Feminist theory

1) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?
Beyoncé’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’.
In her music video for the song ‘Why Don’t you Love Me’ Beyoncé parodies the stereotype of the 1950s housewife, clearly intertextually referencing the iconic 1950s pin up girl Betty Paige by taking on the persona of B.B Homemaker, a frustrated housewife.

2) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?
I don’t believe we live in a time where there is no need for feminism; and these ambivalent and confusing texts exemplify how important it is that we, as media students, learn to question, analyse
and dissect them.

3) 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.
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.
Third wave feminism – Was a movement that redefined and encouraged women to be dominant and sexually assertive.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Now read The Theory Drop: Gender Performativity (MM69, page 25) and answer the following questions.

1) How does the writer suggest gender performativity is established from a young age?
Children are taught to perform their gender from early on so that they align themselves with certain
tastes and behaviours befitting their gender category.

2) What does the phrase 'non-binary' refer to and how does it link to Butler's theory?
The phrase ‘non-binary’, referring to someone who doesn’t define themselves as either wholly male or female, is increasingly in common usage. The younger generation are gradually becoming more comfortable
using the gender neutral pronoun ‘they’ to refer to people who do not identify as either ‘he’ or ‘she’ and
increasingly media products made for the younger generation deal more openly with LGBTQ issues with
more variety in the representations of multiple genders.
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1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?
The music video helps contribute to Butler's idea that gender roles are a performance because Beyoncé, is being told how to act for the video (which she just accepts passively) , in order to 'act' more like a women, i.e. making her expose herself, being in the kitchen.

2) What might van Zoonen suggest regarding the representation of women in this video?

van Zoonen believes culture – the media – plays a crucial role in establishing gender roles and the dominance of patriarchal ideologies and the video is displaying women has objects.

3) What are YOUR views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ and oppression of women? 
She reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ because she constantly exposes herself to and makes herself seem like an 'object'.

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1) How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have changed in recent years?
People are more confident to break free from the old stereotype for example Will states 

"I don't need to be a gangsta

To be a man

Acting like a baller
That ain't who I am"

This Will’s declaration of his own confidence and security in who he is as a person. He doesn’t “need to be a gangsta” to validate his masculinity, or feel any obligation to assert his dominance over others when doing so would be disingenuous to both himself and those around him.
He is happy and secure with the person he has accepted himself to be, and is done with trying to conform to societal expectations.

This shows people who have influence over the media are changing the media landscape and going against old stereotypes. Technology is improving society in such way. 

2) What does David Gauntlett suggest about representations of men in the media over the last 20 years?

He believes the explosion in media consumption in the 1980s and 90s gave audiences a chance to actively construct their identities and possibly move away from traditional stereotypes.

However, he still acknowledged Butler and van Zoonen: “Although the popular remix of feminism is accepted by young women, it remains the case that most women and men remain somewhat constricted within particular gender roles.”

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?

Representation of men on media has definitely changed a lot in the past 20 years. The past masculine toxicity was more prevalent and the idea of being "tough" and "strong" was seen masculine however now men are told to be more confident on their own skin.