Feminist theory - blog tasks

1) What are the two texts the article focuses on?
Pan Am and Beyonce's music video for 'Why dont you love me'

2) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?
Laura Mulvey's seminal article Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema argue that mainstream Hollywood films subject female characters to the male gaze of the camera which objectifies their bodies. For Beyonces music video the male gaze is shown through the highly sexualised outfits allowing Beyonce to be objectified and sexualised, bringing in the male gaze. For Pam Am the stewardesses are presented to look attractive for the men viewing which is once again male gaze.

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 two texts reinforce the idea that there is definitely still a need for feminism as they both show how women are still being objectified further reinforcing how women are inferior to men and that's just how it is which is incorrect but with texts like this is hard to believe.

4) 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. 

Third wave feminism- Was a movement that  redefined and encouraged women to be dominant and sexually assertive

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

Music video analysis

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

 

1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?
In the video Beyonce is fixing a car, because she is doing this suggests how she is challenging gender roles as back in those times you wouldn't see women working on cars as it was seen as a mans job which shows how Beyonce was putting on a performance.

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

I believe this video reinforces that women should perform certain roles because throughout the video she is doing different tasks around the house like, washing the dishes, washing clothes and garden work which was expected of women but you could go against this as at the start of the video she is shown to be fixing a car which is seen as a mans job as they were more masculine.

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

I believe McRobbie would view Bey as an empowering and uplifting woman as she is diverting stereotypes throughout the video for women which McRobbie would appreciate to see.

4) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?
I believe Beyonce empowers women and at the same time reinforces the traditional male gaze as she does chores that a man would do which is diverting stereotypes but she wears outfits that can be seen as revealing and the fact that she does housewife chores like washing the dishes, washing clothes and working on the garden.

Watch Will Jay's video for ‘Gangsta’:

 


1) How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have changed in recent years?
This video shows a different way in the way men are represented as it challenges the stereotype that men have to always be masculine. This video shows how men can challenge gender roles as Will jay states that you don't have to act like a gangster to be a man.

2) What does David Gauntlett suggest about representations of men in the media over the last 20 years?
David Gauntlett suggests that the representations of men can be persevered in a different light. This video backs up what Gauntlett says, Gauntlett found a new representation of masculinity reflecting the changes seen in women's magazines.

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 believe men are still portrayed to act in a certain manner, this is mainly because of social media as men find it hard to open up about their true feelings as they fear the backlash and the hate that they'll get therefore they become introverted when it comes to these types of things and are constantly feelings oppressed. However I feel like in 2019 people are starting to become a lot more accepting towards men and women's decisions.