Description
This course uses Beyonce's �Get Me Bodied� to enter into lyrical and visual analyses of music videos of some of the U.S. and Caribbean�s top pop icons. Our main inquiry will be how the intersections of varying black female identities and interpretations of femininity constrain or enhance the portrayal of black women in the lyrics of successful/relevant artists in question. Themes under discussion will include: skin colour and success, the discussion of the black female body as artistic and commercial prop, the male gaze, black female sexuality, black women and power, female objectification, black womanhood, the intersection of blackness and femininity, blackness and beauty, and transwomen in pop music. These topics are the lenses through which we will analyze the relationships showcased between and among black women in the music industry. Readings will consist of theoretical texts as well as texts on contemporary events (e.g., news articles, TED Talks, advertisements, etc.).