{"id":116,"date":"2018-12-07T16:33:57","date_gmt":"2018-12-07T21:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus235-03\/?page_id=116"},"modified":"2018-12-10T13:08:22","modified_gmt":"2018-12-10T18:08:22","slug":"voyeurism-in-popular-culture","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus235-03\/voyeurism-in-popular-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Voyeurism in Popular Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Music videos aren\u2019t alone in expressing a voyeuristic gaze towards one\u2019s object of obsession. In fact, it has been a key concept in popular culture and youthful relationships in general.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For example, the MTV show \u201cUndressed,\u201d which originally aired from 1999 to 2002, followed several relationships between young people and was controversial for frank discussions about sex. Unknown to viewers, however, was something more disturbing- \u201cthe prevalence of a certain \u2018televisual voyeurism\u2019 that functions differently from voyeurism in theories of classical cinema spectatorship\u201d (Middleton).<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_116_1('footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_116_1('footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">1)<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_116_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Middleton, Jason. \u201cYouth, Leisure, and Voyeurism in MTV&#8217;s \u2018Undressed.\u2019\u201d <em>The Velvet Light Trap<\/em>, no. 48, 2001.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_116_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> As the members of the show undressed each other in a very intimate way, there was a \u201ccinematic \u2018gaze\u2019\u2026 unified, gendered male, and subject to voyeurism and narcissism\u201d (Middleton).<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_116_1('footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_116_1('footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">2)<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_116_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Middleton, Jason. \u201cYouth, Leisure, and Voyeurism in MTV&#8217;s \u2018Undressed.\u2019\u201d <em>The Velvet Light Trap<\/em>, no. 48, 2001.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_116_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The camera zoomed in on certain body parts, treating the members of the show as objects to be spied upon. Yet despite such a controversial approach to dating and an obvious presentation of voyeurism, the show has been re-started and has been airing again on the MTV website since 2017. The show describes itself on Youtube as &#8220;a one-of-a-kind social experiment that strips away the distractions and superficiality of the digital world. In each episode of this dating experiment, two strangers must undress each other before getting to know one another for the next 30 minutes.&#8221; (MTV, Youtube).<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_116_1('footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_3');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_116_1('footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_3');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">3)<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_116_1_3\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">MTV. \u201c&#8217;Alexa &amp; Emily&#8217;s Sweet Introduction&#8217; Official Sneak Peek | Undressed | MTV.\u201d <i>YouTube<\/i>, YouTube, 30 Aug. 2017, www.youtube.com\/watch?v=k8lc514DkzE.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_116_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> Yet the show replaces the distractions of a digital world with the distractions of a voyeuristic camera gaze which roams the bodies of the pair.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k8lc514DkzE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Unrequited love and obsession have become so prevalent in popular culture that psychologist Dorothy Tennov dubbed it &#8220;limerence,&#8221; which is &#8220;an involuntary interpersonal state that involves an acute longing for emotional reciprocation, obsessive-compulsive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and emotional dependence on another person&#8221; (Sack).<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_116_1('footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_4');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_116_1('footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_4');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">4)<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_116_1_4\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Sack, M.D. David. \u201cCan You Literally Be Love Sick?\u201d <i>The Huffington Post<\/i>, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 Aug. 2012, www.huffingtonpost.com\/david-sack-md\/limerence_b_1627089.html.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_116_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> The emphasis of this definition is on the term &#8220;involuntary.&#8221; The culture of pining after unrequited love is so commonplace that psychologists have deemed it a subconscious, involuntary characteristic. Popular culture has expressed obsession to the point of normalizing it through scientific measures. Thus, we can clearly see another reason why voyeurism has been so prevalent in music videos- it is an integral part of popular culture, to the point of scientific recognition.<\/p>\n<div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_116_1();\">References<\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_116_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_116_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_116_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\">References<\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi\" ><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_1\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_116_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_1');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>1,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_2\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_116_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_2');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Middleton, Jason. \u201cYouth, Leisure, and Voyeurism in MTV&#8217;s \u2018Undressed.\u2019\u201d <em>The Velvet Light Trap<\/em>, no. 48, 2001.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_116_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_3');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_3\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>3<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">MTV. \u201c&#8217;Alexa &amp; Emily&#8217;s Sweet Introduction&#8217; Official Sneak Peek | Undressed | MTV.\u201d <i>YouTube<\/i>, YouTube, 30 Aug. 2017, www.youtube.com\/watch?v=k8lc514DkzE.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_116_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_116_1_4');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_116_1_4\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>4<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Sack, M.D. David. \u201cCan You Literally Be Love Sick?\u201d <i>The Huffington Post<\/i>, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 Aug. 2012, www.huffingtonpost.com\/david-sack-md\/limerence_b_1627089.html.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_116_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_116_1').show(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_116_1').text('\u2212'); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container_116_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_116_1').hide(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_116_1').text('+'); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_116_1() { if (jQuery('#footnote_references_container_116_1').is(':hidden')) { footnote_expand_reference_container_116_1(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container_116_1(); } } function footnote_moveToReference_116_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_116_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor_116_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_116_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Music videos aren\u2019t alone in expressing a voyeuristic gaze towards one\u2019s object of obsession. In fact, it has been a key concept in popular culture and youthful relationships in general. For example, the MTV show \u201cUndressed,\u201d which originally aired from 1999 to 2002, followed several relationships between young people and was controversial for frank discussions [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4282,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-116","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus235-03\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus235-03\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus235-03\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus235-03\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4282"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus235-03\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus235-03\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/116\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus235-03\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}