- Introduce the overall aim and argument that you are going to make
- Establish your first main critical approach (I would suggest Gender as Performance by Butler, but . . . )
- Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation (Mulvey, Kilbourne, Moi, Wander, Wollstonescraft, Woolf, de Beauvoir, Van Zoonen, Dollimore, Woolf, Levy)
- Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
- Show some historical knowledge about societal changes
- Establish a secondary theme or idea that you wish to raise (1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th wave feminism, Raunch Culture, Queer Theory, Intersectionality)
- Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation
- Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
- Show some historical knowledge about societal changes
- Establish a contradictory argument that shows your ability to think and engage
- Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation
- Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
- Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
- Summarise your main arguments
- Ensure you have a summative, final sentence / short paragraph
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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 how gender is represented in both the Score and Maybelline advertising campaigns?
In this essay I will be constructing an argument based on the principles of Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity, which will evaluate the foundations of gender and identity and how they are represented throughout media. To do this I will analyse the gender representations in a print advert for Score, from the 1960s, and a video advert for Maybelline, made in 2017.
Judith Butler, in 1988, theorises that ‘rituals and performative actions constantly reinforce our identities’ which implies that it is your behaviour that fabricate your gender and identity, most significantly your repeated behaviour. In saying that, she highlights that no one is just born with an identity but as people grow up and as people are exposed to new knowledge and experiences and hardships; that is when one’s identity is formed. This approach is extremely subjective as just because a certain practice may be typically performed by a girl, such as painting your nails, does not mean that it cannot be performed by a male or any other gender. Therefore, because we the ones that control our performative actions, we have the ability to control and re-shape our identities, linking to David Gauntlett’s theory of fluid identity, which tells us that in reality gender is a social construction and is completely subjective. She states the issues with maintaining an identity which ‘falls outside of heterosexual norm in our society’ as it tends to be ‘a subversive act that takes a great deal of effort to maintain’. This is likely due to institutions, such as the advertising industry, who have constructed an ‘ideal’ identity whereby women have to be submissive and sexy whereas men had to be dominant and emotionless therefore under representing non-heterosexual identities and causing people to believe certain identities are more valid than others – which of course, is not the case. Her theory may have been the catalyst for the third wave of feminism at the beginning of the 1990s as it was solely focused on pluralism towards race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender and nationality when discussing feminism, rather than just the role of women in society.
Score’s hair cream advert was made in 1967 and is a reactionary representation of men and women, highlighting the objective views people had of gender identity during this time. This is stereotypical of the advertising industry as these representations were very much reflect the dominating ideology at the time due to the fact it is portraying the white male as the dominant figure, which contrasts the females who are portrayed as submissive. Therefore, these gender representations support Butlers idea of gender performativity as according to society at the time, it is the male’s active dominance which makes him a man, and the females’ active submission which makes them women. The advert highly sexualises women by using conventionally attractive women and exposing their bodies by dressing them in little to no clothing, which seems ironic considering the product is to be used by men, reflecting upon Laura Mulvey’s notion of the Male Gaze as they are characters whose “appearance [is] coded for [a] strong visual and erotic impact” (“Visual and Other Pleasures”, 1989). This illustrates the role of women in society at the time, as they are only there to look attractive in order to feed the voyeuristic tendencies of the patriarchy and therefore are not serving any practical purpose other than to make the product sell – they are being used for their bodies. In saying that, it is very clear that the advert was produced before any real progress was made with regards to the role of women in society as although it was made after the first and second wave of feminism, it was not until the third wave of feminism in the 1990s that people began focusing on the representation of women and how they are treated throughout media, which was a lot more broad compared to previous waves, and therefore Score’s degrading representations of women would not have been affected by this movement.
Maybelline’s big shot mascara campaign was made in 2017 and portrays a radical representation of men and women as it ‘marks Maybelline’s first-ever partnership with a man as the star of a campaign’ (Glamour Magazine, 2017). This can be seen as revolutionary, or as Manny states ‘breaking boundaries,’ as is it contrasts the dominant ideology that men typically don’t wear makeup and especially because there is a lack of representation of men in the cosmetics industry. This reflects upon David Gauntlett’s theory of fluidity of identity as Maybelline are advertising the product is being advertised to both men and women. Manny, despite being male, appears to have more feminine mannerisms, such as the way he dresses and speaks, which is typical of someone in the LGBTQ+ community, like himself, and corresponds with Toril Moi’s distinctions between being female, feminine and a feminist as he illustrates that it is possible to be feminine without being a female. Therefore his repeated performance of feminine acts is the foundation of his identity and what signifies to others how he identifies, supporting Butler’s theory that ‘identity is instituted through a stylised repetition of acts’. The advert perfectly illustrates a shift of certain social conventions in the sense that it highlights the growing acceptance of gender identities that aren’t just male or female. Despite the possession of such identities tends to be, in the words of Butler, ‘a subversive act that takes a great deal of effort to maintain’, the advert highlights how as a society we have grown to be more acceptive of them and the performative acts that come with them. This may have derived from the third wave of feminism at the beginning of the 1990s as it was solely focused on pluralism towards race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender and nationality when discussing feminism, rather than just the role of women in society.
To conclude, both the Score hair cream advert and the Maybelline big shot advert support Judith Butler’s theory that gender is ‘an identity instituted through a stylised repetition of acts’ and help us understand the representation of gender . In terms of Score, each characters identity is made very clear due to the traditional conventions portrayed, for example the women portray a submissive persona which was a stereotypical female performative act at the time. In terms of Maybelline, the protagonists repetition of feminine performative acts, is what illustrates to others how he identifies as they are typical of homosexual conventions.
essay
Question: 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?
Introduce the overall aim and argument that you are going to make
Establish your first main critical approach (I would suggest Gender as Performance by Butler, but . . . )
In this essay I am going to make a few arguments based on Butlers idea of gender by linking to ideas such as gender as performance and waves of feminism. Also, in this essay I am going to be using Score and Maybelline to help defend my argument.
Judith Butler presents gender with many different ideas, claiming that it is “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”.
Butler suggests that gender is not fixed and presented through a stylized repetition of acts. “An identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. For example a woman sitting in a certain way that makes her a woman.
Judith Butler is known as a 3rd wave feminist Third-wave feminism began in the early 1990s, coined by Naomi Wolf, it was a response to the generation gap between the feminist movement of the 1960’s and ’70’s, challenging and re-contextualising some of the definitions of femininity that grew out of that earlier period. In particular, the third-wave sees women’s lives as intersectional, demonstrating a pluralism towards race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender and nationality when discussing feminism.
Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation (Mulvey, Kilbourne, Moi, Wander, Wollstonescraft, Woolf, de Beauvoir, Van Zoonen, Dollimore, Woolf, Levy)
On the other hand,, Laura Mulvey is seen as a 2nd wave feminist engaged in film theory from Britain, best known for her essay on Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Her theories are influenced by the likes of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan whilst also including psychoanalysis and feminism in her works.
Indeed 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: the facilitation of of birth control and divorce, the acceptance of abortion and homosexuality, the abolition of hanging and theatre censorship, and the Obscene Publications Act (1959) – which led to the Chatterly trial. Nevertheless,
Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist. She was educated at St Hilda’s College, Oxford. She is currently professor of film and media studies at Birkbeck, University of London and wrote:
“It is said that analysing pleasure, or beauty, destroys it.”
Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
The quote from Mulvey can be applied to Maybelline because Maybelline is a makeup company which people use to make themselves better looking and to show beauty
Show some historical knowledge about societal changes
Maybelline was made in a time that is different from when Score was made. The Maybelline advert was their first advert that introduced a male actor to promote make up.
The score advert was made in a time when men were seen as more powerful and better than woman.
Establish a secondary theme or idea that you wish to raise (1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th wave feminism, Raunch Culture, Queer Theory, Intersectionality)
It is interesting to note the differences between 2nd and 3rd wave feminism as in 3rd wave feminism characterised by Butler,
“Male and female identities are not naturally configured” – in other words, you can choose who you want to be.
“Popular culture within the process of constructing their sense of identity” – The general idea of genders is constructed by opinions and stereotypes.
“Audiences learn how to perform gender via the media.” – The media in today’s society constructs our own gender identity for us.
“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).
“Audiences realise they can change their identities” – They can be whoever you want to be without being held back by society.
Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation
Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
Show some historical knowledge about societal changes
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.
There was also the abolition of hanging and theatre censorship, and the Obscene Publications Act (1959) which led to the Chatterly trial. Nevertheless, as Johnathon Dollimore wrote: ‘all this should not be seen as a straightforward displacement of dominant conservative attitudes‘ (1983:59).
However, the Score advert was produced in the year of decriminalisation of homosexuality and as such, the representation of heterosexuality could be read as signaling more anxiety than might first appear. The reference to colonialist values can also be linked to social and cultural contexts of the ending of Empire.
Establish a contradictory argument that shows your ability to think and engage
Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation
Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
Summarise your main arguments
Ensure you have a summative, final sentence / short paragraph
CSP – SCORE AND MAYBELLINE ESSAY
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?
Both advertising campaigns use stereotypical representations of gender as well as both archaic and modern views. They both also display representation of femininity, masculinity, and sexuality. Butler’s ideology “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts,” communicates that gender is not fixed, it is a fluid identity that changes based off how we act and what we do. Stereotypical gender traits such as the clothes we wear and if we wear makeup are connected to the traditional binary: male or female, creating the impression that we have a “seamless and permanent” gender identity. These “rituals” display our identity to ourselves and society. Society has often blurred the distinction between someone’s sex and their gender. Sex being the biological category assigned at birth (male or female), while gender being the social construct which encapsulates the idea that everything, from careers to clothing fit into a set category, either (boy or girl). Butler believes that no one is born with a gender, it is an identity which develops as we develop and experience new things, meet new people and form personality. Toril Moi distinguishes these definitions which have often been misused in society “feminist = a political position, female = a matter of biology, feminine = a set of culturally defined characteristics.” Butler theorises that there is a difference between how gender is performative (it is defined by the ‘performative’ speech acts, mannerisms and even clothing, for example) and how it is a performance (it is an identity that we ‘put on’ to meet the expectations of others).
The Maybelline advertising campaign: ‘That Boss Life,’ is a counter-typical representation of gender and truly encapsulates Butler’s idea that gender is non-linear. The advertisement also has links to sexuality and how expression of sexuality (especially in media productions) is attached to stereotypes. Manny Gutierrez (MUA), featured in the video advert, is a gay male and the first, male makeup artist to be the face of the brand – “a gay YouTube star has become the first male model for international cosmetic giant Maybelline.” As well as this, Shayla Mitchell is a black woman, and her representation is majorly important to move forward with diversity and to move away from productions that only include white, heterosexual males. Immediately, Manny creates a new representation of what ‘being a man’ looks like. His portrayal de-constructs the traditional binary which suggests that men should be toxically masculine. His representation is ‘typically’ feminine and being connected to a makeup brand juxtaposes archaic ideas that only girls can utilise and seek a sense self-expression through makeup and fashion etc. Relating to David Gauntlett’s theories on identity, the advert shows that each of us have a fluidity in our identity, it is everchanging, especially as we are influenced, as we adapt. Judith Butler said that “Media presentations of homosexuality often use exaggerate masculine or feminine behaviours in a comedic way;” linking to Manny, his persona in the advert is majorly over-exaggerated, a performance far from reality, which matches to the cliched collective identity attached to homosexuality, which is seldom a-likened to real life. Gauntlett’s ‘collective identity’ theory encompasses the idea that people who share a similar interest or personality are often stereotyped together and are categorized and defined by this typecast. His presentation becomes ‘comedic’ and ‘cringy,’ through use of colloquial language surrounding the gay community such as “mama” and “extra.” In spite of this, his involvement is a step in a positive direction to “suppress heteronormativity.” Iconic signifier’s such as the gold, sparkly packaging on the product and the shimmery outfits worn, alongside the iconic sound effect of a ‘magic wand’ says that using the product can transform your appearance, give confidence, and make you look like ‘a boss.’ All connoting to the idea of displaying a production, a show, to meet the expectations of others.
On the other hand, the Score print advertisement opposes the freedom and diversity seen in the Maybelline advert. The advert echoes anti-feminist societal views, the patriarchy and misogyny seen in and around the 1970’s. The male character is at a higher physical position to the female characters looking up at him (one of them reaching, trying to touch him), connoting to the superior, authoritarian position he holds; reflected through the characters use of a shotgun and masculine features such as body hair. Men were supposed to be earning money whilst their wife would support him by completing the housework. This dominant ideology in 1960’s society, sparked the second wave of feminism. In the advert, this is displayed whilst the female’s carry him on a pedestal and support his weight. The second wave saw feminist critical thinking take a new stance with feminists advocating for acceptance of abortion, divorce, and homosexuality. Contrastingly, in the first wave period, feminist groups such as ‘The Suffragettes’ revolted against having a lack of basic human rights such as being allowed to vote. The female characters are over-sexualised through their ‘revealing’ clothing, body language/position, and excessive makeup. This reflects the gender stereotype that women were objects of male pleasure and proves Laura Mulvey’s second wave feminist theory on ‘The Male Gaze,’ which says that female characters in visual arts and literature are often presented as sexual objects for heterosexual male gratification, and the theory of voyeurism; being that sex and sexualisation of femininity is “one of the most obvious persuaders in advertising.”
At the start of the end of the 20th century, Naomi Wolf kickstarted the third wave of feminism and encouraged ‘pluralism,’ meaning that the term ‘feminism’ would advocate for diversity in other areas as well as gender. Butler’s theories suggest that this contrast between gender expression only promoted patriarchy and the objectification of women being used only as a means of sexualisation. This representation of manipulated femininity skewed into over-sexualisation is unnecessary with no link to the Score product. Modern campaigns such as the #MeToo movement encourage victims of sexual assault to share their experiences and take ownership of their own expression of sexuality.
In conclusion, both CSP’s display gender and sexuality stereotypes as well as linking to Butler’s theory and representing gender as an identity formed through stylistic acts.
feminist critical thinking
- Feminist = a political position
- Female = a matter of biology
- Feminine = a set of culturally defined characteristics
First wave of Feminism
In the past men were regarded greater at creating literally pieces and writings then woman were. Virginia Woolf stating that simply if women were not stereotyped and given equal opportunities to men originally, then more literacy pieces would have been made. These opportunities being not regarded as worse or beneath men and given the correct education and same rights as men.
Mary Wollstonecraft: was an English writer, philosopher, and advocate of women’s rights. She was one of the first advocate for woman’s rights and created a piece in 1792 named “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects” which is about as the name states, a moral and vindication of women’s rights.
Second wave of Feminism
‘the feminist literary criticism of today is the product of the women’s movement of the 1960’s’(Barry 2017:123)
- Feminist critical thought became much more prominent and pronounced during the counter cultural movements of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
- The Obscene Publications Act (1959) – which led to the Chatterly trial.
- A feminist group during this wave was the suffragettes who argued for voting rights for women.
- In 1913 a woman under the name Emily Wilding Davison took it upon herself to break into the track of a horse race and being trampled/hit by King George V’s horse “Anmer” to make a point and publicise the suffragettes movement. This was a show of how far these women were willing to go for their movement.
Third wave of Feminism
The Third Wave of feminism was greatly focused on reproductive rights for women.
Third-wave feminism began in the early 1990s, led by Naomi Wolf. Challenging and re-contextualising some of the definitions of femininity that grew out of that earlier period. The third-wave sees women’s lives as intersectional, demonstrating a pluralism towards race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender and nationality when discussing feminism.
Born in the 1960s and 1970s as members of Generation X and grounded in the civil-rights advances of the second wave, third-wave feminists embraced individualism in women and diversity and sought to redefine what it meant to be a feminist.
The third wave is traced to the emergence of the riot grrrl feminist punk subculture in Olympia, Washington, in the early 1990s
According to Barker and Jane (2016) 3rd wave 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
- 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)
An idea of 3rd wave in modern times is the body positivity and sex positivity in feminism, women want to be able to show off their bodies without it having to be a big deal. This is reinforced by things like the ‘Free the Nipple’ campaign.
FEMINIST CRITICAL THINKING
- Feminist = a political position
- Female = a matter of biology
- Feminine = a set of culturally defined characteristics
First wave of feminism:
Mary Wollstonecraft (1792): One of the the first advocates of woman’s rights. She authored the book “A vindication of woman’s rights” in 1792 which was a book based on the political and moral subjects of woman’s rights.
Second wave of feminism:
The British Suffragettes started to make statements and bringing attention to their points and ideas after being ignored late in the 1860s. In 1913 a woman under the name Emily Wilding Davison took it upon herself to break into the track of a horse race and being trampled/hit by King George V’s horse “Anmer” to make a point and publicise the suffragettes movement. As well as this the suffragettes supporter, “Miss Nell” chained herself to the railing of Buckingham palace to make a point about woman requiring a vote.
As well as this the suffragists movement was also making statements and bringing attention to their movement by non-violent, non-aggressive and non-dangerous rallies and public speeches.
Third wave of feminism:
The third wave started with the generation gap of the 1960-70s where they re-stated and challenged the normal ideas of feminists and sexism. While they also fought for woman of different races, ethnicity and class to be treated better due to the fact that they were being split up and unfairly treated. This is called being “intersectional” and it is the idea of having overlapping, intersecting oppressions, like being black, lower class, gay and a female would be a intersectional feminist and your opinion also matters, not just middle class white females.
Naomi Wolf coined the phrase “Third wave of Feminism” in the 1990s and claimed that the third wave was about the younger generation carrying on feminism, growing out of old habits and traditions and making their own mistakes, raising their own leaders and making their own ideas of what need to be changed in the world about woman getting treated differently.
Lastly it seems to be that feminism doesn’t want to be only about the pay gap, or what men think, its about the gender as a whole, who you are, how you are profiled, how you are seen, it needs to be worked on and that’s why feminism exists.
feminist critical thinking
Laura Mulvey – The male gaze where the heterosexual male fines satisfaction to women being treated as a sexual object
Jean Kilbourne – How females are presented in adverts, idea of abuse, institutional behavior stems from sexualised female adverts and it was seen as acceptable
Toril Moi – The differences between female, feminist and feminine.
There are 3 waves of feminism:
1st wave of feminism: Women’s suffrage committee, international council of women, British suffragettes.
2nd wave of feminism: 60s civil rights movement, women’s equal rights
3rd wave of feminism: individualism and diversity
Virginia Woolf (Jan 25, 1882 – Mar 28, 1941)
Virginia Woolf is called the foremother of the feminist movement. She is called foremother because there are many reasons for it. The first and foremost reason of this is because she has to face all the circumstances in her own life. She used to live in a society where there is no room for girl’s education.
revision notes
David Gauntlet
“front covers of magazines such as Vogue and Men’s health are shop windows to amore sexier, more successful future self for their reader-ships”- shows that identity is constructed by media
“30 second glimpses of who we might become”- suggests our identity will change overtime
“the characters we watch in television shows or on online games offer us examples of how we can transfigure ourselves”- try to become better people by transforming our identities
“identities are not fixed, but can be altered for the best if we are motivated to change”- portrays idea of negotiated identity
“media manufacturers narrow interpretations of certain roles or lifestyles”- down to negative stereotypes
Judith Butler
“the absence of homosexuality in mythic stories provides evidence that our natural sexual inclinations are heterosexually orientated”- dominant ideology that it should only be male and female couples
“our gender identities are not fixed objects; they are constituted as a result of our behaviors”- our identity will change depending on the situation we are in eg. a party compared to a funeral
“rituals and performative actions constantly reinforce our identities: the act of wearing makeup”-we perform our identities differently each day
“lack of alternative representations in media helps reinforce heteronormativity”- we can choose our identities but their is a lack of knowledge to other identities rather than heterosexuality.
Essay prep
Harry Styles – I believe that Harry Styles is using his fame and his platforms to spread awareness to the ideas of identity.
Judith Butler –
essay prep
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.