The recent ascent of British boy band, One Direction, to global pop stardom that has been compared to that of The Beatles may on the surface appear to some extent accurate. Indeed, much like The Beatles, One Direction have arrived on US shores from Britain and taken popular music charts and award ceremonies by storm.[1] However, this essay seeks to explore in greater depth the extent of these similarities through the canon of gender and sexuality; in particular, through a comparative examination of the role of the female fan in the music industry and in popular boy-band fandom. It is the argument of this essay that beyond the obvious similarities, this comparison provides insight into the changes and continuities regarding the norms of gender and sexuality in society and their roles in the music and mass media industry. Ultimately, this essay argues that relations between the bands and their fans represent a distortion of gender equality. It concludes that this can be explained by the much discussed ‘commodification and selling of emotions’ in the music and mass media ‘cultural industries’.[2] The continued profitability of this will be shown to have had, and continue to have, a damaging impact on gender relations and subsequently gender equality.
This essay accepts that an examination of The Beatles and One Direction only provides a snapshot of the music industry and any conclusions, therefore, may not be applicable to other examples in the music industry. However, the essay does conclude that this examination provides a beneficial look into the less perceptible detrimental social impacts of music. Given the influence of popular culture, the rectification of this, especially from a feminist and humanitarian point of view, could be highly beneficial. The analysis primarily consults song lyrics, album covers, as well as television and movie footage in order to interpret the messages portrayed and those received. It will be related to academic sources regarding the historiography of the sixties – thereby acknowledging the ‘interrelationship [ and] context of the texts, the creators, and the audience’ that Shuker and Hall consider ‘key [to] sociological analysis’.[3]
Firstly, an understanding of gender and sexuality in the relevant time frames, as well as within the popular music of these periods, is necessary to provide the context to this essay’s arguments. One of the key tenets of the ‘counterculture […] revolution’, which the sixties is well known for, is the gender liberation. This marked a shift from the fifties as an era of ‘desperate housewives’ restrained by the dogma that women belonged in the household and not in the workplace, to a growing sense of female strength, independence, and the right to a career.[4] Coinciding with this was the sexual liberation, encouraged by the invention of the pill as well as abortion and divorce reform legislation of ‘67 and ’69.[5] This marked a shift from the dogma that sex was a strictly matrimonial and procreative affair, to a growing refusal of this notion among the youth and a subsequent escalation of sex as a reciprocal pleasure.[6] However, many feminists have claimed these ‘revolutions’ did not occur at all and, in fact, masked the reality of increased female sexual oppression.[7]
It has been argued that ‘[music] serves as a public forum […] shaped by constructions of gender and sexuality’.[8] Inasmuch, popular music of the sixties, in particular rock ‘n’ roll, is often used as a canon through which to analyse this social phenomenon, with many approaching the subject from a feminist perspective, looking at the ‘weak, abnormal, and subjective’ portrayal of the female and the ‘strong, normal, and objective [male]’.[9] As perceived pioneers of popular rock ‘n’ roll and the subsequent ‘revolutions’, The Beatles are often affiliated with gender and sexual liberation and equality, and simultaneously with the ‘exploitation’ and marginalisation more associated with The Rolling Stones.[10] Despite the general consensus of greater twenty-first century gender and sexual equality, many remain concerned with still existent gender equality ‘barriers’.[11] As with The Beatles, this essay will now show that One Direction can also be affiliated with both sides of the coin – liberation and exploitation – and thus aligns with Womack and Davis, who state ‘The Beatles continue to influence our conceptions of gender dynamics [and] popular music’.[12] This will help support an analysis of any continuing damaging social effects of popular music.
The relationship between female fan and performer will be analysed firstly through virtual band-fan contact – song lyrics and album artwork. If we consider the cover of The Beatles’ album, Please Please Me, we can observe how colour and images have been used to portray a message of youth, fun, and love.[13] The colour scheme of the text uses only primary colours, making it bright and bold against the album image: the two most used colours are red and yellow, both known for their emotional properties – red for ‘energy’, ‘excitement’, ‘love’ and ‘sex’; yellow for a ‘joyous, enlivening [and] stimulating effect’.[14] The image behind appears to portray the same message – all four boys coordinate by wearing the same sharp suit, shirt, and tie, equally cheeky smiles, and the same unkempt hairstyle.[15]
The application of the same principles can also be seen in One Direction’s first album cover, Up All Night, albeit with an updated look. Again, the image portrays youth, fun, and excitement – all five boys complement each other with their matching youthful grins and tousled hair; their outfits sport coordinated summer pastels of light blues, turquoises, light yellows, creams, and light beiges, known for ‘warm emotions’ and ‘loving feelings’.[16] The message is reinforced by the band’s logo, which sits on a bold red tab and is accentuated with its pure white surroundings. It immediately catches the attention despite its small size and, as mentioned before, red excites the audience.[17] Even the album name, Up All Night, clearly communicates a notion of energy and living life to its full. Whilst the text is not colourful, as in the Please Please Me artwork, the black contrasts with the white background and reinforces the youthful message of boldness and standing out.[18] Associated with ‘power’, ‘sophistication’, ‘style’ and ‘sex’, the black also balances out the casually dressed boys, and adds a touch of glamour, much like the dapper suits of The Beatles.[19] In these instances it is observable how a number of variables work in harmony to create an emotional response from an audience. A key concept in the psychology of advertising and marketing is that someone is more likely to purchase a product if they feel a positive emotional connection to it – an ‘emotional buy-in’.[20] This concept has been visibly applied to each of these album covers.
There is evidence of the same concept within the song lyrics of these albums. There is much debate within the field of psychology regarding what the most powerful human emotion is. However, many, of which Napoleon Hill is one, note that among the most powerful positive emotions are probably love and sex.[21] The use of love and sex in media and marketing is no new phenomenon: consider that a large majority of the most famous movies and TV and movie franchises have centred on these themes – Casablanca; Titanic; Bridget Jones’ Diary; Sex and The City, to name a few. This is also mirrored by some of the most successful consumer products – perfume; makeup; and lingerie. These albums are no exception. In Please Please Me, the lyrics of eleven of the fourteen songs contain the word ‘love’, many mention the ‘heart’, one talks of kissing, and the remaining two, Twist and Shout and Misery, still talk about either a positive or negative experience with a loved one or an attractive female.[22] In Up All Night, whilst only a handful (five) of song lyrics specifically use the word ‘love’, every single song is related to emotions and/or adventures with a female they are attracted to, and again, much like in Please Please Me, multiple songs talk of ‘kissing’, ‘hearts’, and their ‘baby’.[23] Besides the economic benefits of creating an emotional bond, many have discussed the negative effects pervasive advertising and marketing can have, especially on women.[24] This can now be shown with an examination of the second theme: physical contact.
In considering physical contact this essay will consult television footage of documentaries and interviews. A similar analysis will be applied to the interplay between band and female fans during live performances. Again, this will consult televised performances and film footage. When comparing the footage of One Direction’s first visit to the US with that of The Beatles, numerous similarities can be drawn to illustrate gender inequality. With regards to One Direction’s fans, the majority of them are white teenage females whose extreme excitement upon meeting the band, or even glimpsing them, strongly resembles the Beatlemania frenzy.[25] With regards to the band, much like The Beatles, they appear calm, collected. They appear unfazed as they continue with their friendly boyish banter and maintain their cool aura – a notion also heavily depicted in the beginnings of A Hard Day’s Night.[26]
Sex does appear to be ‘an obvious part of the excitement’, but whilst it is ‘construed […] generously and playfully’ by young girls declaring their love, it is important to note how this represents gender interaction.[27] In all cases, just as McClary has highlighted as ‘the most prominent Western beliefs concerning sexual difference’, the female is portrayed and acts as ‘weak [and] subjective’, while the male is ‘strong [and] objective’.[28] McClary continues to say that ‘it might be argued no one takes [this] literally anymore’.[29] However, whilst assuming that females do not wish to be portrayed and used in such a manner, a number of examples in the footage suggest this kind of dynamic does still exist: the bands’ cars are chased down streets; fans break down and cry at the sight of them; and some claim to have travelled vast distances to meet the band whom they claim ‘have changed their lives’. In all instances the band exerts emotional power over fans.[30]
In the first and second appearances of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, we can observe a similar dynamic. Again, the female fans’ reaction to the band is highly euphoric. The extent of their elation is evident in their hysterical physical and emotional responses that go beyond what might be considered a normal reaction to seeing your favourite band live, and once more, the band appear extremely relaxed and unfazed.[31] Yet again, McClary’s distinction between ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ is evident.[32] If we examine One Direction’s Up All Night Live Tour, the same dynamic is apparent in the footage of their live performances – noise levels from the screaming fans almost drowns out the sound of their music.[33] Also, like the footage of TV show performances, a large majority of fans again appear to be teenage or younger females collectively entering a state of hysteria (Beatles, 1964d/e & One Direction, 2012f/g).[34] Once more, we can see the emotional authority The Beatles and One Direction hold over their female fans. The key question, however, is why this should be taken as a serious concern.
Whilst genuine ‘fanatic adoration’ of The Beatles and One direction is possible, given its epidemic-like dissemination, a more likely explanation seems to be each band’s celebrity status and the amplification of celebrity influence, which has been facilitated by an increasingly globalised world of media.[35] Rojek has discussed the increasingly influential role of the celebrity in modern society, noting a growing ‘public addiction to celebrity’ of which ‘mass media representation is the key principle’.[36] Rojek continues, noting the ‘magical or superhuman’ image that is portrayed, much like in the video footage of One Direction and The Beatles.[37] But the concern is whether the idolisation of the celebrity is unhealthy, and to what extent the statuses of The Beatles and One Direction exemplify an especially important case of the damaging effects of the ‘celebrity’. On the one hand, it might be argued the bands are harmless and have many positives: they provide a type of entertainment with a clear demand; they generate revenue and jobs in the entertainment industry; they symbolise a success story that provides motivation for having high aspirations; and they represent role models for having fun in a well-behaved manner.
However, at the same time it might be argued that their success gives false hope and a false message of how success can be achieved. This essay does not question the undoubted sacrifices given by each band in their pursuits, and will not rate their musical abilities. Nonetheless, it does recognise some merit in the claims of many that, in terms of success, musical talents of popular bands are often dwarfed in significance to the influence of the media industry’s money and advertising power – a notion often referred to as ‘manufactured pop’.[38] Considering the emotional influence each band clearly has over their female fans, and given the fifty year time difference in which both instances of this occur, it appears that the music industry has successfully formulised the emotional ‘commodification’ of women which Fischer describes.[39] The use of psychology in media and advertising is not uncommon – the findings of many studies which have been sparked by its growing sophistication have addressed the damaging effects of such pervasive advertising methods, especially on children and teenagers.[40] In the case here of gender, by using this power over emotion, the distortion in equality that is portrayed through media appears worryingly to help actualise this distortion in reality. In this sense, the media industry maintains significant control over the sexual and gender equality modern society wishes to achieve, and, in these cases specifically, actually contributes to a certain amount of continued equality imbalance.
Numerous conclusions can be made here. In historical terms, there appears to be grounding in claims of both sexual liberation as well as exploitation in the sixties and the present, and also in claims that bands may reflect the concurrent social realities in which their music exists.[41] Perhaps more importantly in practical terms, this case demonstrates the potential for popular music to have a continuing influence long after a band has dissolved. Given the negative similarities between The Beatles and One Direction, it must be recognised that damaging effects can become long-term social problems. The case demonstrates the continued distortion in gender and sexual equality that psychological compulsion in marketing contributes to – the knock-on effect of which creates another barrier to progress for aspects of human rights. In this sense, many feminists might be right in what Bradby recalls as ‘pop music typifying everything that needs changing for girls in society’ (Bradby, 1993: Abstract).[42] Again, the evidence shows that this is the case with The Beatles and One Direction, and considering the first point made, this trend seems likely to continue. Of what practical use is this comparison? It is the argument here that this case may serve as a functioning example of the continued existence of gender inequality. This case, therefore, also serves as an example of a specific problem that is causing continued inequality, and thus also of one way in which this imbalance can be overcome. Whilst it may be true that to a certain extent One Direction have emulated The Beatles, and that this may give credit to the endurance of successful British music, above all their examples remind us to remain vigilant of the opportunities for exploitation that come with pervasive mass media.
Bibliography
Books
Begum, R. Depths of Colour Psychology: Business Success and Personal Development (Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2008).
Hill, N. Think and Grow Rich - Complete Original Text: Special 20th Anniversary Edition (Rockville, MD: Arc Manor LLC, 2007).
Hill, D. Emotionomics: Leveraging Emotions for Business Success (London: Kogan Page Publishers, 2010).
Inglis, I. (ed.) The Beatles, Popular Music and Society: A Thousand Voices (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2000).
Lind, A. and S. Brzuzy. Battleground: Women, Gender and Sexuality (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2008).
McClary, S. Feminine Endings: Music, Gender and Sexuality, Part 7 (Minnesota, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2002).
Rubin, J. A. Approaches to Art Therapy: Theory and Technique (London: Psychology Press, 2012).
Rojek, C. Celebrity (Edinburgh: Reaktion Books, 2001).
Sandbrook, D. White Heat: A History of Britain in The Swinging Sixties (London: Abacus, 2006).
Scott, J. L. and C. Lyonette. Gender Inequalities in the 21st Century: New Barriers and Continuing Constraints (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010).
Shuker, R. Popular Music: Key Concepts (London: Routledge, 2005).
Shuker, R. Understanding Popular Music (London: Routledge, 1994).
Wiener, J. Come Together: John Lennon in His Time (Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1991).
Womack, K. and T. F. Davis (eds). Reading the Beatles: Cultural Studies, Literary Criticism, and the Fab Four (New York, NY: Suny Press, 2006).
Articles
Bradby, B. ‘Sampling Sexuality: Gender, Technology, and the Body in Dance Music’. Popular Music, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1993, Abstract: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=2637704&fulltext&fileId=S0261143000005535.
Fischer, D. ‘Buying and Selling Emotions: A Theoretical Analysis’, Canadian Journal of Family and Youth, Vol. 2 No. 1, 2009, pp. 53-65.
Pediatrics, From The American Academy of Pediatrics: Children, Adolescents, and Advertising, 2012: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/118/6/2563.full#sec-3.
Roche, E. ‘Fab Five: One Direction in Tribute to Beatles’, Scottish Express, 2012, p.13: http://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/nexis/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T16394830587&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T16394830591&cisb=22_T16394830590&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=374363&docNo=1.
Audio
Beatles, The. Please Please Me (London: Parlophone, 1963).
One Direction. Up All Night (London: Syco Records, 2011):
Video
Beatles, The. 1st US Visit – 02 – The Beatles Arrive at JFK – February 7 1964, 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYciRQDkYD4.
Beatles, The. The Beatles – The First US Visit Part Two, 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HPVHPYXZUU.
Beatles, The. The Beatles – The First US Visit Part Seven, 1964, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-sn0i9Uppw.
Beatles, The. The Beatles First US Visit – 1964 (3/8), 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rBVuqZqmcE.
Beatles, The. The Beatles First Ed Sullivan Performance (Remastered), 1964, 2011, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHuRusAlw-Y.
Beatles, The. A Hard Day’s Night (Walter Shenson Films, 1964).
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 1, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJm6hg-IFAA.
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 2, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuuaRRFO0AA.
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 3, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke3n3xvKa7Q.
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 4, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNRoTq1Sgt4.
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 5, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntRj31g_tRw.
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 6, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDw4WGIHJ8.
One Direction. One Direction Up all Night Live Tour DVD HD – Full (US Version), 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1npzcdI6fck.
[1] E. Roche, ‘Fab Five: One Direction in Tribute to Beatles’, Scottish Express, 2012, p.13: http://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/nexis/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T16394830587&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T16394830591&cisb=22_T16394830590&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=374363&docNo=1.
[2] D. Fischer, ‘Buying and Selling Emotions: A Theoretical Analysis’, Canadian Journal of Family and Youth, Vol. 2 No. 1, 2009, p.53; R. Shuker, Understanding Popular Music (London: Routledge, 1994) p.33.
[3] Ibid., viii-ix.
[4] D. Sandbrook, White Heat: A History of Britain in The Swinging Sixties (London: Abacus, 2006) pp.690-692.
[5] Ibid., pp.696-700.
[6] Ibid., pp.695-696.
[7] Ibid., pp.701-704.
[8] S. McClary, Feminine Endings: Music, Gender and Sexuality, Part 7 (Minnesota, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2002) pp.8-9.
[9] Ibid., p.10.
[10] J. Wiener, Come Together: John Lennon in His Time (Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1991) p.54; Merton, in Wiener, p.54.
[11] J. L. Scott and C. Lyonette, Gender Inequalities in the 21st Century: New Barriers and Continuing Constraints (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010) pp.11-15.
[12] K. Womack and T. F. Davis, Reading the Beatles: Cultural Studies, Literary Criticism, and the Fab Four (New York, NY: Suny Press, 2006) p.1.
[13] The Beatles, Please Please Me (London: Parlophone, 1964): http://www.thebeatles.com/#/albums/Please_Please_Me.
[14] R. Begum, Depths of Colour Psychology: Business Success and Personal Development (Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2008) p.38; Rhodes and Leon, 2005, pp.57-58; The Beatles.
[15] The Beatles.
[16] J. A. Rubin, Approaches to Art Therapy: Theory and Technique (London: Psychology Press, 2012) p.124.
[17] Begum, p.38; One Direction, Up All Night (London: Syco Records, 2011).
[18] Ibid.
[19] Begum, p.38.
[20] N. Hill, Think and Grow Rich - Complete Original Text: Special 20th Anniversary Edition (Rockville, MD: Arc Manor LLC, 2007) p.131.
[21] Ibid., p.158.
[22] The Beatles, Please Please Me (London: Parlophone, 1964).
[23] One Direction, Up All Night.
[24] D. Hill, Emotionomics: Leveraging Emotions for Business Success (London: Kogan Page Publishers, 2010) p.131; A. Lind and S Brzuzy, Battleground: Women, Gender and Sexuality (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2008) p.314.
[25] 1st US Visit – 02 – The Beatles Arrive at JFK – February 7 1964, 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYciRQDkYD4; The Beatles – The First US Visit Part Two, 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HPVHPYXZUU; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 1, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJm6hg-IFAA.
[26] Ibid.; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 6, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDw4WGIHJ8; The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night (Walter Shenson Films, 1964).
[27] Ehrenreich et al. in Womack & Davis, p.56; I. Inglis, The Beatles, Popular Music and Society: A Thousand Voices (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2000) p.42; One Direction, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDw4WGIHJ8.
[28] McClary, p.10.
[29] Ibid., p.10.
[30] One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 1, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJm6hg-IFAA; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 2, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuuaRRFO0AA; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 3, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke3n3xvKa7Q; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 4, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNRoTq1Sgt4; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 5, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntRj31g_tRw; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 6, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDw4WGIHJ8.
[31] The Beatles – The First US Visit Part Seven, 1964, 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-sn0i9Uppw; The Beatles First Ed Sullivan Performance (Remastered), 1964, 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHuRusAlw-Y.
[32] McClary, p.10.
[33] One Direction Up all Night Live Tour DVD HD – Full (US Version), 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1npzcdI6fck.
[34] The Beatles – The First US Visit Part Seven, 1964, 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-sn0i9Uppw; The Beatles First US Visit – 1964 (3/8), 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rBVuqZqmcE; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 6, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDw4WGIHJ8; One Direction Up all Night Live Tour DVD HD – Full (US Version), 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1npzcdI6fck.
[35] Womack & Davis, p.56.
[36] C. Rojek, Celebrity (Edinburgh: Reaktion Books, 2001) p.10; p.13.
[37] Ibid., p.13.
[38] R. Shuker, Popular Music: Key Concepts (London: Routledge, 2005) p.29.
[39] Fischer, p.53.
[40] Pediatrics, From The American Academy of Pediatrics: Children, Adolescents, and Advertising, 2012: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/118/6/2563.full#sec-3.
[41] Wiener, p.54.
[42] B. Bradby, ‘Sampling Sexuality: Gender, Technology, and the Body in Dance Music’. Popular Music, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1993, Abstract: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=2637704&fulltext&fileId=S0261143000005535.
This essay accepts that an examination of The Beatles and One Direction only provides a snapshot of the music industry and any conclusions, therefore, may not be applicable to other examples in the music industry. However, the essay does conclude that this examination provides a beneficial look into the less perceptible detrimental social impacts of music. Given the influence of popular culture, the rectification of this, especially from a feminist and humanitarian point of view, could be highly beneficial. The analysis primarily consults song lyrics, album covers, as well as television and movie footage in order to interpret the messages portrayed and those received. It will be related to academic sources regarding the historiography of the sixties – thereby acknowledging the ‘interrelationship [ and] context of the texts, the creators, and the audience’ that Shuker and Hall consider ‘key [to] sociological analysis’.[3]
Firstly, an understanding of gender and sexuality in the relevant time frames, as well as within the popular music of these periods, is necessary to provide the context to this essay’s arguments. One of the key tenets of the ‘counterculture […] revolution’, which the sixties is well known for, is the gender liberation. This marked a shift from the fifties as an era of ‘desperate housewives’ restrained by the dogma that women belonged in the household and not in the workplace, to a growing sense of female strength, independence, and the right to a career.[4] Coinciding with this was the sexual liberation, encouraged by the invention of the pill as well as abortion and divorce reform legislation of ‘67 and ’69.[5] This marked a shift from the dogma that sex was a strictly matrimonial and procreative affair, to a growing refusal of this notion among the youth and a subsequent escalation of sex as a reciprocal pleasure.[6] However, many feminists have claimed these ‘revolutions’ did not occur at all and, in fact, masked the reality of increased female sexual oppression.[7]
It has been argued that ‘[music] serves as a public forum […] shaped by constructions of gender and sexuality’.[8] Inasmuch, popular music of the sixties, in particular rock ‘n’ roll, is often used as a canon through which to analyse this social phenomenon, with many approaching the subject from a feminist perspective, looking at the ‘weak, abnormal, and subjective’ portrayal of the female and the ‘strong, normal, and objective [male]’.[9] As perceived pioneers of popular rock ‘n’ roll and the subsequent ‘revolutions’, The Beatles are often affiliated with gender and sexual liberation and equality, and simultaneously with the ‘exploitation’ and marginalisation more associated with The Rolling Stones.[10] Despite the general consensus of greater twenty-first century gender and sexual equality, many remain concerned with still existent gender equality ‘barriers’.[11] As with The Beatles, this essay will now show that One Direction can also be affiliated with both sides of the coin – liberation and exploitation – and thus aligns with Womack and Davis, who state ‘The Beatles continue to influence our conceptions of gender dynamics [and] popular music’.[12] This will help support an analysis of any continuing damaging social effects of popular music.
The relationship between female fan and performer will be analysed firstly through virtual band-fan contact – song lyrics and album artwork. If we consider the cover of The Beatles’ album, Please Please Me, we can observe how colour and images have been used to portray a message of youth, fun, and love.[13] The colour scheme of the text uses only primary colours, making it bright and bold against the album image: the two most used colours are red and yellow, both known for their emotional properties – red for ‘energy’, ‘excitement’, ‘love’ and ‘sex’; yellow for a ‘joyous, enlivening [and] stimulating effect’.[14] The image behind appears to portray the same message – all four boys coordinate by wearing the same sharp suit, shirt, and tie, equally cheeky smiles, and the same unkempt hairstyle.[15]
The application of the same principles can also be seen in One Direction’s first album cover, Up All Night, albeit with an updated look. Again, the image portrays youth, fun, and excitement – all five boys complement each other with their matching youthful grins and tousled hair; their outfits sport coordinated summer pastels of light blues, turquoises, light yellows, creams, and light beiges, known for ‘warm emotions’ and ‘loving feelings’.[16] The message is reinforced by the band’s logo, which sits on a bold red tab and is accentuated with its pure white surroundings. It immediately catches the attention despite its small size and, as mentioned before, red excites the audience.[17] Even the album name, Up All Night, clearly communicates a notion of energy and living life to its full. Whilst the text is not colourful, as in the Please Please Me artwork, the black contrasts with the white background and reinforces the youthful message of boldness and standing out.[18] Associated with ‘power’, ‘sophistication’, ‘style’ and ‘sex’, the black also balances out the casually dressed boys, and adds a touch of glamour, much like the dapper suits of The Beatles.[19] In these instances it is observable how a number of variables work in harmony to create an emotional response from an audience. A key concept in the psychology of advertising and marketing is that someone is more likely to purchase a product if they feel a positive emotional connection to it – an ‘emotional buy-in’.[20] This concept has been visibly applied to each of these album covers.
There is evidence of the same concept within the song lyrics of these albums. There is much debate within the field of psychology regarding what the most powerful human emotion is. However, many, of which Napoleon Hill is one, note that among the most powerful positive emotions are probably love and sex.[21] The use of love and sex in media and marketing is no new phenomenon: consider that a large majority of the most famous movies and TV and movie franchises have centred on these themes – Casablanca; Titanic; Bridget Jones’ Diary; Sex and The City, to name a few. This is also mirrored by some of the most successful consumer products – perfume; makeup; and lingerie. These albums are no exception. In Please Please Me, the lyrics of eleven of the fourteen songs contain the word ‘love’, many mention the ‘heart’, one talks of kissing, and the remaining two, Twist and Shout and Misery, still talk about either a positive or negative experience with a loved one or an attractive female.[22] In Up All Night, whilst only a handful (five) of song lyrics specifically use the word ‘love’, every single song is related to emotions and/or adventures with a female they are attracted to, and again, much like in Please Please Me, multiple songs talk of ‘kissing’, ‘hearts’, and their ‘baby’.[23] Besides the economic benefits of creating an emotional bond, many have discussed the negative effects pervasive advertising and marketing can have, especially on women.[24] This can now be shown with an examination of the second theme: physical contact.
In considering physical contact this essay will consult television footage of documentaries and interviews. A similar analysis will be applied to the interplay between band and female fans during live performances. Again, this will consult televised performances and film footage. When comparing the footage of One Direction’s first visit to the US with that of The Beatles, numerous similarities can be drawn to illustrate gender inequality. With regards to One Direction’s fans, the majority of them are white teenage females whose extreme excitement upon meeting the band, or even glimpsing them, strongly resembles the Beatlemania frenzy.[25] With regards to the band, much like The Beatles, they appear calm, collected. They appear unfazed as they continue with their friendly boyish banter and maintain their cool aura – a notion also heavily depicted in the beginnings of A Hard Day’s Night.[26]
Sex does appear to be ‘an obvious part of the excitement’, but whilst it is ‘construed […] generously and playfully’ by young girls declaring their love, it is important to note how this represents gender interaction.[27] In all cases, just as McClary has highlighted as ‘the most prominent Western beliefs concerning sexual difference’, the female is portrayed and acts as ‘weak [and] subjective’, while the male is ‘strong [and] objective’.[28] McClary continues to say that ‘it might be argued no one takes [this] literally anymore’.[29] However, whilst assuming that females do not wish to be portrayed and used in such a manner, a number of examples in the footage suggest this kind of dynamic does still exist: the bands’ cars are chased down streets; fans break down and cry at the sight of them; and some claim to have travelled vast distances to meet the band whom they claim ‘have changed their lives’. In all instances the band exerts emotional power over fans.[30]
In the first and second appearances of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, we can observe a similar dynamic. Again, the female fans’ reaction to the band is highly euphoric. The extent of their elation is evident in their hysterical physical and emotional responses that go beyond what might be considered a normal reaction to seeing your favourite band live, and once more, the band appear extremely relaxed and unfazed.[31] Yet again, McClary’s distinction between ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ is evident.[32] If we examine One Direction’s Up All Night Live Tour, the same dynamic is apparent in the footage of their live performances – noise levels from the screaming fans almost drowns out the sound of their music.[33] Also, like the footage of TV show performances, a large majority of fans again appear to be teenage or younger females collectively entering a state of hysteria (Beatles, 1964d/e & One Direction, 2012f/g).[34] Once more, we can see the emotional authority The Beatles and One Direction hold over their female fans. The key question, however, is why this should be taken as a serious concern.
Whilst genuine ‘fanatic adoration’ of The Beatles and One direction is possible, given its epidemic-like dissemination, a more likely explanation seems to be each band’s celebrity status and the amplification of celebrity influence, which has been facilitated by an increasingly globalised world of media.[35] Rojek has discussed the increasingly influential role of the celebrity in modern society, noting a growing ‘public addiction to celebrity’ of which ‘mass media representation is the key principle’.[36] Rojek continues, noting the ‘magical or superhuman’ image that is portrayed, much like in the video footage of One Direction and The Beatles.[37] But the concern is whether the idolisation of the celebrity is unhealthy, and to what extent the statuses of The Beatles and One Direction exemplify an especially important case of the damaging effects of the ‘celebrity’. On the one hand, it might be argued the bands are harmless and have many positives: they provide a type of entertainment with a clear demand; they generate revenue and jobs in the entertainment industry; they symbolise a success story that provides motivation for having high aspirations; and they represent role models for having fun in a well-behaved manner.
However, at the same time it might be argued that their success gives false hope and a false message of how success can be achieved. This essay does not question the undoubted sacrifices given by each band in their pursuits, and will not rate their musical abilities. Nonetheless, it does recognise some merit in the claims of many that, in terms of success, musical talents of popular bands are often dwarfed in significance to the influence of the media industry’s money and advertising power – a notion often referred to as ‘manufactured pop’.[38] Considering the emotional influence each band clearly has over their female fans, and given the fifty year time difference in which both instances of this occur, it appears that the music industry has successfully formulised the emotional ‘commodification’ of women which Fischer describes.[39] The use of psychology in media and advertising is not uncommon – the findings of many studies which have been sparked by its growing sophistication have addressed the damaging effects of such pervasive advertising methods, especially on children and teenagers.[40] In the case here of gender, by using this power over emotion, the distortion in equality that is portrayed through media appears worryingly to help actualise this distortion in reality. In this sense, the media industry maintains significant control over the sexual and gender equality modern society wishes to achieve, and, in these cases specifically, actually contributes to a certain amount of continued equality imbalance.
Numerous conclusions can be made here. In historical terms, there appears to be grounding in claims of both sexual liberation as well as exploitation in the sixties and the present, and also in claims that bands may reflect the concurrent social realities in which their music exists.[41] Perhaps more importantly in practical terms, this case demonstrates the potential for popular music to have a continuing influence long after a band has dissolved. Given the negative similarities between The Beatles and One Direction, it must be recognised that damaging effects can become long-term social problems. The case demonstrates the continued distortion in gender and sexual equality that psychological compulsion in marketing contributes to – the knock-on effect of which creates another barrier to progress for aspects of human rights. In this sense, many feminists might be right in what Bradby recalls as ‘pop music typifying everything that needs changing for girls in society’ (Bradby, 1993: Abstract).[42] Again, the evidence shows that this is the case with The Beatles and One Direction, and considering the first point made, this trend seems likely to continue. Of what practical use is this comparison? It is the argument here that this case may serve as a functioning example of the continued existence of gender inequality. This case, therefore, also serves as an example of a specific problem that is causing continued inequality, and thus also of one way in which this imbalance can be overcome. Whilst it may be true that to a certain extent One Direction have emulated The Beatles, and that this may give credit to the endurance of successful British music, above all their examples remind us to remain vigilant of the opportunities for exploitation that come with pervasive mass media.
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Hill, N. Think and Grow Rich - Complete Original Text: Special 20th Anniversary Edition (Rockville, MD: Arc Manor LLC, 2007).
Hill, D. Emotionomics: Leveraging Emotions for Business Success (London: Kogan Page Publishers, 2010).
Inglis, I. (ed.) The Beatles, Popular Music and Society: A Thousand Voices (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2000).
Lind, A. and S. Brzuzy. Battleground: Women, Gender and Sexuality (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2008).
McClary, S. Feminine Endings: Music, Gender and Sexuality, Part 7 (Minnesota, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2002).
Rubin, J. A. Approaches to Art Therapy: Theory and Technique (London: Psychology Press, 2012).
Rojek, C. Celebrity (Edinburgh: Reaktion Books, 2001).
Sandbrook, D. White Heat: A History of Britain in The Swinging Sixties (London: Abacus, 2006).
Scott, J. L. and C. Lyonette. Gender Inequalities in the 21st Century: New Barriers and Continuing Constraints (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010).
Shuker, R. Popular Music: Key Concepts (London: Routledge, 2005).
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Wiener, J. Come Together: John Lennon in His Time (Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1991).
Womack, K. and T. F. Davis (eds). Reading the Beatles: Cultural Studies, Literary Criticism, and the Fab Four (New York, NY: Suny Press, 2006).
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Bradby, B. ‘Sampling Sexuality: Gender, Technology, and the Body in Dance Music’. Popular Music, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1993, Abstract: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=2637704&fulltext&fileId=S0261143000005535.
Fischer, D. ‘Buying and Selling Emotions: A Theoretical Analysis’, Canadian Journal of Family and Youth, Vol. 2 No. 1, 2009, pp. 53-65.
Pediatrics, From The American Academy of Pediatrics: Children, Adolescents, and Advertising, 2012: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/118/6/2563.full#sec-3.
Roche, E. ‘Fab Five: One Direction in Tribute to Beatles’, Scottish Express, 2012, p.13: http://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/nexis/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T16394830587&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T16394830591&cisb=22_T16394830590&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=374363&docNo=1.
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Beatles, The. Please Please Me (London: Parlophone, 1963).
One Direction. Up All Night (London: Syco Records, 2011):
Video
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Beatles, The. The Beatles – The First US Visit Part Two, 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HPVHPYXZUU.
Beatles, The. The Beatles – The First US Visit Part Seven, 1964, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-sn0i9Uppw.
Beatles, The. The Beatles First US Visit – 1964 (3/8), 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rBVuqZqmcE.
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One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 1, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJm6hg-IFAA.
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 2, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuuaRRFO0AA.
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 3, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke3n3xvKa7Q.
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 4, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNRoTq1Sgt4.
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 5, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntRj31g_tRw.
One Direction. One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 6, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDw4WGIHJ8.
One Direction. One Direction Up all Night Live Tour DVD HD – Full (US Version), 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1npzcdI6fck.
[1] E. Roche, ‘Fab Five: One Direction in Tribute to Beatles’, Scottish Express, 2012, p.13: http://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/nexis/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T16394830587&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T16394830591&cisb=22_T16394830590&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=374363&docNo=1.
[2] D. Fischer, ‘Buying and Selling Emotions: A Theoretical Analysis’, Canadian Journal of Family and Youth, Vol. 2 No. 1, 2009, p.53; R. Shuker, Understanding Popular Music (London: Routledge, 1994) p.33.
[3] Ibid., viii-ix.
[4] D. Sandbrook, White Heat: A History of Britain in The Swinging Sixties (London: Abacus, 2006) pp.690-692.
[5] Ibid., pp.696-700.
[6] Ibid., pp.695-696.
[7] Ibid., pp.701-704.
[8] S. McClary, Feminine Endings: Music, Gender and Sexuality, Part 7 (Minnesota, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2002) pp.8-9.
[9] Ibid., p.10.
[10] J. Wiener, Come Together: John Lennon in His Time (Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1991) p.54; Merton, in Wiener, p.54.
[11] J. L. Scott and C. Lyonette, Gender Inequalities in the 21st Century: New Barriers and Continuing Constraints (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010) pp.11-15.
[12] K. Womack and T. F. Davis, Reading the Beatles: Cultural Studies, Literary Criticism, and the Fab Four (New York, NY: Suny Press, 2006) p.1.
[13] The Beatles, Please Please Me (London: Parlophone, 1964): http://www.thebeatles.com/#/albums/Please_Please_Me.
[14] R. Begum, Depths of Colour Psychology: Business Success and Personal Development (Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2008) p.38; Rhodes and Leon, 2005, pp.57-58; The Beatles.
[15] The Beatles.
[16] J. A. Rubin, Approaches to Art Therapy: Theory and Technique (London: Psychology Press, 2012) p.124.
[17] Begum, p.38; One Direction, Up All Night (London: Syco Records, 2011).
[18] Ibid.
[19] Begum, p.38.
[20] N. Hill, Think and Grow Rich - Complete Original Text: Special 20th Anniversary Edition (Rockville, MD: Arc Manor LLC, 2007) p.131.
[21] Ibid., p.158.
[22] The Beatles, Please Please Me (London: Parlophone, 1964).
[23] One Direction, Up All Night.
[24] D. Hill, Emotionomics: Leveraging Emotions for Business Success (London: Kogan Page Publishers, 2010) p.131; A. Lind and S Brzuzy, Battleground: Women, Gender and Sexuality (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2008) p.314.
[25] 1st US Visit – 02 – The Beatles Arrive at JFK – February 7 1964, 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYciRQDkYD4; The Beatles – The First US Visit Part Two, 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HPVHPYXZUU; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 1, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJm6hg-IFAA.
[26] Ibid.; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 6, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDw4WGIHJ8; The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night (Walter Shenson Films, 1964).
[27] Ehrenreich et al. in Womack & Davis, p.56; I. Inglis, The Beatles, Popular Music and Society: A Thousand Voices (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2000) p.42; One Direction, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDw4WGIHJ8.
[28] McClary, p.10.
[29] Ibid., p.10.
[30] One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 1, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJm6hg-IFAA; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 2, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuuaRRFO0AA; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 3, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke3n3xvKa7Q; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 4, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNRoTq1Sgt4; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 5, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntRj31g_tRw; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 6, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDw4WGIHJ8.
[31] The Beatles – The First US Visit Part Seven, 1964, 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-sn0i9Uppw; The Beatles First Ed Sullivan Performance (Remastered), 1964, 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHuRusAlw-Y.
[32] McClary, p.10.
[33] One Direction Up all Night Live Tour DVD HD – Full (US Version), 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1npzcdI6fck.
[34] The Beatles – The First US Visit Part Seven, 1964, 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-sn0i9Uppw; The Beatles First US Visit – 1964 (3/8), 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rBVuqZqmcE; One Direction – One Direction in America, Ep. 6, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebDw4WGIHJ8; One Direction Up all Night Live Tour DVD HD – Full (US Version), 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1npzcdI6fck.
[35] Womack & Davis, p.56.
[36] C. Rojek, Celebrity (Edinburgh: Reaktion Books, 2001) p.10; p.13.
[37] Ibid., p.13.
[38] R. Shuker, Popular Music: Key Concepts (London: Routledge, 2005) p.29.
[39] Fischer, p.53.
[40] Pediatrics, From The American Academy of Pediatrics: Children, Adolescents, and Advertising, 2012: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/118/6/2563.full#sec-3.
[41] Wiener, p.54.
[42] B. Bradby, ‘Sampling Sexuality: Gender, Technology, and the Body in Dance Music’. Popular Music, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1993, Abstract: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=2637704&fulltext&fileId=S0261143000005535.