Media Magazine: Feminism

1) Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here).

2) What are the two texts the article focuses on?

• Pan Am 
• Beyonce-Why Dont you love me?

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

Beyonce's star construction perfectly encapsulates the contradictions of post-feminist culture, simultaneously declaring herself as an independent woman, whilst objectifying herself for the camera and the ‘male gaze’. Dress codes are highly sexualised, e.g. high waisted knickers which not only allow audiences, mainly men to appreciate or gaze at Beyonce's 'credentials' but also the vintage fashion on offer. 

 The drama Pam Am does has it's characters objectify themselves by using their looks and outfits to overpower the men in the series. Whilst the show was aware of the struggles of women in the 1960's, it glosses over it and still upholds the mainstream views of women that oppress and restrict them to their bodies being used for the male gaze. 

4) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?

I think that there is still a need for feminist groups because of the representation of women in these texts. These texts present how in this day and age, women are still being objectified in the media through the flaunting of their bodies as well as their sex appeal. Furthermore, I think that this illusion that women empower themselves through embracing their sexuality and therefore portraying it openly like in this case Beyonce, would not help the mind sets of audiences. In fact, it would desensitise the objectification of women, and could be interpret as a cultural norm.  

5) 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. 

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

Post-feminism – An ideology in culture and society that society is somehow past needing feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed.