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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 gender is represented in both the Score and Maybelline advertising campaigns?Introduce the overall aim and argument that you are going to make

In this essay I am going to talk about understanding gender through the advertising campaigns of Score and Maybelline and also how identity is instituted through a stylized repetition of acts. Judith Butler suggests that gender is reinforced consistently through behaviour and performance, “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. She also states “What it means to be a woman does not remain the same from decade to decade” meaning that the general society’s thoughts and expectations around women are constantly changing as time goes on. It is believed by many that gender is a concept strictly for male and female, however Judith Butler’s theory opposes this idea.

In opposition to Judith Butler’s theory, Laura Mulvey developed the theory of the male gaze, male gaze refers to the sexualized interpretation of the gaze in a way that sexualizes and objectifies women and empowers men, this supports the idea of negotiated identity which means the idea in which you come to an agreement of ‘who is who’. In terms of the idea of the male gaze, the Score advert could be similarly compared, this is due to the positioning of the female representation within the advert. The females are wearing minimal clothing and are all positioned in a way to suggest that they are praising the male character in order to indicate that their sole purpose is to pleasure the man. This can support the theory that gender roles were fixed around the 1970’s, as it indicates that women were confined to what they were allowed to do and how they were allowed to act. Jean Kilbourne researched and wrote a book on how females were seen in adverts, the idea of abuse and how institutional behaviour stems from sexualised female adverts. The book implied that the advertising industry continues to reinforce, and glamorize femininity. Femininity meaning  a set of culturally defined characteristics. We can also link the Score advert to Jean Kilbourne, this is due to the idea that within the advert we can notice that the females are advertised in very specific way in order to ‘glamorise’ their femininity which is the exact concept Jean Kilbourne wrote about in her book ‘Killing us Softly’. They do this by making the females look ‘flawless’ and like the society’s definition of ‘beautiful’.

Additionally, the Score hair cream advert is a historical artefact from 1967, as such it can relate to gender roles, sexuality and the historical context of advertising techniques. 1967 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. The first wave of feminism can be described with the quote ‘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’. The Score advert can be similarly linked to this idea because we can see a total of five female figures holding up the male figure giving us the assumption that the male is superior to the females.

On the other hand, the idea of fluidity of identity is a more modern and up-to-date concept, this means the ability to change how you identify yourself. For example, gender is fluid, you can choose who to identify as. This supports Judith Butlers theory, who quotes  “Biological anatomies do not determine our gender”. She concludes that “masculinity and femininity are not naturally given states, but instead are maintained by individuals through everyday acts” meaning that an individual is not born male or female, but your gender defines you through your actions every day.  She also indicates that the general society’s thoughts and expectations around women are constantly changing as time goes on.

This theory is not suggested in the score advert, however, it can be represented in the more modern advert of Maybelline, this is because in the Maybelline advert we can assume that the tole of the female gender has changed over time. We make this assumption due to the fact that the gender roles are suggested to be more equal. Within the advert, we can see a homosexual male character with what is thought to be ‘feminine’ qualities and also a female character who is suggested to feel like a ‘boss’ towards the end of the advert. This can oppose the idea that gender roles are fixed and that men are superior to women. The theory of raunch culture is also demonstrated in this advert due to the fact that the female character is not being sexualised within the advert. ‘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’

The Maybelline advert is seen to demonstrate the third and fourth wave of feminism. The third wave of feminism was coined by Naomi Wolf as 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. It saw women’s lives as intersectional and demonstrated a pluralism towards race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender and nationality when discussing feminism. It can be described as the ‘rebellion of younger women against what was perceived as the prescriptive, pushy and ‘sex negative’ approach of older feminists.’ This idea is demonstrated by the Maybelline advert by the fact that the female representation within the advertisement is not being sexualised or objectified meaning that she opposes the stereotype of what the first wave of feminism suggests what it means to be a ‘female’.

Overall, I think that Judith Butler’s description of gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts” helps us to understand how gender is represented more in the Maybelline advert than the score advert due to the fact that the Score hair cream advert opposes the idea that gender isn’t determined by biological anatomies.

Essays, Maybelline, Representation, Score

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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 gender is represented in both the Score and Maybelline advertising campaigns?

In this essay I am going to establish Butler’s views on gender – how they are relevant to a contemporary advertisement and then the contrasting classic advertisement.

Judith Butler’s famous work on Gender was Performative Acts and Gender Constitution. This work entails the distinctions between performing and acting. On page 519 Butler states that ‘social agents constitute to social reality through language, gesture, and all manner of symbolic social sign’ The reader may interpret this as one may act differently which then defines their character and how they are socially. For example, the gestures that one female makes can be the complete opposite of how another female’s gestures are – both their genders are female though. Just because they are both female does not necessarily mean that they will look and act the same. This is what Judith Butler believes in.

Toril Moi’s (1987) crucial set of distinctions between: ‘feminist’, ‘female’ and ‘feminine’. Feminist = a political position, Female = a matter of biology, Feminine = a set of culturally defined characteristics.

Toril Moi has the three concepts <Feminist<>Female<>Feminine> which shows her awareness in the differentiation of gender. Which is what Judith Butler strongly believes in. This supports Butler in which Gender is on a whole spectrum. Moi suggests that there is great difference between <Feminist<>Female<>Feminine> which shows that if you are female biologically you don’t necessarily have to be feminine nor a feminist. Toril Moi’s three concepts can apply to CSP4:Maybelline. In the Maybelline advertisement, one of the beauty guru’s used as a dominant signifier who is part of the face of the campaign, is a male and is gay and is also rather feminine. That is what the audience will gather from watching the advertisement. This correlates with Toril Moi because the beauty guru: MannyMUA goes against the age old stereotype of being a male and the need to be masculine and against feminism.

Laura Mulvey developed the theory of the male gaze. This theory indicates that all throughout film and the media and even real life the male gaze has been very prominent. This is the idea that women are viewed as objects by men. This also supports the ancient ideology of patriarchy in society; men being above all. In accordance to Laura Mulvey’s theory of the gaze, CSP3:Score depicts clearly men to be superior in a way against women. The man in the Score advert is being lifted by the 5 women which links to the idea of patriarchy. He has a proud look on his face which is symbolic as it can represent a poacher stood in front of his prey that he’s just poached. This creates a negative outlook on woman because it portrays them as objects that men can do as they like to them.

There is the Gender performativity theory which is the theory that gender and gender roles are elaborate social performances that one puts on in day-to-day life, the hegemonic versions of which underlay popular conceptions of “man”/”masculine” and “woman”/feminine”.

Feminist critical thought became much more prominent during the cultural movements of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, which brought on, other changes such as acceptance of birth control and divorce, abortion and homosexuality.

However, the Score advert was produced in the year of decriminalisation of homosexuality and so the advert can be seen as negative and a “step backwards” since the reader might see the Score advert and sense that the world isn’t as accepting of homosexuality. This is because the Score advert does not show any awareness or acceptance of homosexuality, rather the opposite. The man is lifted up and above the women signifying his precedence over them. The 5 women are all made to seem as though they are “swooning” over him and showing their interest and admiration. One blonde woman is even reaching out to grab the man as if he is some special artefact that is wanted by all. That is what Score wants men to believe if they use their product. They mention their product countless times in the copy in their advert with numerous photos of the product.

Although the women’s movement was not the start of feminism. In other words, the issue of women’s inequality goes as far back as before the 1960s. ‘the feminist literary criticism of today is the product of the women’s movement of the 1960’s’ (Barry 2017:123) This quote means that during the second wave of feminism, many opportunities and greater personal freedom for women came about. Due to that, we have many written things to take from that such as, The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. Women also took over the means of production by setting up feminist printing houses such as Virago Press.

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. ‘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) This quote means that women that were trying to get on with their lives and do as they please but older feminists were seeing them as if they were acting out and judging them as of course this type of behaviour was new and unexpected for everyone. Maybelline shows the freedom of individuals that these women during the third wave of feminism were trying to achieve peacefully. This can be further supported by Raunch culture. ‘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)

However, 4th wave feminism also looked to explore these contradictory arguments and further sought to recognise and use the emancipatory tools of new social platforms to connect, share and develop new perspectives, experiences and responses to oppression, ‘tools that are allowing women to build a strong, popular, reactive movement online‘ (Cochrane, 2013). This encouraged things like the radical stance of #MeToo to the Free the Nipple campaign, which Miley Cyrus endorsed and supported, the use of new media technologies has been very helpful and progressive for broadening out the discussion and arguments that are played out in this timeline of femininity

In conclusion , I believe in Judith Butler’s belief that gender and that Maybelline and Score adverts have contrasting representations of gender and their take on feminsm.

Essays, Maybelline, Representation, Score

Representation Essay – Score and Maybelline

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Judith Butler describes gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. How useful is this idea in understanding how gender is represented in both the Score and Maybelline advertising campaigns?

Judith Butler presents many different ideas about gender, suggesting that it is “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. In this essay I am going to make numerous arguments around this idea, linking it to numerous critical approaches, such as gender as performance and waves of feminism. I will also compare these approaches to the two CSPs being Score and Maybelline.

First and foremost, one critical approach which I aim to consider is Butler’s idea that gender has nothing to do with physical biology, but is something which is performed by people in society. “The historical meaning of gender can change as its norms are re-enacted, refused or recreated” as stated by Judith Butler suggests that gender is never fixed and is ever changing, based on how we as a society act towards the normal behaviours of certain genders. We can even create trends towards genders which become ever prevalent as time goes on, which is a very realistic possibility when ideas like the two step flow model as depicted by Lasarfelt and using famous and influential people as advertising to encourage certain beliefs around gender are considered. From this, many people may follow the influential stars used in advertising and in turn this provides creators of adverts with a lot of influence and power over the impressionable public, which can change our attitudes towards gender. This backs up the idea that gender is ever changing. When these ideas described above are compared to the Score advert, I see little to no correlation between them. For example, the women are clearly below the dominant signifier, being the man, both literally and figuratively. This links to the idea of the “Male Gaze” as described by Laura Mulvey, and shows no change in the idea of the female gender from a long time ago, with women stereotypically seen as historically “weaker” and less dominant in society compared to the stronger, more able gender of males. This links to the idea of hegemony in that men were by far the dominant gender. In addition, the body types on the females in the CSP show that back when it was produced, there was a common negotiated identity that women were supposed to fulfil and had to be like in order to have a chance of succeeding in the patriarchal society of the 1970s (when the CSP was produced). The 1970s 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. On the other hand, in the Maybelline advert, male models have been featured, such as Manny Gutierrez. This is the first time males have been associated with makeup products in this way, and it tells us that makeup is not just for women, but for men as well. This is important because after decades of only making makeup products and depicting them as things that should be worn by women, impressionable men are being given role models to look up to who can reinforce their thinking that they can wear makeup too, encouraging the idea that gender is ever changing over time. This also links to the ideas about gender not being a term around biology, but that gender is fluid, changeable and plural – further suggesting we have multiple identities we perform to different people in different settings in that there are multiple identities present in the advert between the different people.

Secondly, I would like to present the idea of second wave feminism and show how it supports Butler’s idea of gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. Second wave feminism took place around the 1960s/70s and it was societal counteraction towards previous feminist ideas. This positive change sparked a feminist cultural movement that began to shift societies views on abortion, homosexuality, birth control and divorce, and it primarily involved middle class, white feminists. The fact that society’s tight grip on ideas of concepts such as abortion, homosexuality and birth control being stereotypically unaccepted was loosening indicates that gender was beginning to be questioned, and the old belief that you are only either male or female from birth was becoming less prudent. This supports the idea that gender is not set in stone, but is “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts” as stated by Butler. When these ideas are compared to the Score CSP, I see little to no relation. One example of why this is so is the fact that the advert has a sexual outlook, and connotations of voyeurism are created. This is because the man is fully clothed whereas the women are wearing little. This implies that men should naturally be attracted to women, which takes away from the changes in society generated by second wave feminism. On the other hand, when compared to the Maybelline CSP, I see many similarities between the idea of gender not being fixed as supported by second wave feminism and the advert. One example of this is that both the man and the woman share equal roles in the advert, and they are both “allowed” to use the makeup, which was something typically only associated with women. This creates a blur between men and women and they could no longer be considered binary opposites. In today’s world, the consensus around gender is much different compared to times of old, and gender is much more understood with non-binary concepts being properly considered. In addition, people are no longer required to fit into certain binary categories, allowing for intersectionality, which is the interconnected nature of social categorisations.

On the other hand, one could argue that the idea of Raunch Culture goes against the idea of gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. This is because it is is the sexualised performance of women in the media that can play into male stereotypes of women as highly sexually available. This implies that all women should consider sex a part of their daily lives, and provides the impressionable public with role models who see the gender of female as one which regularly constitutes sexual appeal. This affects everyone who would call themselves a female, and categorises them into being related to these ideas. When this is compared to the Score CSP, I can see a big relation in that the sexual dynamic of the advert ties into the idea of the “male gaze” and the women present look confident about it. This gives connotations that they are highly sexually available, and that they are pleased about this as well. On the other hand, in the Maybelline CSP, there is little to no relation between it and the idea of Raunch Culture. I think this because there are minimal sexual undertones in the advert, and it does its best to remove the tie between the use of makeup and the female gender.

To conclude, I think that Judith Butler’s description of gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts” is useful in understanding how gender is represented in both the Score and Maybelline advertising campaigns. One reason for this is taking into consideration the idea that gender has no biological roots, but is something which is performed by people in society. “The historical meaning of gender can change as its norms are re-enacted, refused or recreated” as stated by Butler suggests this, and also reveals that gender is ever changing as time goes on and does not have a set definition. When these ideas are compared to the Score advert, I see little to no correlation between them, because the women are clearly below the dominant signifier, being the man, both literally and figuratively. However, I think that the Maybelline CSP does use these ideas in a positive light, as the use of male models in the advert tells us that makeup is not just for women, but for men as well, which deters from typical constraints around gender. Moreover, second wave feminism supports Butler’s idea in that it began to shift societies views on abortion, homosexuality, birth control and divorce, and it primarily involved middle class, white feminists, meaning that it affected a lot of people. I can see similarities between this idea and the Maybelline CSP, however the same can not be said for the Score CSP. Finally, the idea of Raunch Culture goes against the idea of gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts” because it revolves around women constantly carrying out sexual performances, which then categorises all women into the same stereotype. I can see that this relates to the score CSP in that the women are being belittled, however the Maybelline advert very much goes against this as the man and women both share key roles which are not of a sexual nature.

Essays, Exam Prep, Maybelline, Score, Uncategorized

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  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 . . . )
  3. Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation (Mulvey, Kilbourne, Moi, Wander, Wollstonescraft, Woolf, de Beauvoir, Van Zoonen, Dollimore, Woolf, Levy)
  4. Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
  5. Show some historical knowledge about societal changes
  6. Establish a secondary theme or idea that you wish to raise (1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th wave feminism, Raunch Culture, Queer Theory, Intersectionality)
  7. Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation
  8. Apply your theoretical ideas to either or both of the set CSP’s
  9. Show some historical knowledge about societal changes
  10. Establish a contradictory argument that shows your ability to think and engage
  11. Develop this approach by using key words, phrases and quotation
  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
Advertising, Essays, Exam Prep, Maybelline, Score

Judith Butler describes gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. In other words, it is something learnt through repeated performance.

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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.

Essays, Feminist Critical Thinking, Maybelline, Score

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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

Essays, Maybelline, Score

CSP – SCORE AND MAYBELLINE ESSAY

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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 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, Maybelline, Score

feminism stages

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there is 4 types of feminism

Feminist = a political position

Female = a matter of biology

Feminine = a set of culturally defined characteristics

‘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)

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, see for examples: Mary Wollstonecraft, (1792) A Vindication of the Rights of Women; Virginia Woolf(1929) A room of one’s own; Simone de Beauvoir(1949) The Second Sex. this was the first wave feminism

where one was to do do with equal rights and having the right to work and such this was enforced by the suffer-jets 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, this was second wave feminism

‘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)

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. this is third wave feminism this highlighted the hypersexualised culture and forcing women to sexualise others and themselves in summary third wave feminism is different from the sixty’s but where it is different it is the same although the sixty’s talks about the plural identity’s also known as intersexuality

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

According to Ariel Levy, in her book Female Chauvinist Pigs raunch culture is on the one hand, the idea of liberation involves new freedoms for sexual exhibition, experimentation and presentation,and on the other, it may well be playing out the same old patterns of exploitation, objectification and misogyny?

‘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’

3judith butler a theorist on gender talks about how gender is a performative thing and that we act in a certain way to make an identification of yourself and the way you are is based upon the way you act.

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

Sigle-Rushton & Lindström, 2013 p131

Hook: Multicultural Intersectionality

As Barker and Jane note, ‘black feminists have pointed ot the differences between black and white women’s experiences, cultural representations and interests’ (2016:346). In other words, arguments around gender also intersect with postcolonial arguments around ‘power relationships between black and white women’. So that ‘in a postcolonial context, women carry the double burden of being colonized by imperial powers and subordinated by colonial and native men’ (ibid).

As a way of exploring this notion of intersectionality ie the idea that an approach such as feminism, is NOT UNIVERSAL, SINGULAR or HOMOGENEOUS as this is a REDUCTIONIST and ESSENTIALIST way of seeing the world. Rather intersectionality highlights the way ideas and concepts such as ‘female‘, ‘feminist‘, ‘feminine‘ (Moi 1987) intersect with other concepts, ideas and approaches, such as, sexuality, class, age, education, religion, ability. A way of exploring these ideas is through the work of bell hook.

bell hook (always spelt in lower case – real name: Gloria Jean Watkins) advocates media literacy, the need to engage with popular culture to understand class struggle, domination, renegotiation and revolution. Put another, encouraging us all to ‘think critically’ to ‘change our lives’.ethnicity and race, see for example here work ‘Cultural Criticism and Transformation‘

Queer Theory

In the UK the pioneering academic presence in queer studies was the Centre for Sexual Dissedence in the English department at Sussex University, founded by Alan Sinfield and Johnathon Dollimore in 1990 (Barry: 141). In terms of applying queer theory to feminist critical thought, 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 and does not account for the internal differences that distinguishes different forms of gender identity, which according to Butler ‘tend to be instruments of regulatory regimes . . . normalising categories of oppressive structures‘ (14:2004).

Judith Butler: ‘gender as performance’

identity can be a site of contest and revision‘

Butler (2004:19)

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 – Weinstein et al. While still recognising those argments presented by Mulvey, Jean Kilbourne, Sut Jhally and others, Butler 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.

Put another, it suggests that we have multiple identities that are performed to different people, in different social settings, under different social conditions. 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 with feminist critical thinking. Which can be explored and mapped out into similar studies on male identity (again see work by Sinfield, Dollimore and others).

The idea of identity performance is explored further in another post: Representation, Identity & Self. However, to understand the 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.’ The question for Butler (and for students of media and cultural studies) is therefore: how does gender get established and policed? Which, of course, is why we look at her ideas in subjects like Media Studies.

Exam Prep, Maybelline, Notes, Representation, Score

Home notes

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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.

Feminist Critical Thinking, Maybelline, Representation, Score

At Home notes

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Judith Butler Notes:

  • Butler states that gender is ‘performative’ and a ‘social construct.’
  • Best known for her book “Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. ” 
  • Butler says that historically we have viewed gender in a binary fashion- dividing gender into categories based on stereotypes or characteristics which cannot be changed. She believes this limits us.
  • “gender should be seen as a human attribute that shifts and changes”
  • views are complimentary to modern identities 
  • believing that gender is fluid and changeable- dependent on who we are with/situations/ different times
  • links to David Gauntlet’s theories about identities being fluid, constructed and collective.- and how cultural norms are constantly changing.
  • Butler believes gender promotes the patriarchy and suppression of feminism where we constantly compare men and women to each other.
  • ‘nobody is a gender from the start’
  • ‘no “repetitive” acts can determine who you are’

Score Notes:

The man is sat at a higher position to the women who are holding the seat at shoulder height. This could foreground the patriarchy and the negative connotation that he is more superior then the women. Which is a reactionary representation of the relationship between men and women as the patriarchy is a dominant ideology and can still be seen in present day society. In the 1960s it was typical for men to go out to work and to provide the money for his family and for the women to be stay -at -home-wives/mums who would do the cooking and cleaning because woman weren’t seen as capable of the things that men were. Men were superior and sexism was an accepted way of living. The women in the advert are seen in less clothing or clothing that has been altered to accentuate their body figure. This links with Feminist Laura Mulvey and her theory of the “Male Gaze” where women are as objects to be looked at and men are the “lookers”. They have been over-sexualised in order to help promote this product, however this has negative consequences on how women are perceived by both men and women. This also shows the link to voyeurism as this is encouraged in order to increase the sales. Furthermore this shows the growing number of men conforming to toxic masculinity and believing that by over-sexualising and objectifying women makes them masculine. It teaches women to also sexualise themselves as they believe that they will be considered attractive if they are submissive and their body is owned by the male perspective. The women are also seen as trying to ‘stroke’ the man and touch him in some sort of way. This makes him seem desired and irresistible to women which they have justified with the hair product “score”.

Maybelline:

This production is a radical representation of gender and masculinity and connotates to Judith Butler’s theory of gender being ‘performative‘ and not in a binary fashion. Gender is fluid and can change depending on many different things. The Maybelline’s advert shows this with including their first male influencer (Manny MUA) to promote this product which is counter-typical to the kind of model who would normally be used in a cosmetic advert as make-up is considered feminine and only for those who identify themselves as female. It creates a new representation of what it means to be a ‘man’ and that wearing make-up can still be masculine. As an influencer he is constructing his own identity in a positive way and helping others around him to embrace their feminine side as well as their masculine side and that having interests that would normally be considered feminine doesn’t make them less masculine.