Judith Butler's notion of gender as a performative act that in effect shapes the world around us is a complex idea that many students struggle with. In fact many educators struggle with it! The official EDUQAS textbook for Media Studies conflates gender performance and performativity, even though these are two separate, yet certainly interrelated concepts! If you should take anything from this, it's that you do NOT need to be experts on theory to use them effectively in the exam!
Now we've got that cleared up, let's explore these notions with some close reading textual analysis. All of these analyses came from second year students. Great stuff everyone!
How is gender constructed through performance in the ‘dressing up’ sequence’ in San Junipero?
Take one
Judith Butler argues that gender is constructed through a range of repeated rituals that we carry out every day. This concept is fundamentally important to understanding the complex representations of gender found in San Junipero. For example, in the dressing up scene, a classic montage is presented to audiences to communicate that Yorkie is both sexually interested in Kelly, and is trying to impress her. This is encoded in the MES of the lighting, which combines a warm colour palette with a montage of CU shots that serve to present a flattering and alluring set of images for the target audience and for the characters in the narrative. Additionally, the MES of the bare lightbulbs function as a symbolic code for the theatre, and suggest that far from being herself, Yorkie is engaging in performance. An excellent example of this performance can be seen when Yorkie aggressively bites her lip in close up, while directly addressing herself in the mirror. By addressing herself directly, Yorkie is symbolically her identity, and drawing attention to not only a highly polysemic code of address, but also underlines the complexity of gender.
Take two
Judith Butler argues that gender is not fixed but fluid, and is constructed through repetitive and ritualistic actions. A perfect example of this idea of gender as performance can be found in the scene where Yorkie dresses in order to be as attractive as possible for Kelly. Throughout this montage, which will be instantly identifiable to the target audience through the process of intertextual relay, Yorkie takes on the role of a character from The Breakfast Club, biting her lip in a symbolically sexually alluring way while staring at herself in the mirror. The MES of Yorkie’s eyes constructs a polysemic system of interpretations for the target audience, allowing them to negotiate Yorkie as either wide eyed and innocent or sexually suggestive. This highly contradictory combination of media language suggests that gender is a complex concept. This suggests the ideology of the producer is to challenge simple and straightforward representations of gender, but also we see Butler’s theory being particularly useful when it comes to understanding the complexities of gender
The scene also demonstrates that gender is fluid, to such an extent that Yorkie adapts many different gender identities in just a minute long sequence
Gender performativity and the sex scene
Take one
Butler’s notion of gender performativity is particularly important when it comes to understanding the relationship between the characters, especially their sexual relationship. Butler argues that gender is fluid, and that sexuality and gender are both extremely complex concepts that produce a series of effects. After the sex scene, Yorkie shyly announced to Kelly that she has never had sex with anyone before, to which Yorkie adds ‘you’ve deflowered me”. Not only does this lexis perhaps foreshadow the real age of the characters, it also has symbolic connotations, and refers to the act of something being lost in sex in traditional heteronormative relationships. The term ‘flower’ has connotations of innocence and purity that are religious in nature. However, the characters instantly make fun of this conflation of sex and purity. This complex and postmodern representation of gender and sexuality challenges heteronormative, traditional and hegemonic conceptions of relationships.
However, the queer relationship of Kelly and Yorkie challenges heteronormative ideology, in practice, the scene takes on rather traditional values. Yorkie inspects the MES of a photograph, perhaps of Kelly, perhaps of her mother, and asks an innocent question. Rather than answering the question, Kelly looks at Yorkie seductively, and, in a montage of sexually charged mid shots, the couple passionately kiss. This clear indication of Kelly using her sexuality and her attractiveness to shape the situation is what Butler would refer to as a series of effects, where performance of gender affects the world around her.
Take two
It is suggested gender performance, the acts which construct our gender, change dramatically depending on contextual factors such as setting and time. An excellent example of this can be found in the sex scene that occurs towards the start of the narrative in SJ. Both Yorkie and Kelley to associated stereotypes of femininity, which matt challenge more stereotypical representations of lesbian couples in media. While characters present as somewhat stereotypically feminine, with both characters being hegemonically attractive, both Kelley and Yorkie perform their gender in subtly different ways. The MES of Yorkie’s costume is subtly masculine. Her shorts, jumper and glasses all combine to create a more reserved and passive presentation of femininity. Conversely Kelly is more stereotypically feminine, with the MES of more overt makeup and feminine costume, yet the assertive way that Kelly both initiates sex, and the composition of the mid shot with Kelly assertively being on top of Yorkie is more stereotypically masculine. Butler argues that our performance of gender is complex. This is further reinforced through the complex way that Kelly initiates sex with Yorkie. A MS emphasises Kelly’s seductive expression, functioning as a proairetic code, and suggesting an imminent sexual encounter. Kelly’s seductive look also presents an intertextual relay, that helps audience members to understand that Kelly is performing gender in a stereotypical, yet also complex manner. Additionally, Kelly also uses her gender performatively, and uses her sexuality to end a difficult conversation with Yorkie. The MES of Yorkie’s glasses during the sex scene also suggests Yorkie’s naivety and lack of experience.