OBJECTIFICATION IN GAMBIAN MUSICAL VIDEOS: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

The objectification of humans in musical videos has been a concern for scholars and practitioners. There has been a lot of focus on the sensual treatment of women in music. However, trends reveal that there is an increasing objectification of men in the visual and lyrical contents of music products. This study, therefore, examines the objectification of men and women in Gambian musical videos, analyzing both visual and lyrical content to understand how gender roles are framed. Using critical discourse analysis and semiotic analysis, this research explores themes of sensuality, power dynamics, and gender representation in selected music videos from 2019 to 2024. From a population of 132 music videos, twelve musical videos from six Gambian artists –three male and three female- were purposively selected for analysis. The findings indicate that while Gambian music videos exhibit objectification patterns similar to global trends, they maintain some level of cultural conservation. Male artistes predominantly portray women in sexualized roles, whereas female artistes offer more nuanced but still constrained representations. The study highlights the impact of these portrayals on societal perceptions of gender and calls for more balanced media representation. This research contributes to the discourse on gender and media in The Gambia, emphasizing the need for further exploration of evolving trends in African popular culture.