Katy Perry Katy Perry is a clear example of the quintessential female pop star in contemporary popular music. The common focus of her performances is not often on the artistic contributions of her musical endeavours, but rather on the spectacle or stardom that coincides with her fame as a celebrity.
From observing her performance at the 2015 Super Bowl, it is simple to grasp her position in the pop music landscape (D’Addario, 2015). She avoided playing any instruments on stage (although she is capable of both guitar and piano), and presented strong imagery that was most likely meant to evoke feelings of euphoria, positive encouragement, and overall happiness. The lyrical messages of the songs on her set list, such as “Firework”, “Roar”, …show more content…
Perhaps the biggest performance of her career, at the Super Bowl half-time show, demonstrated a clear example of gender performativity. Many news outlets (D’Addario, 2015) made note of the focus on her showmanship rather than showcasing her musical abilities. This observation is telling that viewers were more focused on the images of her performance rather than the music.
Her appeal as a safe, non-polarizing artist is clear, and the hyper-feminine performance on stage is even more apparent. Perry’s celebrity and Super Bowl performance makes a comment on gender expectations of femininity, calling for an analytical discussion about the current state of the masculine-feminine hierarchy.
Analysis
Given the strong feminine imagery that Katy Perry provides, it is difficult to imagine her performing without that hyper-feminine context. For example, how would Perry playing the guitar at the Super Bowl be received by America? As Mayton (1997) and Burton (2007) pointed out, guitar is more closely associated with masculinity. I wouldn’t have expected a severe reaction given the decrease in the popularity of conventional guitar-driven, all-male rock bands, however it is fair to suspect that playing guitar does not align with Perry’s hyper-feminine spectacle. Butler’s (1988) argument that “there are strict punishments for contesting the script by performing out of turn or through unwarranted …show more content…
In the discussion of Robert Plant, it is notable that his performative acts onstage with Led Zeppelin challenged gender norms, as he embraced hyper-feminine actions, such as in his vocal style and dress, while maintaining masculine features such as being known for playing the guitar. This in turn perpetuated the imbalance between the representation of masculine and feminine acts in popular music. In contrast, Katy Perry’s performance at the Super Bowl played into hyper-feminine performances, further solidifying gender expectations. She did this by broadcasting strong feminine imagery, and seeming to purposely stay within the boundaries of feminine
From observing her performance at the 2015 Super Bowl, it is simple to grasp her position in the pop music landscape (D’Addario, 2015). She avoided playing any instruments on stage (although she is capable of both guitar and piano), and presented strong imagery that was most likely meant to evoke feelings of euphoria, positive encouragement, and overall happiness. The lyrical messages of the songs on her set list, such as “Firework”, “Roar”, …show more content…
Perhaps the biggest performance of her career, at the Super Bowl half-time show, demonstrated a clear example of gender performativity. Many news outlets (D’Addario, 2015) made note of the focus on her showmanship rather than showcasing her musical abilities. This observation is telling that viewers were more focused on the images of her performance rather than the music.
Her appeal as a safe, non-polarizing artist is clear, and the hyper-feminine performance on stage is even more apparent. Perry’s celebrity and Super Bowl performance makes a comment on gender expectations of femininity, calling for an analytical discussion about the current state of the masculine-feminine hierarchy.
Analysis
Given the strong feminine imagery that Katy Perry provides, it is difficult to imagine her performing without that hyper-feminine context. For example, how would Perry playing the guitar at the Super Bowl be received by America? As Mayton (1997) and Burton (2007) pointed out, guitar is more closely associated with masculinity. I wouldn’t have expected a severe reaction given the decrease in the popularity of conventional guitar-driven, all-male rock bands, however it is fair to suspect that playing guitar does not align with Perry’s hyper-feminine spectacle. Butler’s (1988) argument that “there are strict punishments for contesting the script by performing out of turn or through unwarranted …show more content…
In the discussion of Robert Plant, it is notable that his performative acts onstage with Led Zeppelin challenged gender norms, as he embraced hyper-feminine actions, such as in his vocal style and dress, while maintaining masculine features such as being known for playing the guitar. This in turn perpetuated the imbalance between the representation of masculine and feminine acts in popular music. In contrast, Katy Perry’s performance at the Super Bowl played into hyper-feminine performances, further solidifying gender expectations. She did this by broadcasting strong feminine imagery, and seeming to purposely stay within the boundaries of feminine