual representation of her. Furthermore, in male performance videos too, a voyeuristic treatment of the female body is often apparent with the use of dancers as endorsements which flatter the male star's ego. For example, the hip-hop music video 'Candy Shop' - 50 Cent include a combination of long-shots and close-ups portraying numerous females dressed in revealing and suggestive clothing, acting very seductive towards 50 Cent which flatters his ego as he is almost flaunting his luxurious lifestyle to the audience; a fantasy lifestyle perhaps desired by teenage boys who idolise the rapper.
British feminist film theorist, Laura Mulvey, wrote the essay 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' which proposed that film is an instrument of the 'male controlling gaze', producing representations of women, the good life and sexual fantasy from a male point of view. The male gaze occurs when the audience is put into the perspective of a heterosexual man and Mulvey suggests that it is geared to notions of voyeurism and that men possess power and control, whereas women are viewed as passive objects and have learnt to be looked at objectively from a male perspective. In music video, this is conveyed through three different relationships: camera to characters, between characters on the screen and by the audience looking at the screen. On the other hand, recent and independent female solo artists such as Madonna and Lady Gaga have added to the complexity of the gaze by being at once sexually provocative and apparently in control. This brings into question the contradictory meanings that music videos may evoke.
However, the idea becomes more complex when it is argued that the male body can also act as a form of sexual pleasure and questions can be raised about how the female viewer is invited to respond. In 'Like I Love You' - Justin Timberlake, the male star is the main focal point of the music video as close-ups of his face is a common feature throughout and long-shots are captured of him break-dancing; an impressive and additional talent that might appeal to a female audience. In addition, instead of the generic hip-hop/R&B music video convention where the female character teases the male star and acts sexually provocative towards him, there is a clear role-reversal and Timberlake is seen as acting in a sexual manner towards the female character who seems quite innocent in comparison. Teenage female viewers who would typically watch this video probably idolise Timberlake as a 'heart-throb' and are likely to express a desire to be in the position of the female in the music video.
In conclusion, Goodwin and Mulvey's theory of voyeurism can be applied to music video to a certain extent as it is clear that a sexual representation of a female on display is a staple element of music promos. However, recent times have allowed these theories to become challenged, since strong female performers such as Lady Gaga have emerged onto the music scene and seem to possess high control and power but still evoke some sexual appeal. Also, the sheer fact that men can be treated as a form of sexual pleasure for female viewers adds to the complexity of the male controlling gaze.
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