MIGRAIN: 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.

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

HBO’s Pan Am and Beyoncé’s music video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me’, both of which use the historical setting of the Fifties and early Sixties, a time before the Feminist movement, to reinforce post-feminist ideologies.

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

In the pilot episode of Pam Am we see Laura having her weight and appearance checked, and being subjected to a humiliating girdle check (a type of support underwear worn at that time to control the stomach and upper thighs). - this shows we do still need feminism as it acknowledges the terrible sexism the women experience, and even punishing male characters who behave in a sexist way.

Beyoncé declares herself as an independent woman, whilst objectifying herself for the camera and reinforces the ‘male gaze’. Her dress and costume is highly sexualised however she could be representing the struggles of sexism and being a women in the 1950s

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

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.

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.

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

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

That gender is a social construction: it is taught to us by external influences and it’s ingrained at such a young age that we often mistake it as ‘nature’ rather than ‘nurture’.

2) What does the phrase 'non-binary' refer to and how does it link to Butler's theory?
Identify as an intermediate or separate third gender, identify with more than one gender, no gender, or have a fluctuating gender identity-  It links to her theory as people that are non binary are not restricted to gender roles and don't conform to them


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

It’s worth thinking 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. 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.

Music video analysis

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

Beyoncé chooses to wear clothes to make her highly sexualised and puts on a role of a character (BB homemaker) to act for the male gaze- this is here putting on a performance

2) What might van Zoonen suggest regarding the representation of women in this video?
Beyoncé does this for the male gaze and reinforces van Zoonen's theory on gender roles being influenced by the dominance of patriarchal ideas 


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

I believe Beyoncé's intentions are to empower women and to reinforce feminist ideals however as a female artist she sexualises herself and almost brings back oppression of women for her male audience and therefore does reinforce traditional male gaze  

1) How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have changed in recent years?
His lyrics are taking a stand to prove masculinity comes in many different ways and he also does this by dancing ballet a few times. Ballet is a sport that is seen as a done by the 'typical female' so by doing this he is subverting stereotypes that men cannot do ballet. 


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

David Gauntlett suggests that masculinity is not in crisis and is instead evolving.

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?

I do believe young men are still expected to behave a certain way however less than before and the world is evolving and changing their attitudes towards masculinity. Men now have a lot more freedom as society is a lot more on board with different representations of men