Glo video critique using bell hooks lens

Bell hooks' work explores how factors like race, gender, and class intersect and impact how people are represented in media. She argues that systems of power, including racism, sexism, and capitalism, shape how identities are constructed and portrayed. The Glo video seems like a fun and festive celebration, but bell hooks' ideas encourage us to look deeper. While it features Black Nigerian performers and seems to showcase their joy and culture, hooks would argue that this representation doesn't necessarily mean they're being empowered. Instead, their presence might be used to make the brand look good and more relatable. Their bodies and movements are used to create a visually appealing image, rather than showcasing their thoughts, feelings, or agency. In this context, the video might be using Black women's images to enhance the brand's image and appeal, rather than truly celebrating or empowering them. The performers' joy and culture are being used to sell a product, which can be seen as a form of exploitation. The Glo video shows some interesting things about beauty and culture. According to bell hooks, a thinker who studies these issues: - The video features light-skinned women more than others. This might be because some people think lighter skin is more beautiful. - The women in the video mostly fit Western beauty standards. They're slim, have straightened hair, and symmetrical faces. This could mean that the video is promoting a certain idea of beauty that doesn't come from Nigeria. - The video uses a Western phrase, "Feliz Navidad," which is Spanish for "Merry Christmas." This might show that Western culture is influencing the video more than Nigerian culture. bell hooks would say that this video shows how some Black people, including media makers, might have internalized Western values and beauty standards. This means they might think these standards are better or more desirable, even if they're not from their own culture. This can make us wonder who the video is really made for. Is it for Nigerian people, or is it trying to appeal to a Western audience? Who gets to feel beautiful and important in this video? These are important questions because they help us understand how media can shape our ideas about beauty, culture, and identity. By looking closely at the video and thinking critically about what we see, we can better understand the messages that media sends and how they might affect us. bell hooks came up with the idea of the "oppositional gaze." This means looking at media with a critical eye, thinking about what's really going on beneath the surface. When watching the Glo Christmas video, an oppositional gaze might notice things like: - Women are shown dancing and smiling, but they don't have any real agency or control. - Dark-skinned women are hardly visible in the video. - The video uses Black people's joy and culture to promote a brand, rather than valuing them for who they are She reminds us that even happy feelings can be used in ways that aren't good. The video might seem like a celebration, but it's really using Black bodies to sell a product. The oppositional gaze asks important questions like: - Who made this video? - Who benefits from it? - Who is left out or erased? The video's use of the Spanish phrase "Feliz Navidad" in a Nigerian setting is also interesting. It might seem like a way to connect with the world, but it could also be seen as cultural imperialism, where global brands impose their own culture on local traditions. The video claims to represent Nigerian culture, but it actually shows a more Westernized version of what it means to be Black and modern. This can be seen as a form of colonial mimicry, where people imitate the culture of those who have historically oppressed