The Objectification and Capitalization of Idols: A Comparative Case Study of Selected BINI and NewJeans Music Videos Using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis

Proponent/s Name/s (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

• Tracy Keng, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow
• Eleiza Sadullo, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow
• Anne Lorraine A. Norella, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow

Document Types

Paper Presentation

Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)

Media and Philippine Studies (MPS)

School Name

De La Salle University

Track or Strand

Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS)

Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Concha, Christopher Bryan

Start Date

23-6-2026 3:30 PM

End Date

23-6-2026 5:00 PM

Zoom Link/ Room Assignment

DLSU Manila Campus (In-person) - Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall - Y405

Abstract/Executive Summary

Pop idols play a significant role in shaping identity, representation, and cultural meaning within contemporary music industries. However, K-pop and P-pop groups operate within tightly regulated systems that commodify performers’ bodies and desirability for profit. Scholarly attention to P-pop remains limited, and existing studies often overlook multimodal analyses, broader implications, and theoretical frameworks, creating a gap in understanding how music videos construct idol representation. This study seeks to identify and understand how idols are sexualized, objectified, and commodified within music videos through a multimodal and critical approach, with BINI and NewJeans as case studies using multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA), guided by Objectification Theory by Barbara Fredrickson and Toni-Ann Roberts, and Erotic Capital Theory by Catherine Hakim. The analysis explores how choreography, camera work, visual effects, and dialogue construct these representations. The findings demonstrate how they work together to create multifaceted depictions of objectification and sexualization. To enhance perceived beauty, specific body parts are emphasized through choreography. Certain camera techniques highlight body features, reinforcing objectifying viewpoints. Idols are further positioned as objects of visual consumption through an exterior gaze from bystanders and in-video filming. Lyrical analysis highlights the use of sexual metaphors, particularly food imagery, to construct idols as consumable objects of desire. These metaphors reinforce themes of self-objectification, self-sexualization, and validation-seeking, where performers frame their identities around audience desire. Recurring themes of emotional dependence and romantic fixation further show how idols’ identities are shaped by external validation, blurring the line between authenticity and performance.

Keywords

idols; music video; multimodal; commodification; sexualization

Initial Consent for Publication

no

Statement of Originality

yes