Payton Gordon
September 14, 2013
Sociology 1
Dreamworlds 3 Response

While watching the film, “Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Sex and Power in Music Video”, I was not at all surprised by the negative messages that were displayed. I have always noticed the disrespectful attitude towards women and felt an annoyance with the lack of desire and action to stop it. Most of the male friends I have are entertained by this type of media and enjoy the images they are shown. The images in music videos definitely reflect standard adolescent heterosexual male fantasies. For example, the song “Stacy’s Mom”, by Fountains of Wayne, presents a young boy obsessed with his friend Stacy’s mother. In Dreamworlds, the narrator describes the mother as a woman who, “obligingly undresses in full view of anyone who happens to be watching, receives a public, full body massage, and of course practices her stripper moves in the dining room table” (Jhally, Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Sex, and Power in Music Video). After seeing these erotic images, the young boy goes into the bathroom to pleasure himself while he visualizes the mom in his head making it clear that males should identify with adolescent desires. Music videos portray femininity in a negative way and masculinity in a more appealing way. On the femininity side, sexuality is very important. Jhally describes the image of females as “ravenous creatures who desire sex at all times” (Jhally, Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Sex, and Power in Music Video). Women are seen as incapable of being alone, needing men for emotional stability, and they define themselves by how desired they are by men. Contrasting that is the portrayal of masculinity through power, force and intimidation. Men in the videos are constantly seen using women in whatever ways they please, handling them like children and forcefully pushing themselves onto women. Unfortunately, music