From Celebration to Objectification: Analysing Korra Obidi’s 2025 International Women’s Day Instagram Dance Video
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Date
2025-04
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College of Humanities Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State
Abstract
This study examines Korra Obidi’s 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) dance video, posted on her Instagram page on the 8th of March 2025. Although previous studies have discussed female body representations and its implications in diverse creative works, the elements of objectification in short dance videos, intended to commemorate special celebrations, have been scantily explored. This study therefore moves beyond surface-level interpretations of celebration to explore the potential for objectification within the visual and performative content of Korra Obidi’s IWD dance video. Employing an interpretive research design and utilising content analysis as the primary method of research, the study scrutinises the video's composition, framing, and performative elements to discern the construction of female body objectification and its relation to the viewer's gaze. The theoretical frameworks underpinning this exploration are Laura Mulvey’s (1975) Male Gaze Theory and Barbara Fredrickson and Tomi-Ann Roberts’ (1997) Objectification Theory. Findings suggest that despite the video’s ostensible celebration of female bodies, it exhibits strong elements of objectification. The pronounced emphasis on specific body parts, coupled with the performative display of sexualised dance movements, constructs a visual narrative that prioritises the female body as an object of consumption. This study reveals how the video, while superficially intended as a celebration of women, inadvertently reinforces objectifying gazes, and potentially perpetuates objectification of female bodies within the digital sphere through certain visual and artistic elements. The study contributes to the ongoing scholarly discourse on the complex interplay between female agency, representation, and the pervasive gaze in contemporary digital culture, particularly within the context of celebratory performances intended to signify women empowerment.
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GUU Journal of Humanities