Media factsheet: Applying Feminism

1) What are the five types of feminism outlined on the first page of the Factsheet?

• Radical Feminism - cause of women's oppression as men; men deliberately exploit women in order to benefit them. Main aims of this theory is to address concerns over violence against women (sexual relationships). 
• Liberal Feminism - mainly concerned with gender socialisation in order to show that gender roles are not biologically determined. The main aim of this type of feminism is to change the ways children are socialised into stereotypical gender roles and to attempt to change social policy to improve the position of women within the family.
• Marxist-Feminism - looks at women’s oppression in relation to capitalism and the class system. One of the aims of this type of feminism is to look at the role of domestic labour within capitalism, namely that women work in the home for ‘free’, and the role women play in producing the next generation of the labour force.
• Black Feminism - primarily concerned with black and Asian women’s experiences of oppression and exploitation. It combines ideas about capitalism, patriarchy and anti-racism.
• Postmodern Feminism - associated with third wave feminists. It acknowledges the diversity amongst women and encourages individual women to find feminist ideas that combine with their own experiences of life to create a brand of feminism suitable for them.

2) Which category would Judith Butler fit into? What about Angela McRobbie? Laura Bates and Everyday Sexism? Explain your answers.

Judith Butler - she would fit into the category of Liberal Feminism as she believes that gender roles are not biologically determined; instead are a product of society and social issues. Therefore she bases gender around performance rather than biology.
Angela McRobbie - she would be classed as a Postmodern Feminist as she believes in the empowerment of women as individuals, encouraging them to create a brand of feminism suitable for themselves.
Laura Bates - she would fit into the category of Postmodern Feminism as she encourages individual women to find feminist ideas that combine with their own experiences, therefore acknowledging diversity.

3) What was the difference between suffragists and suffragettes? Which approach do you agree with?

Liberal feminists are known as suffragists and radical feminists are known as suffragettes. I agree with the suffragists' approach as they peacefully protested about the issues that they faced rather than reacting violently and illegally. The idea of fighting fire with fire is something that gets society no where and therefore I think the liberal feminist approach is a more powerful way of creating change, whilst the suffragettes approach would merely stimulate chaos.

4) What was Laura Mulvey's argument regarding Hollywood film? Do you agree with it? Why?

Mulvey argues that Hollywood film objectifies women and positions them in a way to appeal to men, hence her idea of the 'male gaze.' She believes that women are presented in highly sexualised way for audiences, however although I do agree with this, I also know that sex sells and therefore the representation of a glamorous woman being presented is something that would make profit. She also does not take into consideration that women today like to look at other women too and therefore the issue of the 'male gaze' is no longer the issue but the fact that these fetishised women are role models for young girls and therefore produces a negative image of the way a woman should act and appear. Therefore I think that Mulvey's point is not invalid, however transitioned and developed into a bigger issue where the 'male gaze' is not the primary problem but the effect on younger audiences.

5) Watch this YouTube video extract on Jean Kilbourne's Killing Us Softly series and list five examples she gives of the media objectifying women:

"I'd probably never be married if I hadn't lost 49 pounds" - weight loss

"If your hair isn't beautiful the rest hardly matters" - hair product

"Honey, your antiperspirant spray just doesn't do it" - antiperspirant product 

"My boyfriend said he loved me for my mind, I was never so insulted in my life" 

"Keep her where she belongs" - construction industry

6) What is Killbourne's argument regarding the representation of women in advertising?

She believes advertising is a 'powerful education force,' as '2 years of your life spent watching advertisements.' The most important thing is how we look; ideal female beauty. We must strive to achieve this look that is seen in advertising, absolute flawlessness, however this is constructed and is a fake reality. The supermodel Cindy Crawford said 'I wish I looked like Cindy Crawford.' The idea of photoshop and creating the ideal, perfect woman provides a negative effect on audiences.

7) What is Naomi Wolf's argument in The Beauty Myth?

Wolf claims that the notion of ‘beauty’ is entirely socially constructed and patriarchal. Men create the rules as to what is considered as the beautiful woman which changes and is constructed differently with different cultures.

8) Why is the representation of women in music videos a controversial topic for feminists?

This is controversial due to the fact that feminists are unaware if the women presented in these videos are objectified or instead being empowered. Directors arguments to counteract the idea of women being a product of patriarchal oppression is their idea that it is not reality and audiences are aware of this fantasy being constructed in music videos, however Sut Jhally believes that audiences are influenced in reality by this, using the Puerto Rico Pride Day parade (2000) in New York as an example of this, where men sprayed drinks over women and ripped off their clothes.

9) What is your view of female artists such as Nicki Minaj or Beyonce - do they empower women or reinforce sexist, patriarchal views?
I think that female artists like Nicki Minaj and Beyonce both reinforce sexist, patriarchal views but also provide a negative influence for younger audiences. I do not think they empower women as they present themselves in a way that reveals them as the 'perfect woman' with an overly sexualised body and fetishised appearance that is clearly a product of the male gaze and creates an aesthetic that young girls strive to want. Although they try to empower women by believing they themselves are empowered, it causes the debate of what their messages are as they become jaded by their appearance rather than their lyrics; how are we meant to take a barbie doll replicate seriously?

10) Has new and digital media given women an opportunity to challenge sexist views or is it simply another media platform for women to be oppressed? Explain your view.

I think new and digital media has definitely given women an opportunity to challenge sexist views as it allows women and men for that matter, to express their opinions and ideologies and therefore come together to understand the issues that we do still face today. However, I also believe that new and digital media has made the topic a much more exposed issue, which has now been catalysed and blown out of proportion to the point where conflicting views are easily challenged, creating arguments online and heated debates. It makes an issue that should not still be an issue today, an issue that is ever-growing.