David Gauntlett

“Contemporary media practices mean that heteronormatitvity does not completely dominate” – Heterosexuality doesn’t have full control of modern media.

“Gender is socially constructed” –  As a social construct, gender can vary in different societies and is liable to change over time.

“Audiences realise they can change their identities” – They can be whoever they choose to be and they cannot be held back by society.

“Audiences are active. They control the representations they want to engage with and can actively reject those that do not appeal.” – An active audience will engage and respond to forms of media in different ways and are capable of challenging the ideas within it.

“The media provides a range of products in which a huge diversity of identities is portrayed.” – In society, there are many people who choose to present themselves with a variety of identities.

Judith Butler

“Society constructs a binary view of gender” – A binary view is a social construct made up of two parts that are framed as complete opposites (e.g. male and female).

“Society also presents male/female relationships as the norm” – The world view is that heterosexuality is the normal or preferred sexual orientation.

“Audiences learn how to perform gender via the media.” – The media in today’s society constructs our own gender identity for us.

“Alternatives to the gender binary exist but are presented as subversive.” – Genders other than male and female exist but are seen as disruptive.

“The media reinforces heteronormativity through heteronormative representations” – The current media supports heterosexuality as the norm by only representing heterosexual relationships.

Judith Butler

Judith Butler is an American gender theorist who goes by ‘she’ or ‘they’ pronouns and is legally non-binary. Butler states that gender is ‘performative’ and a ‘social construct.’ She believes that our gendered identities aren’t established at birth, nor in childhood or adolescence, but are formed through a continuous performance of gendered behaviour. Butler argues that the dominance of heterosexuality representation in media maintains typical male and female identities as a social norm. She critiques the notion that gender exists inside the body and suggests that these gendered identities are realised through our desires, sexual contacts and physical expressions of love – they are not a fixed object and are created as a result of our behaviours.

Score

The women in the Score advert are young, slim and are wearing sexualised outfits that reinforce the idea of the male gaze. They are carrying a man above their heads on some form of pedestal as though he is a godlike being and are looking and reaching out to the man in awe. The exotic setting also fulfils male fantasies and promotes escapism. The text on the advert, “Get what you’ve always wanted” directly addresses the viewer which makes it more personal and implies that the product will make women attracted to you and fulfil your fantasies.

Maybelline

The Maybelline advert touches on issues of gender representation, ethnicity and lifestyle. Shayla Mitchell and Manny Mua are significant as they are makeup artists, beauty bloggers and brand ambassadors of Maybelline. They therefore act as a form of celebrity endorsement/box office draw, particularly to younger audiences who are likely to know of these influencers, therefore encouraging them to keep watching as it features people, they are interested in. The connotations of gold, the setting of New York and the slow motion sequencing of the mascaras being thrown on to the bed immediately focus our attention on the narrative of two friends having a fun weekend away with luxury and glamour.

Fluidity Of Identity – Having a fluid identity means having the ability to change how you see yourself, the world, and your actions. David Gauntlett states that we have a “greater diversity of identities”.

Constructed Identity – There are many things people may use to construct their own identities. Media helps to “construct” an identity for ourselves suggesting ways of living by acting on their advice or recognising ourselves in a character of a film.

Negotiated Identity – The line where your desired appearance to other people meets the expectation that other people have of you. Showing how we want a balance of being with others and retaining our own strong identity. 

Collective Identity – A reference to the natural human desire of belonging, specifically to a group. Our likeliness to try to ‘fit in’ with others and engage.

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