Music

The section for music mad SpunOuters!

Dolls of steel

A quick look around the satellite music channels will make something really clear: The world of music videos is a complete totty fest.

Girls Aloud, Pussycat Dolls, Nelly Furtado, Charlotte Church, Christina, Britney and a whole bunch of nameless dancers using exercise mats, power tools and an assortment of other such props, to often outstanding effect. Personally, I think it’s fantastic.

But of course, not everyone might hold that view. Inevitably, with such a bevy of skin on display, some people might consider it exploitation, that somehow these girls can only get ahead if their videos have more costume changes or go that bit further than everyone else’s. In fairness that’s only a small part of the job description.

Seriously though, what is the harm? It’s not like they’re being forced to do it, the aforementioned singers above are good-looking women so flaunting it is perfectly natural. It’s not uncommon after all for good-looking people to dress in a manner that accentuates that fact, I mean if you see a hotly dressed attractive girl at a nightclub, nobody claims exploitation there!

Style, presentation and looks are important in pop music, image is as important as singing ability and no more so than in this particular genre. The likes of the Pussycat Dolls and Girls Aloud know exactly what they’re doing, and get bloody well paid for it too!

As for the whole argument about needing sexy videos to get ahead, well there’s a certain truth to that, but if anybody is being exploited it’s the general male public. These bands and artists have a core base amongst (predominantly younger) girls, and the likelihood of them pulling in many male fans with their music is pretty unlikely. And yet, tons of blokes buy their paraphernalia every year, be it calendars, posters or, in extreme cases, buying satellite music stations for the sole reason of having more access to music videos. Hell, even I in my difficult formative years bought certain Spice Girls merchandise. There I said it, and if that isn’t exploitation, I don’t know what is…

Whatever your take on the whole issue it’s not really one that should be taken that seriously, it’s not to say that looks trumps talent, there are numerous singers that get by on their merits, and the general public aren’t silly enough to accept a pretty face who’s far out as a lighthouse vocally.

I say more power to the likes of the Dolls and Girls Aloud; far from being the playthings of a masculine dominated society (or whatever other faux-intellectual label you want to put on it) they’re very much the epitome of sisters doing it for themselves, making a grand career and getting tons of admirers into the bargain. What’s so bad about that?

By: Paddy Duffy