Feminism in Popular CultureDr. Sara DiazWGST 280: Gender, Sex, & Popular CultureGonzaga University

2nd Wave Feminism

• 1st Wave – Suffrage• 2nd Wave – structural and cultural change• More representations of “feminism” in popular

mass media.• Often times stereotyped or mis-defined

feminism.• Today, some examples of feminism in media

1970s-1980s.• Friday – first autobiography journal due!!

Mary Tyler Moore Show

•1970-1977•Revolved around a single working woman• http

://www.hulu.com/embed.html?eid=w3dh52jzb_cnbf36uexnrq&et=557&st=306&it=i347

Maude

•1972-1978Surprising facts about women who choose abortion:•49% are over 25•61% have one or more children

•Maude was the first TV character in the US to have an abortion

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6fvqHbFgKg

Foxy Brown

•1974•Blaxploitation – One of the only genre

that featured black female protagonists•Pam Grier

•Often shot through with stereotypes about blackness

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVDvu28O3WU

Sex as a Weapon

•Pat Benatar used the new medium (MTV) criticize sexual objectification of women•1985• http://youtu.be/Icq0LlvtEy0

Object vs Subject

• Object• Passive• Inanimate• Observed/Viewed

• Subject• Active• Sentient/Sapient• Observer/Viewer

• “Subjectivity” – Self-ness

Male Gaze

•What is the “male gaze”?•How is the gaze different than just

looking at something or seeing it?

Object vs Subject

•Madonna’s appeal to both women and gay men seemed obvious … she never appeared to be tamping down her overt sexuality for anyone. … She was the sex object who was actually the subject, and she never let the viewer forget it.

Borderline

•1984•Watch for subject/object•Watch for male gaze• http://youtu.be/rSaC-YbSDpo