After watching the documentary on BBC three, I questioned why the basic TV channels 1-5 does not broadcast this the way ‘the joy of teen sex’ has been given a regular slot. The documentary achieves its aim to divulge the truth behind video vixens, as many common perceptions that it is all glitz and glamour have been proven not 100% correct. Of course with all things there is a minority that enjoys the luxuries which this business of being video girl can bring. The simple idea of having a pretty face, sexy body (what that may be considered in different cultures varies) and the ability to captivate an audience through a female presence can be achieved. Modern hip hop artists incorporate what us the buying public want to see. If not, millions of YouTube hits would not accumulate on the artist’s videos. However the harsh reality that some girls are abused, and do not get paid for featuring in a music video is the ugly side of the music video girls industry. Tashi J is a video girl who has featured on numerous British hip hop videos; in the documentary she plays the lead role with the lead artist Mega-man in the So Solid Crew’s shoot. She is made to look sexy in a yellow backless dress, arguably she is very moderately dressed in comparison to other female vixens that barely wear clothes and flaunt their buttocks in g-strings as shown later in the documentary. One artist X- O man argues that ‘sex and violence sells’ and the girls are not exploited because they know what they are putting themselves in for. Although I agree with this argument, it fails to take into consideration the idea that young girls are naive and want the fortune and riches which they have seen other topless models like Katie Price aka Jordan accumulate wealth effortlessly through selling her body. As a result they will do anything possible that will get them to this level if it means in the future they will reap the fortunes too. These girls are made to believe taking sexy topless pictures and a smiling on camera will make them recognised and established and their body will become expensive for future photographers and video directors to use. On the contrary they cheapen their assets by allowing thousands of people to see their bodies and exploit them as sexual objects. These women lack intelligence to realise their bodies are priceless and should not be given a monetary value and in one way what they are doing; advertising their body and selling themselves can be interpreted as a form of prostitution. Sharice who sells her photos online to strangers that have become her fans, falls a victim to men’s desires, Mulvey theory of Voyeuristic objectification is experienced here, as the audience (men and women) gain pleasure from looking at her body anonymously and have an advantage over Sharice because they can do whatever they want to do with her photos. Her identity is taken away from her and placed in the hands of complete strangers. Sharice’s photos could be placed on social networking sites and used to lure other victims into the hands of molesters. It is irresponsible to allow strangers to have your identity as well as influencing young girls to believe she must look and copy the acts of the video girls. Dressing in a provocative manner and grinding in a sexual way as they want to be like the girls in the videos or keep up with what is fashionable and cool. Subconsciously girls may feel that boys expect them to behave in this way if they want to be as cool as the girls he admires in music videos. Amber Rose is another example of where a video girl/ model made a millionaire name for herself through being Kanye West’s main video girl, she even managed to pursuit a year relationship with the hip hop mogul and she made girls believe it is cool to be a slutty video girl as it can make you get rich fast. Not taking away Amber Rose’s shrewd business plan (as she has made millions of pounds after all) she could possibly have a very high IQ but the fact she is allowing music artists to exploit her body ‘buttocks hanging out, titties hanging out’ does not portray a positive light on her. On the other hand Amber Rose and other video girls could argue that they are in control as without their bodies, the videos lack content and are next to nothing. In addition they make a fortune from looking pretty and what girl does not want to look pretty?
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