Media factsheet: Applying Feminism
What are the five types of feminism outlined on the first page of the Factsheet?
- Radical Feminism - Sees the cause of women’s oppression as men. It assumes that men deliberately exploit women as this benefits them
- Liberal Feminism - Mainly concerned with gender socialisation in order to show that gender roles are not biologically determined
- Marxist-Feminism - Looks at women’s oppression in relation to capitalism and the class system
- Black Feminism - Primarily concerned with black and Asian women’s experiences of oppression and exploitation
- Postmodern Feminism - Associated with third wave feminists. It acknowledges the diversity amongst women
Which category would Judith Butler fit into? What about Angela McRobbie? Laura Bates and Everyday Sexism? Explain your answers.
Judith Butler would be classified as a Liberal feminist as she believes that traditional perceptions of gender roles in society are wrong and that male/female behaviour is socially constructed rather than due to biology. Angela McRobbie's belief of "popular feminism" where the targeting of females in the 70s and 80s was empowering is a different approach to traditional feminism and would be associated with postmodern feminism, but possibly Marxist feminism. Laura Bates and the Everday Sexism project would definitely be defined as postmodern feminism as it focuses on the diversity amongst women and encourages the combination of a wide range of perspectives with personal experiences to create a brand of feminism that is relate able on a personal level.
What was the difference between suffragists and suffragettes? Which approach do you agree with?
Suffragists primarily focused on uniting women's group that wanted the vote for women through moderate, peaceful and lawful means. In order to do those, they presented reasoned arguments and used petitions to raise public awareness. However, in direct contrast, suffragettes believed that the suffragists were not making progress quickly enough and that they wanted the same rights as men but to do so would mean action rather than debates and words. They were not afraid to use aggressive and violent means.
What was Laura Mulvey's argument regarding Hollywood film? Do you agree with it? Why?
Laura Mulvey argued that in Hollywood film, the cinematography is used purposely in order to objectify females on camera. This is done by treating the camera as a male that looks at a female as if they are desirable sexual objects. She called this the "male gaze" and and said that women are "fetishised". Although I do agree that in some case there is heavy use of women as sexual objectification, there are also other facts to consider that paint a representation of women, in the case of Transformers where Megan Fox is sexualised, she is also a strong character that can hold her own through the narrative.
Laura Mulvey argued that in Hollywood film, the cinematography is used purposely in order to objectify females on camera. This is done by treating the camera as a male that looks at a female as if they are desirable sexual objects. She called this the "male gaze" and and said that women are "fetishised". Although I do agree that in some case there is heavy use of women as sexual objectification, there are also other facts to consider that paint a representation of women, in the case of Transformers where Megan Fox is sexualised, she is also a strong character that can hold her own through the narrative.
Watch this YouTube video extract on Jean Kilbourne's Killing Us Softly series and list five examples she gives of the media objectifying women:
- Advertisement, "feminine odour is everyone's problem"
- Sports stadiums, billboards, buses
- Magazines
- Movie posters
- TV Commercials
What is Killbourne's argument regarding the representation of women in advertising?
Killbourne argues that advertising is getting more sophisticated and influential consistently over the years. She also argues that the influence of advertisement is vast as it is considered, quick, cumulative and much of the main understanding of advertisement is done in the subconscious. She also argues that to an extent advertisement create a sense of normalcy by showing women who they are and who they should be and therefore should feel guilty if they cannot aspire to unrealistic and impossible standards made by digital photo manipulations.
What is Naomi Wolf's argument in The Beauty Myth?
Wolf's argument is that the notion of "beauty" is created entirely by a society that is widely dominated by men.By this she means that men in a given society create rules of what is considered beautiful in women but this alters from culture to culture. For example, Western women who have a slim figure and flawless skin are considered beautiful but in West Africa, women are seen as beautiful if they are obese and have stretch marks.
Wolf's argument is that the notion of "beauty" is created entirely by a society that is widely dominated by men.By this she means that men in a given society create rules of what is considered beautiful in women but this alters from culture to culture. For example, Western women who have a slim figure and flawless skin are considered beautiful but in West Africa, women are seen as beautiful if they are obese and have stretch marks.
Why is the representation of women in music videos a controversial topic for feminists?
The representation of women in music videos is a controversial topic for feminist especially in the case of R&B and hip-hop videos which glorify the mistreatment of females and sexually objectify them through inappropriate manners. Many feminists have looked at the lyrics and images used in these musical genres and there has been disagreement about representation and portrayal of females.
The representation of women in music videos is a controversial topic for feminist especially in the case of R&B and hip-hop videos which glorify the mistreatment of females and sexually objectify them through inappropriate manners. Many feminists have looked at the lyrics and images used in these musical genres and there has been disagreement about representation and portrayal of females.
What is your view of female artists such as Nicki Minaj or Beyonce - do they empower women or reinforce sexist, patriarchal views?
I think its interesting, but my specific view on female artists such as Beyonce use feminism for their own specific agenda. Although, they do believe in feminist ideologies which focus on female empowerment, they often do so with a general narrative or perspective such as "girls run the world". This essentially, like advertisement, is incredibly easy to consume and also they can use the idea of Mulvey's male gaze to their advantage, they do not use self sexualisation of women to impress men, but to increase profits which is empowerment in itself.
I think its interesting, but my specific view on female artists such as Beyonce use feminism for their own specific agenda. Although, they do believe in feminist ideologies which focus on female empowerment, they often do so with a general narrative or perspective such as "girls run the world". This essentially, like advertisement, is incredibly easy to consume and also they can use the idea of Mulvey's male gaze to their advantage, they do not use self sexualisation of women to impress men, but to increase profits which is empowerment in itself.
Has new and digital media given women an opportunity to challenge sexist views or is it simply another media platform for women to be oppressed? Explain your view.
Personally, I believe that new and digital media has given women an opportunity to not only challenge sexist views but also gain a much greater sense of empowerment. This is due to the fact that these new digital media platforms allow for greater accessibility for women around the world to share their own personal experiences and knowledge where they have been oppressed especially in the case of the Everyday Sexism project. This essentially helps to break down barriers of ignorance and generally fights the stigma around talking about sexism which helps to promote awareness against sexism.
Personally, I believe that new and digital media has given women an opportunity to not only challenge sexist views but also gain a much greater sense of empowerment. This is due to the fact that these new digital media platforms allow for greater accessibility for women around the world to share their own personal experiences and knowledge where they have been oppressed especially in the case of the Everyday Sexism project. This essentially helps to break down barriers of ignorance and generally fights the stigma around talking about sexism which helps to promote awareness against sexism.
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