Feminism: blog task

How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?
Beyonce's actions in this video are scripted in order to create a performance imitating a typical housewife in her many roles and chores around the domestic sphere. 

Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women?

Beyonce's sexual provocation, when associated with her status, depicts how women can use their attached stereotypes to their own power.

What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?
My personal beliefs reside with Butler's idea of a performance which exhibits the socialisation of women to their behaviours. I think that Beyonce is an empowering figure for women due to her success but this particular video (although satirical) doesn't have an evidently satirical feel and would instead serve more to reinforce the male gaze.

Identities and the Media: Feminism

Media magazine reading 

What are the two texts the article focuses on?
- Pan Am & Beyonce's 'Why Don't You Love Me?' 

What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?
One of the main characters from Pan Am are presented on the front of a magazine to be 'visually enjoyed by men, through a demonstration of the 'male gaze'. The visual pleasures are enhanced with the use of the costume, hair and make-up to be admired by men.

Beyonce is sexualised primarily with the use of costume and styling in order to objectify her as a subject of the male gaze. 

Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?
Texts as such have a stronger presence in the form of sexist reinforcement. This is due to the satirical nature of the texts being too subtle for audience consumption, instead drawing more focus to its surfacely sexist approach to representing women.


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

Research the No More Page 3 campaign. Who started it and why?
Writer and actor Lucy-Anne Holmes' research discovered that the most prominent photograph of a woman in circulation via British newspapers was of a young woman in minimal clothing. Lucy was aware that her efforts to discourage The Sun editorial from reinforcing this sexist representation of women would be futile and thus exploited the resources at her disposal on the internet to start the campaign. 

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

1) "It’s 2014! Page 3 was first introduced in the sexist 1970s. A lot has changed over the last 30+ years in our society, we think it’s time The Sun caught up…"

2) "It’s soft porn in the UK’s no.1 selling family newspaper that children are exposed to. Until 2003 the models were only 16 (and made to dress up in school ties and hats – seriously!) It’s never been OK. One day we’ll look back on this and think “oh my goodness, we did what?!”"

3) "What does it teach children? They see page after page of pictures of men in clothes doing stuff (running the country, having opinions, achieving in sport!) and what are the women doing in this society they’re learning about? Not much really, other than standing topless in their pants showing their bare breasts for men. It’s not really fair, is it?"

4) "Women say, do and think so many interesting and incredible things and should be celebrated for their many achievements. They are people, not things! Not ‘that’. The fact that we hear ‘look at the tits on that’ or ‘I’d do that’ is disgusting, disrespectful and objectifying. Page 3 of The Sun is the icon that perpetuates and normalises this horrible sexist ‘banter’."

5) "Every single weekday for the last 44 years in The Sun newspaper the largest female image has been of a young woman (usually of a very particular age, race, physicality) showing her breasts for men, sending out a powerful message that whatever else a woman achieves, her primary role is to serve men sexually. Pretty rubbish that really."

6) "The Sun newspaper could be so much stronger without Page 3. Because currently, any story they run about women’s issues such as rape, sexual abuse, harassment, domestic violence or the dangers of online porn is drowned out and contradicted by the neon flashing sign of Page 3 that says ‘shut up, girls, and get your tits out.’"

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?
Boniface argued that the practical purpose of Page 3 is outdated to the availability of internet pornography. Ellen disagrees with Boniface and proposes that women should have their right to autonomous nudity. 

How can the No More Page 3 campaign be linked to the idea of post-feminism?
The campaign's success demonstrates a move towards equality by women having a pivotal role in decision making within the media. 


What are your OWN views on the No More Page 3 campaign. Do you agree with the campaign's aims? Should the campaign continue?
My personal views reside with the incentive for the No More Page 3 campaign solely. This is due to my disagreement with the overall wanton sexualisation of women in modern culture.

Do you agree that we are in a post-feminist state or is there still a need for feminism?
To be honest we're in this social threshold right now within first-world society where there is a wide array of paradoxical beliefs and attitudes toward gender politics. I don't even know how to feel about anything anymore. 

Post-colonialism: Edward Said blog task

Yasmin (2004) 

- "Paki go home"

- Hijabi's second life - married

* Not a particularly positive or negative representation of British muslims, but definitely a shaken one - heavily influenced by prejudices invoked by British/Caucasian majority.

*Western demeanour is antagonised in the film whereas Eastern muslims are portrayed as the 'lamb' in this matter. 

* Focus is more on social influence - Yasmin lives her life as a 'British' (puts on a 'white mask') and a Muslim woman (stopped by police), which serves her with different consequences. 

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Said's theory of 'orientalism' explores the division between 'East' as the more decivilised counterparts to the Western domineered world which is a lot more advanced and superior. 

Alvarado's theory for the representation of black people casts them into 4 categories: humour, dangerous, exotic and pitied. 

Fanon's theory explores representation through 'putting on the white mask', if the 4 categories: decivilised, primitivised, infantilised, essentialised. 

- Alvarado 

Alvarado's theory for representing black people under the category of humour can be applied here as Ice Cube is sidelined as a comedian in the narrative.

The categorisation of black people as dangerous can be considered in this depiction of urban culture of young Afro-Caribbean Britons.

This advert demonstrates the idea of black people being pitied, in need of Western benefits to survive.

- Fanon

Fanon's theory can be extracted from its original context of application on black people, and considered on the representation of other ethnic minorities. The Chinese are arguably primitivised somewhat as they use means of violence in their daily demeanour. Whilst the art of karate is celebrated, it is also used as a stereotype associated with Chinese people.

The family of ethnic minority is primitivised here and presented in a decivilised manner which is clearly satirical as attempts of fitting in with Western culture are to avail as they operate in a socially absurd manner. 

Jesminder changes her name to 'Jess'. This is an evident example of how ethnic minorities feel an urge for 'putting on a white mask' due to the pressures of prejudice by a Western dominated society.

- Said 

A clear dichotomy of power is presented in this heartfelt socio-politically controversial narrative. The East is discriminated for its perceived uncivilised presence in contrast to the dominance of the West.

The African tribe leader is orientalised and the West intrude as 'benefactors' to this forested land. 

This Tarantino premiere depicts orientalism through a slave-trade era narrative. Power shift is evident between the 'White of the West and the Colour of the East'.

Weekly New/Digital Media Homework 19

Time spent online 'overtakes TV' among youngsters 

New research finds a cultural shift in the domestic sphere of entertainment. Younger ones have been reported to 'binge watch' box sets online. Demonstrates change in consumerism due to new and digital media. 

Egypt five years on: was it ever a 'social media revolution'? 

The role of social media is deemed pivotal in political protests. The argument prevails around the magnitude of influence by social media. 

Weekly New/Digital Media Homework 18

Spotify acquires two startups that could help it become more social

New partnerships with tech companies including Soundwave and Cord Project can further Spotify's lead against rival music streaming services including Apple Music. This makes way for more corporate competitive play which develops the debate of whether these tactics are ultimately beneficial for corporate profits or the consumer's experience. 

Is the mainstream media doing ISIS a favor?

The sensationalised agenda of reporting terrorism to generate shock and awe for an exchange of high reception is posing a robust representation of the terrorist group which is found to, in actuality, be losing power as a public threat. This reinforces the viewpoint that its par of the course is to to grab peoples’ interest. In the end of the day, newspapers and TV stations tend to be commercial entities that need to stay afloat.

Identities: Post-colonial theory & blog tasks

Post-colonialism: blog task

List FIVE films, FIVE TV programmes and FIVE online-only productions that are discussed in the article.

Films: Kidulthood, Anuvahood, Slumdog Millionaire, Sunshine, Star Trek, Rollin' With The Nines, Sket, Attack The Block, Shank, Ill Manors.

-TV Shows: Dr Who, Top Boy, Luther, 55 Degrees North, Line of Duty, The Real McCoy, 3 Non-Blondes, The Crouches, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

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Online productions: Brothers With No Game, Venus vs Mars, The Ryan Sisters, All About The McKenzies, Meet the Adebanjos. 

Watch Destiny Ekaragha's clips above (more of her work is available onher website, including the short film The Park). To what extent can we apply Alvarado's and Fanon's theories to these films? Do they reinforce or subvert typical black stereotypes in British film and TV? Refer to specific scenes and events in the clips in answering this question and aim for at least 350 words.

The feature-length film Gone Too Far by Destiny Ekaragha conveys a comical narrative through the use of stereotypes identifiable to the audience. A profound example of this corresponds with Frantz Fanon's 4-section model of representation of Afro-Caribbean people. One of the delineations suggest that stereotypes decivilise black people, which is presented through the various shots displaying the mother, as well as the foreign visitor wearing sandals, an outfit article commonly associated with poverty in third-world countries. This also links further with the idea of primitivism in the presentation of these characters, as the dialect of the visitor is foreign to British audiences, which is significant as the film is based in England and distributed to the audience within. Whilst these stereotypes are commonly perceived negatively, the more subtle stereotypes of humour and exoticism, as proposed by theorist Alvarado, are also prominently prevalent with the representation of the characters. Being of a comedy genre, the visitor of African origins plays the role of a 'clown' and is essentially the laughing stock generating comedy within viewers due to his unawareness and 'inferiority', which is a convention of comedy dictating that those who are unaware of a situation are bound to make for amusement as a result of hegemonic ideas which place the audiences at a level where they deem themselves more educated, and aware of social etiquette than, for example, the 'clown' of Gone Too Far. Exoticism is presented through the portrayal of the mother, who is dressed in traditional African dresses and has a corresponding dialect, which amounts to the multitude of stereotypes forming a comedy-drama featuring Afro-Caribbean characters. 

The short Tight Jeans by Destiny Ekaragha uses stereotypes to communicate a socio-political debate by the voices of the actors who are to an extent representative of black suburban Britain. Alvarado's theory of developing pity as a stereotype for black people is presented through the establishment of setting in what will be presumed a poverty-stricken council estate. A further application is via the use of humour as the characters adopt a comedic role in discussing serious topics such as the slave trade, and reducing them to a discussion about genitalia. 

Nonetheless, whilst Ekaragha reinforces these traditional stereotypes, many are subverted as a means of raising a conscious and very apparent inversion of beliefs such as that black youths engage in crime and gang violence - ideas which are absent in her pieces. 

Weekly New/Digital Media Homework 17

How new/digital #media is changing advertising and content 

Could the BBC be considering closing its 24 hour news channel?