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.