N. E. AKWAOWO DATE

This study, titled A Comparative Study of Nigerian and Western Media Perspectives on Music Video Vixens, investigates how media systems in different cultural environments construct and communicate meanings around women featured in music videos. The research stems from the observation that, despite increasing global media integration, Nigerian and Western media continue to frame the female image in contrasting ideological and moral terms. The problem identified was the persistent gap in understanding how cultural values and media ideologies shape representations of women in entertainment across different societies. The main objective of the study was to compare the Nigerian and Western media perspectives on music video vixens, examining how each reflects underlying beliefs about gender, morality, and artistic freedom. Specifically, the research sought to determine whether media framing in both contexts reinforces or challenges existing gender stereotypes and cultural boundaries. The study adopted a qualitative and comparative research design, relying on textual and discourse analysis of selected Nigerian and Western media programs. It focused on examining how each media system frames, discusses, and interprets the image of music video vixens within its cultural context. The analysis was supported by theoretical perspectives from media representation, feminism, and postcolonial communication studies. Findings revealed that Western media generally portrays the music video vixen as an emblem of empowerment, self-expression, and artistic creativity, while Nigerian media interprets the same phenomenon within moral and cultural frameworks, often linking it to concerns about decency and traditional values. Despite these differences, both systems were found to reproduce gendered narratives, Western media through commercialization, and Nigerian media through moral regulation. The study concludes that media perspectives are deeply rooted in the cultural and ideological systems that produce them. Western liberalism promotes autonomy but risks objectification, while Nigerian conservatism upholds cultural integrity but limits female agency. It is recommended that Nigerian media adopt more balanced gender discourse, Western media continue ethical evaluation of representation, and both contexts invest in media literacy to foster critical audience understanding. Further comparative research is encouraged to explore how emerging digital media reshape these narratives globally.