For one of my classes, I had to write a philosophy of sexuality on the ‘Hey Mama’ music video by David Guetta and Nicki Minaj. I think my take on the video is pretty interesting, so I’m putting it in a blog post. Enjoy my reflections!
Many music videos that are produced now already have a sexualized style, and they are all somewhat similar, with attractive men and women dancing in a sexy way. Some videos that I’ve seen are similar to ‘Hey Mama’ by David Guetta and Nicki Minaj, but it still has some unique factors.
One thing that can be said about ‘Hey Mama’ as a sexual philosophy is that the idea of women being thin and men being fit and muscular is reinforced throughout, like many other music videos. Body image is certainly important here, as well as the stereotype of men showing off for the women, such as contorting the body parts. The women then reinforce the stereotype that sexualized dancing is what attracts men, as well as contorting their bodies into more erotic images, such as swaying the hips and arching their backs in extreme ways. Another fascinating factor is that the people entertaining this philosophy maintain that people are straight. While the behavior in this philosophy is deviant from the norm, there isn’t any of the gay population represented.
The part that instantly caught my attention was the desert setting. It reminded me of Burning Man, a ritual in the middle of desert of burning a giant wooden figure of a man, and the ritual lasts for a week. What struck me the most, however, was the very fact that these people were alone in the middle of the desert. The sexual identities and highly sexualized behavior was separate, apart from everyone else. As though it should remain a secret, a philosophy that we should only have behind closed doors, or in this case, in the middle of nowhere where no one can see. This is what really sets this video apart from the rest.
The duality of opposing viewpoints and philosophies regarding the secret out in the open creates a confused psyche. On one hand, the setting is secret from the rest of the world because it’s in the middle of the desert. The behaviors and sexuality are things that are different from the norm of conservatism so it’s kept hidden. Yet, it is out in the open where anyone can come upon these behaviors, meaning they want to be discovered, but making it difficult to do so. In considering these duopolies, perhaps they are trying to make the move into making a more sexualized society and not being afraid of a more sensual sexuality, but finding it difficult to do so. So they hide themselves and their sexual identities out in the open, which seems antithetical, but may have its purpose.
It’s intriguing how the ‘Hey Mama’ music video can be so similar to other videos, and yet there’s something unique about it that isn’t seen in other videos. I think it can be related to our current conundrum with conservative values and wanting to branch away from that in various ways in the United States. It can be a powerful message depending on how it’s viewed.
Honey & Chocolate 