Identities and the Media: Feminism

Are we living in a post-feminist state? Do you agree there is still a need for feminism? To what extent does the media contribute to the identity created for women in popular culture? These are some of the questions we need to consider in this next section of our Identities and the Media unit.

Media Magazine reading

1) Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here).

2) What are the two texts the article focuses on?

-HBO’s Pan Am

-Beyoncé’s music video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me’

3) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?

-The first image of the Pan Am stewardesses is one which is highly constructed and mediated, an image whose purpose is to be admired and aspired to by women, and visually enjoyed by men.

-Beyoncé parodies the stereotype of the 1950s housewife. With over twelve costume changes, all exaggerated versions of the Fifties looks presenting a playful, nostalgic version of the time, and highlighting the performative nature of femininity. The dress codes are highly sexualised; the costumes include tight high-waisted knickers, a vintage style bra, Fifties pedal pushers with cats-eye-shaped glasses, suspenders and stockings which all allow the audiences to appreciate Beyoncé’s ‘credentials’.

4) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?

- I think there is still a need for feminism as texts like these are seen to be more sexist than empowering in the eyes of many as the women are shown to be sexualised and objectified.

5) Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog.
Feminism – A movement aimed at defining, establishing, and defending women’s rights and equality to men. 

Post-feminism – An ideology in culture and society that society is somehow past needing feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed. 

Third wave feminism – Was a movement that redefined and encouraged women to be dominant and sexually assertive.

No More Page 3

1) Research the No More Page 3 campaign. Who started it and why?
- Lucy Anne Holmes started the campaign as it was exploiting and sexualising women.

2) What are the six reasons the campaign gives for why Page 3 has to go?

-Page 3 is was seen to be sexist

-The Sun was using sexualised images of women being used to decorate news stories both featuring and aimed at men
-They were portraying women as primarily decorative sexual objects
-People associated the models and Page 3's with rape culture
-Children shouldn't be exposed to sexual content on newspaper front pages

-"Boobs are not news"

3) Read this debate in the Guardian regarding whether the campaign should be dropped. What are Barbara Ellen and Susan Boniface's contrasting opinions in the debate?

Susie Boniface:

The campaign to stop Page 3
Page 3 girls considered they were sexually empowered and celebrating the female form. 

There a lot of other far more serious, demeaning or damaging things in the world that women don’t consent to we could be campaigning about instead?

Barbara Ellen
If Page 3 was dreary, dated, and offensive before, now it sits like a pathetic leering bare-breasted woolly mammoth amid modern enlightened sensibilities.
The very passivity of Page 3 is offensive
It does not matter that, compared to other pornography, the photos are “tame” or “lame” – women’s bodies are neither lame nor tame. 

4) How can the No More Page 3 campaign be linked to the idea of post-feminism?

The purpose of this campaign is to stop the media promoting gender inequality and patriarchy so this could be seen as a progression towards feminist or even show it being an example of being the post-feminist movements that society think we're in.

5) What are your OWN views on the No More Page 3 campaign. Do you agree with the campaign's aims? Should the campaign continue?

I agree with the campaigns and I don't think such a page should continue to exist as it is degrading and disrespectful to portray women as sex objects. Considering the newspaper could fall into the hands of anyone, even young children, it should absolutely be abolished as it will allow children to believe that seeing women portrayed in this sexist way as being acceptable, which it is not. If people wish to see explicit pictures like these then there are other means to do so privately, but to publicly support such images on newspapers where women are seen as mere objects is disgusting and unacceptable.

6) Do you agree that we are in a post-feminist state or is there still a need for feminism?

I think that we are not post-feminist state because there is still a need for feminism as although women's rights have improved over the years, there is still a lot of inequality between the sexes.