WP 2
TOPIC: MODERN FEMINISM, MEDIA, & POP CULTURE
Armstrong, Sally. Power Shift: The Longest Revolution. House of Anansi Press Inc, 2019.
Sally Armstrong breaks down the struggles of women historically in order to understand their place in modern society. Armstrong aims to educate and empower. She draws from varied sources, from statistics to the biblical myth of Adam and Eve. The text is well written, informative, but neglects to address capitalism and its impact on women.
Beauvoir, Simone de, 1908-1986. The second sex / by Simone de Beauvoir ; Translated from the French and edited by H. M. Parshley New English Library [London] 1970.
This book is a groundbreaking work of feminist philosophy that inspired the second wave of feminism in America. She examines how women have been oppressed across history and culture. However, her perspective is eurocentric, heteronormative, and outdated.
Butler, J. (1990) Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge, New York, 33.
This text posits that gender is performative and non-natural, that it is taught and learned and can fall outside of society’s strict binary. Butler explores gender norms and how they are subverted. This text is hugely influential in feminist film theory in regards to gender.
Citron, Michelle, et al. “‘WOMEN AND FILM: A DISCUSSION OF FEMINIST AESTHETICS.’” Feminist Film Theory: A Reader, edited by Sue Thornham, Edinburgh University Press, 1999, pp. 115–21. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvxcrtm8.15. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.
Crenshaw, Kimberle. “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color.” Stanford Law Review, vol. 43, no. 6, 1991, pp. 1241–99. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.
De Lauretis, Teresa. Alice Doesn't: Feminism, Semiotics, Cinema / Teresa de Lauretis. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1984. Print.
Doane, Mary Ann. “‘FILM AND THE MASQUERADE: THEORIZING THE FEMALE SPECTATOR.’” Feminist Film Theory: A Reader, edited by Sue Thornham, Edinburgh University Press, 1999, pp. 131–45. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvxcrtm8.17. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.
Doane explores the idea of the female gaze, as separate from Mulvey’s male gaze, that requires adopting a pretense of identification and denial. The complexity of this work is both a strength and weakness. It focuses mostly on critical theory rather than any individual films.
Fraser, Nancy. ‘How feminism became capitalism’s handmaiden - and how to reclaim it.’ The Guardian. 14 October 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/14/feminism-capitalist-handmaiden-neoliberal
In this Op-Ed, Nancy Fraser argues that neoliberalism has corrupted feminism from its more idealistic roots by focussing on individual empowerment over systemic change. Fraser uses real world examples to illustrate her argument, such as “micro-credit” loans that exploit desperate women in developing countries. Fraser’s piece is biased, but has strong ideas.
Gaines, Jane. “‘WHITE PRIVILEGE AND LOOKING RELATIONS: RACE AND GENDER IN FEMINIST FILM THEORY.’” Feminist Film Theory: A Reader, edited by Sue Thornham, Edinburgh University Press, 1999, pp. 293–306. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvxcrtm8.29. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.
Haskell, Molly. “‘THE WOMAN’S FILM.’” Feminist Film Theory: A Reader, edited by Sue Thornham, Edinburgh University Press, 1999, pp. 20–30. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvxcrtm8.6. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.
hooks, bell. “‘THE OPPOSITIONAL GAZE: BLACK FEMALE SPECTATORS.’” Feminist Film Theory: A Reader, edited by Sue Thornham, Edinburgh University Press, 1999, pp. 307–20. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvxcrtm8.30. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.
bell hooks’ oppositional gaze theory expands upon Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory to articulate the act of resistance those with marginalized identities experience when enjoying films. hooks sheds light on how negative representations aren’t entirely limiting, as they provide opportunity for criticism and rebellion against them.
Jardine, Alice A. Gynesis: Configurations of Woman and Modernity. London: Cornell UP, 1986.
Johnston, Claire. “‘WOMEN’S CINEMA AS COUNTER-CINEMA.’” Feminist Film Theory: A Reader, edited by Sue Thornham, Edinburgh University Press, 1999, pp. 31–40. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvxcrtm8.7. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.
Kael, Pauline. I Lost It At the Movies: Film Writings 1954 to 1965. Little Brown & Company, 1965.
Pauline Kael’s collected essays are an incredibly influential work in the history of film criticism. Her writing is contrarian, highly opinionated, but always eloquently articulated with thought and power. Kael reviews a variety of films including “The Seven Samurai” and “West Side Story”. That Kael was able to gain so much influence and acclaim at a time when women were even more actively gatekept out of Hollywood is inspiring, and her words are insightful, but also many have aged poorly.
Kuhn, Annette. Women’s Pictures: Feminism and Cinema. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1982. Print.
Kuhn uplifts and supports feminist filmmaking while critiquing the ways in which Hollywood filmmaking oppresses women through objectification. Kuhn calls for more diversity and better representation of women on screen. Kuhn intellectually explores feminism and cinema, but her scope is limited to Hollywood, and lacks intersectionality.
Meese, Elizabeth A. Crossing the Double-Cross: The Practice of Feminist Criticism. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1986.
Mulvey, Laura. (1975) Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. In: Visual and Other Pleasures. Language, Discourse, Society. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-19798-9_3
In this seminal work, Mulvey defines the male gaze, that the scopophilic pleasure of moviewatching is rooted in female objectification due to the patriarchal construction of the narrative films. Mulvey references two Hitchcock films, “Vertigo” and “Rear Window”, as well as Lacanian and Fruedian psychoanalytic theories. This text is one of the most important works of feminist film theory, and draws attention to issues such as representation on screen. However, it is a bit outdated, and demonstrates Mulvey’s limited perspective as a white woman in the 20th century.
Ouellette, L., & Hay, J. (2008). Better Living Through Reality TV: Television and Post-Welfare Citizenship. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
This is a foundational text on reality television and its relationship to neoliberalism, how the values that underpin reality TV mirror America’s capitalistic values of privatization and the illusion of personal choice. The authors use many popular shows as evidence, including “Survivor”, “America’s Next Top Model”, and “Big Brother.” This text comprehensively analyzes a variety of reality television genres and conventions to synthesize how consumerism shapes culture and vice versa.
Rich, B. Ruby. “‘THE CRISIS OF NAMING IN FEMINIST FILM CRITICISM.’” Feminist Film Theory: A Reader, edited by Sue Thornham, Edinburgh University Press, 1999, pp. 41–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvxcrtm8.8. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.
Rich laments the unclear definition of feminist film criticism and filmmaking, and explores different approaches and definitions. She advocates for intersectionality and increased dialogue on the topic, but focuses a bit too much on the lack of consensus instead of positing a clear solution herself.
Russell, Legacy. Glitch Feminism: A Manifesto. Verso Books, 2020.
In this novel, Russell explores the new era of cyberfeminism, how the digital age has changed human relationship with technology in relation to both identity and body. Russell examines how the internet provides a refuge for queer people, and uses many internet metaphors for exploring feminism and sexuality. Russell utilizes personal anecdotes as well as the stories of friends, artists, and strangers. It lays out many unique theories and ideas about the internet and feminism, but it is highly personal and subject to clear bias.
Researching these texts has definitely enriched my understanding of my chosen topic, Feminism, media, and pop culture. I was (stupidly) surprised and delighted to find that most of the writings I was reading were written by women. I’m so used to men dominating everything, everywhere, in every field that I’m interested in, but it makes sense that women would dominate the academic topic of feminism, like no duh Sherlock. But I do think it was pretty ballsy for these really smart women to put themselves out there and boldly write their feminist opinions and perspectives in the 1970s. It made me feel a bit sad because you’d think that things would be much better and much different 50 years later in the present, and while a lot of it is, a lot of it isn’t, and some of it is worse in some ways.
Although I chose many film-related writings, what I think I am most interested in writing about is television, and more forms of “low(er)” brow media and entertainment. What is popular and hot and relevant and can connect to people. I, of course, want to utilize ideas from feminist film theory, and of course would have used more sources related to television, but the truth is academics don’t really want to engage with television as a medium. Perhaps I should have looked at sources like video essays and reviews over academia and theory, but I just want to think really deeply about feminism and its relationship to media and use that historical understanding of film as the dominant entertainment medium and apply all that theory to television, because it all applies, or can be applied. Despite their differences they’re both narrative, visual mediums.
What I want to say about feminism, media, and pop culture, is that the issues of representation are extremely difficult to tackle because there is so much going on that influences representation on screen. I think the idea of representation is a super tricky topic that has entered public discourse, but not many really understand the complexities of it, and resort to online groupthink or just throw their hands up in the air and don’t care about it. I would really like to break it down, what it means to me, how my opinions about it have changed as I’ve been more educated and gotten older and more familiar with Hollywood as an industry. It’s not just about having more women on screen, or more women behind the scenes. Yes, these are great goals to have, but adding more women into the equation doesn’t address the issues of representation in a critical and meaningful way — because the issues of representation are historical, and their longevity has to do with power structures. Additionally, we must actually examine the impact of media consumption on women and their ideals and their ideas about feminism. I know it’s a lot to cover and it all connects in a roundabout circuitous way, but if I muddle my way through into finding a thesis and a focus I think I could write something pretty interesting, or at least I would hope to. In particular, I would love to write about shows that are about women and cater to a female audience. The Bachelor, Dance Moms, Toddler and Tiaras, and Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Their popularity, content, form, and stars/subjects will be really interesting to break down from a feminist film theory type of perspective,
I would like to write a piece that is as complicated and interesting as my ideas about the topic itself. I want it to be intellectual and academic, but the tone to be casual, friendly, frank, funny. Basically, I want to write in my own voice, whatever that is. But I’m not sure what sort of genre that would fit into - maybe op-ed?