Identities and the Media: Feminism

Identities and the Media: Feminism

Media Magazine reading

1)

The two texts that the article focuses on are Pan Am, a period drama set in the 60s based on the lives of both pilots and stewardesses working for the Pan American World Airline and Beyonce's 'Why Don't you Love Me' music video, parodying the role of a typical 1950s housewife.

2)

One of the examples from Pan Am showing the 'male gaze' is the magazine cover displaying Laura. Here she's portrayed as a woman whose purpose is to be 'visually enjoyed by men' and nothing more. Another one is present in the final sequence of the pilot episode. Here the stewardesses are presented in slow motion which works to 'provide even more visual pleasure as we can take in all the glorious period detail of their uniforms and of course appreciate their perfectly coiffed hair and make up.' Shots like this work at least mostly to satisfy the desire of men. The 'Why Don't you Love Me' video exemplifies the male gaze with the way in which Beyonce is dressed. Wearing things like 'tight high-waisted knickers' and a 'vintage style bra,' we're shown a women that is being highly sexualised. This goes further when when she can be seen touching herself up and playfully looking down at the camera.

3)

Texts like these represent that sexism still does definitely exist, albeit in a different form. While they may be working to allow women to exercise freedom that they want to, wearing what they want and doing what they want, they may still be unintentionally reinforcing the levels of sexism that there are in society.

4)

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

Nostalgia - a sentimental longing for the past, often only remembering the positives of the time

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

No More Page 3

1)

The No More Page 3 campaign was started by Lucy-Anne Holmes, both an actress and an author. She did with it with the purpose of stopping the reinforcement of this attitude that women and their can be viewed as objects subjects to both public scrutiny and comment by the general (male) public.

2)

One of the main reasons given for why Page 3 had to go is how its objectification of women has meant that they are often recognised in an offensive, discriminatory and derogatory way. Not only this, but it simply doesn't reflect the 'progressive' nature of the times we currently live in, with the feature heralding from the 1970s.

3)

Barbara Ellen holds the view that the No More Page 3 campaign should continue as Page 3 itself is not only something that is 'a pathetic leering bare-breasted woolly mammoth' but also part of the old ages, 'reeking of male dominance, of women as sexualised and neutralised objects.' Susie Boniface on the other hand is of the opinion that the campaign should be abandoned saying that actually, it's come about at a time when society has actually been evolving to the point where some people actually find the page to be empowering women.

4)

The 'Little Mixed up about what to wear?' article discusses the dress choice of the band Little Mix during the performance on X-Factor. It goes into how this concept that young girls can have of not wearing much to embrace freedom is false, and how if it wasn't then boys would too be doing the same thing among other things. Based on this article, I do think that I believe the view that the paper is taking since what it is saying are things that I believe too.

5)

Both the No More Page 3 campaign and Sexist News represent that we in fact do not live in a post-feminist state. The very fact that matters of sexism are still having to be discussed at length like this whether it relate to the portrayal of women in newspapers or reality TV, shows that actually we're still in a position where things can very much be debated. At the same time though, it could be said that perhaps it highlights the fact that more needs to be done to reach this post-feminism state that we aspire to in a number of walks of everyday life.

6)

I do agree with the aims of the campaigns in that the equality of men and women should be achieved. However I feel that they can often end up campaigning against not necessarily the wrong, but least relevant things that they could possibly on the road to achieving this equality with men.

7)

Personally I feel that there still is very much a need for feminism in the modern world. While progress has without a doubt been made, things aren't 100% in the state that we might want them to be. While I say this though, I think it's important that this feminism is exercised in the right, relevant areas of society. Page 3 could definitely be seen as something that reflected the more male dominated society we live in, however like what Susie Boniface said, there are a lot more significant issues that should be addressed with women totally in mind other than that.