2) What are the two texts the article focuses on?
The two texts that are focused on are:
- Pan am
- Beyonce's - video why don't you love me?
3) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?
After reading the article, it talks about a Laura's weight being checked and her wearing underwear that supports the stomach and thighs, initially used to make her look more appealing. This would to make her look more appealing to the male audience. Furthermore there's a quote that says, "With a face like that, you will find a husband in a couple months." This shows that her beauty is used to attract 'men' this shows a male gaze as men will be looking at her, due to her beauty. Another example of the male gaze is, that in the show the actresses used their bodies to get access to places they want to be, and allowing the audience to appreciate there bodies. This would initially be enjoyed by the male audience, as they will be looking at the females in the program.
In the Beyonce music video, 'Why don't you love me?' we see her in a variety of costumes that bring her body out, she is always wearing clothes that allow the audience to appreciate her body and her curves, she can be seen wearing, tight high waisted knickers, a vintage style bra, fifties pedal pushers, suspenders and stockings. All of these costumes are very revealing and show off her assets. This would predominantly attract a male audience as they like to see females like this, thus showing a male gaze.
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 believe that there is a need for feminism and that this is sexism in a different way,as although Beyonce says or is known as a strong independent woman, she has still be overly sexualised and is used merely for her body. This can also be seen a vast majority of music videos, not only in rap songs but also in mainstream hip-hop, RnB, and other music genres. However this could show that society feels that feminism is not needed as it is so common, on the other hand I still believe that it uses females just for their looks and the beauty of their bodies, to attract and appeal to a male audience.
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.
Male Gaze – The gaze referring to Laura Mulvey’s seminal article ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ which argues that main stream Hollywood films subject female characters to the ‘male gaze’ of the camera, fragmenting and objectifying their bodies.
