Feminist theory: blog tasks

 Media Magazine reading - two articles on feminism and theory
1) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?

HBO’s Pan Am and Beyoncé’s and music video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me’,
2) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?

Both these texts reinforce typical stereotypes aimed at women through actions and clothes.

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

Feminism – A movement aimed at defining, establishing, and defending women’s rights and equality to men.

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?
The writer suggest that gender is a social construct and we are taught by external influences.

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

Non-binary, referring to someone who doesn’t define themselves as either wholly male or female.

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

Media helps reinforce gender stereotypes as in many means of tv and movies their are set societal rules used to distinguish between a man and women especially the use of colour being girls with pink and boys with blue especially iterated in cartoons ans shows.

Music video analysis
Finally, write up our analysis of the two music videos we studied in class. This is your opportunity to develop your own opinions on these crucial media debates.
Watch the Beyonce video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’ again: 
1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?

 In the music video Beyoncé is in very feminine attire from the 1950s this highlights gender roles as it’s more of a biological thing rather than a choice.

2) What might van Zoonen suggest regarding the representation of women in this video?
Stereotypes of women from 1950s as subservient housewives who cook,clean.

3) What are YOUR views on this debate – does 

Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ and oppression of women? 

Beyoncé is of sort reinforcing the male gaze as it contains humour but is also highlight the women’s role of being well dressed and subservient to the male.

Watch Will Jay's video for ‘Gangsta’ again:
1) How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have change in recent years?
This is a clear change in the meaning of masculinity as normally it would be defined as one who is filled with rage and violence and wants to gain more power ans control. In the video the Jay’s dancing and enjoy things which would be called more feminine.

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

He believes masculinity is in crisis and that men are not longer acting the stereotypical way.

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?

In my opinion men and masculinity have had some changes as it isn’t so much more about violence and importance as a accepting femininity and having enough respect to accept so. Young men should not feel as much pressure to act in a certain way to fit into society’s views as the term masculinity has made leaps into being more open and free.