FEMINIST THEORY!

 

FEMINIST THEORY:

Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here). This is a great example of sophisticated media analysis and an indication of the level we want to be writing at by the end of the two-year course.

 What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?

• Pan am 
• Beyonce

Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?

These texts concluded that they both are now in a time beyond the need of feminism and the fact that they can look back and laugh at how women used to be treated and how they were objectified.

Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog.

• Nostalgia – A sentimental longing for the past, often only remembering the positives of the time.
• Third wave feminism – Was a movement that redefined and encouraged women to be dominant and sexually assertive.
• Post-feminism – An ideology in culture and society that society is somehow past             needing feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed.

Now read The Theory Drop: Gender Performativity (MM69, page 25) and answer the following questions.

How does the writer suggest gender performativity is established from a young age?

Gender is a social construction, it is taught to us by external influences and its ingrained at such young age that we often mistake it as 'nature' rather than 'nurture'. 

What does the phrase 'non-binary' refer to and how does it link to Butler's theory?

The phrase 'non- binary' refers to someone who doesn't fully identify as either female or male.

How and why does the media help reinforce gender stereotypes? The writer provides several examples in the final section of the article.

The mainstream media relies on gender stereotypes for other reasons, mostly as a shortcut to meanings. Examples include when females (and non- white, working class, LGBTQ+, disabled) are presented as inferior, males (white, wealthy, heterosexual, able-bodied) come out as superior.

MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS:

Watch the Beyonce video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’ again: 

 How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?

This contributes to the idea by showing her wearing feminine clothing (1950s), this shows that gender is a performance rather than a biological thing that people are brought up with when they are born.

What might van Zoonen suggest regarding the representation of women in this video?

The video represents the females as 'spectacles' as demonstrated in van Zoonen theory, by the aspects shown such as failing to fox the car, the way they are dressed, the cleaning. This represents the stereotypical representations of women and the fact that they are being sexualised for the benefit of male audiences.

What are YOUR views on this debate – does Beyoncé empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ and oppression of women?

 Beyoncé acknowledged that the music video contains some humour, but her attire,  and use of heavy makeup which brings back memories for some individuals who grew up in the 1950s reinforce the typical masculine gaze.

Watch Will Jay's video for ‘Gangsta’ again:

How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have changed in recent years?

the music agrees with bell hooks theory about female sexuality as empowering, bell hooks sees feminism as a struggle to end patriarchal oppression - a serious political commitment rather than a fashionable lifestyle choice: “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression. This video demonstrates this and tries to challenge the stereotypes of men. As he mentions a few points in his video.

What does David Gauntlett suggest about representations of men in the media over the last 20 years?

It suggests that the way media is being consumed is giving a chance and sending a message to the audience to move away from the traditional stereotypes and to reconstruct their identities.

Gauntlett cited men's health magazine and its focus on well-being as a great example of this shift. First published in 1986, the magazine raised awareness of mental health with informative and inspiring stories about the issue. 

 What is YOUR view on the representation of men and masculinity? Are young men still under pressure from the media to act or behave in a certain way?

I believe that men are under pressure, this is because men are supposed to look a certain way towards the media. For an example they have to show the strong side of them, they have to act in a certain way that shows that they do not have a mental health. This is actually used till today when people tell you to "man up".