1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"?
The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low-status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons. Meanwhile the masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn self-reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity.
2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities?
Television programmes, pop songs, adverts, movies and the internet all also provide numerous kinds of 'guidance' - not necessarily in the obvious form of advice-giving, but in the myriad suggestions of ways of living which they imply.
3) What does Gauntlett suggest regarding generational differences? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?
Television programmes, pop songs, adverts, movies and the internet all also provide numerous kinds of 'guidance' - not necessarily in the obvious form of advice-giving, but in the myriad suggestions of ways of living which they imply.
4) Why does Gauntlett suggest that masculinity is NOT in crisis?
Women and men are both subverting each other's stereotypes, with them taking opposite roles in today's society. Women can be represented as strong and powerful and men could be presented as emotional and insecure. This is a progressive movement that people want top see happen.
5) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry.
I think that as long as the media is run by people that are older and have more dated and traditional views - the adverts we see will always be like this. We see adverts for Men's GQ which itself is a statement that men deserve their own magazine - promoting why they are the better sex - with things like watches and suits, which exerts a sense of false masculinity. On the other hand, some adverts like the #MeToo campaign with Gillette shows how men can be fluid with their identity as Gauntlett states.
6) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women?
By introducing more 'girl power' movements - the advertising sector shows that they still live within a traditional viewpoint where there is an issue to exert female power in the first place. This will change with time but overall will stay a big and pertinent issue.
7) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?
As I said before, the industries are run by older, more traditional men. In the future there is no doubt that most of society will conform with these more progressive views and will be more comfortable with social changes but for now - we have to sit and wait for those type of people to come into power. Gauntlett states that Tolerance of sexual diversity is slowly growing in society".
8) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?
Other ads (such as ones for Impulse deodorant and Kronenbourg lager) playfully teased heterosexual desires only to reveal that the lust object was more interested in their own sex, pointing audiences to the unpredictability of sexualities.
9) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes?
"Although we may occasionally find ourselves saying that 'the mass media suggests' a particular perspective or point of view, the truth is that not only is 'the mass media' wildly diverse, but that even quite specific parts of media culture put out a whole spectrum of messages which cannot be reconciled."
Here we see the constant construction of our understanding of sexuality. The people in power influence us to think that society needs changing and then the adverts come in to cater to them. This is hitting the "moving targets" as Gauntlett describes.
10) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. What is your opinion on this debate - do you agree that the media reinforces the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society?
The media prompts us to believe that we have control over what we think - to the 90% of us who are mostly passive viewers, it has a profound effect on how we much we trust the media to enforce or suppress new and emerging trends or movements that may be a danger to the societal views held by the advertiser.
It's up to the active viewers who decide that some representations of certain sexualities or genders are outdated or not. This is then translated through the media who can choose to cover it to certain parts of the world more where people are more concerned about their identity as a whole.
No comments:
Post a Comment