Breaking News!
Drop what you're doing and pay close attention, because one of Hollywood's hottest young starlets is now reportedly romancing 30 yr. old Ryan Reynolds...This past Easter weekend Scarlett Johansson was spotted wining and dining the hunk at all of the trendiest Hollywood hot spots appearing to get very cozy and looking very lovey dovey...Photos have been splashed all over entertainment programs and the internet, causing the inevitable media frenzy...(read more at the bosh.com for all your entertainment and gossip news needs)
I have one question concerning the coverage and attention directed towards this "juicy" story...What would Cixous or any other feminist critic have to say about our sick obsession with young Hollywood actresses and their romantic interests? It seems as though paparazzi stalk these young women at every turn, capturing every move, bad hair day, or miss-matched outfit. However, before I get to Cixous I will speak to how this story would be viewed from the feminist perspective...First of all, a feminist would point out that the focus of our society is extremely skewed. Our media coverage is not aimed at highlighting the achievements of women in the arts, athletics, or any other fields, rather it is focused on their appearance, romantic interests, and dating lives. Women in the media are glorified and presented as hot, sexy bombshells and that's about it...they are presented with as much depth as a shallow puddle. Cixous points out that subordination of the feminine to the masculine order is basically the condition for the functioning of our social machine. Cixous would probably note that the media portrays women in this fashion because in a way, it enables men to control and have power over women. By continually depicting women as sexual objects, women become nothing more than that...and the media reinforces this so heavily that these women become overexposed, half-crazy beings at a loss for all dignity (think bald headed Britney Spears bashing an SUV with an umbrella). Cixous points out that ideological apparatus is extremely effective in reinforcing the power of masculine domination. She also points out that phallocentrism is the enemy of everyone, and that it is time to invent the other history. We invent the condition in which there is only one dominant sex through the abasement of women. By focusing on the appearance and sexuality of women, they become passive and this further reinforces the hierarchy...
I have one question concerning the coverage and attention directed towards this "juicy" story...What would Cixous or any other feminist critic have to say about our sick obsession with young Hollywood actresses and their romantic interests? It seems as though paparazzi stalk these young women at every turn, capturing every move, bad hair day, or miss-matched outfit. However, before I get to Cixous I will speak to how this story would be viewed from the feminist perspective...First of all, a feminist would point out that the focus of our society is extremely skewed. Our media coverage is not aimed at highlighting the achievements of women in the arts, athletics, or any other fields, rather it is focused on their appearance, romantic interests, and dating lives. Women in the media are glorified and presented as hot, sexy bombshells and that's about it...they are presented with as much depth as a shallow puddle. Cixous points out that subordination of the feminine to the masculine order is basically the condition for the functioning of our social machine. Cixous would probably note that the media portrays women in this fashion because in a way, it enables men to control and have power over women. By continually depicting women as sexual objects, women become nothing more than that...and the media reinforces this so heavily that these women become overexposed, half-crazy beings at a loss for all dignity (think bald headed Britney Spears bashing an SUV with an umbrella). Cixous points out that ideological apparatus is extremely effective in reinforcing the power of masculine domination. She also points out that phallocentrism is the enemy of everyone, and that it is time to invent the other history. We invent the condition in which there is only one dominant sex through the abasement of women. By focusing on the appearance and sexuality of women, they become passive and this further reinforces the hierarchy...
posted by L.C. Gendall at
8:32 AM
2 Comments:
Oooh, not bad there Gendall... I agree that modern celebrity obsessions is A)inane, insane and out of control B)dangerous, especially if you're a lady.
I count my half of the gene pool endangered by the media because, hey, it aint easy living up to the Clooney standard!
But, without question, women objectified and constructed in media as either bitches or ho's isn't helping you climb social ladders, break through glass ceilings or see any of that mythical ERA-level equality that Cixous and her ilk have been crying for over the past couple hundred years or so.
I like your view of the media resulting in feminism. The effect that the media and paparazzi have on the portrayal of women is outrageous.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home