Discuss the ways in which feminist theories have informed a contemporary understanding of media and gender. Consider at least two feminist perspectives in your answer. This essay will analyse various feminist media theories and explore their relevance with regard to our understanding and interpretation of contemporary media texts. Feminist media theories generally regard the media as being male dominated and examine gender inequality and its effects on media content and representation, “emphasising the important role of women in the media and the role of women in defining reality through media content” (Fourie, P. 2001). The development of feminism over time has seen many different feminist perspectives emerge such as liberal feminism, conservative feminism, radical feminism, socialist feminism, black feminism and lesbian feminism.
Some people believe that Shahrazad's stories are the beginning of feminism while others not. The work is contradictory since it has extremely misogynist parts and feminist parts. The purpose of this essay is to find out can this text be viewed as a feminist text or not. 1) We can notice Shahrazad’ feminist views in some places. For example, there are many cases in the first several stories of Arabian Nights when women are disloyal and evil, but there are also stories about the wrong of men.
Along with being sexualized women are also portrayed as submissive, week, desperate, psychotic, emotional, or gentle and affectionate while men are aggressive, independent, ambitious and self-confident. If a woman’s role is to play the characteristics of a man she would most likely be considered cold, crabby and a few other not so nice words. Much work needs to be done to improve the status and portrayal of women in films. In the film Norma Rae and TV show, Roseanne we are able to see two aggressive, ambitious and confident women as well as affectionate but the roles of working class women like Norma Rae and Roseanne are rare, “contemporary American audiences are simply unaccustomed to seeing interesting, strong and resourceful working-class women. Whether ordinary or extraordinary, working-class women of all races and backgrounds, need greater representation”(Johnson, 2014) Too many times, working class is thought of as lazy, unproductive failures of society who are going nowhere instead of hard working women who struggle by the unfair and unequal social, educational, political and economic
Magazines, advertisements and television create and promote stereotypical images of females. Females are represented as sex objects with nurturing, motherly instincts, only focused on beauty, house hold chores, politically and professionally inferior. Males are depicted as the bread winners, career orientated, professional, political and important. This is in stark contrast to the truths of reality, where women in both Australia and America are professionals, and do infact hold numerous powerful positions in the workforce. This shows the immense influence the media has over western cultures, and how this can influence popular understandings of females.
Several factors that can be considered as the reasons why this stereotype emerges and stays in today’s society such as lame jokes and nature of competitiveness among human being, but, arguably the major reason is gender inequality in society’s hierarchy where men think they are superior and should dominate everything. According to Michael L. Berger, who wrote a paper entitled “Women Drivers! : The Emergence of Folklore and Stereotypic Opinions Concerning Feminine Automotive Behavior”, the history of this sexist expression begins with serious social reasons. Mr. Berger wrote: “For although often presented in a humorous context, folklore concerning women drivers, and the accompanying negative stereotype emerged for very serious social reasons. They were attempts to both keep women in their place and to protect them against corrupting influences in society, and within themselves.” Women are always portrayed as inferior to men.
Both Isabella and Lucrece are characters built around an idea of chastity. How far do ‘Measure for Measure’ and ‘The Rape of Lucrece’ question the notion of chastity and its definition of women? Both central female figures in ‘Measure for Measure’ and ‘The Rape of Lucrece’, Isabella and Lucrece respectively, are mainly defined by their chastity as it not only consumes their choices in regards to their own fate but it also empowers them as they can influence other male characters . Chastity in preservation and loss, therefore, is presented as an influential political and social force by Shakespeare both in performance and poetry and women become defined by this power they hold. Chastity, for both Isabella and Lucrece, is considered the primary concern of their character and Isabella, particularly, has an aversion to losing this chaste title, and this is epitomised by her claim that “more than our brother is our chastity”(II.iv.184).
Mulvey categorizes Sherman’s usage of femininity in her artwork as an appearance in which the insistent sexualization of woman is integrated into a style of respectability. One of Sherman’s works that Mulvey writes about, that I found very interesting and displayed this style of femininity and emotion was her series Untitled Film Stills. It was in this series that Mulvey states how Sherman developed her photographs in black and white to portray the 1950’s neo-realism ideas. What was interesting about this series by Sherman, was that she used herself as the model for all of her photographs, while also coming up with the wardrobe, setting, and props for her photograph. This is something that is both fascinating and impressive, about Sherman’s work that Mulvey really focuses on.
09/29/09 The film “Boys Don’t Cry” is a powerful work of art, made more visceral by the fact that it is all based on a true story. It tells the tale of Teena Brandon, a young woman whose natural attraction to other girls leads her to live her life as a male under the alias “Brandon Teena”. It tells of the discrimination and even violence she encounters based on her sexuality, and her ultimately fatal attraction to another young woman named Lana Tisdel. One aspect of the film that interested me was Teena’s overall personality, influenced by her confusion of what gender she is and what gender she wants to be. She clearly is sexually attracted to girls, and identifies with herself as a boy.
The Patriarchal Hurdle of Feminism in Films The three articles share parallel views, essentially echoing how the portrayal of women within performing arts, particularly in films, has evolved over time. Films produced prior to 1970s frequently contained prominent sexist biases, stereotyping women to their traditional submissive roles and portraying them as subservient to men. Films produced after the 1970s, however, were observed to gradually contain greater and more positive representation of women within the social hierarchy, with women sharing equivalent if not greater autonomy compared to men. Despite such trends reforming the sexist stigma, progress has been and still is impeded by a deep-rooted patriarchal ideology. It is largely due to this hereditary social ideology that feminist movements face their limitations.
By freeing themselves of traditional social roles, women were told to unleash their inner felines and put their bodies on full display. This is evident with such icons as Marilyn Monroe, Julie Newmar, and Playboy magazine. Flaunting their figures has become synonymous with female empowerment. However there was a backlash to this revolution such as the increase of