Music Video

Video= Casting Crown's: Slow Fade

Basic premise of the video:

Actions have consequences, the individual (in this case a white husband and father) must be careful of their actions. The series of events unfolds from one compromise of morality leading to another; which ends with the dissolution of the family. The audience must review the man's choices as they are transported through a world of what-if.

Depiction of Women:

Women are depicted in two ways one is the wife/mother figure. The other is the woman who represents temptation. The leading figure in the video (the husband/father) makes a series of choices between loving his family and pursuing temptation. At the very end of the video, we see the man's daughter - the littlest one of the family who is being lead astray. This is an appeal to the father for his duty to check his desires and motivations in order to protect his family; and is relevant because it illustrates the idea that children who are learning their gender role must need a stable marriage.

Role:

Women are presented in two ways: one as the wife and mother of the man's children, and the other as the temptation. We see this in the temptations that the father and son undergo. Both have disregarded their family in order to chase temptation (in the form of a woman).

Fantasy world:

There is no rewind button to life -this was a powerful theme that came up in the video; it is completely opposed to the idea of youthful adolescence going on forever. The proper role of men in this video is counter to that which was presented in Dreamworlds by Sut Jhally. This video is almost a response to the culture of adolescent sex-obsessed masculinity that Rod Stewart seems to embody for Jhally. Living in a fantasy world (and acting out the desires of such a fantasy) is presented as incredibly negative, leading to an endless number of problems.

The male gaze:

The temptress-women are presented in a way that uses the male gaze. The shots do not have them looking right at the camera, but instead have them making some kind of sexual appeal to a man. While this might positively reinforce the permissibility of the male gaze in a regular music video, in this video it is a symbol of danger and failure. The male gaze is used as a readily recognizable symbol of temptation.

Subjectivity vs objectivity:

In this view of a possible future, denying people their subjectivity (through objectification of women, and failing to recognize the duty he has to his wife -not treating her as if she has a right to fidelity) has lead to the collapse of this man's family. Living in a way that denies subjectivity and encourages objectivity is shown to be destructive.

Women who encourage objectification are seen as part of the problem; but do no come out as the ultimate recipient of blame. It is up to the man to keep himself from temptation, and preserve his family in the process.

Last word:

The video seems to challenge all the ideas that Jhally talks about in Dreamworlds. That being said, the traditional roles of women are not challenged; it is merely that the man must maintain his duty to his wife and children by being moral upright in all his doings.