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?
Pan Am and Beyonce
3) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?
Pan Am: In the pilot episode of Pan Am, we as the audience are introduced to the starts of the shows - stewardesses - One of the starts being Laura; she is the one of the main characters on the front cover of the magazine. The image was the first of the Pan Am stewardesses being highly constructed and mediated, this image purpose was to be admired and aspired to by women and visually enjoyed by men. The magazine cover was also wanted to acknowledge the image of a air stewardess as a constructed version of femininity, self-consciously acknowledging that this is simply a "glossy" image a fantasy not based on reality.
Beyonce: Her music video for "Why Don't you Love Me". Beyonce parodies the stereotype of the 1950's housewife look. The music video gives the details and costumes within the period of the 1950's. One of the many examples that are provided of the 'male gaze' is how Beyonce she plays at being a ‘housewife’, humorously burning dinner, parodying mopping floors and dusting, all the while playfully gazing at the camera providing the audience with knowing winks in her ‘sexy outfits’. This all together allows Beyonce to be objectified and welcome the male gaze upon herself.
4) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?
In my opinion, I think it could mean both because, for example, from Beyonce's lyrics of 'Why Don't you Love Me' she does say things that women do have and can do all the things men do but yet then in the music video, her body language suggests different; as she is looking down at the camera playfully and winking at the audience,as some would argue that she is controlling the 'gaze' as others would argue that she maybe welcoming the male gaze upon herself. As for Pan Am, it seems to suggest that episodes/show represented awareness of sexism and how some women have to go through because of it. Although the women do show some sort of empowerment through there appearance, making them and the audience appreciated in their own bodies.
5) Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog.
- 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.
- Patriarchy – An ideology that places men in a dominant position over women.
No More Page 3
1) Research the No More Page 3 campaign. Who started it and why?
2) What reasons did the campaign give for why Page 3 had to go?
- ‘huge slap in the face. A reminder that it’s a man’s world’ - Lucy-Anne Holmes ; this then made her wrote to the editor at the time. He never responded so she start a petition and a twitter and Facebook page about this.
- upbeat and positive as we could, avoiding wherever possible getting drawn into arguments or negativity.
- shared survivors’ stories and stories of inappropriate behaviour and verbal abuse involving Page 3 or similar images, as well as highlighting some terrible depictions of sexual violence and violence against women in the press.
- looking at promotions and advertising and intermittently approaching or lobbying the businesses that were linking themselves with the sexism of this feature.
- promote the campaign through media, celebrity endorsements and in person.
-built up networks of letter writers and student activists and made links with other campaigns - some people also made arguments through social media - Facebook and twitter.
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?
Susan Boniface argued that the campaign had to be ended - it was outdated and pointless. She had said that in the early days of page 3, girls considered they were sexually empowered and celebrating the female from. But now, its a dinosaur, tasteless, demanding to many and unnecessary in an era where lady parts are all over the internet for free; like a showcase. The only problem with the campaign was that it had happened in the wrong time - society was just evolving.
Whereas, Barbara Ellen, she was against the campaign, she said that Page 3 should not be abandoned just because the Sun decided to "blow a last-minute raspberry at supposed PC mores". Barbara believes that you can not base this subject on if there are 'worse things' - women are bring institutionally sexualised and in her opinion it is wrong.
4) The main campaign website has now been replaced by a site calledSexist News, designed to highlight sexism in the media. Give an example of a recent story the website has highlighted. Do you agree with the view of the website?
5) How can the No More Page 3 campaign and Sexist News website be linked to the idea of post-feminism?
Within the campaign, it seems as though females are more happy with what they are standing for because of the respect they have felt and equality they have gotten for the removing the page 3. This is defiantly something to be proud of and nothing other than good things.
6) What are your OWN views on these campaigns? Do you agree with their aims? Is there still a need for these campaigns in the media?
I agree with the no more page 3 campaign, as i believe that women should never be sexualised and feel as though if they are an objective to someone or to a group of people. I understand some may think that page 3 can be done to celebrate the female form or they feel empowered but i feel though it is disrespectful and a stranger should never have the opportunity to have that gaze upon a women. Nowadays, society is very open about topics such as this but it is just weak in my opinion.
7) Finally, do you agree that we are in a post-feminist state or is there still a need for feminism?
In my opinion, I think it would take a very very long time for us to reach at a post feminist state as there would be a division between male and females and how females would never reach the level of the males. Females would never the get the satisfactions in the public like how males do, even if society says otherwise. They may have been opportunities for females and more rights but in my opinion, it would never be the other way round or even the same for a very long time.
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