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Main Article Content
Decoding Toxic Masculinity in Bongo Fleva Music Videos: a Multimodal Analysis of Concealed Meanings and their Implications for Social Learning of Masculinity among Men
Abstract
This study investigates the construction and normalization of toxic masculinity through both verbal and nonverbal cues in Bongo Fleva music videos. Although prior research on Tanzanian popular music has primarily addressed explicit lyrical content, there has been limited focus on the indirect, coded, and multimodal mechanisms by which gender meanings are communicated. The analysis centers on two purposively selected songs, Ameyatimba by Whodunit featuring Mboso & Billnass and Peleka Moto by Baddest featuring Odong and Young Lunya. The songs were selected for their complex verbal and visual representations of toxic masculinity. The objectives of this study included analyzing lyrics and visuals that convey meanings related to toxic masculinity in selected Bongo Fleva music videos and assessing the role of these multimodal representations in reinforcing the social learning of masculinity among men. This qualitative research was guided by hegemonic masculinity theory, Roland Barthes’ semiotics, and Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA). Results indicate that features of toxic masculinity are embedded in both lyrics and visuals through euphemisms, metaphors, suggestive language, body movements, camera techniques, and symbolic imagery. Male dominance is frequently depicted as attractive and desirable, while women are predominantly positioned from a male-centered perspective. These representations serve as informal sites of social learning, shaping young men's understanding of masculinity and gender relations, and often normalizing unequal power dynamics. The study underscores the necessity of community-based interventions that promote critical media literacy and challenge cultural expressions that perpetuate gender-based toxicity. It advocates initiatives that foster responsible forms of masculinity among young men, aligning with societal expectations of men as guardians of dignity and builders of strong families. Such efforts are essential for fostering more respectful and equitable social relationships.
