Philippine E-Journals

Huli Ka! Tutusukin Ko Ang Kwek-Kwek Mo: A Semiotic Analysis on the Sexual Objectification of Women in the Music Videos of P.A.R.D.

Ciara Maeric Andres | Jana Alyssa Cruz | Sandra Thea Omar | Edlyn Quibilan | Alimei Santos

 

Abstract:

This study looks at the extent of objectification of women in the music videos of P.A.R.D. by analyzing the implicit sexual references in the lyrics and visuals. It describes and critiques the portrayal and positioning of female characters as they interacted with the male characters within a milieu of social practices and social resources of the purposively sampled music videos. Using Martha Nussbaum‘s Objectification Theory, Van Leeuwen‘s Social Semiotics, and Harre‘s Positioning Theory, a semiotic analysis of the visual images and lyrics was conducted, complemented by focus interviews with P.A.R.D. members, one of the female characters of the music videos, a board member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and a sociologist. Results revealed that objects such as kwek-kwek (quail eggs) and stick, for example, were used to represent sex or genitalia; jokes were strategically used to escape regulation; male characters wielded power over female characters as evidenced by their dominant vocal power over their female counterparts in singing the lyrics; and an overemphasis on the audience‘s power and subjectivity to interpret the music videos as the media producers‘ license to sexualize women, albeit metaphorically.