meekaimeekaimeekai

[mgmrosales]

Analytical Application #1: YAYAYAYAYAY!!

The ruling class is described as “[T]he class which has the means of material production at its disposal, consequently also controls the means of mental production” (1). This class are the dominant minds that are behind the ideologies that are placed within society to support the means of the ruling class at the expense of the proletariat. The ruling class both controls the material production of cultural products, but also “mental production.” By using the term mental production, I am referencing the power that the ruling class has by taking on the role of the “thinkers” within society. These so-called-thinkers are able to reinforce the ruling ideas that are presented as universal truths.

Keeping this in mind, while viewing the different ads, I thought that the banned ad from Iceland best reflected this term. The harvesting and production of palm oil has led to deforestation and the killings of many wildlife in these habitats. To halt the further production of palm oil products, Iceland Foods came out with an advertisement to educate consumers about the devastation. In response, Iceland had banned this advert on television to ensure that the public continues to stay ignorant of this tragedy. Applying this to Mark and Engels ideology of the ruling class, we can see how the Icelandic ruling class, the major organizations/capitalists, are prioritizing the economy and profit over basic humaneness. Banning the ad from a major platform like television, the ruling class hones in on the exploitation of labor. The ad is set up in a manner in which the ruling class is attempting to maintain control over the information that is being distributed across social media. 

As Marx and Engels discuss within their workings, the ruling class also controls the means of mental production, the production of ideas and ideologies that reinforce their own dominance. The banning of the Iceland ad is the equivalent of silencing the proletariat. The ruling class is easily able to exercise their control over both material production, the production and harvesting of palm oil, and mental production, the dissemination of messages that can produce a voice of change. In doing this, the ruling class is able to maintain their dominance and protect their economic interests at the expense of everyone else’s livelihoods. The ruling class are represented by major organizations and capitalists that prioritize economic profit over ethical and moral production–harming the proletariat. The ruling class are the ones that create the system that we are all subjected to, unable to change the dominant ideologies that have been instituted for their interestss.

2. As Louis Althusser states, Ideology is not just a set of beliefs but rather a practical set of beliefs that are ingrained within institutions and the practices that pertain to them. The practices then leads to the formation of individuals under a system of beliefs controlled by the ruling class. Working through different institutions, ideology reproduces “the system of ideas and representations which dominate the mind of a man or a social group” (2).

“Thank You Mama” ad from 2012 by P&G displays how ideology can be constructed through a cultural group mindset–one that is of the role of a mother. The ad further reinforces the portrayal of maternal love, by depicting mothers as selfless for the sake of their children and family. In this, mothers are perpetuated to fulfill gender norms that align with gender ideologies. The sacrificial role of a mother has been engrained since the moment the relationship is built between the mother and their child, but also the moment society sees a child and decides its constructed gender as female, the gender roles and familial responsibilities are instituted. Societal expectations and roles are imposed, shaping their identity and behavior. P&G does an effective job of further ideological reinforcement, tapping into the deeply ingrained gender ideologies, influencing their viewers to conform to societal expectations that the ruling class values towards motherhood. 

The ad’s function is to simulate the experience of motherhood while influencing the consumer culture. Motherhood is a non-changing role that is clearly outlined in the ways P&G reproduces the narrative. This displays the worldwide ideology of mothers, a commercial that is applicable across the oceans. The easy success is defined through the support from their mothers, the sacrifices their mothers have made to help their children–that is what is expected of motherhood. This emotional sentiment is easily read across all cultures due to P&G’s reproduction of ideologies that have been designed for mothers. The P&G “Thank You Mama” advertisement is the perfect example of how ideologies are placed within every single realm of media, including all forms of advertising. The company utilizes the ideologies that are present within the ruling class to reinforce the dominant narrative that lends motherhood towards subservience. 

3. Ideological state apparatuses, through the works of Althusser, as the ways in which the ruling class are able to shape individuals and their beliefs through institutions and structures that reinforce their dominant ideologies. This can be done through educational institutions, religious institutions, family, media, culture, legal systems, or even the political system (3).

The John Lewis “She’s Always a Woman” advertisement is a prime example in how ideological state apparatuses operate through media to reinforce the dominant narrative that has been instituted within our culture and society. The various stages of a woman’s life is depicted in this advertisement, growing up in a white picket fence home, going to an expensive college, getting married to a white man, has a stable career, begins to grow a family, and spends time with her grandchildren. This is the glorification of the American dream that John Lewis illustrates through these rose colored lenses. Childhood and adolescence are laced with innocence and beauty, the ways in which gender norms are reinforced. Later when she begins her adulthood, her life is just diminished to the roles of a wife, a mother, and a caretaker. Her work is not highlighted or her academic accomplishments are not seen. This is promoting how a woman’s primary identity and value is derived from the ways she is able to serve the men in her life and her relationships with others. The ad finishes on a happy note in her older age, suggesting that she was only able to find happiness by strictly following the structure of life that the ruling class has set through ideological state apparatuses and its traditional gender norms. 

The woman’s life depicted through the lens of John Lewis is one that fulfills traditional roles that are being normalized and presented as desirable and easy to achieve. This is a way in which the ruling class is able to maintain their dominant ideologies, through media and its depictions of familial relations. By presenting these roles as natural and universally applicable, the notions are easily translated to different cultures. The role of ideological state apparatuses in shaping public opinion and social order is in line with the interests of the ruling class, disregarding the marginalizations and disparities that the proletariat face. 

4. Mechanical reproduction refers to the processes and steps that are taken to reproduce art and cultural products through technology. Allowing for these dominant ideologies, that are produced by the ruling class, to be easily and widely accessible. In this, the aura of these works are being altered according to author Walter Benjamin, who states “Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be" (4).

The Tide Super Bowl advertisement, “It’s a Tide Ad,” from the 2018 Super Bowl reveals in each stereotypical commercial scenario that in actuality, each scene is a targeted tide ad. In this, there is a sense of mechanical reproduction through media reproduction. This clever and witty commercial, cultural products are being simulated and duplicated to transform the cultural significance of the ad. When the same message is being duplicated over and over again, it is this being ingrained in the mind of the audience and within mainstream media. Not only that but The Super Bowl is one of the largest events on national television in the United States, providing thousands of viewers to watch each advertisement. Through the mechanical reproduction, the essence of advertising is able to be broadcasted across multiple different online platforms, ensuring exposure to these consumer narratives that the ruling class controls. 

The Tide advertisement utilizes these common commercial scenarios that are so normalized for a standard viewer of television, such as car ads, beer ads, and commercial ads to curate a sense of relatability for the audience. By incorporating the Tide slogan within these familiar scenarios, the advertisement is then able to reinforce the ideology of consumerism. The clean clothes within each scene highlights that any ad has the possibility of being a Tide ad, inserting the brand into the broader landscape of advertising. The notion that the product of Tide is necessary when in association to cleanliness, the ad reinforces that ruling class’s ideology that associated consumption with cleanliness. 

The ad is also a form of contradictions, challenging and mimicking other common commercials, but the repetitive nature of the ad emphasizes the loss of uniqueness–that loss of aura. The mechanical reproduction that ad utilizes, transforms the piece of media into a commonidic that is designed for mass consumption.

5. The Culture Industry highlights monopolistic capitalism! This industry is the mass production of consumer-based products aimed simply for profit; the homogenization of these cultural products lends itself to the loss of artistry during its distribution. The mass consumption of these products is enforced by the ruling class which promotes conformity to these ideologies that perpetuate these different capitalist structures (5).  

Amazon, the creators and distributors of the Alexa, is a trillion dollar e-commerce company that controls almost half of the internet, but as well as more than a third of retail products being produced. Amazon has also seeped into the film entertainment industry and the food industry with their ownership of Whole Foods and the Amazon grocery page. With the creation of Alexa, Amazon is able to control households from within. In the advertisement, Alexa Loses Her Voice there is strictly only depictions of conventionally attractive individuals leading a very attractive lifestyle. This sends out a consumerist message on how lives should be led, lives that can only afford the product, prompting folk to strive for a lifestyle which supports the wealthy and rich. Mass culture and businesses coincide, the cultural impact of the Alexa is significant, as it shapes consumer behavior and reinforces capitalist ideologies. 

The ad “Alexa Loses Her Voice” serves as a prime example in how the culture industry functions as a tool to serve the ruling class. The use of these different celebrities glamorizes the world of consumerism, adding a sense of humor and relatability to mask how the consumerist mindset directly funds the interests of the ruling class.  The advertisement directly lends itself to the mass culture that Adorno and Horkheimer critique. The ad depicts these idealized lifestyles that are unattainable for a lot of the masses, in which Alexa’s role is to enhance the quality of life. When in fact, the Alexa, in this ad, is used to conform the idea that integrating technology in your everyday lives has become a necessity, this can also be referenced to ISAs. By promoting the use of these expensive products into celebrity-endorsed lifestyles, culturally produced through Amazon, are used to maintain social control and promote conformity within the capitalist society that the ruling class has instituted. 

Marx, Karl, and Frederick Engels. 2010. “The Ruling Class And The Ruling Ideas.” In The German Ideology Vol. 5. N.p.: Lawrence & Wishart.

Althusser, Louis. 2006. “Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses (Notes towards an Investigation).” In The Anthropology of the State, N.p.: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Althusser

Benjamin, Walter. 2009. “THE WORK OF ART IN THE AGE OF MECHANICAL REPRODUCTION.” In FILM THEORY AND CRITICISM Introductory Readings N.p.: Oxford University Press.

Horkheimer, Max, and Theodor W. Adorno. “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception.” Essay. In Dialectic of Enlightenment Philosophical Fragments.

@theuncannyprofessoro

[mgmrosales]

MAC143 Final Assesment: Watchmen (2019)

The sources that I have chosen to use as guidelines for my analysis are Frantz Fanon, "The Negro and Psychopatholgy," bell hooks, "Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators," Audre Lorde, "Master's Tools" and "Age, Race, Class. and Sex: Women Redefining Difference," and Stuart Hall, "What is this 'Black' in Black Popular Culture?" All in which provide the framework to examine the concepts and themes within the television show as they are intended--through a socio political and cultural lens.

This post will contain a review of similarities and differences between each theorists that will lend itself to our analytical application of Watchmen (2019)'s episodes "This Extraordinary Being" and "A God Walks Into Abar".

Commonalities: A call for recognition

Black American author, bell hooks, asks her readers to consider the power and influence that the world of film and television has on “reproducing and maintaining white supremacy” and what we, as viewers, can do as acts of rebellion by being aware of the systemic oppression institutionalized within popular culture. (1) These white-dominated narratives, ones that bell hooks criticizes, are traced back to the psychological effects of colonialism. Frantz Fanon in his work “Black Skin, White Masks” establishes colonialism as the root of white supremacy thus lending itself to whiteness as the normative. (2) Fanon critiques the traditional psychoanalytic frameworks that became standardized through Eurocentrism–this can directly affect the black community through the internalization of racist stereotypes. To connect both theorists, Fanon discusses how black individuals can internally analyze the effects of negrophobia which then leads to self-induced psychological stress. (3) hooks, in retaliation to the effects of these fractured self-identities, that are brought on through the projection of irrational fear from white people, adopts the concept of the “oppositional gaze.” (4)  In this, power is given back to black women when consuming misrepresentations of black women in film and the internalized racism that Fanon discusses, that has permeated within the black community, begins to unravel. By critically engaging and analyzing a film’s narrative through the concepts from hooks, there is the psychological liberation from the externally imposed racially oppressive society that Fanon discusses.

There is a call for resistance, a call to critique the dominant power structures that perpetuate alienation of different marginalized groups. Audre Lorde’s “Master’s Tools” challenges the reader to examine the many identities that are involved within the intersection of a woman’s experience of oppression at the subjection of the white patriarchy. (5) In a similar fashion to both Fanon and hooks,  Lorde advocates for activism within these communities through the reclamation of power. “Age, Race, Class, and Sex” brings forth the power in the act of recognizing intersectional identities, and through that we are able to redefine difference, the same way bell hooks resists the domination of the white gaze through the critical lens of the oppositional gaze. The reinterpretation of one’s identity within different media representations is a notion that is recurring amongst these theorists, and fellow sociologist and cultural theorist, Stuart Hall, does the same in his seminal essay, “What is this ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?” Hall explores various forms of culture, where blackness is shaped and produced in relation to representation. (6) This aligns with themes from both hooks and Fanon, where the portrayals of the black community are constructed upon stereotypes, or can be challenged and dismantled. The alternative to misconstrued representations (challenging these notions) are focused on by Lorde through the acknowledging the elements in play within the frame of intersectional identities of different marginalized groups that may overlap. 

Frantz Fanon, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, and Stuart Hall all focus on the nuanced experience of being black in white dominated society–race, gender, and sexuality are not isolated but are a part of the interconnected experience of being a person of color. Each theorist highlights their own personal anecdotes, none in which have the same exact experience but understand the significance of viewing social and cultural identities within the workings of the systems of power that shape them. In this, they reach out to their audience to practice forms of awareness, self-awareness included, to be successful in social change!

Differences: Discourse over discourse of power

Despite each theorist sharing similar notions concerning identity, power, and representation, they each bring a unique perspective that is inclined with their personal experience of being black in a society that places white lives on a pedestal. With that comes different approaches in the analytical exploration of the power structures that enforce the perpetuation of marginalized identities. 

Audre Lorde and bell hooks both primarily focus on the identity of women, and what being a black woman means within the white socio-landscape. Both refer to resistance to the systemic oppression led by the ruling class, however Lorde calls attention to the traditional white feminist movements that lack complete regard for complex layers of identity. This extends to Fanon’s foundations of how colonialism has become the foundation for the ruling class’s role in shaping personal identities. However, Lorde’s findings are based on intersectionality and that is what Fanon lacks in consideration within his workings, the multi-faceted lens of personal identities. Race, gender, sexuality, and class are the social differences that are necessary in understanding what steps to take in resisting oppression. Fanon’s work does not address the means of intersectionality or take a multifaceted approach into consideration, that one’s identity can be beyond racial or colonial influences. Lorde does focus on extending Fanon’s thought by focusing on intersectionality, although hooks’ is the one that demonstrates actions/steps that can be taken to dismantle the systemic oppression that Fanon and Lorde exchange views on. hooks’ “oppositional view” is the practical application of Lorde’s calling to use “tools”, demonstrating an active approach that is applicable when viewing forms of media that are laced with undertones of oppression. hooks foregrounds media as the basis of her work, also transcends into the work of Stuart Hall. Hall’s work on encoding and decoding media has lent itself to the understanding of how popular culture is then translated between messenger and receiver, in comparison to other theorists who highlight the structures of oppression within more traditional sites such as colonial contexts, feminist liberation movements, or direct media. 

Each proactive theorist has deepened their argument through the parallels between the production of their work and historical events that shape their writings. Fanon was writing about the impact of colonialism on the psychological framework of black folk during the decolonization movement during the 50s and 60s. Lorde and hooks delve into the multi-layered events from the civil rights and feminist movements during the late 20th century. Hall writes from the perspective of living in Britain, in post-colonial conditions. This directly lends itself to the distinct differences between each theorist; these distinctions accentuate the differing approaches to challenging the fixed notions of identity established by the white ruling class. Fanon emphasizes the assertion of selfhood in perspective of the need for psychological liberation due to the dehumanization instituted from the ruling class; Lorde, on the other hand, demands action from white women who have failed to recognize the struggles from intersecting identities. hooks, unlike the others, provides practical steps that can be taken to challenge dominant norms within media, while Hall examines how black popular culture has been taken by the hands of the ruling class to mend and contest. By weaving together the perspectives, experiences, and identities from each theorist, we are able to understand how one can ultimately resist the oppressive patriarchal norms. Each brings a further insight into the discourse of power. 

“This Extraordinary Being”

To get a more nuanced understanding of the workings of Fanon, hooks, Lorde, and Hall, I will be using the scene from Watchmen (2019) episode 6 “The Extraordinary Being” in which our Hooded Justice comes to his own personal realization of his role within this white America. In this scene, the audience is introduced to Will Reeves’ (incognito as Hooded Justice) most influential film from his childhood. “Trust in the Law” is a black and white fictional silent film that depicts the heroic storyline of Black U.S. Marshal who exposes the sins of the sheriff, but exempts the death of a corrupt sheriff by stating that “There will be no mob justice today. Trust in the law.” (00:25:48-00:25:52)  

Frantz Fanon’s work emphasizes the negative reactions of colonialism that have pervaded the minds of Black individuals within his findings. Applying the concepts from Fanon to the scene provided above, the lasting effects of colonialism is apparent within the television’s storyline. Through the lens of Fanon, it can be suggested that the film “Trust in the Law” is a prime example of reclaiming Black power within the confines of white supremacy, a recurring theme within the episode. Fanon hones in on the psychological consequences of colonialism, affecting the psyche of an entire community–which can lend itself to distorted sense of self. That fractured self-doubt within the mind of Will Reeves is that moment when Bass Reeves takes a role in the newly found career of Hooded Justice. Bass Reeves was being cheered on by the white folk for his heroism and masculinity, deflecting the historical depictions of Black men as subservient. Will was in a deep state of contemplation, whether or not he would be able to take on the responsibility and duties of the masked vigilante. However, through the exploration of Fanon, Bass Reeves became the symbolic disruption of the white narrative through the positive representation of a Black man.

If we use bell hooks’ “Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators” as a guide when consuming media, this can be applied to Will’s experience of viewing “Trust in the Law.” From hooks’ perspective, the film is a moment of physical empowerment. The act of oppositional gaze is defiant, its intentions are to deconstruct the stereotypical representations of black women in film. Applying this concept to the scene, Will breaks free from these false stereotypes that pervade old cinema through the representation of Bass Reeves in a position of authority and power. However, Stuart Hall may suggest that the depiction of a Black man in a role of law enforcement can be construed as backwards. Law enforcement has historically used the corrupt system to unjustly reinforce oppressive tactics to harm the Black community. Through the work of Hall, it is suggested that placing Bass Reeves in this position as a Marshall may be upholding the authority of a system that intentionally harms those Reeves represents. On a similar note, Audre Lorde famously states that, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” (7) Bass Reeves, as a marshal, has the job of enforcing the same laws that have been used to repress the humanity of Black individuals. The judicial system has been abused over and over again by the white power structure; so does Bass Reeves, as an active participant in the oppressive system, legitimize the systemic racism involved in law enforcement? From Lorde’s perspective, this could be labeled as the “master’s tools.” 

By incorporating the thoughts of these theorists, as the audience we are able to see the multifaceted functions of “Trust in the Law” for Hooded Justice’s calling. The film challenges historical racism and oppression, although prompts questions on how identities are framed within the context of race, gender, and power. Before I digress, I do think it is important to note the costume of Hooded Justice and its symbolism, especially in reference to the workings of Fanon. Later within the scene, there is a close up shot of the hood and the noose around the neck of our hero. (00:27:19) The noose is a known weapon used for the act of lynching Black individuals and a hood is connoted to the white supremacists, the KKK. When Hooded Justice is able to associate these symbols of systemic racism, he is able to partake in an act of resistance against racial violence. This act of reclaiming can be seen as a form of confrontation of internalized fears that have been inflicted by colonialism. 

“A God Walks Into Abar”

We can apply all these concepts to another scene from Watchmen (2019), during episode 8 “A God Walks Into Abar,” Doctor Manhattan adopts the physical form of a Black man. (00:17:22-00:18:44) Was once a raceless and godly creature, Doctor Manhattan takes on a black identity within the realms of a racially charged society; however, through the findings of Fanon, this shift in identity can be interpreted as conflict in his work. For the black community, the experience of being black is contingent on the lived experience that has been shaped by colonialism and racism. Doctor Manhattan’s default form is a white body, but in all actuality, the creature is this neutral being. Thus becoming a complex act of a reconstructed identity that is interconnected with different social aspects. Lorde’s essay emphasizes identities that intersect with gender, race, and sexuality. Doctor Manhattan’s new body and identity does not solely interact and exist within the context of race, but also gender–he adds on another layer to his complex position in his function in the human societal structure. Lorde may suggest that because he is this omnipotent being with god-like powers, it can be understood that he takes part in dismantling the master’s house. His being innately transcends the system instituted by the ruling class, and by adopting a black man’s identity, he challenges the systematic oppression and racism by not participating. This lends itself to the possibility of a question that Hall would endorse, does the newly found appearance of Doctor Manhattan shift the definition of blackness in popular culture? As we discussed previously, the existence of Doctor Manhattan serves as a form of cultural resistance against racial stereotypes that have been reinforced by the ruling class. Whereas the work of hooks provokes the question of rebellion. Does Doctor Manhattan have a role to play in resisting oppression both of and on screen? The analysis of Doctor Manhattan’s transformation helps the audience critically examine race on screen. 

Through the viewing of these scenes from Watchmen (2019), I am left with an opportunity to critically analyze the complex relations between race and power in media, while also examining, while taking into account, the act of resistance in the face of systematic oppression. 

hooks, bell. “THE OPPOSITIONAL GAZE: Black Female Spectators.” In Media Studies: A Reader, edited by Sue Thornham, Caroline Bassett, and Paul Marris, 462–70. Edinburgh University Press, 2009.

Frantz Fanon, “The Negro and Psychopathology” in Black Skin White Masks, 115. Translated by Charles Lam Markmann. London: Pluto Press, 1986.

Fanon, “The Negro and Psychopathology”

hooks, “The Oppositional Gaze”

Lorde, Audre. “The Master’s Tools will Never Dismantle the Master’s House.” In Feminist Postcolonial Theory: A Reader, edited by Reina Lewis and Sara Mills, 25–28. Edinburgh University Press, 2003. 

Hall, Stuart. “What Is This ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?” Social Justice 20, no. 1/2 (51-52) (1993): 104–14. 

Lorde, “The Master’s Tools will Never Dismantle the Master’s House.”

@theuncannyprofessoro

[mgmrosales]

Analytical Application 6: Race and Representation

Dumbo (1941) “When I See an Elephant Fly & Dumbo Flies”

Authors Ella Shohat and Robert Stam construct a definition of stereotypes to help solidify the nature of representations that follow these ideals and notions. The two state that stereotypes reduce the complexities of an individual or diminishes the nuances of a culture as a whole, making entire communities into inaccurate caricatures. There could also be a negative aspect that is connoted to these stereotypes, which lends itself to the reinforcement of how stereotypes shape perceptions of identity of those individuals of the targeted group (1). Shohat and Stam highlight how the black community is at the brunt of these misrepresentations in Hollywood cinema.

“When I See an Elephant Fly & Dumbo Flies” is infamously known as a racist depiction of black birds to stereotype black men–using African American stereotypes of that time to create the scene at hand. It is extremely important to note that the animation was created in 1941, where racism was still extremely rampant in the United States. Not only that, but one of the crows was literally named “Jim Crow” (this is genuinely so appalling and so unsurprising of Disney). AND, this crow was voiced by a white man trying to emulate the sound of Louis Armstrong, one of the most influential and famously known figures in jazz. As Ella Shohat and Robert Stam illustrate, stereotypes are constructed through the cultural misrepresentations and discourses that reduce the identities targeted. Stereotypes are curated through cultural, social, but also historical processes. This is exemplified through the harmful caricatures that Disney made of black men, perpetuating racial stereotypes. The musical number mimics the speech and mannerisms of African American folk of that time period, using “jive-like” tone and pitch when singing. This white man literally uses a blaccent! These crows use slang and accents that are commonly associated with racial caricatures during the earlier to the mid 1900s. Despite crows being highly intelligent, the crows are characterized as carefree, happy-go-lucky, and simple-minded which contributes to the reinforcement of the misconception that black people are uneducated. Stereotypical representations perform as function for dominant power structure set in-place; these characters directly are set up to dehumanize the black community in popular media.

Lady and the Tramp (1955) “Aunt Sarah and Her Twin Siamese Cats”

“Orientalist theory” is the center of Edward W. Said’s “Orientalism.” This theory is not simply a fantasy but rather “a created body of theory and practice” (2). This is the constructed representation and images of the “Orient,” or the East, through the lens of the West. This is to institutionalize the East as weak, exotic, and inferior to its counterpart, the West–which is viewed as powerful and rational.

The Siamese cats in "Lady and the Tramp" are depicted as these exotic, mysterious, and mischievous, with their mannerisms and accents to emphasize their “Asianess” which is the equivalent of highlighting their foreign nature. They speak with these exaggerated accents that represent the Western perspective and mindset of the East, minimizing and reducing non-Western cultures. The use of speech patterns directly contributes to the exoticization of the East, these Siamese cats reflect Orientalist attitudes. This also relates to the othering that is in play when it comes to the Orientalist perspective that is pushed upon the East. The portrayal of the Siamese cats are manipulative, mischievous, and reckless, especially in comparison to their Western counterpart, Lady. Their characteristics and mannerisms reinforce the idea that any non-Western culture is inherently different and inferior to the West. Not only that, but Lady is seen cleaning up the mess of the cats, but also her breed is an American cocker spaniel. One that note, the Siamese cats are positioned in the musical number as the antagonists, their only characterization is to cause trouble for the protagonist, Lady. There is a power dynamic that is being curated through the positionings of the cats and the dog, this creates a distinction between the two in the narrative, but in actuality, this creates a distinction between the East and the West. The depiction of Asia through the Siamese cats, perpetuate harmful stereotypes that marginalized groups are cunning and manipulative towards white folk, and that their main goal is to cause disturbance for the West. This further pushes the idea that non-Western culture is inferior to the West, but also creates a sense of superiority for the Western audience intaking Disney’s movies and films. 

Peter Pan (1957) “What Makes a Red Man Red”

As Ella Shohat and Robert Stam state in their workings, there is a sense of cultural hierarchies that are typical of Eurocentrism (3). The Western-centric (deluded) viewpoint positions European thought, value, and customs as the top standard, placing Europe as superior to everything that is non-European. This not only perpetuates a cultural hierarchy that lends itself to global inequalities, but also promotes colonial power. 

Eurocentrism places European culture at the center of universal values and the model of development, not only that but sets a level of biases towards European thinking and attitude; this Eurocentric view is exemplified through the depiction of Indigenous lands and peoples of Disney’s “What Makes the Red Man Red.” This scene within “Peter Pan” makes a mockery of Natives, portraying these folks as primitive and uncivilized, but also sexist and cruel. Their white counterparts further highlight the differences between the two groups, further reinforcing the power imbalance between the West and Indigenous cultures.

Calling Indigenous folk “red” comes from the derogatory history of a racial slur that was used against Natives. The word is rooted in colonization, and was used by settlers and colonists to distinguish Native Americans from other non-Western groups. Disney diminishes the offensive history of the term and reduces the historical context by stating that “What made the red man red? Let’s go back a million years to the very first Injun prine. He kissed a maid and start to blush, and we’ve been blushin since.” These lyrics emphasize their physical appearance by objectifying the group of people. But also, this Eurocentric perspective highlights Western culture and civilization as superior, and the theory is rooted in colonialism and reinforces these harmful ways of thinking. This song, by ignoring the offensive and racist past of calling a native “red,” perpetuates the falsehoods of indigenous inferiority, but also justifies Westernorn colonialism. Through this, Disney silences the voices of Indigenous peoples and communities. 

The Aristocats (1970) “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat”

Everybody wants to be a cat

from The Aristocats (1970)

Through the workings of Edward W. Said, the “Orient” is this Western constructed notion that places the East in an inferior position to the West. “[T]he Orient has helped to define Europe (or the West)” (4). The conception of the “Orient” encompasses all regions of Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa through the lens of West; directly reducing cultures and peoples of these non-Western lands as primitive and exotic in comparison to the “superior” West.

Before I rewatched “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” I thought it was a song about jazzy cats dancing around on screen, while that is seemingly true, there is a shockingly racist portrayal of a Siamese cat playing the piano with chopsticks singing fortune cookies! I was shocked! The Orient refers to the constructed representations of the East by the West, and this is exemplified through the depiction of Asian stereotypes through the Siamese cat. The West continually exoticizes non-Western cultures, this is done by showcasing and emphasizing the differences between the two cultures. Piano was made in Italy and has a history within European culture and values, and to use chopsticks as a replacement for hands for the only Asian coded cat is directly linked to the Western representation of the East–diminishing Asian culture to just chopsticks, fortune cookies, and an exaggerated accent. Fortune cookies actually originated by Japanese immigrants in the early 20th century in the United States, and were made popular by American associates. This only reveals the Western perspective that in their white eyes, regions of Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa are all the same–there are no distinctive qualities that differentiate them. This representation of Asia portrays the East as inferior to the West, that Asia follows the Western stereotype that “they all look the same.” This Siamese cat only reinforces the product of the Western narrative that encompasses and pervades the culture of the East. Also, the exaggerated features of the squinted eyes and accent makes it easily distinguishable which culture Disney was mimicking. 

The Jungle Book (1967) “I Wan'na to Be Like You”

As Stuart Hall states in his work “What is this ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?”, cultural hegemony “is always about shifting the balance of power in the relations of culture” (5). It is not about pure domination, rather cultural hegemony is about the dominance of hegemonic ideologies. This is how the ruling class is able to maintain dominance in thought and value–through shaping perceptions and ideals that pervade through all social groups (this can be done through stereotypes attributed to cultural production). 

Cultural hegemony is clearly defined through the lyricism of The Jungle Book’s  “I Wan’na Be Like You.” As we know, cultural hegemony is related to the dominance of a specific social group over others, the ruling class. Within the lyrics of the musical number from the Disney movie The Jungle Book, King Louie, the main singer of the number, states how he wants to be a human. Cultural hegemony can be applied to King Louie’s desire to fit within the bounds of the cultural hegemony, his desire to be human is similar to the desire to fit in with the cultural norms that are set by the ruling class. This leads to the marginalization of different identities that do not fit the hegemonic standards that are set within society, which is what causes King Louie to sing about how he wants to be human.

Furthermore, the depiction of the monkeys and the Orangutans is in actuality the reinforcement of racial stereotypes against black people. The white actors singing the song intended to mimic the sounds of jazz that was pioneered by the black community. Not only that, but the connotation between black people and primates goes back to racism targeting black people to justify slavery. These evil and dehumanizing notions were to reinforce Euro-American ideologies and supremacy, to reinforce cultural hegemony. By this portrayal of King Louie and the monkeys are caricatures of the black community, through the voice acting of white people, this further perpetuates the marginalization of black people and places the cultural hegemony of white society, voices, values over marginalized racial groups. 

Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. "Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation." Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings, 1999.

Said, Edward W. "Orientalism." Orientalism, Vintage Books, 1979.

Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. "Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation." Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings, 1999.

Said, Edward W. "Orientalism." Orientalism, Vintage Books, 1979.

Hall, Stuart. "What is this ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?" Representations, vol. 1, no. 1, 1993.

@theuncannyprofessoro

[theuncannyprofessoro]

Reading Notes 10: Said to Shohat and Stam

To wrap up our studies of visual analysis, Edward W. Said’s “Orientalism” and Ella Shohat and Robert Stam’s “Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation” provide critical paths to understanding the roles of race and representation play in our production and consumption of film, television, and popular culture.

How is orientalism linked to film, television, and popular media, and in what ways has standardization and cultural stereotyping intensified academic and imaginative demonology of “the mysterious Orient” in these mediums?

What role do stereotypes play in the representation of people, and in what ways can film and television change the perception of cultural misrepresentation?

@theuncannyprofessoro

[jclemuss]

Edward W. Said's seminal work "Orientalism" explores how Western perspectives have historically constructed the concept of the "Orient" as a means of asserting power and control over the East. This construction is based on a series of stereotypes and generalizations that depict Eastern cultures as exotic, mysterious, and inherently different from Western cultures. Said argues that these portrayals serve to justify Western dominance and influence in the East. In film, television, and popular media, Orientalism manifests through the standardization and cultural stereotyping of Eastern cultures. These mediums often portray the East as a place of mystery, danger, and allure, reinforcing the notion of the Orient as an exotic and backward region in contrast to the civilized and progressive West. For example, Hollywood films frequently depict Middle Eastern or Asian characters as villains, terrorists, or other negative stereotypes, contributing to the demonization of these cultures. The link between Orientalism and film, television, and popular media is evident in the ways these mediums perpetuate cultural stereotyping and standardization of Eastern cultures. By presenting the Orient as mysterious, exotic, or threatening, the media intensifies academic and imaginative demonology of the East, contributing to the ongoing cycle of misrepresentation and perpetuation of Western dominance. This highlights the need for greater diversity and authenticity in media portrayals of Eastern cultures, as well as critical engagement with the legacy of Orientalism in shaping our understanding of the world.

Ella Shohat and Robert Stam discuss how stereotypes play a significant role in the representation of people, particularly in film and television. Stereotypes are reductive and oversimplified representations that categorize individuals or groups based on preconceived notions, often leading to misrepresentation and the perpetuation of biases. These stereotypes serve to reinforce power imbalances and existing social hierarchies, as they limit the complexity and diversity of different cultures and identities. Stereotypes in media often rely on established and recognizable tropes that portray groups in a one-dimensional manner. This can lead to a cycle of misrepresentation, where certain cultures, races, or ethnicities are consistently depicted in a limited range of roles, such as criminals, villains, or objects of ridicule. These depictions not only fail to capture the richness and nuance of different cultures but also contribute to the marginalization and exclusion of those who do not fit these narrow representations. However, film and television also have the potential to change the perception of cultural misrepresentation by challenging stereotypes and offering more nuanced and authentic portrayals of different groups.

Sources

Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. “Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation.” Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, edited by Stuart Hall, Sage, 1997.

Said, Edward W. Orientalism. Vintage Books, 1979.

[mgmrosales]

How is orientalism linked to film, television, and popular media, and in what ways has standardization and cultural stereotyping intensified academic and imaginative demonology of “the mysterious Orient” in these mediums?

As Edward W. Said states in his work “Orientalism,” “[T]elevision, the films, and all the media’s resources have forced information into more and more standardized molds.” This is in reference to the Western perspective and depiction, within media, that is severely limited–transforming and representing the culture of the East as linear and mono-characteristic, in comparison to its colorful origins and expressions. Said expresses how media has become a tool to cloud the minds of the audience; this curation of television, films, and all other forms of produced media carries out the stereotypes that have been perpetuated by the white Western power and influence. These mediums contribute to the exoticization of the East, simplifying these marginalized groups as stepping stones for Western dominance. 

What role do stereotypes play in the representation of people, and in what ways can film and television change the perception of cultural misrepresentation?

Through the workings of Ella Shohat and Robert Stam, it is highlighted within the writings that the influence an individual has on screen as a member of marginalized community–that the role they are partaking in can reinforce and affirm the misrepresentations and stereotypes of their group by acting out the producer’s ideas, “speaking on behalf of some other persons of groups” (2). It is possible within film and television, to critically engage with these forms of media, that subverting from dominant ideas, ideals, and narratives can lend itself to change the perception of cultural misrepresentation. 

(1) Said, Edward W.. "The Scope of Orientalism" in Orientalism, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., 1978.

(2) Shohat, Ella and Stam, Robert. "Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation" in Unthinking Eurocentrism, London: Routledge, 1994.

@theuncannyprofessoro

[mgmrosales]

Analytical Application #5

Laura Mulvey, within her workings, introduced the concept of “scopophilia.” She states that this term is linked to the pleasure that comes from being the observer and the object of observations. According to Mulvey, the concept of the “male gaze” is directly intertwined with “scopophilia” (1). The cinematic structures reinforce the ideas of voyeurism targeted towards women.

We can see the workings of Freud being exemplified in the comic strips created by Neil Gaiman in The Sandman: A Game of You in multiple scenes. Starting with George, the creepy old neighbor, who is seen preying on all these young women. The theory of scopophilia is demonstrated when George grabs a scalpel to reveal a flock of crows bursting out his chest. In the first panel on the page, the poster of Barbie, the protagonist, is shown. This is a reminder of the objectification Barbie was subjected to under the male gaze of George. On that same page, George is seen looking out towards the city observing the sleeping women under the city skyline. In the comic the city is reflecting off the up close shot of George’s glasses, exhibiting a “controlling and curious gaze” (2). He is a reflection of the male gaze that lends itself to scopophilia. The crows being released are also a tool used for the observing of these women, the dreams are an extension of the mind and a further inspection of looking at each individual. George is receiving manifestations of love from the voices, gaining pleasure from looking as a person. On that note, as we know the concept of scopophilia refers to the relationship between the act of looking and being looked at. George, who was once the observer, became the object of the observation for all the women in the apartment complex. He became a picture on the wall, his only job was to be examined and surveyed by the women–becoming the exhibitionist. 

Judith Butler's work on the deconstruction of the sex/gender binary challenges the notions of the traditional gender norms that have been institutionalized through the patriarchal hierarchy. The sex/gender binary states that sex and gender are synonymous–reinforcing the idea that your biological makeup is what defines gender. However, Butler challenges these ideas by stating that gender is socially constructed. Gender is not something that is inherent when an individual is born, but rather something someone “does” through their actions and mannerisms (3).

As Butler claims, gender and sex are not synonymous! As discussed, gender is a social construct that is perpetuated by normative heterosexuality. Sex/gender binary is not real nor accurate by any means, and this can be seen through the character Wanda in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman: A Game of You. Wanda is a transwoman and throughout the storyline, her identity is brought up to keep the flow of the plot. In relation to Butler’s claims, Wanda disrupts the binary as a trans individual. She is a woman despite not fitting the alignment of the sex/gender binary. This supports Butler’s ideas, that gender is fluid and on a spectrum–gender cannot be limited to just the binary. At the same time, I think it is important to note that Butler sex and gender is not defined by the degree in which an individual is categorized through masculinity and femininity. Wanda’s character challenges the notion that gender is strictly determined by biological makeup–despite not undergoing bottom surgery, a gender-affirming surgical procedure for trans individuals to reconstruct their genitals to match their gender identity. Wanda’s character highlights the complexities of gender identity, and despite characters like George and the “I don’t like dogs” lady who question the gender identity of Wanda, she continues to stay affirmative in her gender expression. As Wanda states on page 413, “I was born a guy, and now I’m a gal.” Through Wanda’s character, Gaiman directly supports the themes within Butler’s writing–that gender is not just the binary, challenging his audience from the 80s and 90s on their understanding of sex and gender. 

Through the workings of Judith Butler, gender norms are reinforced roles, traits, and behaviors onto individuals based on their societal perceptions on gender identity, how one is perceived based on their appearance. For example, some masculine norms can be connoted to strength versus feminine norms such as submissiveness. Butler’s theory of gender performativity emphasizes how gender is internalized and reproduced through the process of intake–gender is once again, a social construct! (4)

In Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman: A Game of You, it can be argued that the protagonist, Barbie, fulfills the role of the stereotypical “damsel in distress.” As stated above, gender norms are socially constructed that reinforce roles and traits for individuals based on their perceived gender. Due to Barbie being the conventional image of a woman in need of help, she fits the standardized definition of the “damsel in distress.” This narrative trope portrays women as helpless and vulnerable, lending itself to the reinforcement of traditional gender roles. A damsel is usually depicted as passive–unable to solve her own problems. However, I plan to argue how Barbie seems to fit the categorization of this trope, but breaks free from the constrictions of gender norms during the storyline. Despite needing the help from her neighbors, Barbie holds the agency to solve the issue and defeat the Cuckoo. Damsels are also described as submissive, however we see Barbie make her own decision when given a boon, not submitting to Thessaly’s demands. In many different scenarios, the damsel is objectified by the perspective of the audience and the male characters within the plot. Despite being objectified by different men in the chapter, Barbie breaks free from the objectification of men through her expressiveness in makeup and expression. Her oddball choices in painting her face disrupts the psychological desires of women to dress and present themselves as the standardized image curated through the male gaze. The damsel in distress trope serves to enforce patriarchal ideals of gender, however Barbie disrupts these ideas through her badassery!

The term “butch” can be defined as a way to describe lesbian women that express themselves with more masculine traits, characteristics, and mannerisms. This has developed into a stereotype and now an identifier within the lesbian and queer community. Although, in a slightly similar manner to positive images, butch lesbianism offers up visibility for the queer community, but it can limit the ways masculine lesbians can express themselves. (5)

Hazel, from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman: A Game of You, exemplifies Jack Halberstam’s understanding of the term “butch” lesbian. I will be arguing how Hazel fits the role of butch through the societal standards of butch lesbianism. It is important to note that of the time in which this graphic novel was published, the representation of lesbianism was limited to masc and fem relationships. Now, using the workings of Halberstam, we can draw similarities between the character of Hazel and Halberstam’s concept of “butch.” By means of appearance, Hazel is drawn with more masculine traits. She has shaved sides with a short haircut and is only seen wearing clothes like t-shirt and jeans or a suit with a tie. In comparison to Hazel’s partner, Foxglove, her physique is more “masculine.” Foxglove is seen topless with a smaller and slimmer figure that follows the conventions flat are placed on to feminine women by the patriarchal standards. White Hazel is drawn with a wider frame, fitting a more traditional masculine presentation. Hazel challenges traditional gender norms through the way she expresses herself, not conforming to the expectations set in place. Halberstam’s notion of butch masculinities lets the readers know that gender is not limited to the binary, breaking free from the traditional gender norms. Despite being the “masc” of the relationship, Hazel finds herself pregnant. Through the lens of society of that period, the feminine individual or the cis women within any relationship is typically the one to be pregnant. So, with Hazel being classified as butch but being pregnant, she is not conforming to the traditional gender norms. 

As author Laura Mulvey writes, the “male gaze” is the feminist theory that delves into the objectification of women in media through portrayals that satiate the psychological desires of men—projecting the fantasies of the patriarchy onto female figures in cinema (6). This places women into an inferior position within a patriarchal society that denies the existence of women in any other form. 

Through the workings of Mulvey, we can apply the theory of Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze to Barbara’s character design. From the first couple of strips of the graphic novel, the protagonist of the issue, Barbie, is a tall blonde “bombshell.” This is a telling sign of when the comics were published; the term male gaze was developed by Mulvey in 1975, and the comics began to be released in 1988. This is exemplified in the works of Neil Gaiman by the beginning of the chapter, where Barbie is wearing little to no clothes. She is seen in her underwear while wearing a feminine off the shoulder blouse, in which her nearly unrealistic hour-glass figure is displayed to satisfy the desires of men, furthering my point about the male gaze. As Mulvey states, the male gaze lends itself to the identification of women in relation to their role in a patriarchal society. In a later page, when Martin Tenbones is shot by the police, Barbie runs towards her furry knight and in the next panel a male police officer refers to Barbie as a “bimbo.” Despite Barbie being a variation of a mythical norm, and as we know with these normative and conventional traits gives power to the person. Despite Barbie being blonde, skinny, young, white, and heterosexual–she is still a member under the scrutiny of the sexual desire that is meant to satiate the psychological needs of men. This is only further perpetuated through the angle and perspective that Barbie was drawn–a lower angle that only seems to sexualize her despite her storyline within the chapter being completely desexualized. The plausible, and most convincing, reasoning behind this is purely for the male hetero demographic in the period this comic was created. 

Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” in Film Theory and Criticism (New York: oxford University Press, 2009).

Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” in Film Theory and Criticism (New York: oxford University Press, 2009)

Judith Butler, “Gender Is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” in Feminist Film Theory (New York: New York University Press, 1999)

Judith Butler, “Gender Is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” in Feminist Film Theory (New York: New York University Press, 1999)

Jack Halberstam, “Looking Butch: A Rough Guide to Butches on Film” in Female Masculinity (Durham: Duke University Press, 1998)

Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” in Film Theory and Criticism (New York: oxford University Press, 2009).

@theuncannyprofessoro

[mackat24]

Panel Presentation: "Justify My Love" and "One of Your Girls"

"JUSTIFY MY LOVE" BY MADONNA

The No. 1 hit single “Justify My Love” by Madonna is a song that explores desire, love, sex, and choice. The music video shows Madonna as she kisses men and women, and it also features other queer couples. The music video was banned from MTV and created a scandal due to its sensual nature. 

Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” 

Butler’s essay explores the construction and representation of gender. Specifically, she claims that gender is just a performance reinforced by repeated acts [1]. At the start of the music video, there is an androgynous figure shown in the hallway. They appear to be a topless woman with pearls and gloves; however, they have short hair and a slightly more masculine face (00:00:22). At a glance, it is difficult to tell whether or not this is a man or woman–does it even matter?–but it shows that gender is a performance. You choose how to present yourself to the world and looking like a man/woman is based on societal norms. A similar argument can be made for the two women in drag with drawn on mustaches; at a glance it’s difficult to tell whether they are men or women, again, supporting the idea that gender is a performance (00:04:17). At this moment, they present as men, although they are women. There are also several other people, such as an androgynous women Madonna kisses (00:02:00-00:02:41), a man cross dressing (00:04:33), and two transgender women that appear in a mirror (00:02:50) that support this idea that gender isn’t necessarily a “natural” thing, we just associate certain traits with certain genders. 

Furthermore, Butler claims that “‘imitation’ is at the heart of the heterosexual project… [and that] hegemonic heterosexuality is itself a repeated effort to imitate its own idealizations” [2]. This statement can be applied to the heterosexual couples featured in the video. At the beginning of the video, there’s a man tightening a woman’s corset. The man is muscular, dressed in leather, and has a mustache. The woman has an hourglass body figure, prominent breasts, and makeup on (00:01:21-00:01:27). The way they look follows the heterosexual ideal. The couple clearly follows gender norms through body shape and dress. They imitate hypersexual heterosexual idealizations, whether consciously or subconsciously, furthering the heterosexual project. There are several other heterosexual couples too. For one, Madonna is seen with a man, and they are both clearly feminine/masculine (00:01:05-00:01:20). Madonna is also seen on the bed as he stands above her, until the man is swapped with a woman (00:01:44-00:01:54). Additionally, there’s a close up where a man forces a woman to look at the camera. She appears to be frightful (00:04:25-00:04:28). These two examples show the following of heterosexual norms because in both, the women seem to have less power. Because Madonna’s the one on the bed, she’s the one going to have things done to her, tying into our readings about the male gaze and how women are typically featured with less power. In the second example, the woman clearly is not in control; the man forces her to look at the camera by grabbing her face. In these scenes, the couples follow the heterosexual norm of the women being more submissive. 

Also, I’d like to mention the dancer in a black bodysuit. They may be a symbol of change/fluidity. When Madonna was on the bed, at first, she was with a man. Then the dancer in a black bodysuit appeared, and next there was a woman (00:01:55-00:01:57). Another time the dancer makes an appearance is before the audience sees the two transgender women in the mirror (00:02:43-00:02:46). The dancer appears again before Madonna is seen with the original man (00:03:37-00:03:40). The dancer is also seen in the shot with two men and a cross dressing man on the couch (00:04:29). In each instance, change is featured: the man is swapped for a woman, there has been a transition in gender, and there has been a transition in appearance. This ties into Butler’s essay because it shows how fluid gender is, showing how “‘being a man’ and ‘being a woman are internally unstable affairs” [3]. 

Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch”

Halberstam’s essay discusses the queer gaze, positive images, and butches. The queer gaze is getting around codes/barriers by identifying queer characteristics in the people on screen. It’s a way to identify with the characters on screen even if there aren’t queer characters [4]. In Madonna’s music video, there are many queer people. However, Madonna herself can be used as an avatar within the queer gaze. Specifically, in regard to this music video, through her lyrics and performance she’s able to express her sexuality. She got pushback for it but was still able to be herself. Closeted queer people want to openly express their sexuality, so they may make Madonna their icon/live through her. 

Halberstam also discusses a “positive image,” or rather, “the opposite of a stereotype” [5].   Positive images are when societally good images use marginalized peoples. Madonna’s music video has both positive and negative images, and also many neutral images. Madonna herself is a positive image. In the music video, she’s portrayed as bisexual. When she’s on the bed with the man about to have sex, she puts up her hands and says, “not like that” (00:01:50-00:01:55). This shows Madonna, the woman in the relationship, having power. It’s a positive image of women and bisexual women - they have the power to refuse what they don’t want. Furthermore, at the end of the video, there’s a black screen with a quote “poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another” (00:04:58). In this case, the man is the one presented as weaker, further supporting that women can control their situations. This is a negative image for men, though, because it promotes the stereotype that they’ll do anything for and are dependent on sex. An even more negative image would be when a man grabs a woman’s face, forcing her to look at the camera (00:04:25-00:04:28). This promotes the negative image that men have the power, and women can do nothing about it. Generally, though, there are happy, queer, couples in the video, pushing the positive image that queer couples are happy. Ultimately, there’s a blend of positive and negative in the music video. 

Halberstam also discusses butches, and some are featured within Madonna’s music video. One is a woman that wears suspenders and a cop hat (00:03:11). They do appear to be a bit androgynous, but Halberstam may claim that this is a transvestite butch. The transvestite butch may do “cross-dressing and [assume] female masculinity in relation to the notion of disguise” [6]. Although women can be cops and wear suspenders, these clothes are generally more associated with men. The outfit gives the butch a more masculine feel. Also, the butch grabs the man’s head and kisses him (00:03:12-00:03:23). So, Halberstam may also classify this person as a predatory butch, a butch that’s “the gunslinger, the prison warden, the gang member, the female pimp; in short, the bulldagger” [7]. Just by dress, this person fits the bill, but based on actions, the person seems to have power, seems to be a tough guy. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"ONE OF YOUR GIRLS" BY TROYE SIVAN

Troye Sivan’s “One of Your Girls” expresses frustration over loving a straight man while being a gay man. The music video presents Troye Sivan dressed in drag, as he’d like to be “one of [his] girls” so that he’d be loved back in the same way. 

Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” 

The start of the video features a mix of more masculine and feminine men, with Troye himself appearing more feminine (00:00:01-00:00:30). This goes to show how gender is not a “natural” concept, it’s human made and just a performance. People decided what features belong to which gender, determining which guys look more masculine or feminine. 

When Sivan is in drag, he’s very convincing as a woman; I didn’t realize it was him at first (00:00:53). This, again, goes to show that gender is just a performance. His makeup is done to look like a very feminine, pretty woman. Since anyone can adopt these features and pass as a woman, it suggests gender isn’t inherent as Butler claims. There are simply societal ideals of what’s feminine vs. masculine. If gender wasn’t just a performance, there would be more of a sign indicating that he wasn’t actually female.

Furthermore, when Sivan was in drag giving a lap dance to another man (00:01:49-00:01:51), it showed how heterosexuality is an imitation of itself. If you didn’t know Sivan was in drag, you’d assume that this is a heterosexual couple expressing their attraction. However, because Sivan is in drag, that means this couple is not heterosexual. As Butler states, heterosexuality itself is a performance, like drag [8]. Furthermore, Sivan is literally performing; he’s dancing. He “performs” heterosexuality, or rather, imitates it at least, showing how heterosexuality is an imitation of itself. 

Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch”

Although Sivan’s video doesn’t feature any butches, it does deal with queer gaze will apply. Sivan sings about being “one of your girls or homies,” showing how he'd like to be a girl just so that this guy will like him. It already has queerness infused; however, the line could be read in multiple ways. Transgender people could identify with it because it deals with wanting to be another gender. Nonbinary/gender fluid people may also be able to relate because of the line “girls or homies.” Sivan does not just say girls. 

Regarding positive/negative images, there aren’t many within the music video. Portions of the video are in black and white and other portions are in color. However, all parts of the video where Troye Sivan presents himself as male are in black and white. The first instance of color appearing is when he’s in drag (00:00:31). This could be read multiple ways. One is that he’s desperate for this guy to like him, and he’ll only be happy when this man likes him. This is definitely a more negative image - it portrays gays as people who base their happiness off of what others think. However, this could also be interpreted as a positive image. The image (not necessarily the lyrics) could show that Sivan was happy when he could present as a girl. Being himself and doing what he wished made him happy. This is a positive image for trans people - they are happier when they can present themselves as their gender. Otherwise, though, no one is portrayed in a particularly positive/negative light. The song revolves around unrequited love, and you feel bad for Sivan, but it doesn't use particularly strong positive/negative images. 

Discussion Questions

What are some other representations of people in drag in the media? Are these representations positive or negative? How do these representations compare to “One of your Girls”’s? 

In the music video for “Justify My Love,” there is representation of different identities. However, they are all in a sexual context. What implications does this have? Is it harmful or harmless? 

Madonna’s music video has a large array of queer people. However, she’s still the main focus and very feminine. Even when she kisses the girl, it seems more so for the male gaze. On the other hand, in Sivan’s video, he’s the one subverting gender norms. Sivan’s video doesn’t feature other outwardly queer people, though. Which video do you think is a better representation of queer people?

Halberstam states that “a cinema of positive images is simply not a very interesting cinema” [9]. Do you agree with this statement? Also, should we still use markers such as positive/negative to analyze representation? 

[1] Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” in Feminist Film Theory a Reader (New York: Washington Square, 1999,) 338.

[2] Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion,” 338. 

[3] Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion,” 339. 

[4] Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch” in Female Masculinity (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1998,) 177.

[5] Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch,” 184.

[6] Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch,” 206. 

[7] Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch,” 194.

[8] Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion,” 338. 

[9] Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch,” 184. 

Madonna, “Justify My Love,” dir. by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Sire Records, 1990, video, 4:58, https://youtu.be/Np_Y740aReI?si=Fw15pQmSolKPVrvY.

Troye Sivan, “One of Your Girls,” dir. by Gordon von Steiner, Capitol, 2023, video, 3:09, https://youtu.be/ZhGl8McrOHo?si=SVN4aU5ei642a_BD. 

@theuncannyprofessoro

[mgmrosales]

Thinking of different drag representations in media, my first thought is the internationally known "RuPaul's Drag Race" which can be argued as both positive and negative representations of this marginalized groupings of people. Putting drag on the map, once a taboo late night TV show, RPDR pays homage to its ballroom roots. However, many can argue that it puts drag in a box. Because of how famous RPDR has become, would drag, similar to Ru's, have been more normalized for mass media or someone like Troye Sivan--conventionally attractive and white.

[mackat24]

Panel Presentation: "Justify My Love" and "One of Your Girls"

"JUSTIFY MY LOVE" BY MADONNA

The No. 1 hit single “Justify My Love” by Madonna is a song that explores desire, love, sex, and choice. The music video shows Madonna as she kisses men and women, and it also features other queer couples. The music video was banned from MTV and created a scandal due to its sensual nature. 

Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” 

Butler’s essay explores the construction and representation of gender. Specifically, she claims that gender is just a performance reinforced by repeated acts [1]. At the start of the music video, there is an androgynous figure shown in the hallway. They appear to be a topless woman with pearls and gloves; however, they have short hair and a slightly more masculine face (00:00:22). At a glance, it is difficult to tell whether or not this is a man or woman–does it even matter?–but it shows that gender is a performance. You choose how to present yourself to the world and looking like a man/woman is based on societal norms. A similar argument can be made for the two women in drag with drawn on mustaches; at a glance it’s difficult to tell whether they are men or women, again, supporting the idea that gender is a performance (00:04:17). At this moment, they present as men, although they are women. There are also several other people, such as an androgynous women Madonna kisses (00:02:00-00:02:41), a man cross dressing (00:04:33), and two transgender women that appear in a mirror (00:02:50) that support this idea that gender isn’t necessarily a “natural” thing, we just associate certain traits with certain genders. 

Furthermore, Butler claims that “‘imitation’ is at the heart of the heterosexual project… [and that] hegemonic heterosexuality is itself a repeated effort to imitate its own idealizations” [2]. This statement can be applied to the heterosexual couples featured in the video. At the beginning of the video, there’s a man tightening a woman’s corset. The man is muscular, dressed in leather, and has a mustache. The woman has an hourglass body figure, prominent breasts, and makeup on (00:01:21-00:01:27). The way they look follows the heterosexual ideal. The couple clearly follows gender norms through body shape and dress. They imitate hypersexual heterosexual idealizations, whether consciously or subconsciously, furthering the heterosexual project. There are several other heterosexual couples too. For one, Madonna is seen with a man, and they are both clearly feminine/masculine (00:01:05-00:01:20). Madonna is also seen on the bed as he stands above her, until the man is swapped with a woman (00:01:44-00:01:54). Additionally, there’s a close up where a man forces a woman to look at the camera. She appears to be frightful (00:04:25-00:04:28). These two examples show the following of heterosexual norms because in both, the women seem to have less power. Because Madonna’s the one on the bed, she’s the one going to have things done to her, tying into our readings about the male gaze and how women are typically featured with less power. In the second example, the woman clearly is not in control; the man forces her to look at the camera by grabbing her face. In these scenes, the couples follow the heterosexual norm of the women being more submissive. 

Also, I’d like to mention the dancer in a black bodysuit. They may be a symbol of change/fluidity. When Madonna was on the bed, at first, she was with a man. Then the dancer in a black bodysuit appeared, and next there was a woman (00:01:55-00:01:57). Another time the dancer makes an appearance is before the audience sees the two transgender women in the mirror (00:02:43-00:02:46). The dancer appears again before Madonna is seen with the original man (00:03:37-00:03:40). The dancer is also seen in the shot with two men and a cross dressing man on the couch (00:04:29). In each instance, change is featured: the man is swapped for a woman, there has been a transition in gender, and there has been a transition in appearance. This ties into Butler’s essay because it shows how fluid gender is, showing how “‘being a man’ and ‘being a woman are internally unstable affairs” [3]. 

Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch”

Halberstam’s essay discusses the queer gaze, positive images, and butches. The queer gaze is getting around codes/barriers by identifying queer characteristics in the people on screen. It’s a way to identify with the characters on screen even if there aren’t queer characters [4]. In Madonna’s music video, there are many queer people. However, Madonna herself can be used as an avatar within the queer gaze. Specifically, in regard to this music video, through her lyrics and performance she’s able to express her sexuality. She got pushback for it but was still able to be herself. Closeted queer people want to openly express their sexuality, so they may make Madonna their icon/live through her. 

Halberstam also discusses a “positive image,” or rather, “the opposite of a stereotype” [5].   Positive images are when societally good images use marginalized peoples. Madonna’s music video has both positive and negative images, and also many neutral images. Madonna herself is a positive image. In the music video, she’s portrayed as bisexual. When she’s on the bed with the man about to have sex, she puts up her hands and says, “not like that” (00:01:50-00:01:55). This shows Madonna, the woman in the relationship, having power. It’s a positive image of women and bisexual women - they have the power to refuse what they don’t want. Furthermore, at the end of the video, there’s a black screen with a quote “poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another” (00:04:58). In this case, the man is the one presented as weaker, further supporting that women can control their situations. This is a negative image for men, though, because it promotes the stereotype that they’ll do anything for and are dependent on sex. An even more negative image would be when a man grabs a woman’s face, forcing her to look at the camera (00:04:25-00:04:28). This promotes the negative image that men have the power, and women can do nothing about it. Generally, though, there are happy, queer, couples in the video, pushing the positive image that queer couples are happy. Ultimately, there’s a blend of positive and negative in the music video. 

Halberstam also discusses butches, and some are featured within Madonna’s music video. One is a woman that wears suspenders and a cop hat (00:03:11). They do appear to be a bit androgynous, but Halberstam may claim that this is a transvestite butch. The transvestite butch may do “cross-dressing and [assume] female masculinity in relation to the notion of disguise” [6]. Although women can be cops and wear suspenders, these clothes are generally more associated with men. The outfit gives the butch a more masculine feel. Also, the butch grabs the man’s head and kisses him (00:03:12-00:03:23). So, Halberstam may also classify this person as a predatory butch, a butch that’s “the gunslinger, the prison warden, the gang member, the female pimp; in short, the bulldagger” [7]. Just by dress, this person fits the bill, but based on actions, the person seems to have power, seems to be a tough guy. 

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"ONE OF YOUR GIRLS" BY TROYE SIVAN

Troye Sivan’s “One of Your Girls” expresses frustration over loving a straight man while being a gay man. The music video presents Troye Sivan dressed in drag, as he’d like to be “one of [his] girls” so that he’d be loved back in the same way. 

Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” 

The start of the video features a mix of more masculine and feminine men, with Troye himself appearing more feminine (00:00:01-00:00:30). This goes to show how gender is not a “natural” concept, it’s human made and just a performance. People decided what features belong to which gender, determining which guys look more masculine or feminine. 

When Sivan is in drag, he’s very convincing as a woman; I didn’t realize it was him at first (00:00:53). This, again, goes to show that gender is just a performance. His makeup is done to look like a very feminine, pretty woman. Since anyone can adopt these features and pass as a woman, it suggests gender isn’t inherent as Butler claims. There are simply societal ideals of what’s feminine vs. masculine. If gender wasn’t just a performance, there would be more of a sign indicating that he wasn’t actually female.

Furthermore, when Sivan was in drag giving a lap dance to another man (00:01:49-00:01:51), it showed how heterosexuality is an imitation of itself. If you didn’t know Sivan was in drag, you’d assume that this is a heterosexual couple expressing their attraction. However, because Sivan is in drag, that means this couple is not heterosexual. As Butler states, heterosexuality itself is a performance, like drag [8]. Furthermore, Sivan is literally performing; he’s dancing. He “performs” heterosexuality, or rather, imitates it at least, showing how heterosexuality is an imitation of itself. 

Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch”

Although Sivan’s video doesn’t feature any butches, it does deal with queer gaze will apply. Sivan sings about being “one of your girls or homies,” showing how he'd like to be a girl just so that this guy will like him. It already has queerness infused; however, the line could be read in multiple ways. Transgender people could identify with it because it deals with wanting to be another gender. Nonbinary/gender fluid people may also be able to relate because of the line “girls or homies.” Sivan does not just say girls. 

Regarding positive/negative images, there aren’t many within the music video. Portions of the video are in black and white and other portions are in color. However, all parts of the video where Troye Sivan presents himself as male are in black and white. The first instance of color appearing is when he’s in drag (00:00:31). This could be read multiple ways. One is that he’s desperate for this guy to like him, and he’ll only be happy when this man likes him. This is definitely a more negative image - it portrays gays as people who base their happiness off of what others think. However, this could also be interpreted as a positive image. The image (not necessarily the lyrics) could show that Sivan was happy when he could present as a girl. Being himself and doing what he wished made him happy. This is a positive image for trans people - they are happier when they can present themselves as their gender. Otherwise, though, no one is portrayed in a particularly positive/negative light. The song revolves around unrequited love, and you feel bad for Sivan, but it doesn't use particularly strong positive/negative images. 

Discussion Questions

What are some other representations of people in drag in the media? Are these representations positive or negative? How do these representations compare to “One of your Girls”’s? 

In the music video for “Justify My Love,” there is representation of different identities. However, they are all in a sexual context. What implications does this have? Is it harmful or harmless? 

Madonna’s music video has a large array of queer people. However, she’s still the main focus and very feminine. Even when she kisses the girl, it seems more so for the male gaze. On the other hand, in Sivan’s video, he’s the one subverting gender norms. Sivan’s video doesn’t feature other outwardly queer people, though. Which video do you think is a better representation of queer people?

Halberstam states that “a cinema of positive images is simply not a very interesting cinema” [9]. Do you agree with this statement? Also, should we still use markers such as positive/negative to analyze representation? 

[1] Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” in Feminist Film Theory a Reader (New York: Washington Square, 1999,) 338.

[2] Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion,” 338. 

[3] Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion,” 339. 

[4] Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch” in Female Masculinity (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1998,) 177.

[5] Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch,” 184.

[6] Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch,” 206. 

[7] Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch,” 194.

[8] Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion,” 338. 

[9] Judith Halberstam, “Looking Butch,” 184. 

Madonna, “Justify My Love,” dir. by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Sire Records, 1990, video, 4:58, https://youtu.be/Np_Y740aReI?si=Fw15pQmSolKPVrvY.

Troye Sivan, “One of Your Girls,” dir. by Gordon von Steiner, Capitol, 2023, video, 3:09, https://youtu.be/ZhGl8McrOHo?si=SVN4aU5ei642a_BD. 

@theuncannyprofessoro

[theuncannyprofessoro]

Reading Notes 9: Halberstam to Hall

Jack Halberstam’s “Looking Butch: A Rough Guide to Butches on Film” and Stuart Hall’s “What is this ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?” link our inquiries into gender and sexuality with race and representation.

What examples of “positive images” of marginalized peoples are in film and television, and how can these “positive images” be damaging to and for marginalized communities?

In what ways is (popular/visual) culture (performance) a complicated and political site where various identities are negotiated, and how can cultural strategies make a difference and shift dispositions of power?

@theuncannyprofessoro

[jclemuss]

In Jack Halberstam's "Looking Butch: A Rough Guide to Butches on Film," and Stuart Hall's "What is this ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?" both authors discuss the representation of marginalized communities in film and television, mainly focusing on the notions of positive images and their potential consequences. Halberstam highlights the portrayal of butch women in film, noting that while some films present butch characters in a positive light by depicting them as strong, independent, and confident individuals, these portrayals often come with limitations and stereotypes. Like example, butch characters are often portrayed as either tragic figures or as threats to traditional gender roles. Positive representations may inadvertently reinforce narrow stereotypes and fail to capture the diversity within the butch community. Similarly, Hall discusses the representation of Black people in popular culture, emphasizing how positive images can constrain and perpetuate racial stereotypes. He argues that positive images often conform to dominant cultural norms and values, serving to reassure the majority rather than challenge existing power structures. For instance, positive representations of Black people as successful professionals or as entertainers can mask the systemic inequalities and racism that continue to affect Black communities. In both essays, the notion of positive images is complicated by the ways in which they can reinforce existing stereotypes, limit the complexity of marginalized identities, and obscure systemic injustices.

Halberstam and Hall delve into the complexities of popular culture as a battleground where identities are negotiated and power dynamics are contested. They both argue that popular culture, including visual media such as film and television, is deeply political and serves as a reflection of societal norms, values, and power structures. Halberstam explores how butch identity is depicted and negotiated in film, highlighting how popular culture both reflects and shapes societal perceptions of gender and sexuality. Butch characters on screen often challenge conventional gender norms and disrupt the status quo, making them inherently political figures. However, Halberstam also observes how these representations can be limited and reductive, often reinforcing stereotypes or erasing the complexities of butch identity. Hall examines the representation of Black people in popular culture, arguing that it serves as a site of struggle where dominant narratives about race are contested and reshaped. Black popular culture is both a reflection of Black experiences and a tool for challenging racial hierarchies and stereotypes. However, Hall notes that the power dynamics inherent in popular culture often result in the commodification and appropriation of Black culture by dominant white institutions, which can dilute its potential and reinforce existing power imbalances.

Sources

Halberstam, Jack. "Looking Butch: A Rough Guide to Butches on Film." The BFI Companion to Gender and Queer Studies, edited by Pam Cook and Philip Dodd, British Film Institute, 2022, pp. 175-230.

Hall, Stuart. "What is this ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?" Black Popular Culture: A Project by Michele Wallace, edited by Gina Dent, Bay Press, 1992, pp. 465-478.

[mgmrosales]

Jack Halberstam’s “Looking Butch: A Rough Guide to Butches on Film” is an exploration of butch representation in film, diving into the intricacies of “positive images” within media. These perpetuated “images” can be found in movies and television of marginalized groups that challenge stagnant stereotypes, although this is a double edge sword. These “positive images” have contain the capacity to portray these marginalized groups as linear, lacking the nuances within these communities. This lends itself to the damage that can be done of conforming to the white mastery of ideology. As Halberstam states, “[P]ositive images, we may note, too often depend on thoroughly ideological conceptions of positive (white, middle-class, clean, law-abiding, monogamous, coupled, etc” (1).

The portrayals that are incorporated into the ways in which popular/visual culture become complicated and political sites that contribute to the conforming of normativity. Hall and Halberstam’s works both include the discussion where various identities are negotiated at the hands of these performances, these social norms that become reinstituted that enforce societal norms. Hall, within his workings, highlights how cultural strategies contribute to the shift in dispositions of power through the rewriting of dominant narratives; accuracy of portrayals directly lends itself to this reshaping that can support different social movements (2). 

Halberstam, Jack. "Looking Butch: A Rough Guide to Butches on Film." The BFI Companion to Gender and Queer Studies, edited by Pam Cook and Philip Dodd, British Film Institute, 2022.

Hall, Stuart. "What is this ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?" Black Popular Culture: A Project by Michele Wallace, edited by Gina Dent, Bay Press, 1992.

[elianajof]

Panel Presentation: "Telephone" and "Thot Shit"

“TELEPHONE” LADY GAGA & BEYONCE

In Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” (ft. Beyonce) music video, she centers two women criminals, half of the video taking place at a women's prison and the other half following the homicide the women (played by Gaga and Beyonce) set out to commit. The first striking thing about the video is the immediate use of women’s bodies. All the women in the prison are wearing revealing outfits, even the women security guards. As Gaga walks down the cells, the fellow prisoners (all female-presenting) hoot and holler and as character is thrown into her cell, the guards promptly rip off her clothes. This is an example of the use of a woman’s body that is not centering the male gaze. While a male gaze still may derive pleasure from the revealing costumes in the video, these characters are not necessarily designed to be seen as sexy by the male spectator. In Laura Mulvey’s “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” she writes that media depictions of women in a patriarchal culture stand as a signifier for the male other - meaning that women characters are present to engage with the male fantasy (1). While most of the women in the music video are partially nude or in revealing costumes, they are not doing so in a sexual nature. Their nudity and sexuality isn’t aiming to please men but to claim their own sexual identity. Mulvey also touches on how women’s bodies in “alternative cinema” can be also a radical or political aspect that challenges the basic assumptions of mainstream media, instead of just being objects for pleasure (2). Women’s bodies are shown in “Telephone” in different ways than usual music videos – there is more of a diversity in beauty and a roughness to them – these bodies are asking to be looked at. 

In hooks’ “The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators,” she writes about the “right to gaze.” Specifically, she references: “the politics of slavery, of racialized power relations, were such that the slaves were denied their right to gaze” (3). In these racialized power relations, she writes that Black people were not permitted to engage in the same freedom of watching, entertainment, or deriving pleasure from what they were seeing. This structure ultimately permeates to this day, as hooks writes that of the Black women she spoke to, none were excited to attend the movie theaters, knowing they would not be properly represented (4). How “Telephone” works in contrast with this trend is allowing spectators to look at and derive pleasure from the woman’s body. The idea of the oppositional gaze is a major part of the video because it challenges the ideas of dominant images that women must conform to. The video’s way of resisting the hegemonic gaze was to place the power into the hands of the women characters and for their bodies and strength to be shown without comparing it to that of a male character. hooks references Manthia Diawara to talk about the power of the spectator: “Every narration places the spectator in a position of agency; and race, class and sexual relations influence the way in which this subjecthood is filled by the spectator” (4) (309). Each person, specifically women, watching this music video could feel a sense of agency after experiencing women characters having power over their own bodies. 

On the topic of bodies, the music video employs a semi-diverse cast of women in the video (the majority of women in the video are still white). Specifically, a lot of the women have stark differences about them like ethnicities, age, or sexual identity. In Audre Lorde’s “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference,” she writes that emphasizing differences is usually taught to be bad or ignored, “or to view them as causes for separation and suspicion rather than as forces for change” (5). In “Telephone,” the differences between these women in prison or Beyonce and Gaga as criminals is distinctly outlined. It is unclear with what Gaga and the writers of the video were trying to accomplish with the “outsider-ness” of the characters in the video – if they were trying to make them look bad or powerful –but one could argue that these women could fit into the archetype of rebels, not caring about society’s rules for them, and that would empower the viewer. It could also be argued that these women are represented by a stereotype of women in prison: violent, erratic, and their homosexuality coming off as predatory and creepy. Mulvey references those who have stood “outside the circle of this society’s definition of acceptable women; those of us who have been forged in the crucibles of difference” (6). “Telephone” puts examples in its video of women on the “margins of society,” but their purpose of being there is unclear to the viewer. 

Questions:

Do you think that the other women in the video are meant to be powerful or other-ed, just perpetuating a stereotype? 

Do you think “Telephone” practices using the “oppositional gaze”? 

How do you think the sexual nature of woman characters in the video differs from other media depictions we have seen? 

“THOT SHIT” MEGAN THEE STALLION

At the beginning of the “Thot Shit” music video, the character of the senator is shown leaving a hate comment on one of Megan’s former music videos (“Body”). When he receives a phone call from Megan she tells him “the women that you are trying to step on are the women you depend on. They treat your diseases, they cook your meals, they haul your trash, they drive your ambulances, they guard you while you sleep. They control every part of your life. Do not fuck with them.” This quote is then the theme for the rest of the video. As the senator tries to escape, Megan and her dancers have taken over every occupation and are dancing in his face. Something interesting in this video is the idea of scopophilia that the senator is taking part in. While he is at first closing his blinds and leaving hate comments before gazing, now Megan and her dancers are forcing him to look, owning their image. Mulvey writes about scopophilia in media/cinema, especially tasteful/pleasurable looking (7). While so much of scopophilia in mainstream media is about privacy and what’s “implied,” it could be argued that Megan is subverting the narrative by using her body and her dancers’ bodies freely and without concerns of what is “forbidden.” It could be seen as an act of agency.

hooks herself may argue that “Thot Shit” is an example of Black women having that sense of agency – the Black women throughout the video have multiple careers while also having the freedom of sexuality. She writes: “Spaces of agency exist for Black people, wherein we can both interrogate the gaze of the Other but also look back, and at one another, naming what we see” (8). This quote encapsulates “Thot Shit” perfectly: a place that Black people can exist freely while also interrogating the gaze of the other. The music video is special because it is a way that Megan celebrates Black women but also the integral part that Black women play in society. They are portrayed as critical parts of a working society but also they dance in the video, owning their sexuality. The sexual nature of the women in the video ties to another example of hooks’ writings about Black women in film/media: the absence “that denies the 'body' of the Black female so as to perpetuate white supremacy and with it a phallocentric spectatorship where the woman to be looked at and desired is ‘white’” (9). hooks writes that too often Black women have been denied ownership and agency over their own bodies, but also the ability to be desired by white phallocentric audiences. By using the character of the senator, they show the inherent racism imposed against Black women - people criticize them but then still sexualize them. Something important to mention is Megan’s lyricism in this song - the word “thot” was coined in the hip-hop world as a derogatory term for a woman, similar to the word “slut,” “with added derision for being working class” (10) (WaPo article). The reclamation of this term is outright powerful because it is using a word that has been weaponized against Black women for years and she repurposes it to be something powerful. This subversion in itself can be tied to the work of the oppositional gaze - taking something used to oppress Black women and flipping it to empower them instead. 

Rarely in popular media as big as “Thot Shit” do viewers see something with such a clear message. Megan does include a lot of Black female empowerment throughout her music and music videos, especially through sexual agency. Lorde writes, “Black women and our children know the fabric of our lives is stitched with violence and with hatred, that there is no rest. We do not deal with it only on the picket lines, or in dark midnight alleys, or in the places where we dare to verbalize our resistance. For us, increasingly, violence weaves through the daily tissues of our living … ” (11). “Thot Shit” is a form of protesting against the dehumanization and oppression of Black women in mainstream culture. Megan consistently brings Black women into the cultural conversation when they are neglected. Her empowerment is similar to that Lorde writes of:  “It is learning how to stand alone, unpopular and sometimes reviled, and how to make common cause with those others identified as outside the structures in order to define and seek a world in which we can all flourish” (12).

Questions: 

What are other ways that “Thot Shit” practices scopophilia and voyeurism in nuanced ways? 

How is the video different from other music videos you have seen before? 

How does “Thot Shit” work in conjunction with “Telephone”? 

Works cited: 

Mulvey, Laura, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” in Film Theory and Criticism, 712. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009)

Mulvey, Laura, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” 712

hooks, bell, “The Oppositional gaze: Black Female Spectators” in Feminist Film Theory, 307. (New York: New York University Press, 1999)

hooks, bell “The Oppositional gaze: Black Female Spectators.” 310

Lorde, Audre. "Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference." In Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches, 112. Berkeley, CA: Crossing Press, 2007

Lorde, Audre “Age, Race, Class and Sex: Women Redefining Difference.” (112)

Mulvey, Laura, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.”

hooks, bell, “The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators.” 308 

hooks, bell, “The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators.” 310

O’Neal, Lonnae, “I had a thot but didn’t know it was a thing” The Washington Post, March 19, 2015

Mulvey, Laura, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” 119

Mulvey, Laura, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” (112)

@theuncannyprofessoro

[mgmrosales]

Gaga has been a figure in pop culture that has acknowledge her privilege through her public support of the LGBTQ+ and the BIPOC queer community. Keeping this in mind, the revolutionary that Gaga is, her music video stems from a place that prioritizing the reclaiming of women's bodies. Her character and how she chooses to express herself is what makes the media that she produces different from other white female artists.

[sophiegold123]

Panel Presentation: "Telephone" by Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé & "Q.U.E.E.N." by Janelle Monáe ft. Erykah Badu

By Sophie Goldberg

"Telephone" by Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé

The music video Telephone by Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé serves as a continuation of "Paparazzi", where Gaga was arrested for killing her abusive boyfriend by poisoning his drink. It features a storyline where Lady Gaga is imprisoned but eventually escapes with Beyoncé's help, and they then go on to poison Beyoncé’s boyfriend and others in a diner and run from the police.  

 Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”

 Mulvey discusses the concept of the male gaze, where the camera represents the perspective of a heterosexual male viewer, objectifying female characters for the pleasure of the male audience. Beyonces and Lady Gaga’s portrayal aligns with certain aspects of the male gaze. The music video inevitably attracts male attention as the camera frequently lingers on their bodies and costumes, emphasizing their sexuality and allure.  Mulvey states “Traditionally, the woman displayed has functioned on two levels: as erotic object for the characters within the screen story, and as erotic object for the spectator within the auditorium” (716). For example, when Lady Gaga first enters the prison everyone is wearing revealing clothes, and as she's pushed into her cell officers strip her down, leaving her with nothing but fishnets. Another instance occurs when Lady Gaga and three other women wear studded bikinis and engage in a provocative dance down the prison corridors. Spectators also see them through the lens of a security camera, furthering the voyeuristic aspect. 

However in "Telephone," both Lady Gaga and Beyoncé also challenge traditional notions of passive femininity by taking on assertive, dominant roles. Mulvey states that “pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female’ (715). Women are presented as spectacle as the man's role is “the active one of forwarding the story,” (716) Lady Gaga and Beyoncé disrupt traditional narrative conventions  by defying societal expectations of female passivity and instead taking control of their own narrative. Gaga and Beyoncé portray themselves as empowered and even dangerous figures as in the music video there are depicted acts of violence against men.   

 Bell Hooks, “Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators”

Hooks discusses how Black female spectators often engage with media representations critically as  “ mass media was a system of knowledge and power reproducing and maintaining white supremacy. To stare at the television, or mainstream movies, to engage its images, was to engage its negation of black representation.” (308) In "Telephone," Beyoncé's confident demeanor, assertive actions, and her role as the one with more agency than Lady Gaga—having the power to bail her out of jail—can be viewed as empowering examples of Black women asserting their autonomy within mainstream media.

Furthermore, Hooks critiques mainstream media for its tendency to eroticize and objectify Black women's bodies. In the video, there is a moment in which there is a high angle shot of Beyoncé's cleavage as she sits across from her boyfriend in the diner. Although, within the framework of the oppositional gaze, Beyoncé's character adopts a rebellious stance, refusing to conform to the gaze of desire and possession. Instead, she asserts her power by poisoning her misogynistic boyfriend and evading the police.   

 Audre Lorde, “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference”

In Lorde's essay, she states “As women, we must root out internalized patterns of oppression within ourselves if we are to move beyond the most superficial aspects of social change.” (122) One such pattern is internalized misogyny, where women devalue themselves and others, which can lead to judgmental attitudes towards different lifestyles and choices. In "Telephone," Beyoncé exemplifies Lorde's words by not passing judgment on Lady Gaga's choices when she bails her out of jail. Despite their differing lifestyles, they unite against a common oppressor. Furthermore, societal expectations surrounding gender roles can also be internalized forms of oppression, such as conforming to domestic responsibilities. In the video Lady Gaga challenge these norms when she incorporates the stereotype of women in the kitchen within a segment titled  “Lets Make a Sandwich”, but instead of adhering to these norms she instead puts poison in all of the food. 

Furthermore, Lorde underscores  the need to recognize differences among women as equals , relate across the differences, and utilize them to enrich collective visions and struggles. This is shown in the music video through the camaraderie and alliance depicted between Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. The video embraces diversity within feminism, showcasing representations of differences in sexuality and race, yet emphasizing a shared goal of empowerment. This sentiment is also echoed in the lyrics, “Boy, the way you blowin' up my phone , Won't make me leave no faster, Put my coat on faster, Leave my girls no faster” 

"Q.U.E.E.N." by Janelle Monáe ft. Erykah Badu

 Janelle Monáe's music video for 'Q.U.E.E.N.,' featuring Erykah Badu, serves as a freedom anthem within a science fiction dystopia. The title itself, 'Q.U.E.E.N.,' is an acronym representing marginalized communities: Queer, Untouchables, Emigrants, Excommunicated, and Negroid, reclaiming royal imagery to challenge traditional hierarchies of race, sexuality, and class. Monáe's Afrofuturist vision suggests a revolution, where marginalized communities and differences are celebrated rather than ostracized. The music video features rebel time-travelers that are frozen in a museum and brought to life by music. In the video's narrative, the song functions as part of a “musical weapons program” that disrupts the status quo, allowing the rebels to move through history and forge a new future in the present.

 Laura Mulvey “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” 

   Mulvey argues that traditional cinematic narratives often reinforce patriarchal ideologies and power structures as they cater to a male gaze. The music video "Q.U.E.E.N." offers a narrative that challenges this as it features strong, empowered female protagonists who challenge traditional gender roles and expectations. Janelle Monáe wears a black-and-white tuxedo, disrupting the traditional notion of gendered clothing styles. The ladies all dance with each other and build eachother up such as when they reply and affirm each other “Is it peculiar that she twerk in the mirror? And am I weird to dance alone late at night? (Nah) And is it true we're all insane? (Yeah) And I just tell 'em, "No we ain't" and get down”. Here, the mention of twerking in the mirror is not sexualized but used to empower the female body.  

Bell Hooks, “Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators”

  The oppositional gaze is seen in the music video as Black female spectators engage with the visual representation of empowerment and resistance depicted in the video. Monáe uses both queerness and Blackness as examples of modern “freakishness.” Monáe doesn't assign a "freaky" status to queerness or Blackness herself, instead, she challenges listeners to interrogate why these identities are perceived as "freaky." She suggests that what society deems as "freaky" is simply the act of being true to oneself. The lyrics declare those differences as things to be proud of  stating "Even if it makes others uncomfortable, I will love who I am". Monáe and Erykah Badu illustrate the way society "freakifies" their Blackness, showcasing how joy and celebration within Black culture are often viewed negatively due to racist stereotypes. The hook in the song highlights this, asking: “Am I a freak for dancing around? Am I a freak for getting down? I’m cutting up, don’t cut me down.” Black female spectators can find empowerment in seeing how the song recognizes differences and individuality as prideful assets. 

 Audre Lorde, “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference”

Lorde emphasizes the importance of recognizing the intersections of age, race, class, and sex in understanding women's experiences. The video highlights the oppression faced by diverse identities and experiences of Black women,  as well as showcases their resilience in the face of it.  The lyrics “Add us to equations but they'll never make us equal” resonates with Lorde’s claim that simply incorporating marginalized groups into existing systems does not address the underlying power imbalances or inequalities. Monáe’s next lyrics recognizes these inequalities stating “She who writes the movie owns the script and the sequel, So why ain't the stealing of my rights made illegal? They keep us underground working hard for the greedy, But when it's time pay they turn around and call us needy (needy)” Lorde further  advocates for collective action and solidarity among women of different backgrounds to achieve liberation. In "Q.U.E.E.N.," the song's message of female empowerment and solidarity is highlighted as Monáe and Badu come together to celebrate different identities, for example sexual and racial identity. Janelle Monáe promotes unity and collaboration among women as she says “Will you be electric sheep? Electric ladies, will you sleep? Or will you preach?” According to Janelle Monáe it is up to this community and this generation to create its new norm and break down the walls that limit them.

Discussion Questions:

Lorde says ““By and large within the women’s movement today, white women focus upon their oppression as women and ignore differences of race, sexual preference, class and age. There is a pretense to a homogeneity of experience covered by the word sisterhood that does not in fact exist.” In the music video, do you think Lady Gaga is focusing on the oppression of just women in general and treating the experience of all women the same, or is she not necessarily ignoring the differences but the video just does not explicitly address them .  

Is trying to make money and bring attention using our bodies promoting sexism even though it is our choice and feel empowering or confidence boosting

In music videos is using Sexuality and promiscuity still catering to the male gaze even if they are active agents in the narrative? What about in the cinema?

[mgmrosales]

For artists to profit off their own bodies can be considered as the acknowledgment of the oppressive systems instilled in the music industry, as well as the reclamation of these aspects can be the promotion of building new ideas and ways of examining marginalizations within marginalized groupings. Is there a sense of privilege when it comes to the promotion of societal conforming bodies that must be examined when it comes to the dismantlement of these oppressive systems?

[theuncannyprofessoro]

Reading Notes 8: Lorde to Butler

In our continued discussions, Audre Lorde’s “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” and “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference,” and Judith Butler’s Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” provide further introspection into systems and definitions of gender and sexuality.

How do power and privilege impact the relations people have with each other and with institutions, and how can we acknowledge, examine, and remedy oppression and marginalization using oppressive and marginalized systems?

How do cultural, societal, and media representations support gender performativity and in so doing complicate gender norms, and in what ways is heterosexuality a performance?

@theuncannyprofessoro

[mgmrosales]

Through the lens of Audre Lorde’s workings, “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House,” Lorde highlights the importance of the acknowledgement of the different intersections of oppressions that are faced throughout the workings of society (1). Lorde’s analysis showcases the marginalizations within oppressed groupings which lends itself to the impact of relations between individuals. In reference to the acknowledgment of these oppressive systems supports the dismantlement of said systems; by addressing and examining privilege within these marginalized groups/systems, Lorde promotes the building of new ideas and ways that advocate for the voices at the center of these oppressive ordeals. By prioritizing intersectionality and inclusivity directly lends itself to the remedy of oppression. “For women, the need and desire to nurture each other is not pathological but redemptive, and it is within that knowledge that our real power is rediscovered” (2). 

Judith Butler’s “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” discusses within her work how cultural, societal, and media representations promote the reinforcement of the gender binary. Within her theory of gender performativity, Butler challenges the instilled binary by exposing the constructed nature of gender–how people act in accordance on what society connotes as man/woman (3). For example, heterosexuality itself is a form of a performative act rather than innate “temptations.” Heterosexuality is an institutionalized orientation that has become a fixed notion of sexual identity, due to the imitation that is being reoccurred which instills the concept as a norm.

(1) Audre Lorde, “The Master’s Tool Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” in Sister Outsider (Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press, 1984). 

(2) Audre Lorde, “The Master’s Tool Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House,”

(3) Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” in Feminist Film Theory a Reader (New York: Washington Square, 1999,)

[theuncannyprofessoro]

Reading Notes 7: Mulvey to hooks

Shifting our visual analysis and critical inquiries to gender and sexuality, we will begin our explorations with Laura Mulvey’s “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” and bell hooks’s “Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators.”

How does the spectacle of the female image relate to patriarchal ideology, and in what ways do all viewers, regardless of race or sexuality, take pleasure in films that are designed to satisfy the male gaze?

How do racial and sexual differences between viewers inform their experience of viewing pleasure, and in what ways does the oppositional gaze empower viewers? 

@theuncannyprofessoro

[jclemuss]

In Laura Mulvey's seminal essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," she explores the relationship between the spectacle of the female image and patriarchal ideology within the context of mainstream cinema. Mulvey argues that traditional Hollywood cinema operates under the male gaze, presenting female characters as objects of desire for the male protagonist and the male spectator alike. This gaze, constructed by the predominance of male directors and the perpetuation of male-centric narratives, reinforces patriarchal power dynamics by reducing women to passive objects to be looked at and desired. Regardless of the viewer's race or sexuality, Mulvey contends that all spectators are subject to this framework of visual pleasure, as mainstream films are designed to cater to the male gaze.

In bell hooks's essay "Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators," she explores how racial and sexual differences between viewers shape their experience of viewing pleasure. She argues that mainstream cinema predominantly caters to white people, male gaze, perpetuating stereotypes and marginalizing minority groups, particularly Black women. In this context, racial and sexual differences influence how viewers perceive themselves and others on screen, with Black female spectators often feeling alienated or objectified by the dominant narratives presented. However, she introduces the concept of the oppositional gaze, through which Black women actively resist and challenge the dominant representations imposed upon them. By reclaiming their agency and asserting their own perspectives, Black female spectators subvert the power dynamics of the gaze, finding empowerment and solidarity in their ability to assert their own narratives and identities.

Sources

Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema." Screen, vol. 16, no. 3, 1975, pp. 6-18.

Hooks, bell. "Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators." Black Looks: Race and Representation, South End Press, 1992, pp. 115-131.

[mgmrosales]

Through the workings of Laura Mulvey’s “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” she argues that cinema functions under a patriarchal framework. In a similar framework, the male gaze is the depiction of women as sexual objects. Mulvey states that the female object, through the cinematic lens, is objectified and commodified through the male spectator, which lends itself to the reinforcement of patriarchal ideology (1). This ideology is ingrained within society, we are primed to watch and consome media through this lens of male desire which allows for all viewers to indulge in films that are designed to satisfy the male gaze. 

In bell hook’s essay “Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators,” describes the racial and sexual differences between viewers to shape their positional awareness within the social hierarchy (2). bell hooks introduces the concept of the oppositional gaze, which challenges representation and suggests for the viewers to critically examine the media that we intake. By following this process of critiquing what is seen in mainstream media, viewers are able to regain their sense of subjective agency and break free from these false representations–endorsing moments of resistance, but more importantly empowerment, within cinematic representations. 

(1) Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema." Screen, vol. 16, no. 3, 1975, pp. 6-18.

(2) Hooks, bell. "Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators." Black Looks: Race and Representation, South End Press, 1992, pp. 115-131

[mgmrosales]

Analytical Application #4

Heimlich 

Through the workings of Sigmund Freud in “The Uncanny,” heimlich refers to the “Friendly, intimate, homelike; the enjoyment of quiet content, etc., arousing a sense of peaceful pleasure and security as in one within the four walls of his house.” (1) In contrast to its opposite, unheimlich, those who experience the uncanny can feel the familiarity and the comfortability that derives from heimlich. Freud states that there are multiple definitions when it comes to the term; Freud also defined it as that which is “concealed and kept out of sight.” 

Applying heimlich to the analysis of The X-Files, it is important to note that the understanding of heimlich is something that is concealed from the self, in reference to the secondary definition that is given. Heimlich is the “privacy” and “secrecy” that is inherent to the ruling class, and using this analysis during my own personal viewing of television series, I saw the reliance of familiarity from the agents that were not Scully or Mulder. Taking into account that this takes place in an FBI office, in which each character’s job and line of work is inherent with its secrecy and its details are concealed from the public. 

Tying this back to the aspect of familiarity, Agent Mulder is a controversial figure in the office as he is the token “spooky” character with the way he works and how he was assigned the infamous X-files. Agent Colton, throughout the episode, passive aggressively insults Agent Muldur for his unconventional techniques and theories. On one hand, Agent Colton seems to rely on earthly and normal techniques for solving the murders that have been happening across town. On the other hand, Agent Mulder transcends normalities by considering the paranormal. Applying the works of Freud, it is safe to assume that Agent Colton relies on the notion of heimlich and its tameness and security to solve mysteries. Colton ends up getting upset at the possibility of the uncanny, the possibility that there is something that he is unaware and unfamiliar of. Agent Colton refuses to believe the possibility of paranormal activity (00:23:25-00:24:13), he is a prime example of a person that fully immerses himself in heimlich. 

Unheimlich 

As Sigmund Freud defines in his work, “The Uncanny,” unheimlich is the negation of heimlich, this work is typically associated with an unfamiliar and uncomfortable tone. “We are tempted to conclude that what is ‘ uncanny ’ is frightening precisely because it is not known and familiar.” (2) Although, Freud challenges his readers to see further than just the definition given when it comes to applying the term to analyses to the uncanny as the usage of unheimlich is multifaceted. Unheimlich has also been used to mean something that was once repressed coming into the light, but was never meant to. 

When thinking of how Freud intended for this term to be used, I thought of the opening scene of The X-Files episode (00:01:17-00:03:21). It begins with a businessman staying late in his office for his presentation, little does he know that the screws from the vent are being unbolted second by second. Next thing he knows, he’s out like a light and his blood is splattered all over his familial decorative pieces. Applying the works of Freud, the lack of knowing and awareness from the businessman is what makes his surroundings unheimlich. When the investigators finally came into the scene of the crime, the main takeaway was the lack of entryway for a murderer.; this applied to all of the murders that had taken place by the killer, Eugene Toomes, was that this man had a capability to enter and exit like no human being. These openings for Toomes as entry points are seemingly safe and are seen as implausible as a way for a human being to enter, the way Toomes is able to defile these entryways–what was once seen as familiar becomes unheimlich. Freud notes that unheimlich can be used to define something that was hidden inside that was never meant to come out, and this can be directly applied to Toomes himself. The ways in which he is able to genetically manipulate and morph himself to fit into these small spaces that were once sanctioned for their singular purpose, but Toomes breaks free from those limitations. Once again, making an item, object, or idea that was once secure and familiar into something is completely unknown.  

Uncanny

The “uncanny,” as Sigmund Freud would describe, is characterized by both heimlich and unheimlich, something that is old and familiar that becomes uncomfortable during its transformation into being uncanny. Or as Freud would say “[S]omething has to be added to what is novel and unfamiliar to make it uncanny.” (3) Uncanny is the process in which something that was once familiar, our childish fears and fantasies, become more real in which lends itself to the primal discomfort and disturbance for the person. 

In this episode of The X-Files, the best example of the uncanny is Eugene Toomes himself, the killer and murderer of the innocent! Freud’s concept of the uncanny is characterized by this white man with brown hair with a seemingly normal stature and frame. This is where the concept of the uncanny takes action, Toomes presents himself as a human but in comparison to his “normal” appearance, a familiarized outward form of a humanoid, he is actually this creature that is able to hibernate and manipulate his limbs to squeeze in through these minuscule entryways. When furthering my own personal research on the uncanny, to help me solidify my thoughts, many sources highlighted that the uncanny emerges when something from our childhood becomes reality during our adult stages. Thinking of this, Toomes is over 100 years old, he has committed murders and gotten away with the crimes from over 80 years ago. A thought that is very innately childish, someone who is too old to be alive but has the appearance of a young adult, shows that the uncanny is purely subjective. Outwardly, Toomes seems like a harmless fellow, to the point where he was let go by Agent Colton, and using that feigned “innocence” he is able to create a sense of uncanniness. That sense of fear and dread is created when a person or object that one deems as tame or unfamiliar is contorted to something that is no longer friendly, comfortable, domestic, or hospitable.

Mirror Stage 

As Lacan describes in his work, the mirror stage is a period in which a child comes to recognize their own existence when seeing themselves in their own reflection. Lacan states that the mirror stage “immediately gives rise in a child to a series of gestures in which he playfully experiences the relationship between the movements made in the image and the reflected environment.” (4) This is the transition and developmental stage from ignorance to the sense of selfhood; this transition lends itself to the child’s development of “I” or also known as the ego, their identity. 

This is my own first viewing of The X-Files, so my introduction to Agent Scully was one of her and Agent Colton having brunch. In this scene, Agent Scully is scrutinized by her colleague for  her association and work with Agent Mulder, a notorious agent for his extraterrestrial and paranormal theories and techniques. She begins the episode with doubt for Agent Mulder, unknowing of her own stance and opinion on the man–seemingly distant from her work with the x-files, what I assume to be a list of files that were never solved due to its otherworldly nature. She is questioned by her fellow coworkers for her engagement with Mulder and the x-files, and she seemed to be hesitant on her stance, she is unsure of herself. Should Agent Scully work on the case with Agent Colton, partaking in heimlich, or should she work with Mulder with his unconventional tactics and poor reputation. Agent Colton is someone that she has worked with during her academy days, but she was just recently assigned the x-files and her new partner, Mulder. As a viewer, we see Agent Scully develop and assimilate to her new environment, working with Mulder. She undergoes her “mirror stage” when she fully commits to being the partner of Mulder, but also accepts the tactics and techniques in which he pursues when investigating and solving crime. She comes to adjust and realize her position and existence within the FBI office, and this can be seen when she rejects the possibility of working with Colton and chooses her own path of working with Mulder. (00:19:00-00:19:53)

Disalienation

Frantz Fanon in his workings, discusses the concept of disalienation, a process in which oppressed and marginalized individuals break free from the psychological and cultural alienation giving agency back to the person. (5) Through disalienation, Fanon encourages that individuals confront suppression by embracing liberation through self-acceptance and reclamation of dignity.

In a more dull manner, within the episode of The X-Files, we can see that Agent Mulder regains his sense of agency after multiple jabs at his character by not only his peers and coworkers, but by his higher-ups as well. He is completely belittled by Agent Colton and his techniques and findings are completely ignored and disregarded because of his use of unconventional methods that include possible paranormal activity. Although Agent Colton seems to be at his wits end with the murder case on his hands–he can’t seem to place his finger on who the suspect may be. Colton lacks the open mindedness which can allow him to actually solve the case, in comparison to Mulder who is able to recognize Eugene Toomes’, the killer, fingerprints from the x-files. When Mulder finally catches the suspect, who was once let go by the ignorance and arrogance of Colton, there is a sense of freeing himself from the chains and backtalk from his coworkers. Mulder attains a sense of self-confidence that derives from disalienation, individuals are able to break away from imposed identities and reclaim their own sense of agency. Mulder completely embraced his unconventional methods and approaches to solving cases, and through that emerged victorious. Fanon highlights in his work that there is a rejection from colonial stereotypes and values which allows for an individual to attain the concept of disalienation. Mulder completes this feat when he solves the case and saves Scully from the murderous hands of Euegene Toomes!

Sigmund Freud. “The ‘Uncanny’” in Collected Papers Volume IV: Papers on Metapsychology, 370. London: Hogarth Press, 1948.

Sigmund Freud. “The ‘Uncanny’” 

Sigmund Freud. “The ‘Uncanny’” 

Jacques Lacan, “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the I Function as Revealed in Psychoanalytic Experience” in Écrits: The First Complete Edition in English, 76. Translated by Bruce Fink, Héloise Fïnk, and Russell Grigg. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006.

Frantz Fanon, “The Negro and Psychopathology” in Black Skin White Masks, 127, 146-150. Translated by Charles Lam Markmann. London: Pluto Press, 1986.

[jclemuss]

Psychoanalysis and Subjectivity

"Thriller" by Michael Jackson, released in 1983, is not just a song but an iconic cultural phenomenon, with its music video setting new standards for the industry. Directed by John Landis, the video is a mini horror film featuring Jackson as a charismatic young man transformed into a werewolf alongside his love interest, played by Ola Ray. The video showcases Jackson's unparalleled talent as a performer, with his electrifying dance moves and mesmerizing presence. Its groundbreaking special effects and narrative storytelling revolutionized the music video medium, becoming an instant classic. "Thriller" remains a timeless masterpiece, captivating audiences with its fusion of music, dance, and cinema, leaving an indelible mark on pop culture for generations to come. 

Sigmund Freud's essay "The Uncanny" explores the concept of the uncanny, or the eerie feeling of discomfort or unease experienced when something seems strangely familiar yet simultaneously foreign or unsettling. Freud delves into various aspects of the uncanny, including its connection to repressed desires, the repetition of specific themes or motifs in literature and art, and its association with the return of the repressed. He ultimately suggests that the uncanny arises from the revival of primitive beliefs and fears, often related to death, castration, or the supernatural, which have been repressed into the unconscious mind. This reminds me of the entire motive of the music video, which is the aspect of death. Sigmund said, “the primitive fear of the dead is still so strong within us and always ready to come to the surface at any opportunity”(Freud, 369). Death is the main factor that spikes an uncanny feeling. Our conscious mind feels eerie when we can not define whether something is animate or inanimate. This can also be viewed through the lens of Fenon’s theory because of the transformation, performance, and cultural appropriation that happens in this video. A transformation can be seen as a metaphor for the way Black individuals have been historically portrayed as "other" or different in Western society, often associated with fear and negativity. However, it also ties into Lacan’s theory of identity and self-representation. The transformation can be interpreted as a commentary on the pressure for Black individuals to conform to white standards of beauty and behavior, which makes them see themselves differently because of social interactions. 

Question: How often do you see the black community transform into something other than being black, and how much of an impact do you think it has?

"Black or White" is a groundbreaking music video by the iconic artist Michael Jackson, released in 1991. Directed by John Landis, the video captivates audiences with its innovative visual effects and powerful message of racial unity. Opening with a diverse array of faces from around the world morphing into one another, the video symbolizes the interconnectedness of humanity. Jackson's electrifying dance moves and charismatic performance are showcased against a backdrop of vibrant sets and dynamic choreography. The video's climax features a montage of people breaking through barriers, emphasizing diversity, acceptance, and equality themes. Through its striking imagery and infectious rhythm, "Black or White" remains a testament to Jackson's unparalleled talent and a timeless anthem for social change and harmony.

Frantz Fanon's essay "The Negro and Psychopathology" delves into the psychological impact of colonialism and racism on Black individuals. Fanon explores how the experience of oppression and discrimination leads to a profound sense of alienation, identity crisis, and psychological trauma among Black people. Frantz Fanon said, “The Negro recognizes the unreality of many of the beliefs that he has adopted with reference to the subjective attitude of the white man”(Fanon, 115). He implies that Black individuals have internalized certain beliefs or attitudes, possibly about themselves or about the world, that are based on the perspective or viewpoint of white people. However, they have come to recognize that some of the beliefs held by white people are not grounded in reality or are false. This means that things that are said about the black community usually is said to make them feel bad. The saddest part is that it is so engraved in our system that naturally, it just reproduces.

One aspect that correlates with Fanon's ideas is Jackson's own experience of racial identity. Throughout his life, Jackson grappled with questions of race and belonging, facing scrutiny and pressure to conform to societal expectations of blackness. His changing appearance, particularly his skin color, sparked speculation and debate about his racial identity and self-image. Fanon would likely view Jackson's transformation as a manifestation of the internalized racism prevalent in societies where lighter skin is often associated with beauty and success. This also makes me think about how his skin transformation can be perceived as uncanny. The transformation can be perceived as uncanny due to its combination of familiarity and strangeness, its psychological implications, the public reaction it elicited, and its broader cultural significance. It made him seem familiar but also unfamiliar. 

This scene of the music video resonates with Jacques Lacan’s “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I” through its exploration of identity, diversity, and unity. Just as Lacan explains that the mirror stage marks a pivotal moment in the formation of the self, the video showcases individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, highlighting the complexity of identity formation in a multicultural world. Lacan said, "Whence it is that the relation of the individual subject to his own images is apprehended, prior to any grasp of it by the self, in a specular relation of the organism to its reality, and that, whatever may be the degree of elaboration of the imaginary function, its mediation is necessarily situated in the intersubjective dialectic"(Lacan). This statement explains that individuals have an inherent, perhaps unconscious, relationship with their mental images or representations, which reflects their perception of reality. This relationship is influenced by interpersonal dynamics and interactions, highlighting the interconnectedness between self-awareness and social experiences. Social interactions really change the way one views oneself, which sadly becomes subconscious critiquing.

Question: Do you guys view transformation as uncanny, and why do you think some people do? Do you think when you first understood your image was the only time you fully saw/respected yourself?

Sources

Freud, Sigmund. "The Uncanny." The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, edited by James Strachey, vol. 17, Hogarth Press, 1955, pp. 219-256.

Lacan, Jacques. "The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I." Écrits: A Selection. Translated by Bruce Fink, W.W. Norton & Company, 2002, pp. 75-81.

Fanon, Frantz. "The Negro and Psychopathology." Black Skin, White Masks, translated by Charles Lam Markmann, Grove Press, 2008, pp. 99-127.

[mgmrosales]

The act of transforming, especially in the context of Michael Jackson and his transformation from being into becoming a figurehead for music but also the black community, is an act of the uncanny. Fame, to the point in which you cannot leave your home without being recognized, has become alienated in my mind considering how implausible it seems for someone of my nature. Michael Jackson is a representation of something that was repressed in my mind that has become reality.

[theuncannyprofessoro]

Reading Notes 6: Freud to Lacan to Fanon

We look to Sigmund Freud’s “The Uncanny,” Jacques Lacan’s “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I,” and Frantz Fanon’s “The Negro and Psychopathology” for our inquiry into the functions of psychoanalysis and subjectivity when examining visual texts.

Why do people call an experience or event uncanny, and what makes an occurrence that appears to be uncanny but is not uncanny?

What is the relation of personal neurosis to social passions?

In what ways are oppressed and marginalized viewers alienated when they are not or rarely represented?

@theuncannyprofessoro

[jclemuss]

"The Uncanny," Sigmund Freud explores the concept of the uncanny, which refers to something that is strange, eerie, or unsettling, often invoking a feeling of discomfort or fear. He suggests that the feeling of the uncanny arises from a sense of something being both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. That is one of the main concepts that we define as uncanny or not. It often arises when something is reminiscent of familiar experiences or objects, but there is a subtle deviation or distortion that makes it unfamiliar or unsettling. Usually, it includes encountering a lifelike doll, seeing a human-like figure in the dark, or experiencing déjà vu. The uncanny involves a delicate balance between the familiar and the unfamiliar, and what ultimately determines whether an experience is genuinely uncanny can vary from person to person.

Jacques Lacan's "The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I" explores the development of the sense of self in relation to the formation of identity. The mirror stage is a crucial concept in Laconian theory, referring to the moment when an infant recognizes their own image in a mirror and forms a sense of unity and coherence between themselves and their reflected image. When considering the relation of personal neurosis to social passions within the framework of Laconian theory, several key points emerge, like alienation and desire, socialization, ego, etc. His theory of the mirror stage and the formation of the ego provides a framework for understanding the relationship between personal neurosis and social passions.

"The Negro and Psychopathology" delves into the psychological effects of colonialism and racism on individuals and communities, mainly focusing on the experiences of oppressed and marginalized groups, such as Black individuals. When these groups are not represented or are rarely represented in media, culture, or other forms of representation, several forms of alienation occur. When people don't see themselves on screen, they evaluate their self-worth. Misrepresentation is the central theme that drives people not to love themselves. Lack of representation or underrepresentation of oppressed and marginalized groups contributes to various forms of alienation, including cultural, psychological, social, and political alienation. Addressing these issues requires not only increasing representation in media and culture but also challenging underlying power dynamics and working to dismantle systems of oppression.

Sources

Freud, Sigmund. "The Uncanny." The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, edited by James Strachey, vol. 17, Hogarth Press, 1955, pp. 219-252.

Lacan, Jacques. "The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I." Écrits: The First Complete Edition in English, translated by Bruce Fink, W. W. Norton & Company, 2006, pp. 75-81.

Fanon, Frantz. "The Negro and Psychopathology." Black Skin, White Masks, translated by Charles Lam Markmann, Grove Press, 2008, pp. 109-145.

[mgmrosales]

Why do people call an experience or event uncanny, and what makes an occurrence that appears to be uncanny but is not uncanny?

As Freud states, the “uncanny” translates to unheimlich—referring to an object or idea that is unfamiliar but in dichotomy, it has also been used to describe an experience or event that is unsettling, reminiscent of the home. This explains the dread that occurs when our thoughts and fears during childhood are seemingly more real than the reality of adulthood. Say the use of AI taking over the world, despite it being far-fetched, it has a small property of realism that is necessary for an occurrence to be uncanny. 

What is the relation of personal neurosis to social passions?

Lacan delves into the transition that an individual faces when they develop their sense of “I,” or as known as their ego. The establishment of a child’s ego occurs when they see their reflection and associate that as an extension of their own self. This directly extends itself into where personal neurosis is influenced by societal norms which causes a sense of alienation for an impressionable child. 

In what ways are oppressed and marginalized viewers alienated when they are not or rarely represented? 

Fanon establishes his work in the ways in which black people are at the expense of dehumanization and othering due to colonialism. Tying this into the workings of Lacan and the sense of alienation with the development of the ego–with a lack of representation in visual works, marginalized groups are found to be alienated in all forms, like culture, social, and psychological. 

Freud, Sigmund. "The Uncanny." The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, edited by James Strachey, vol. 17, Hogarth Press, 1955, pp. 219-252.

Lacan, Jacques. "The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I." Écrits: The First Complete Edition in English, translated by Bruce Fink, W. W. Norton & Company, 2006, pp. 75-81.

Fanon, Frantz. "The Negro and Psychopathology." Black Skin, White Masks, translated by Charles Lam Markmann, Grove Press, 2008, pp. 109-145.

[mgmrosales]

MAC143 Midterm: Barbie (2023)

Back in 2007 when I was a malleable and naive young child, I never owned a Barbie doll, probably because we couldn’t afford it and I only got my sisters’ hand me downs, but it never mattered much to me–I was more interested in Bratz dolls anyways. However, with the release of Barbie (2023), the world of Mattel sparked a new pink light in my life. The arrangement of the film’s production and the depiction of the life of Stereotypical Barbie, allows the application of Marx and Engels' "The Ruling Class and the Ruling Ideas," Barthes' "Mythologies," Horkheimer and Adorno's "The Culture Industry as Mass Deception," and Baudrillard's "Simularca and Simulations" to the visual elements of the scene where Barbie is being forced back into her box (-01:08:56 – -01:05:52), there are signs that point towards the influence of the ruling class and the culture industry within the world of film and Barbie!

The Commonalities between these theorists that attribute to the Ruling Class!

Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, in “The Ruling Class and The Ruling Ideas,” highlight the ruling ideals and the perpetuated standards of society–engaging in the criticisms of dominant ideologies institutionalized to serve those in power. These dominant ideologies are in place through the cultural production of man-made media which promote conformity. Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno, in “The Culture Industry as Mass Deception” critique the reinforcement of capitalism through the commodification of culture. This directly lends itself to the ideas introduced in Marx and Engels’ work; the ruling class is exclusive and self-sufficient, these are the folk that are in control of the material production–primarily through their ownership and control of the means of cultural production/fabrication but also distribution. Roland Barthes, in “Mythologies,” examines the relationship between culture and myths and media–especially highlighting its function as tools for the ideological manipulation of said ruling class. Barthes’ work contributes to the understanding and unveiling of the culture industry and the ruling class, exposing the consumerist culture we currently live in. 

At the heart of the works mentioned above is the shared criticism of the hegemonic ruling class and the invasive culture of consumerism. This can be attributed to the hierarchy of mental and material production with the ruling class at the top. Jean Baudrillard, in “Simulacra and Simulations,” discusses how these structuralized signs and symbols are utilized in contemporary media as a form of simulation of reality that functions towards the influence of power structures–contributing to the mental and material production. He adds that mass media is consistent with the “illusion of an actuality” to keep the proletariat contained underneath the bourgeoisie. Adorno and Horkheimer emphasize the alienation that is established through the ruling class’s commodified product, such as the radio, music, television, basically all forms of distributed media. Keeping this in mind, Baudrillard theory on hyperreality provides insight into the ways the dominant institutions enforce their influence by creating these simulations. In a similar manner, Barthes exposes the cultural symbols that are passively applied to media, thus being adopted by the masses. Tying this with Marx and Engels ideals on the ruling class’s control of mental production, the proletariat is unable to decode the ideological manipulation. Because of the structure of how the ruling class implements itself into the universal beliefs and values of society, the regular working class are excluded from certain spaces– they are not active “thinkers.” Busy with tasks given to them, the proletariat is unable to participate in the mental production–the entire class do not have the means to properly disclose the mental manipulations set by the bourgeoisie. Baudrillard’s work offers insight into how the ruling class exploits mass media to reproduce those simulations of consumerist desire, creating an illusion of choice while promoting the subservience towards the interests of the ruling class.

Lastly, all the authors explore the notions of how signs, symbols, and cultural products construct meaning and shape perceptions. Representations on screen can, as Buadrillard discusses in his theory of hyperreality, can mask reality and distort but also enforce a sense of false consciousness. As Adorno and Barthes draw attention to how signs and symbols in mass media also contribute to that false sense of consciousness that I previously discussed. 

The Different Applications of these Theories!

On that note, despite all these authors sharing similar thoughts on the discussion of the ruling class and its negative effects of consumerism on individuals in an active society, there are slight differences on how their theories are interpreted and utilized within their own frameworks. Each scholarly work is unified on the set of beliefs on how signs and symbols distort reality based on its influence from the dominant ideologies set, however Barthes highlights how society’s consumption of media (objects and images) are filled with a mode of communication–a myth. Barthes’ analysis is rooted in the cultural significance of the filtered messages, how these institutions are quintessential to the cultural values that are being adopted. Rather, Baudrillard does not necessarily focus on the cultural aspect, but rather the actual process of the implementation of signs in images and media. He discusses the four phases of the image as “(1) It is the reflection of a basic reality. (2) It masks and perverts a basic reality. (3) It masks the absence of a basic reality. (4) It bears no relation to any reality whatever: it is its own pure simulacrum.” On the other hand, Marx and Engels do not necessarily specify the role of the signs and symbols, but rather they highlight how these signifiers play a role in the ideas that are being presented as universal truths so that the ruling class can justify their positions–really honing in on the ruling class is able to enforce the dominant ideologies. Horkheimer and Adorno, in a similar fashion to Marx and Engels, does not highlight the usage of the signs, but rather the production of mass culture that is lined with signs and symbols to fit society’s ideology. 

Each author builds upon the work of one another, engaging in discussions that break the illusionary ideology built and supported by the ruling class. Although it is important to note that Marx and Engels fail to recognize that individuals are active participants and are engaged in the construction of ideology. The thought is that the working class passively assimilates to the dominant ideologies because they lack the mental capacity to recognize the ruling ideas in the first place. The culture industry lacks authenticity during the mass production of culture products, in doing so, there are limitations for the individual to genuinely and comprehensively participate in society–Adorno and Horkheimer recognize that the individual is unable to recognize their position. Barthes, despite advancing the conversations surrounding the ruling-class ideology of the mentioned thinkers, acknowledges how individuals a part of contemporary society actively consume media and produce objects and images that take part in mythologies. Alternatively, Baudrillard’s theory on hyperreality differs from the others; he argues that individuals are unable to actively engage with contemporary culture because of simulated experience, the creation of a hyperreal environment that is completely void of reality. While all four scholarly works are contingent on each other, there are notable differences that allow for the reader to expand their mind and understanding of the world around them. 

Analysis of the scene! And Pink!

From gender to class, associations with the color pink have been a main focal point in conversation surrounding Barbie, the doll. Before the 1920s, when the U.S. department stores declared that blue is for boys and pink is for girls, the joyful color was worn by all. Keeping this in mind, these retailers that offer a wide range of consumer goods established this binary to essentially boost their economic gain–this directly correlates to the consumer industry, highlighted by Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno. Since this shift in meaning and connotation of the “gendered” color, the pink has been associated with the Barbie brand since she was first introduced in 1959–in comes “Barbie Pink.” A vibrant and inspiring shade of pink that is easily recognizable at first glance. During the scene with Stereotypical Barbie and the executive management board of Mattel, owners of Barbie, the use of pink was very intentional. The only two people in the room that wore the color pink was Stereotypical Barbie, our protagonist, and the CEO of Mattel, a man. Historically, the color pink has reflected a sense of femininity and is heavily marketed in the cosmetic and fashion world, which the demographic is primarily targeted towards women–toys are no exception. Applying the works of Marx and Engels and Horkheimer and Adorno, Barbie Pink could be critiqued as the commodification of the color which reflects the commodification of gender and the reinforcement of the limiting gender binary. The mass production of the color pink by Mattel contributes to the standardization of cultural products which promote conformity. Although, within the scene the CEO is wearing a Barbie Pink tie and ballerina pink dress shirt; from one point of view, this can be seen as Mattel disrupting hegemonic masculinity. On the other hand, the man is seen as a “bumbling fool” and really likes tickling. The two characters standing directly across from each other reflect two sides of representation of femininity. So, while Barbie is inherently promoting feminine power for women and by women through the color pink by her courageous steps towards self-improvement, the CEO lacks that empowerment. In comparison to his subordinates, he is the only one wearing pink among the men and is depicted as more “silly” and “inept.” Through this, the film is perpetuating this idea that because the CEO is wearing pink, he too is subordinate in his masculinity. Through the lens of Barthes, the cultural myths and narrative surrounding the color pink may reveal how it signifies notions of softness and sensitivity. These myths take on symbolic meanings when becoming associated with an object,  like the color pink. As we know, as active members of society, masculinity is uplifted within a work environment and signs of femininity are looked down upon and discouraged. The color pink within Barbie reveals the complex interplay between capitalism, consumer culture, gender, and representation. 

Analyzing the mise en scene through the lenses of Marx and Engels, Horkheimer and Adorno, Barthes, and Baudrillard provides a framework for understanding the cultural distinctions within Barbie. In “The Ruling Class and The Ruling Ideas,” it highlighted the class structure and the power dynamics within the ruling class, and how this class is in charge of both material and mental production. The influence of Mattel is insurmountable, a multi-million company that has mass produced billions of size 0 and white dolls. This contributes to capitalist exploitation, within the scene, immediately when Barbie walks through the double doors into the meeting room, all the men stand up to see her besides the one lower-ranking office worker. This perpetuates and reinforces class distinctions that Marx and Engels challenged in their works. During this scene, Stereotypical Barbie asks to meet the woman in charge, however the response she gets is not one that she is looking for–the CEO, CFO, President of Barbie Division, and COO are all men. Although one of the lines from the office worker is “I’m a man with no power. Does that make me a woman?” (-01:07:36) While the intentions are comedic, this plays directly into the cliches and stereotypes that a woman cannot hold a position of power–supporting the ideas of the ruling class.

The main purpose of Barbie coming into the headquarters was so that she can return back to her sense of normalcy, and the solution that was suggested was for her to go back into the packaging box she came from. On that box, stamped in a bold cursive font, was the brand logo for “Barbie.” Horkehiemer and Adorno would suggest that through the usage of the universal stamp that is the “Barbie” logo, this is a sign of mass consumer culture. Besides the apparent usage of a brand logo, there is another symbol during this scene. There is a shot with the CEO standing in front of the floor to ceiling windows and right behind him is the Hollywood sign. (-01:07:11) Hollywood is known to be a center of the heavily criticized consumer culture–a hub for the mass production of standardized products that lack artistic integrity but also a facet for the white, rich, and privileged to sustain their power. Lastly, to support the ideas of Baudrillard and hyperreality, during the same monologue in which the CEO is standing in front of the sign, he is creating this imagined troupe of women pioneering Mattel. In the background of the scene is this patriotic soundtrack that is blurring the reality in which there has been a lack of women in power, but masking it with this empowering speech/false narrative. Through these lenses, the analysis becomes a nuanced understanding of the social and cultural ideologies implemented into the world of Barbie!

[mgmrosales]

Analytical Application 3

Through the workings of Frederic Jameson in “Postmodernism and Consumer Society,” parody is the replication and immigration of other film styles and mannerisms that are intended to mock the themes and elements of the differentiating works or genres in a comedic manner. Parody “capitalises on the uniqueness of these styles and seizes on their idiosyncrasies and eccentricities to produce an imitation which mocks the original.” (1)

In “Run Lola Run” (1998), the dialogue between Lola and the security guard working at her father’s bank, furthers the engagement of the film with the theory of parody from Fredric Jameson. The vague condescending, “philosophical” tone in which the security guard took on serves as a form of parody while referencing traditional tropes. The setting and the character’s role of the guardians with Lola is a parody of the traditional heist scenarios. 

The dialogue of Lola pleading to the guard to let her into the highly secured bank area is reminiscent of classic film tropes where the protagonist urgently tries to explain their situation or negotiate with an authority figure, such as one like the security guard. “Courtesy and composure are queen’s jewels” (00:39:13) is a direct line from the security, underscoring how the importances of grace and dignity contributes to the theme of regality. In the context of a heist scene, this vague dialogue coming directly from the “authority figure” aligns with Jameson’s idea of how parody is a form of playful imitation that does not induce a deeper critical analysis. The quote from the guard does provide humor for the audience, as we know the dire situation at hand for Lola, but it does not mock the classic heist film scenarios rather it recycles, remixes, and integrates the form for the audience’s enjoyment. 

By the definition of Frederic Jameson in his work “Postmodernism and Consumer Society,” pastiche “involve the imitation or, better still, the mimicry of other styles and particularly of the mannerisms and stylistic twitches of other styles.”(2) In comparison to his idea of parody, pastiche is more of a emulation of these past films or filmmaking techniques to pay homage to. There is no hint of mockery or satire, the intention of pastiche is to celebrate the qualities of different styles. 

Instead of a specific scene to highlight in “Run Lola Run” (1998), the soundtrack, composed by Tom Tykwer, plays a significant role in the demonstration of pastiche. The soundtrack is a blend of a multitude of different genres, including techno, electronic, experimental, and even the incorporation of jazz. The technique of pastiche involves the usage of repetition within the film; the techno beats and electronic sound with that lulling bass reappears throughout the film which directly aligns with Jameson’s idea of parody and Delueze’s thoughts on generality–the reusing of different elements that creates a sense of deja vu for the audience. In a ton of underground experimental films and short films, the use of techno music can be found easily within the scene. As well, the electronic music found within “Run Lola Run” also reflects the sound that is associated with the 90s especially in Germany. During the 80s, the genre of German techno boomed within the contemporary culture of that time. The sounds of the genre is characterized by its repetitive nature and simplistic style and melody to create a futuristic soundscape, which is highlighted throughout the film. The Berlin Club scene is notorious for its German techno, the use of these sounds contributes to the film’s pastiche as it mimics the techniques of other experimental films while building upon the thriller aspect of the film. Lastly, to my surprise the film used “What a Difference a Day Makes' ', a classic jazz song; this eclectic usage of different genres reflects the postmodern techniques of mixing different genres without adhering to the traditional form of musical genres and periods. 

In “Difference and Repetition", Deleuze states “[T]he repetition of a work of art is like a singularity without concept.”(3) Meaning that repetition is not merely the mimicry or reiteration of events, but rather when a work of art undergoes the process of repetition with creativity in mind, a variation is produced that is now unique and singular. 

In the film, “Run Lola Run” (1998), the entirety of the plot is subject to the repetition of Lola running to Manni while attempting to solve the issue of the lost 100,000 marks. In each variation, Lola encounters a thief on a bike. The first time, she barely interacts with the man resulting in the snapshots of him getting beaten to a pulp before meeting his future wife (00:15:58). The second time around, Lola apprehends him and confronts him for stealing which ends up depicting his life as a junkie (00:37:34). And the last time, she completely avoids interacting with him–forcing him to take a different route. Each time this timeline repeats itself, Lola encounters the bike thief in a slightly different manner which breaks the deterministic narrative structure. Each run-in results in a distinctly different outcome for the man’s future, which lends itself to Deleuze’s ideas of repetition, it is not just a reproduction of the same scene but possibility of the creation of something brand new. Lola’s decisions during her encounters with the man becomes a pivotal moment where it alters the trajectory of the final narrative with Manni, highlighting the idea that repetition generates possibilities and creativity instead of constraining the overall plot. The varied responses being produced by Lola and the man on the bike demonstrates the film’s exploration of Deleuze’s theory on repetition. 

Through the working of Deleuze’s “Difference and Repetition,” he explains that “generality expresses a point of view according to which one term may be exchanged or substituted for another.” (4) Meaning that the application of generality is an attempt to encompass ideas or ways of thinking to share commonalities to establish an ideal that can be applied to everyone, creating a universal experience. 

Key scenes to apply Deleuze’s theory of generality are Lola's encounters with the minor characters during her three trials of attempting to save Manni in “Run Lola Run” (1998). In the context of Deleuze’s ideologies, the generality behind these scenes challenges conventional notions of determinism. The repeated scenarios of running into the older woman with the baby carriage suggests the universal themes of motherhood are not contingent from the fixed concepts and representations of parenting. Rather, the snapshots of the mother losing her biological child and then kidnapping a baby in a stroller (00:13:01-00:13:18) versus the other portrayals of the older woman winning the lottery (00:36:18-00:36:32) emphasizes how the idea of unity emerges from events that unfold in each encounter.  The woman with the stroller is often associated with themes of nurture and protection, however through the different variations, as a representation of motherhood, she becomes a gateway for the audience to unmask the diverse ways in which a situated role can intersect with different elements (Lola) which build upon the narrative.

The characters in which Lola’s actions and decisions lend themselves to the different outcomes and possibilities based on her small variations emphasizes Deleuze’s ideas of generality. Applying this knowledge to the analysis of these scenes, these moments capture how the film represents a universal and relatable experience (generality) through the complexities and differences within the narrative structure. The possibilities that can derive from Lola’s chaotic run to Manni directly plays a role into the theory of generality.

Through the work of Jean Baudrillard in “Simulacra and Simulations,” hyperreality is the state in which reality and the simulate amalgamate to create a surreal experience. Baudrillard suggests that the lack of distinction between what is real and what is simulated are shaped by contemporary media, that in a hyperreal state, signs and symbols cloud a viewer's intake and interpretation. Baudrillard states “Thus the hyperrealism of simulation is expressed everywhere by the real's striking resemblance to itself.” (5)

A scene within the film “Run Lola Run” (1998) that depicts a hyperreal society that can be seen between the romantic interactions between Lola’s father and his mistress (00:17:53). Desires are often misconstructed by the media and are also mediated through consumer-driven culture; the scenes are a performance that is influenced by media portrayals of love and desire. In the first variation of Lola’s run, the scenes between her father and the woman have this light lighting and slight haziness that cloud the screen–emulating the illusion of pure love. The aesthetics of these scenes employ certain visual elements that are associated with the cliches of romance; on that same note, these aesthetics do incorporate the simulated versions of romantic relationships that contribute to the hyperreal representation that do not encompass the authenticity and the individualistic experience of love and romance. The influence of consumer culture is apparent in the format in which the scenes are shot. The soft and gentle gestures between Lola’s father and the woman he is having an affair with is an aesthetic that is commonly found in romantic relationships that are displayed all over the media. It is this creation of a simulation that is seemingly more real than personalized experiences that transports the audience into a  hyperreal realm. These scenes represent a commodified version of romance, where these “romantic” gazes lose its genuine nature thus becoming a set of consumable symbols that are easier for the viewer to digest when indulging the film’s narrative. 

Fredric Jameson, “Postmodernism and Consumer Society” in Modernism/Postmodernism (New York: Pearson Education Unlimited, 1992), 166.

Fredric Jameson, “Postmodernism and Consumer Society” in Modernism/Postmodernism (New York: Pearson Education Unlimited, 1992), 166.

Gilles Deleuze. Difference and Repetition (New York, New York: Columbia University Press, 1994), 15.

Gilles Deleuze. Difference and Repetition (New York, New York: Columbia University Press, 1994), 15.

Jean Baudrillard, “Simulacra and Simulations” in Modernism/Postmodernism (New York: Pearson Education Unlimited, 1992), 152-153.