Judith Butler

Judith Butler discusses the ideas of gender representation such as gender is fluid, changeable, and plural a set of categories to be played out and performed by individual subjects in individual moments in time and space.

Identities

Lipstick Lesbian – It’s a slang word that means feminine gender attributes. Lipstick Lesbian is used to demonstrate the feminine gender expression of bisexual women.

Butch and femme – This is a term for lesbian subculture. The relationship of the lesbian community is organized principle for sexual relating that is varied over the course of the 20th century.

Girly girl – The term for this is to behave in a feminine way. This explores the range of gender positions where a girly girl is seen as fluid and partially embodied.

Representation, Identity & Self

Identity gives us the impression about the idea of knowing and understanding the self in relation to others. Judith Butler explains how women are females with feminine traits, being heterosexuals who desire is directed at men. Men are males with masculine behavioural traits, being heterosexuals. Butler argues that being born a male of female does not determine behaviour, she believes that individuals behave in different ways to fit into society. “The idea of gender is an act, or performance.” which gives us the concept that it produces a series of effects. There can be no gender identity before the gendered acts because the acts are continuously constituting the identity.

Score

Score considers its historical, social and cultural contexts, as it relates to gender roles, sexuality and the historical context of advertising techniques. 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. Butler believes that there can be no gender identity as it can produce a series of effects. There are 5 women and one man to suggest that you will get all the females if you buy the product. They also use a lot of words that are repeatedly repeating itself. The audience responses to the narrative because it influences and manipulates the men into something different. Butler gives us the idea that gender is an act or a performance.

Maybelline

The video ad touches on issues of gender representation, ethnicity and lifestyle. The ad, like its 1960s counterpart, uses an aspirational image showing two friends who do not conform to masculine and feminine ideals but are nonetheless powerful: happy in their own skin, confident in their bodies and their sexuality. This relates to Judith Butler as she explains that being born a male of female does not determine behaviour. The whole campaign is youthful and empowering. Slogans like ‘let’s get bossed out’. After the recent demise of gay icon George Michael, several gay men had paid tribute to the singer recalling how he was a huge inspiration when they were growing up and helped make their coming out easier, furthermore Judith Butler suggests that that’s why people behave different so they fit into society.