As a way of linking some of the ideas that we covered in terms of Feminist Critical Thinking towards the 4th KEY CONCEPTUAL AREA OF A LEVEL MEDIA STUDIES: INSTITUTION, let’s look at Bombshell (2019, Dir. Jay Roach) a story based upon the accounts of the women at Fox News who set out to expose CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. Follow this link for a brief summary of the plot.
LINKING WITH PREVIOUS THEORIES:
You can understand misogyny (the poor representation of women in the media) in the same way you can understand racism, homophobia, ultra-nationalism and other forms of casual stereotyping, bias and prejudice, that is, through TEXTUAL ANALYSIS and the notion of REPRESENTATION.
However, prejudice may also occur beyond the level of text and can be identified as operating at a systemic INSTITUTIONAL intersection of race/class/gender <> power. Such ideas are proposed by Sut Jhally in his work for the Media Education Foundation – ‘Dreamworlds’ which looks at the role of MTV and music videos as a form of institutional / corporate sexism and misogyny
As such, this film provides a narrative of INSTITUTIONAL SEXISM, in the same way that we could look at other stories that are concerned with other institutional prejudices – racism, homophobia, Islamaphobia etc. In other words, this film presents a version of the story of INSTITUTIONAL SEXISM and MISOGYNY. It suggests a link between the presentation / representation of the female form and the ideas of a ruling patriarchy (Fox News, specifically Roger Ailes) and perhaps explains why we are presented with the stories we are presented with and how those stories are presented to us.
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
Feminist = a political position Female = a matter of biology Feminine = a set of culturally defined characteristics
FIRST WAVE ‘sexism was coined by analogy with the term racism in the American civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Defined simply, 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 ‘(Michelene Wandor 1981:13)’
SECOND WAVE the feminist literary criticism of today is the product of the women’s movement of the 1960’s ‘(Barry 2017:123)’
THIRD WAVE ‘rebellion of younger women against what was perceived as the prescriptive, pushy and ‘sex negative’ approach of older feminists.’ (344)Barker and Jane (2016 p. 344)
According to Barker and Jane (2016), third wave feminism, which is regarded as having begun in the mid-90’s has 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
the reappropriation of derogatory terms such as ‘slut’ and ‘bitch’ for liberatory purposes
sex positivity
‘a product of the unresolved feminist sex wars – the conflict between the women’s movement and the sexual revolution‘ . Ariel Levy (2006:74)
‘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’ Hendry & Stephenson (2018:50)
Intersectionality : The idea that the focus of struggle was based around the struggles of the average white women whereas other races and sexualities where ignored, whereas once intersectionality started to gain traction more peoples struggles where starting to be recognised.
Feminist – A political position Female – A matter of biology Feminine – A set of defined characteristics
1st Wave Feminism
‘sexism was coined by analogy with the term racism in the American civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Defined simply, 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‘
(Michelene Wandor 1981:13)
2nd Wave Feminism
‘the feminist literary criticism of today is the product of the women’s movement of the 1960’s’
Constructed Identity – When something is ” meant ” to be seen as something
Fluidity of Identity – When how something is seen can be changed or does not have a set identity
Collective Identity – How something is seen in a large group of people
There is a sense that this brand is about celebrating what is already there and encouraging customers to be themselves.
– Fluidity of identity / Encouraging people to be themselves may also changes their personality at the same time
Undoubtedly, the idea of this beauty line is to serve as an extension of style’s unique and much-reserved aesthetic
– The “extension” of his personality may be a false personality that is constructed to appeal to a wider audience.
stylized repetition of acts and repeated performance – Butler suggests that gender is not fixed but is consistently by societal norms and non – verbal communication for example in my product the model was posing in a masculine way
The Levenson inquiry was an inquiry into the ethics of the British press following the international phone hacking scandal. A series of public hearings where held throughout 2011 and 2012 which reviewed the culture and ethics of the British media and made recommendations for a new, independent, body to replace the existing press complaints commission.
On 20 July 2011, David Cameron announced in a speech to Parliament the final terms of reference of Leveson’s inquiry, stating that it would extend beyond newspapers to include broadcasters and social media.
After decades of limiting makeup ads to women, beauty brands are finally getting the hint that makeup isn’t just for girls; it’s for guys too.
For this specific campaign, Manny’s encouraging everyone, no matter their gender, to “lash like a boss.” While the text-speak might come off a little cheese for some, the underlying message isn’t lost. Man or woman, makeup is for you.
Techniques
The use of a wand sound effect when the case is opened would make the consumer think that the contents of the case, in this case the mascara, has magical properties
Throughout the entire advert the product is portrayed as a wand which further refers to the possible magical properties of the product
The transition from the grey and dull room to the sparkling gold room gives the idea to the audience that the product is the defining factor that causes the transformation
The advert was made in the 1960’s and as such it can be examined by considering the historical and social values at the time.
Also the “Second wave of feminism” was also going on during the time that this advert was created. This movement created a larger acceptance of birth control, divorce, abortion and homosexuality.
However the score advert was created during the fall of the empire so the representation of women may be used to help to cling onto the former values of masculinity and that the man is in control. This is present in the representation of women which shows that the man is still very much in charge as they are holding him up and carrying him where he pleases.
Techniques Of Persuasion
How does this advert create desire for the product
Think about brand values, brand message, brand personality and brand positioning should inform the analysis
Think about how and why audience responses to the narrative of this advert may have changed over time
Essentially, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the persuasive techniques used in the advert
