Dominant Ideologies - Ben Gilchrist

Are music video a site for challenging dominant ideologies on ethnicity and gender, or do they simply reinforce simplistic stereotypes?

Ethnicity:
Videos that are based around African American artists are stereotypically viewed to include lots of "groupies" and friends dancing whilst they can be seen to be the main star, dressed in a lot of baggy expensive looking clothes with chains/medallions to show importance. To reinforce and challenge this i have looked at the videos below.

T-Pain-Church
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hvEsCUj0xQ
This video is very much based on the main star, T-Pain dancing and signing whilst wearing a lot of expensive baggy looking clothing whilst his friends respect hi, and make sure he has a good time. Also, as we expect, we see him in a club/bar scene where it is dark. This is usually where videos of this type are set. This simply reinforces the simplistic stereotypes.

Bloc Party-Flux
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsIMTwVaGyw
This video challenges the ideologies that we currently see surrounding this type of music. As the music is a different type, the video changes with it. It can be seen to move in time with the music still, but instead of including a night club setting, it can be seen in a city using surreal creatures. This shows the power that the type of song has and not the artist who is involved in creating it.

Representation of Gender:
Jessica Simpson-These Boots are made for Walking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReXt4l9r2pA
As this song was released in time with the film, jessica Simpson is sticking to the character that she was in the film. This may have some sort of impact on the way that she is seen in the video. Soft Porn conventions can definitely be depicted from the first time she is seen to the end. This includes dismemberment and can be seen when she takes control of the males. She is seen to have power over the men when she can be seen starting the fight. Performance is used to create the feeling that she is still representing her character from the film in the video. As we expect to see in a video of this type, a dance routine is the main scene. This is clearly reinforcing the simplistic stereotypes.

The Gossip-Standing in the way of Control:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMFExJzaO1c
This challenges the usual stereotypes and focuses on a surreal performance which still however focuses on the female lead. However, no dismemberment is used. The only way that she can be seen to have power over the male characters is because she is seen at the front and seems to have the most important role in the band.

Overall, we can see that music videos are based around the songs and not the type of people that are singing them.