Ariel Levy; Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture

The Mainstream music video artist that I have chosen is Katy Perry and in particular her “California Gurls” video. In this video levy’s claim can be applied to many scenes such as when Katy Perry is naked on top of a cloud or when she is dancing with several other women in candy style underwear, so it can be said that this video is conforming to “Raunch Culture”, but I have to stretch that given the style and theme of the video that it also in a way challenges “Raunch culture” – e.g. the make-up that miss Perry utilizes is similar to how a cartoon character would have (significant cheeks and bright lipstick) this gives a slight counter to elements of “Raunch Culture”. Despite this, Levi’s ideas are dominantly applicable to the video because the video itself is still full of raunchy aspects/ parody’s of, e.g. when Katy Perry is opening fire on the audience with her Milk Guns, or when she is dancing on snoop lion.

-          I believe that “Raunch Culture” is not equally true of male artists today because male artists do not themselves apply to “Raunch culture” as much as female artists do and it is in most ways seen as strange or de-masculinising for men to do the same/ similar things as women (this can be seen in the “feminist” parody of Blurred Lines). We don’t expect males to apply to “Raunch Culture” because we are so used to seeing females do it that it is normal for westernised society.