Toril Moi’s (1987) distinctions of feminine, female and feminist:

Feminist = a political position

Female = a matter of biology

Feminine = a set of culturally defined characteristic

The first wave of feminism was around 1848 to the 1920’s, which included the Suffragette and Suffragists movements where women campaigned for basic rights such as an education.

The second wave of feminism came later, around halfway through the 20th century. Changes such as the facilitation of of birth control and divorce, the acceptance of abortion and homosexuality and the abolition of hanging and theatre censorship arose during this period (around the 60s-70s) due to cultural counter movements in society.

Third wave feminism is different from feminism in the 60s, yet still similar. It tries to embrace pluralism (having multiple identities) which is shown in the Maybelline advert, and these plural identities are know as intersectionality.

According to Barker and Jane (2016), third wave feminism, which is regarded as having begun in the mid-90’s has the following recognisable characteristics:

An emphasis on the differences among women due to race, ethnicity, class, nationality, religion, individual and do-it-yourself (DIY) tactics, fluid and multiple subject positions and identities, cyberactivism, and the appropriation of derogatory terms such as ‘slut’ and ‘bitch’ for liberatory purposes and sex positivity.

Raunch culture is the sexualised performance of women in the media that can play into male stereotypes of women as highly sexually available, where its performers believe they are powerful owners of their own sexuality.

Fourth wave feminism is very similar to third wave, and it is a rather grey area as to where third ends and fourth begins. Overall, fourth involves the use of modern online social platforms to spread and increase the influence of these ideas.

Gauntlett Text Notes

“The roles that men and women are expected to fulfil are tightly regulated” – this implies that men and women already have preset expectations which can not be worked around, and these are also constantly enforced with notable punishment for absconding to the ideas.

“Most story structures are concerned with the transformation of a central hero” – this could link to the idea that we can relate ourselves to the central core character in fiction and aspire to be like them in the challenges they face and overcome.

“Marketing and advertising agencies construct multiple possibilities of who we might be through products branding” – this could relate to the idea that there are multiple future identities we could attain, and that the potential range in identities that they could inspire have very few bounds.

“Gender is socially constructed” – this means that gender defers from the biological term of “sex” but is instead something made up by our society, and by the views of other people.

“Contemporary media practices mean that heteronormativity does not completely dominate” – this could indicate that heterosexuality is becoming less and less prevalent as time goes on and new ideas surface.

Butler Text Notes

“Gender does not exist inside the body” – this suggests that the biological idea of sex has no correlation to someone’s gender, and as such gender’s definition is a rather grey area.

“The normalisation of heterosexuality is established as a result of long-standing social rituals” – the idea that long ago, homosexuality was not typically accepted or even remotely believed in, and as such heterosexuality dominated in society.

“Alternatives to the gender binary exist but are presented as subversive.” – This means that genders that are not clearly labelled as male and female are disruptive to society and are therefore not needed or wanted.

“The absence of homosexuality in mythic stories provides evidence that our natural sexual inclinations are heterosexually orientated”- This shows that the dominant ideology is straight couples, and this has been shown to us in stories passed down from long ago.

Fluidity of Identity – The idea that identity can change over time due to changes in circumstances. For example, you may develop different ideas about your identity as you grow older and become more mature, or you could even experience it when something as simple as just moving house or country occurs.

Constructed Identity – The process of people developing certain ideas about themselves and their identity based on their experiences. – follow opinion leaders – two step flow

Negotiated Identity – The idea that many people can discuss and have different views about someone’s identity, and communicate this to change views. This can lead to changes in identity based on the input of other people.

Collective Identity – The idea that people are grouped into certain stereotypes. This may be for many different reasons, such as physical features, where someone is from or how someone acts. This often may not be positive, as countertypes ar very common in society, sometimes even more so than stereotypes.

Styles Notes

“The mission of this venture is to bring joyful experiences and products that excite the senses and blur the boundaries” – I think this is disingenuous because due to the idea of negotiated identity as described by David Gauntlett, the experiences that Styles describes as “joyful” may not always be such. because the opinions and viewpoints of others may affect the user of the counter typical make up’s experiences and thus change their identity.

Judith Butler describes gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. In other words, it is something learnt through repeated performance. This means that gender is not fixed, and is rather achieved by things you do and the ways in which you do them. This makes you find your gender in yourself, and also prove to others that your gender is what you say it is. For example, girls are allowed to be more fun and silly, compared to boys being more serious and mature, with boys partaking in more strenuous activities and girls appearing more “soft” and more caring.

1. Introduce the overall aim and argument that you are going to make

Gender is fluid and changeable throughout life to ones preferences.

1. Establish your first main critical approach (I would suggest Gender as Performance by Butler, but you could start with feminist critical thinking, or . . . )

Many believe that gender is permanent from birth and unchangeable throughout life. However, Butler believes gender is a “performance” and we have fluidity of our gender identity – that “nobody is a gender from the start”. Put simply, she suggests that gender is fluid, changeable and plural – we have multiple identities we perform to different people in different settings.

1. Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation (Mulvey, Kilbourne, Moi, Wander, Wollstonescraft, Woolf, de Beauvoir, Woolf)

“it turned out to be more about gender categories. For instance, what it means to be a woman does not remain the same from decade to decade. The category of woman can and does change, and we need it to be that way.” Gender does not remain the same throughout history so why does it have to stay the same throughout your life?

“When we are ‘girled’, we are entered into a realm of girldom that has been built up over a long time – a series of conventions, sometimes conflicting, that establish girlness within society.” Historically gender was binary, either you were male or female and there was nothing you could do to change it. This caused a buildup of characteristics that you had to abide by to stay in your gender.”We don’t just choose it. And it is not just imposed on us. ” You didn’t have a choice, you were born as a man or a woman and had to stick to it whether you wanted to or not. What Butler suggests is that not only can this change, it needs to change.

1. Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s

Score creates a clear narrative of all of the women almost idolising (for lack of a better word) the man showing their performances of their gender identities through this

1. Show some historical knowledge about societal changes – particularly to the historical context of post-war society ie 1950’s-1970’s see this link)

The Score hair cream advert is an historical artefact from 1967, as such it can be examined productively by considering its historical, social and cultural contexts, particularly as it relates to gender roles, sexuality and the historical context of advertising techniques. 1967 can be seen as a period of slow transformation in western cultures with legislation about and changing attitudes to the role of women – and men – in society, something that the advert can be seen to negotiate.

Similarly, feminist critical thought became much more prominent and pronounced during the counter cultural movements of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, which heralded, among other changes a greater acceptance of birth control and divorce, abortion and homosexuality.

“However, the Score advert was produced in the year of decriminalisation of homosexuality“

1. Establish a secondary theme or idea that you wish to raise (eg 2nd wave feminism)

Queer Theory, the idea of gender being binary is too simple, not everyone is just a man or a woman. There is a spectrum, and everyone fits in in different places. This affects gender performances as not one person “performs” to be just a man or a woman, whether you know it or not you may consistently express feminine ideals as a man or the other way around – even if its just a small thing. ” For example, look at categories such as lipstick lesbian, butch and femme, girly girl and so on, which illustrate the multiple, plural nature of identity, representation and performance”. Whilst we may fit into categories based on our performances, we no longer fit into the historical binary opposites of man or woman. Transgender people are a great example of this, they may have been once a man and now they’re a woman – a clear example that you no longer have to stick with your biological gender whether you want to identify as something else or change your body to fit your identity. Another great example is non-binary people, they fit into neither gender, showing you don’t even have to be a man or a woman – historically they may have been the only choices but that’s no longer the case. You don’t have to fit into those binary categories anymore.

1. Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation

Judith Butler, among others expressed doubt over the reductionist, essentialist, approach towards the binary oppositions presented in terms of: male/female; feminine/masculine, man/woman. Arguing that this is too simple.

1. Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s

Maybelline, MannyMUA and the butler who – whilst they are biologically male – express typically feminine ideals with wearing makeup. Creating a change in gender roles as it shows that makeup is no longer just for women, anyone can wear it. This creates a blur between man and woman, they are no longer binary opposites. Furthermore, the way that Manny acts and speaks is typically feminine compared to

1. Move forward to the present day to show some historical knowledge about societal changes – (ie non-binary world, intersectionality, use of new media etc)

‘In an attempt to understand what it means to be oppressed as ‘a woman’, some feminist scholars sought to isolate gender oppression from other forms of oppression’.

” It is from this that the development and articulation of intersectionality began to take shape.”

“you cannot ‘understand Black women’s experiences of discrimination by thinking separately about sex discrimination and race discrimination’ “

the idea that an approach such as feminism, is NOT UNIVERSAL, SINGULAR or HOMOGENEOUS 

Establish a contradictory argument that shows your ability to think and engage

1. Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation (3rd wave feminism Butler, Levy, Dollimore, hooks, Van Zoonen, Raunch Culture, Queer Theory, Intersectionality etc)
2. Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
3. Summarise your main arguments
4. Ensure you have a summative, final sentence / short paragraph

In this essay I will discuss the idea of gender fluidity and the ability to change your gender
identity throughout your life to your preferences.

Many people believe that gender is permanent and unchangeable from birth, you’re born as either
a man or a woman and that’s who you are forever. However, some people – like Judith Butler –
believe gender is a “perfomance” and that we have control over our gender identity, that “nobody
is a gender from the start”. Put simply, she suggests that gender is fluid and plural – instead
of the binary, two gendered world that we have lived in historically. She believes that we have
multiple identites that we perform to different people in different settings. Butler has said
that “what it means to be a woman does not remain the same from decade to decade”, what she
means by this is that gender does not remain the same throughout history – what it meant to be a
woman in the 1800’s is not the same as it means to be a woman now. Gender changes throughout history,
so why can’t it change throughout your life?

“When we are ‘girled’, we are entered into a realm of girldom that has been built up over
a long time – a series of conventions, sometimes conflicting, that establish girlness within
society.” The history of our binary world has caused a buidlup of characteristics that as a man
or a woman you had to abide by to stay in your gender, “We don’t just choose it. And it is not
just imposed on us.” You didn’t have a choice, you were born a man or a woman and you had to
stick to it whether you wanted to or not. What Butler suggests is that not only can this change,
it is changing.

Score shows the historical binary world that we lived in even in the 60’s, whilst the ad was
created in 1967 – during the rise of second wave feminism, and a greater acceptance of birth control;
divorce; abortion and the decriminalistation of homosexuality – there is a clear narrative in the ad
of heterosexuality, as if the ad is fighting against this social change. In the ad, there are five
women looking up towards a man – suggesting that men are higher up than women socially. Furthermore,
the women are holding the man up on a platform similar to how royalty would be held up – clearly
suggesting that man is royalty and women are peasants compared. Finally, in the ad the man is fully
clothed whereas the women are wearing little – creating a sexual dynamic in the ad which belittles
the women and further shows the mans power in the ad.

Maybelline is the polar opposite of Score. In the Maybelline ad, both the men and the woman are equal – they share
“center-stage” throughout the ad. In addition, towards the end of the ad when they change the scene – both the main
man and woman change into fancy and luxurious gold clothing, further showing their equality in that they both share
the change into the luxurious clothes instead of just the man. Unlike Score aswell, both of the models are fully
dressed, instead of sexualizing the woman and belittling her throughout the ad.

Queer Theory caused many to “express doubt over the reductionist, essentialist, approach towards the binary
oppositions presented in terms of: male/female; feminine/masculine, man/woman.” Not everybody is just a man or a
woman – there is a spectrum of gender ideals and everyone fits in to it in different places. This affects the idea
of gender performances as not one person “performs” to be just a man or a woman, whether intentionally or not
people express ideals of the other gender – even if it is just a small thing like how they sit or how they talk.
The consistent repitition of these stylized acts blur the line between what it is to be a man or a woman and caused
the idea of plurality through gender, thinking of gender as just male and female was too simple. “look at categories
such as lipstick lesbian, butch and femme, girly girl and so on, which illustrate the multiple, plural nature of
identity, representation and performance”. Whilst there may be categories that people can fit into based on their
identity, not everyone fits into the historical binary opposites of man or woman. The changes in our society,
including acceptance of different sexualities and preferences forced us to change our views on gender – transgender
people are a good example of this, they were born as a certain gender and their preference was to change. This is a
clear example that people don’t have to stick to their biological gender anymore as they did in the past if their
preferences don’t fit. Another great example of this is non-binary people, they fit into neither man or woman because
their ideals are different – historically the binary opposites of man or woman were the only choices, but this is no
longer the case. People don’t have to fit into these binary categories anymore.

In the Maybelline ad, both of the male models express typically feminine ideals in the sense that they both have an
interest in the makeup. This creates a change in gender roles as it shows that makeup is no longer just for women but
for anyone and everyone.

Judith Butler describes gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. In other words, it is something learnt through repeated performance. How useful is this idea in understanding gender is represented in both the Score and Maybelline advertising campaigns?

Judith Butler presents different ideas about gender, implying that it is “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. In this essay I will be stating arguments about this idea and the waves of feminism.

Firstly Judith Butler discusses many ideas involved with gender representation such as gender fluidity and changeability. She states that gender is a “Social Construct” and that our gender identities aren’t established at birth, childhood or adolescence, but are formed through our consistent performances of gendered behaviour. She has stated that historically, gender has been viewed in a binary fashion which is divided into categories based on stereotypes and characteristics that can’t be changed. It basically means that gender is ever changing and never fixed based on society, and how it acts and changes. In the first wave of feminism Barry makes the point that although the women’s movement was not the start of feminism. In other words, the issue of women’s inequality has a history that pre-dates the 1960’s, for example Mary Wollstonecraft, (1792) A Vindication of the Rights of Women. In the 1960s sexism was referred to in a systematic way, like a patriarchal society where men were seen as most dominant and superior to women. For example Michelene Wandor stated that “sexism refers to the systematic ways in which men and women are brought up to view each other antagonistically, on the assumption that the male is always superior to the female”. Which also links to the male gaze, which is the representation of women in video games or any form of media, over sexualising them for the male attention presuming the viewer/player is a straight male. Laura Mulvey focused on the male gaze in films and how women were over sexualised for the visual pleasure for men. This also applies to the score CSP as it reveals much more women and shows more body parts. The advertisements implies that you would appear to have more women with you if they were to use your product.

Third wave feminism is different to the feminism of the 60s and it tries to encourage multiple plural identity’s called intersectionality. Barker and Jane wrote “rebellion of younger women against what was perceived as the prescriptive, pushy and ‘sex negative’ approach of older feminists.” They also said third wave feminism is regarded as having begun in the mid 90’s with characteristics such as the differences among women due to race, ethnicity, class, nationality, religion and fluid and multiple subject positions and identities. This can be seen in the Maybelline advert as the the main person in the advert is gender fluid.

1. Introduce the overall aim and argument that you are going to make
2. Establish your first main critical approach (I would suggest Gender as Performance by Butler, but you could start with feminist critical thinking, or . . . )
3. Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation (Mulvey, Kilbourne, Moi, Wander, Wollstonescraft, Woolf, de Beauvoir, Woolf)
4. Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
5. Show some historical knowledge about societal changes – particularly to the historical context of post-war society ie 1950’s-1970’s see this link)
6. Establish a secondary theme or idea that you wish to raise (eg 2nd wave feminism)
7. Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation
8. Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the CSP’s
9. Move forward to the present day to show some historical knowledge about societal changes – (ie non-binary world, intersectionality, use of new media etc)
10. Establish a contradictory argument that shows your ability to think and engage
11. Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation (3rd wave feminism Butler, Levy, Dollimore, hooks, Van Zoonen, Raunch Culture, Queer Theory, Intersectionality etc)
12. Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
13. Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
14. Summarise your main arguments
15. Ensure you have a summative, final sentence / short paragraph

Structure

In many ways Judith 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 – that it is structured by institutions and those powerful individuals who are able to exert power and control for example Weinstein. While still recognising those arguments presented by Mulvey, Jean Kilbourne, Butler suggests that gender is fluid and changeable and can be altered by anyone at any point in time depending on how they see fit.

Putting it another way , it suggests that we can have multiple identities that are presented to different people in different ways whilst under different social settings, and different social conditions. For example, looking at a category such as lipstick lesbian, butch and femme, girly girl and so on, which illustrate the multiple, plural nature of identity, representation and performance with feminist critical thinking. Which can be explored and mapped out into similar studies on male identity and example of this would be the work of Sinfield, Dollimore and others.

The idea of identity performance is explored further in another post: Representation, Identity and Self However, to understand the approach of gender as performative and how to recognise it as a ‘phenomenon that is being reproduced all the time‘, which perhaps suggests that ‘nobody is a gender from the start.’ The question for Butler (and for students of media and cultural studies) is therefore: how can gender get established and policed? Which, of course, is why we look at her ideas in subjects like Media Studies.

However Laura Mulvey developed the theory of the male gaze which refers to the sexual interpretation of women in advertising and media. This links to the theory of ‘Negotiated Identity’. You can link the score advert to this theory by looking at the positioning and female representation in the advert. All of the females that are in the advert are wearing minimal clothing and they are also positioned in a way that suggests they are praising or looking up to the main male character which indicates that their only purpose in the advert is to please the man. This representation also supports the theory that during the 1970’s gender roles were very fixed, as it is hinted at that the women in the advert where told how to act and that they couldn’t express themselves further. Jean Kilbourne also produced a book that looked into the institutional problem in media of women being sexualised in all forms of media. We can also link the score advert to this idea as the females in the advert are advertised in a very specific way the glamorises their femininity which is very similar to the idea that Jean Kilbourne presents in her book ‘Killing us Softly’. They do this by making females in the adverts look flawless and the societal norm of beautiful.

Additionally the Score hair cream advert is an historical artefact from 1967, as such it can be examined productively by considering its historical, social and cultural contexts, particularly as it relates to gender roles, sexuality and the historical context of advertising techniques. When the advert was made in 1967 it was a period of slow transformation in western cultures with legislation about and changing attitudes to the role of women – and men – in society, something that the advert can be seen to negotiate. Similarly, feminist critical thought became much more prominent and pronounced during the counter cultural movements of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, which heralded, among other changes a greater acceptance of birth control and divorce, abortion and homosexuality. However, the Score advert was produced in the year of decriminalisation of homosexuality and as such, the representation of heterosexuality could be read as signalling more anxiety than might first appear.

However the idea of fluidity of identity is a far more new and modern concept Fluidity of Identity means that a persons identity is not set in stone and can be changed at anytime so you can identify as who you want to and you can display your beliefs. This backs Judith Butlers theory that quotes “Biological anatomies do not determine our gender”. This says that the idea of ‘Male’ and ‘Female’ are not actually not set genders but something that people represent on a daily basis. Meaning that nobody is born either male or female and that they can choose how they want to represent themselves throughout their day. She also hints that society’s thoughts and expectations of women are constantly changing.

This theory is defiantly not present in the score advert, however it is present in the far more modern Maybelline advert. This is shown in the fact that we can assume that the role of the female character has changed over time