In book gender trouble Judith says gender and sex are socially constructed categories

Butler critiques Freud’s concept of the oedipal complex and origins or homosexuality

Butler counterpoints earlier ideas of gender representation, for example, some of the ideas presented by Laura Mulvey seem to suggest that gender is fixed – male/female

suggests that gender is fluid, changeable, plural a set of categories to be played out and performed by individual subjects in individual moments in time and space

we have multiple identities that are performed to different people, in different social settings, under different social conditions

approach of gender as performative is to recognises a ‘phenomenon that is being reproduced all the time‘, which perhaps suggests that ‘nobody is a gender from the start.’

what it means to be a woman does not remain the same from decade to decade

Judith Butler suggests that our gender identity and sexuality is ever-changing depending on the context of the situation and that gender is something that is performed.

Score sentences

There is an indexical sign that all the women (excluding front left) are admiring the man due to their facial reactions and body language. It is trying to convey the idea that gender and sexuality is fixed; women must only be attracted to men (being their role in society to create pleasure for a man).

You can see a selective representation of both male and females: males are only depicted as being heterosexual, having to look a certain way and act the most powerful portraying a very patriarchal society

Maybelline sentences

They emphasise how important it is to ‘be comfortable with yourself’ and by which meaning you can perform how you would like to instead of having to follow the negative stereotypes.

“Lash like a boss” isn’t gender specific suggesting the message that you can be superior from day to day by changing your identity when wearing the mascara

Manny in this advert doesn’t portray a masculine look, rather more of a feminine kind with a gentle posture suggesting that men don’t have to perform to the masculine standards and can perform however they like and that their gender can somewhat be shifted according to a situation eg. getting ready for a party and wanting to get glammed up.