Identities and the Media: Feminism

What are the two texts the article focuses on?

The article focuses on TV show Pan Am and also Beyonce's music video for her song why don't you love me.

What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?

An example of Laura Mulvey's male gaze within the text is ""with a face like that you will find a husband in a couple of months". Another example of this is "fragmented legs as they walk in unison through the airport".

Both of these quotes clearly sexualise women and portray them as sex objects in the eyes of men.

Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?

I think texts such as these highlight the hypocrisy within feminism. The fact that many people view Beyonce's "Why don't you love me" video as liberating to women, yet page 3 is seen as discriminating women because they are not iconic role models highlights that there are hypocritical elements to it. Overall I believe that equality between genders has been largely achieved, however the lack of women in top positions is slightly concerning.

Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog.

Feminism – the advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.

Post-feminism – a reaction against some perceived contradictions and absences of second-wave feminism. The term post-feminism is ill-defined and is used in inconsistent ways. It was historically used to pose a contrast with a prevailing or preceding feminism.




Research the No More Page 3 campaign. Who started it and why?

Lucy Holmes started the campaign in the summer of 2012 when she saw that the largest picture in The Sun newspaper was a naked woman on page 3, despite the fact that the London Olympics were going on. She felt that this degraded women's position in society as they only existed to be looked at by men.

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

1) Page 3 was first introduced in the sexist 1970s. A lot has changed over the last 30+ years in our society, with women gaining more equality

2) It is soft porn that shouldn't be placed in a family and number one selling newspaper.

3) It teaches children that women are merely seen as sex objects for men to look at, whereas men are depicted as working, in suits etc, giving children a negative outlook on the position of women in society.

4) Page 3 ignores and overshadows all the positive achievements made by women and instead degrades them.

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.

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 contradicted by it.

What are Barbara Ellen and Susan Boniface's contrasting opinions in the debate?

Boniface argues that Page 3 is outdated and degrading to women as it depicts them as merely sex objects to men, who are clearly seen as superior as the newspaper is run by men in positions of power, in control of a women who is there to show her body. 

Ellen however argues that it is anti-feminist to oppose women that chose to show their bodies on page 3, and that women are doing the opposite of feminism by looking down upon those who chose not to follow the traditional, well accepted middle class lifestyle in which a women works in an office. It is therefore snobbery and hypocritical to oppose page 3. Women support the right to offend certain groups during the Charlie Hebdo marches, and idolise and constantly read about celebrities such as Kim Kardashian who did worse. 

How can the No More Page 3 campaign be linked to the idea of post-feminism?

Post-feminism can be linked to the campaign as it suggests that women are fighting to finally become equal to men, and with the campaign achieving it's aim of removing page 3 it may be argued that we now live in an equal society and the need for feminism no longer exists

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