The proceeding clip is the music video for Taylor Swift’s, “Our Song.” In this music video, Taylor portrays the concept of “bodies in control.” Physically, Taylor Swift is the epitome of the hegemonic ideal for American culture. She is thin, white, blond haired and blue eyes. She is thin and very in shape. She is in control of her body, instead of her body being in control of her. To maintain the hegemonic figure, we may assume that she eats well and makes time for an active lifestyle. She obviously cares about her appearance. There is nothing wrong with her caring about her physicality, it is just apparent. This video also represents the discrepancy of the virgin/ whore dichotomy.
Taylor Swift is not represented the way other young singers are/ were (e.g. Miley Cyrus, Brittany Spears, Lindsay Lohan). Instead of marketing sex appeal, Taylor Swift produces a “girl next door” vibe. Her songs are always about love and heart ache, which give her a sense of innocence and naivety. Her voice which is cute, fresh, and young, coincides perfect with her peppy attitude and debatably conservative style of dress. Taylor is able to stay out of the media in regards to scandals that other celebrities have had to fight through. So this leads one to believe that she is the virgin, right? Wrong. She represents both the virgin and the whore. Watch the music video, behind every innocent word there is a seductive glance. The camera focuses in and runs from her toes up to her waist, her legs bare. Taylor’s hair and make up is professionally done. This music video is a perfect example of the tension between the virgin and the whore within one individual.
This discrepancy of sexuality within an individual got me thinking. Why is it so important for the rest of the community to be able to label a celebrity (someone whom they do not even know) as a “whore” or a “virgin.” Natalie Dylan explains, “idealized virginity is just a tool to keep women in their place” (Dylan, 1). These labels are just another way that society belittles and underestimates women. Sex sells, but sometimes innocence sells even more. Sometimes not giving up everything, makes a female that much more appealing to the opposite sex. I am beginning to believe that the “virgin” or “angel” persona, is just a tactic young celebrities use to sell themselves. It’s kind of ironic that by being perceived as a virgin, you can still in a way be selling yourself.
Kearney continues to speak about the subjectivity of females, more specifically young girls, “recent transformation in female adolescent subjectivity and girl culture are seriously challenging previous conceptualizations of girls and female youth cultures as only consumption-oriented” (Kearney, 289). Females, predominately adolescents have become completely objectified, not only in the media, but in every day life. Girls allow themselves to be sold as products for their own benefits. Weather it be to sell more records or to score the desired guy, girls are selling their innocence.
Digressing, I feel like the American Dream is achievable. However, I believe obtaining this ideal demands luck and the right means. Due to birth rights and opportunities open to an individual, the American dream can be more accessible to some people, opposed to others. Someone born into a middle upper class family is going to have a lot easier time acquiring the dream, then someone who was born on the poverty line. Hard work and talent can only take an individual so far. I believe that connections with the right people, and being at the right place at the right time can also help one to achieve the American Dream.
In relation to young girls in American Society, I feel that the American Dream can be both destructive and positive. I believe it is positive, if a young girl looks at the phrase as inspiration to achieve whatever she wants to achieve. However, I believe the phrase can be destructive if a adolescent girl thinks about what the saying meant went it was first spoken. The American Dream ideal was directed toward men. Therefore, this thinking could be very destructive, if a adolescent girl stops trying in life and decides to obtain the American ideal by depending on a man that has the means to support her.
Bibliography
Dylan, Natalie . Why I’m Selling My Virginity .
Kearney , Mary . Producing Girls . New York : New York City Press , 1998.
