Identities: Feminist and gender theory

MEDIA MAGAZINE ANALYSIS

Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here).
1) What are the two texts the article focuses on?

Beyonces 'Why don't you love me' and the period drama Pan AM

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

Pan Amm, the period drama representation does the subverting but also the reinforcing as the image of the female steward is admired by women and visually pleasing by men showing her image is constructed and mediated on.

Beyonce's music video is an example the article gives on the 'male gaze', the article states that in the music video Beyonce subjects herself to sexual objectification. This idea of sexual objectification is evident but this maybe another form of her controlling the gaze as she this maybe a concept, an idea and links to the post-feminism concept.

3) 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 have their own contradictions as they create a representation of women where there is an image of passivity because the women shown are self-conscious or needy instead of being actually empowered. Though, the steward in Pan Am is seen as independent and of the year/now and because Beyonce in her video is taking control of her sexuality which women were unable to do before so one could argue this shows that women are empowered and feminism is unneeded.

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

Post-Feminism - A concept and ideology which argues that in our current society we are past our needs for feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed.

Male Gaze - A theory created by Mulvey in her article ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ which argues that mainstream Hollywood films subject female characters to the ‘male gaze’ of the camera, as a result objectifying their bodies.

Third wave feminism - A movement that redefined and encouraged women to be dominant and sexually assertive.

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MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS

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

Beyonce's video contributes to Butler's idea of gender roles being preformative as she is seen cooking, cleaning and laundry which is the concept of women being presented as housewives.  The lyrics also are seen as preformative due to Beyonce singing about losing her man then pleads fro their acceptance of the male by talking about her physical assets. So, the the role of women is a performance and social construct which Beyonce is performing the role.                                                                    

2) Does this video reinforce or challenge the view that women should perform certain roles in society?

I think it can be seen as a sought of satire or parody of the typical female roles as Beyonce is seen dramatically smiling and the way she acts seems forced and fake so it maybe that women don't have to preform these stereotypical roles but the lyrics would say different. But, because the lyrics talk about her body, which she is positive because it could be seen as her loving herself and that is empowering, and that is what the man is to love about her highlights how women are objects (a form of objectification).

3) Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women? Why?

McRobbie would see Beyonce as empowering to women as in her lyrics Beyonce is seen as knowledgeable even with her clothing choice as scandalous by some. This maybe be seen as empowering to women as Beyonce is showing her body, it was her concept choice so this shows power over her body. 

4) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?

For me, I think is empowering to women as she knows her quality and worth in herself but part of her discography can be seen as her reinforcing the male gaze as she begs for her man to take her back and questions why he does not love her showing she needs acceptance by a man.

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1) How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have changed in recent years?
Before masculinity was defined by how a man can be far away from being "femine" such as showing emotions, crying etc. and overtly "manly" but now the video suggest that it has changed as men don't have to conform to this overly masculine and hard demeanour as they can now be more emasculate in a way.

2) What does David Gauntlett suggest about representations of men in the media over the last 20 years?
As before men were treated better than women in a way suggested in the concept of "lad mags" as they were filled with objectifying pictures of women. Now magazine represent men like women in a way as they ask about their clothing rather than mostly their achievements and placing actual men on the magazines rather than a sexualised image of women which was in the past. 

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

Just like women there is a social construct with how men should act but is isn't as policised as with women. With men they do have images of being tough and overly "masculine" even from birth and in games which many of them consume they have overly violent themes so boys at a young age have an idea of the way men should act. But because many people know of these gendered clothing, violent games, media etc. and how it can effect their kids make the ability to young boys the different masculinity and not the toxic ones.