Formation - Beyonce Flashcards

Question

What are your thoughts on the early advertising materials? To what extent do you believe these ideologies evolved?

Answer 1

My thoughts on the early advertising materials is that these advertisements just reinforce the idea that the women are the housewives of the house and that it is their responsibility to do everything whilst the man is at work. The advertisement on page 7 keeps to the stereotypes that men are the dominant gender and that they are superior and can do anything to their wife. In almost all the ads she is seen with household equipment such as a hoover, a stove or a mixer depicting that this is the only thing they should want or need. On slide 6 it is basically telling women what they should want and that they should show emotion to get it as women are typically emotional, not the men.

Answer 2

Betty Friedan was a liberal feminist which is someone who believed in equality before the law, education and welfare although she rarely challenged the idea that a woman's main role should be within the home. The other type of feminism was a radical feminist which was someone who challenged the social/sexual experiences of the patriarchy. Friedan believed that motherhood, domestic chores and a career could all be combined if women wanted to achieve it.

Answer 3

The difference between a liberal and radical feminism is that radical feminism focuses on the patriarchy with revolutionary change and collective action compared to liberal feminism which was focusing on equality and changing reforms and wanted to engage with mainstream politics. Radicals viewed traditional gender roles as oppressive and liberals saw their focus on achieving equality within these roles.

Answer 4

The ‘Beauty Myth’ is a book written by Naomi Wolf and she argues that ‘beauty’ as narrative value is socially constructed and that the patriarchy is part of the construction with the goal of reproducing its own hegemony. She also posits the idea of ‘iron-maiden’ an unattainable standard that is used to punish women for their failures to achieve and conform it.she also criticizes the fashion and beauty industries for exploiting women .

Answer 5

Postfeminism is a complex and contested term that reflects a cultural backdrop following the Second Wave of feminism. It is not a coherent political movement but a sensibility or cultural lens that both engages with and critiques previous feminist frameworks. It is associated with women flaunting their sexuality in not only a playful way but also controlling their own lives. They use it as a source of strength to get what they want.

Answer 6

In all the adverts ( slide 19-21) all the women are shown in tight and revealing clothing with only one aim in mind which is to exploit women of their sexuality. They are just referring back to its historic roots of a patriarchal society. They often used the notion that ‘sex sells’ so in order to make profit and money, they make the women wear uncomfortable and revealing clothes. It is mostly due to cultural stereotypes and profit-driven motives. Although these can be harmful, they are getting increasingly challenged by awareness and activism.

Answer 7

Capitalist success True feminist liberation Glamorization of violence The ‘victim’ trope Mutual transformation Visually celebrating black womanhood Urging viewers to look deeper and question the albums themes of violence and commodification Simplified feminism presented problematic solutions to systemic issues

Answer 8

Van Zoonen’s theory both supports and challenges this statement. Her theory supports that Beyonce is exploited and sexualised because you could argue that her use of revealing clothes and provocative dancing clearly objectifies her and possibly invites the ‘male gaze’ which unfortunately reinforces traditional patriarchal ideologies and reduces women back to a limited set of stereotypes. However she also challenges the statement and that she is actually supporting women with empowerment because Beyonce has control over herself and her agency so she controls how she wants to be viewed. Throughout the video she constantly makes direct eye contact with the camera which can be seen as powerful.

Answer 9

Bell Hooks theory also supports and challenges this statement. She supports the view that Beyonce is being exploited and sexualised because her image does not seem to be liberated, which tells us that we should revert back to those stereotypes. Hook argues that Beyonce’s feminism is presented as more fantasy-like as she focuses on gaining power within the patriarchy rather than dismantling it. However her theory also challenges the statement and that she is actually empowering women because some people say that Beyonce turns the traditional male gaze into the opposite as she confidently shows off her sexuality and challenges traditional representations.

Answer 10

We can apply the theory of postcolonialism to formation by analysing how the video subverts colonial power structures through representations of black identity such as in the antebellum scene/house. It challenges colonial power by giving black people power and a sense of agency which is the opposite of historical colonial narratives. They are honouring New Orleans culture as it acts as a celebration of black identity. The dominant signifiers in the video that relate to the idea of postcolonialism is the explicit reference to the history of racial oppression, slavery and ongoing police brutality which then subverts these images to reclaim the narrative and assert black power. Some key signifiers are the antebellum dresses, hurricane katrina imagery and the black child dancing in front of the police. The critiques of this theory in relation to formation are whether the video truly subverts colonial power structures as women and Beyonce are dancing proactively which could be bringing back stereotypical black stereotypes.

Formation - Beyonce Flashcards

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