Course Description

At the core of the course is the question how feminism has become a demonized and ridiculed “F-word” in an age when issues of gender and sexuality are at the center of constant, often explosive political debates. These debates often connect media representation and political representation but tend to do so in simplistic ways that bypass or distort decades of sophisticated feminist theory and practice. We will trace back such representations through the decades around case studies that encompass film, video, television and new media practices. The case studies come from the United States and beyond, taking into full account the global interconnectedness of media production and consumption as well as the transnational travel of feminist ideas. The main goal of the course is to evaluate how useful feminist thinking is to understanding the relays between media and political representation; and to develop a lasting critical apparatus to analyzing the politics of gender and sexuality in the media.


Sunday, December 1, 2013

Pop Culture Overcriticism: Make it Stop, Please


A recent article has posed a question I would have loved to address in class during my group's teaching project on pop music and feminism had I encountered it sooner. It's a question that expresses my feelings toward a great deal of gendered discussion on popular culture in both class discussion and across the blogosphere as of late.

In a piece entitled "From Miley Cyrus To Lily Allen, Why Feminist Culture Critiques Can Turn Women Against Each Other," writer Alyssa Rosenberg asks: "Is there no circumstance in which women can turn their sexuality into powerful art, or in which we can grant women agency in deciding to commodify their sexuality because they believe the payoff is worthwhile?"

Both Miley Cyrus' recent antics (most notably, at the VMAs) and Lily Allen's "feminist" video for new single "Hard Out Here" have been denounced for similar reasons. In criticisms boiled down countless times over, the verdict is in: the ex-Disney star has no place exploiting her own body in the name of album sales. And even worse, Lily Allen has no place preaching against the ways of Miley and her followers - after all, she's just as guilty of using grotesque representations of the female body to get her points across.

When all is said and done, however, I can't help but feel that many of the popular (and pretty redundant) arguments made regarding these two performances could be more damaging to women's interests than the performances themselves. Frankly, I'm refreshed that Rosenberg has suggested that hey - perhaps as a woman, it may not feel right to accept the way Cyrus and Allen have chosen to define their identities. There's a lot exposed and wagging - tongues, twerking asses, the whole bit. But could it be just as much of a pro-female statement to think that perhaps that there is no correct or incorrect way to express oneself artistically?

Many of us in CTCS 412 are women on our way to rewarding careers in the entertainment industry. With that in mind, Rosenberg makes a valid point: "It’s an old move to offer up a definition of virtue that you happen to fit and that your rivals don’t. But for women in the entertainment industry, that’s a strategy that limits their opportunities to evolve, and to open up new paths to meaningful work." I know that one chick's idea of empowering herself may look different (and perhaps even raunchy) to another chick. As someone who would like to work in a creative position in the future, I hope to be surrounded by industry professionals who would agree with a similar notion. Women are complex creatures that are able to express themselves in ways unattainable to men. And yes, in some cases, self-expression may involve overt displays of sexuality. But all in all, that's what makes the experience of being a woman an awesome thing. As Rosenberg puts it, paying homage to Mean Girls, there's been some girl-on-girl crime here. It has to stop!

The link to the article is below. If you have a moment, please let me know what you think.

http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2013/11/14/2942681/lily-allen-jennifer-lawrence-feminist-culture-critiques-turn-women/
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1 comment:

  1. LeiDecember 6, 2013 at 1:31 AM

    Marisa I very much agree with you! In fact, I found a very similar article that I had wanted to bring up in our project too, but alas, not enough time.

    This reminds me a lot of the Dyketactics movie we watched at the beginning of the semester. When watching it I at first felt like ok, I'm getting a glimpse into a lesbian orgy of sorts that I am detached from as a straight woman, but can appreciate the artistry as an outsider. But the more the repetitive music wore on and the entire class fell under the trace-like state of the film, I began to see these women just as women and not foremost as lesbians. I was still unable to connect to the love making scenes on the same emotional level as if I was perhaps watching a straight couple (but that is based on my own background and sexuality, not the movie's content), but I saw something innately feminine and expressive of the female body regardless of sexual orientation in the piece that I had not expected.

    I found myself thinking huh. Some of these women could be straight and are just experimenting or even being openly sexual and confident, kind of like Miley is right now. I don't agree with everything Miley has performed as of late, some of it seems more offensive than it needs to be to get the same statement across, but as a pop star of her caliber (in terms of fame, not necessarily musical talent), I suppose some level of sheer shock value is needed just to keep up with the Joneses. Nevertheless, it's somewhat like Miley is making her own Dyketactics in that she is ambiguous about her sexuality, exploring her body, and presenting it without a clear message, just kind of putting it out there. Should we be critiquing that at all or just seeing where she goes with it first?

    This particular article is more about how Miley and Lily are helping feminists to speak out and rebrand feminism, almost that the feuds between stars have helped bring a greater awareness of the word and let feminist activists gain a wider audience. An interesting semi-opposition piece, but I think both arguments are valid and interesting to think about, though I think I'd side with your article when it comes to what sort of an image the cat fighting presents to young women.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/leave-miley-and-lily-alone-the-shock-new-faces-of-feminism-8944619.html

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