Feminist theory

 Feminist theory: blog tasks

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

1 example is In the pilot episode of Pan Am we first meet the stars of the show – the stewardesses – through an image of Laura, one of the main characters, on the front of a magazine cover. It is interesting to note that this first image of the Pan Am stewardesses is one which is highly constructed and mediated, an image whose purpose is to be admired and aspired to by women, and visually enjoyed by men.

Another example is from Beyonce. In her music video for the song ‘Why Don’t you Love Me’ Beyoncé parodies the stereotype of the 1950s housewife, clearly intertextually referencing the iconic 1950s pin up girl Betty Paige by taking on the persona of B.B Homemaker, a frustrated housewife. Just as in Pan Am, the video relishes in the period details and costumes of the 1950s, with over twelve costume changes, all exaggerated versions of the Fifties looks presenting a playful, nostalgic version of the time, and highlighting the performative nature of femininity. 

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

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

Male Gaze – The gaze referring to Laura Mulvey’s seminal article ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ which argues that main stream Hollywood films subject female characters to the ‘male gaze’ of the camera, fragmenting and objectifying their bodies. 

Patriarchy – An ideology that places men in a dominant position over women. 

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. 

Theory Drop: Gender Performativity

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

Children are taught to perform their gender from early on so that they align themselves with certain tastes and behaviours befitting their gender category. This is never more noticeable to me than when ironing (on the rare occasions I perform ‘good housewife) my children’s t-shirts. My son – ‘Mummy’s little monster’ – has permission to be a scallywag, to be disruptive and chaotic – monstrous, even – and the main woman in his life will never disown him. My daughter – ‘Dancing with my friends makes the sun shine’ – has a duty to be nothing more than agreeable, pleasant and pretty in order to make the world a better, sunnier place. If you shopped entirely at Primark or Mothercare (the worst places for these #everydaysexism clothing slogans) you’d be teaching girls to be passive, caring, responsible for the happiness of others, and boys to do what the hell they like because it’s cute, attractive and roguish. Fast forward 30 years and you can possibly trace a line between these early messages and the startling number of women who suffer abusive relationships. 

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

The phrase ‘non-binary’, referring to someone who doesn’t define themselves as either wholly male or female, is increasingly in common usage. The younger generation is gradually becoming more comfortable using the gender-neutral pronoun ‘they’ to refer to people who do not identify as either ‘he’ or ‘she’ and increasingly media products made for the younger generation deal more openly with LGBTQ issues with more variety in the representations of multiple genders. In 2014, Facebook ended its binary gender categorisation and offered 71 different genders for users to choose from.

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

there have been more progressive representations on some platforms (online, on demand services), the mass media still has a way to go. It’s worth thinking (as always) about whose interests are served by perpetuating these roles. When females (and non-white, working class, LGBTQ+, disabled etc.) are presented as inferior, males (white, wealthy, heterosexual, able-bodied etc.) come out as superior (see Theory Drop: Hegemony MM65). Of course the mainstream media relies on gender stereotypes for other reasons, mostly as a shortcut to meaning. Narratives (in film, TV, print, online) are easier for audiences to understand if the characters, subjects and storylines conform to a set of ideas that are already fixed in our heads from an early age.

Music video analysis

Beyonce - Why Don't You Love Me

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

In this music video, Beyonce represents herself as a housewife from the 50s. As butler suggested Beyonce is framed as a "ladylike" woman wearing clothes that show more skin, makeup and. The behaviour is one important factor for this argument. The behaviour including with the lyrics attracts male gaze and makes it more appealing for men.

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

Beyone behaviour helps van Zoonen theory about establishing patriarchal ideologies. The music video is a great example of constructing a patriarchal ideoligie by sexualising beyonce and making the music video more appealing to men. This can be seen everywhere so this is common which supports the fact of a male dominant industry.

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

The song, Beyonce indenpendtly I feel have helped empower woman. There has been many examples of Beyonce doing so but this music definitely support "male gaze" and oppression by appealing to men. But the song lyrics does include many examples of empowering women but the male dominant, video music industry promoted male gaze.

Will Jay - Gangsta

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

This music video shows that now masculinity has been more strong and independent. Before masculinity made were if you didn't do what is considered "manly" like playing a female sport, being over-sentimental you would be considered non-manly and think of you as gay or just "weird". This video suggests that masculinity has accepted the fact that you don't need to be manly to be yourself.


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



3) 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?