Stuart Hall - representation
1 - representations are a reconstruction of reality, encoded by the producer to reinforce dominant hegemonic values and to manipulate the audience through the furthering of these these values
2 - Stereotypes reflect the views of society, and stereotypes also reflect an imbalance of power. The more robust the stereotype, the more marginalised the group typically is
3 - stereotypes other, or make separate subordinate groups. They reinforce the hegemony of the dominant group
However…
Stereotypes have a value! They have importance. By using stereotypical representations of gay men, the producers are able to reach a gay audience in a heteronormative society.
Stereotypes can be used to accentuate the identity of the individual. It can be an affirmative action. Many gay men may live up to certain stereotypical social expectations in order to reflect and to embrace a gay identity.
What value is there in stereotypes?
To behave in a stereotypically camp manner demonstrates that one is out, proud and unafraid of being judged
Stereotypes are a way of making sense of the world, and can be helpful in particular to young gay people who are discovering themselves
Many modern stereotypes of gay people are completely non threatening, for example the ‘gay best friend’ archetype, and may allow gay people to find acceptance
Adopting stereotypes can be a form of reappropriation or reclaiming. There is power at taking the language of a powerful group and there is power in living up to stereotypes
Reappropriation - taking offensive and problematic elements and reclaiming them as your own in order to empower a marginalised community
Symbolic annihilation - the idea of the symbolic removal of a certain group from a media product, and a complete or almost complete lack of representation that ignores the existence of a certain group
bell hooks - feminism is for everyone
bell hooks wrote extensively about intersectional feminism. Intersectionality is the idea of the coming together of various different identities. Intersectional feminism acknowledges that there is more to being a woman than pure gender binaries.
For example…
Class - social class dramatically affects how people are treated in society
Race
Abilities - people of different physical abilities are treated dramatically differently
Sexuality
Etc
The representation of women is far more complicated than more straightforward theories would have us believe. bell hooks argues that this demonstrates a significant division in power
But how can we apply hooks when women in Attitude have almost been symbolically annihilated?
Feminism isn’t a lifestyle: it’s a political viewpoint. It is fundamentally constructed on the rights of women . Additionally feminism is an ideology predicated on equality. When a concept like ‘femininity’ is socially constructed, it doesn’t just ‘punish’ women who do not live up to gender stereotypes, it also discriminates against men who act in a ‘feminine’ way and thus subvert gender expectations.
Feminism not only benefits women but also men, gay people, differently abled people and other groups. For men for example, the equality between sexes somewhat removes a societal pressure to provide no matter. It allows gay men to be able to and even feel comfortable to express their gender and sexual identity in ways that were previously not hegemonically acceptable.
hooks argued that feminism is not a lifestyle choice, it is a political statement. She also argued that feminism is a struggle against patriarchal hegemonic hierarchies. There is a certain kind of ruling class white man that holds power. This affects everyone. The cultural expectations of women ultimately affect men. What is considered to be hegemonically ‘girly’ is not hegemonically appropriate for a man to behave like, which severely affects the choice of expression of gay men . For bell hooks, to dress in a gender non-conforming way even for a man is to challenge patriarchal hegemony, and is a political choice