Opposing forces

After the viewing of the three videos by Lesile Gore, Fiona Apple, and Lil’ Kim, I thought to myself, wow things have and have not really changed all that much.

All three of the videos show different viewpoints of women talking about the dealing with relationships. While not too visual, the Gore song talks of missing a boy that left with someone else and her reaction to that information. The Apple song describes her reactions to a past situation with the video providing the ambience for her description. The Lil Kim song is a statement of her sexual conquests as a metaphor for her power with the video providing a polished image ready to sell.

My initial reactions to the videos were of interest. I had not seen the Gore video before, nor did I know that one really existed. The other videos, I had not viewed in quite some time. For me the Gore video was quite boring, but I do understand, at the time of the filming, the idea was to capture the performance than to visually tell a story. More or less, with the Gore video, my emotional response was meh with a shoulder shrug.

The other two videos were more engaging, in terms of the visual aspect and sending multiple meanings across with the imagery. Emotionally, I enjoyed the Apple video more the Lil Kim video. I found myself thinking more about the imagery relating to the song. Although, I do not agree with Zeltner’s play-by-play description of the video. His concept of “looking-at-you-looking-at me” is interesting, but that just was not how I viewed the video in relation to the song. With Apple’s lack of interaction with the sets while she was singing, it felt more like memories were going on the background as she told the audience (me) about what had happened between her and her lover.
The Lil Kim video was one that I had not seen the uncensored version until the assignment called for it. For this video, my emotional response was okay, here is a video that is again glorifying the use of sex as a means of power. What I didn’t really like about the video was the mixed message that was sent. The images of Lil Kim being something that is mass-produced, purchased, and used was very different than the power and control that she was boasting about the in the lyrics.

So where does this put my thoughts in terms of how things have changed but not? All of the songs are about relationships and who is in control of the relationship. When looking at the songs, I take the song before the video as that is generally the creative process. The Gore song is also about control but n more on an internal level, she will use her emotions to express herself as she sees fit. The only concerning construction within the song is that the male is in ultimate control, making Gore the victim. Nothing about the images in the video contradicts what she is saying; unless you count the scarves/handkerchiefs the dancers are holding. This is making a statement that women are in control of their emotions and not the emotion-decision making humans often shown in the media.

The lyrics of the Apple and Lil Kim songs put the woman in control of at difference stages the relationship. The Apple song is interesting in what it is portraying as a woman. She has power and has made decisions. Through the lyrics, it is clear that she does not like the outcome of her choices, but she is processing what she needs to do to figuring things out. The video provides images that either Apple has experienced or wants to experience. I think that is for the viewer to decide as it is not overtly stated. The only thing that is clear is a choice was made and now she has to live through it.

The Lil Kim song I think has more power as a song than what the video adds to it. The song itself takes the common use of sex as a metaphor for power used with male rappers and applies it to Lil Kim. The woman is in control and is able to make men do what she wants for her and about her. She gives the lyrical message that she is in complete control of all of her actions. However, the visual message contradicts the message sent through by the lyrics. The visual message of the video removes any power that she might have claimed by showing her as a toy to be bought.

While the messages expressed through the songs have moved from a reactionary state point of victim to a woman in control of her surroundings, the images in the videos have shown a progression of women being in control to a woman expressing control but the images of the video bringing her down to a mere gimmick.