Week 8 Sexual Minorities in the media

The modern lesbian celebrity couple has evolved from a lifestyle into a pure spectacle for the male gaze. Lindsey Lohen and girlfriend Samantha Ronson seem to have a relationship revolving around their need for a different kind of publicity. The media treats their relationship like a fun little game, and there have been virtually no negative publicity around them. The following are the recent headlines depicting their lesbian relationship:

Lindsay Lohan to Convert to Judaism for Samantha Ronson

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson Plan Wedding

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson go shopping for lingerie on the Kings Road

These kind of headlines would not be the case in a similar gay male couples relationship. Media has not taken kindly to gay male relationships which further stigmatizes the relationship in society. Headlines in popular culture magazines contain virtually no mention of gay male relationships.



The famous kiss between Madonna and Bri tney Spears at the VMA's portayed to onlookers that we are now accepting of lesbianism as pure spectacle. It is for pure entertainment value, and in this case was rehearsed in depth. The fact that there were 3 females making out on stage, (Christina Augulara as well) and it was broadcast across the US shows the acceptance that we have for lesbianism for a show. We would never see 3 men making out on stage as part of a dance routine spotlighted in such a way.



Why Can't A Kiss Just Be a Kiss?
He Locked Lips in 'Milk,' Now He Should Zip 'Em

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/08/AR2008120803777 _pf.html

This article in the Washington Post exemplifies Hollywood's, and in turn mainstreams ideas of how gay display of affection is handled. Through the ensuing talk show interviews James Franco is asked m any times about the kiss between him and Sean Penn. The tone of the questioning is always of great distaste and concern at the act of men kissing. This general discomfort around the homosexual kissing scenes can be a spectacle for many talk show hosts and crititcs, but the underlying messages are devastating to the g ay community. The progression that has been made with gay rights is immediately discredited when one examines t he real lack of acceptance that society shows.

Transvestites in the media have always been inaccurately portrayed. There are virtually no television series that depict an honest image of a transvestites ability to have a "normal" or decent lifestyle without being the butt of a joke or a spectacle.

"transvestites in the media are just comical gay men who happen to wear ill-fitting ladies' clothes all the time. In the case of Transvestic Fetishists, it will usually be an uptight banker who is suddenly revealed to have ladies' clothing under his business suit. How embarrassing."
(http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Transvestite)

"It's been said (only partially in jest) that the difference between British and American comedy is that the British think the funniest thing in the world is a man in a dress."
(http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Transvestite)

There has been very little social stigma related to women wearing mens clothing wihtin the past 50-60 years. Although historically this was against societal norms, ie.) women not being allowed to wear pants. Transvestites have been targeted with strict societal gender dress norms, and women have been excluded. I believe this often results from mens arousal of seeing women in mens clothing.

Week 7 Femininity as specifically sexualized

Women's sexuality has always been a major source of power.  Maintaining power and respect due to the female bodies innate strength and re-productive organs is natural, but achieving power through societies perception about your outward "sexiness" is created.  The perception of what is "sexy" and what is not is a highly ambiguous and completely depends on the individual making the claim.  The fact that mainstream media perceives white, thin, flawless bodies as sexy vastly under estimates humans desire and ability to be attracted to every other body type, not portrayed in the media. The first example of media's representation of what is hot is a classic pin-up girl, whose unrealistic and almost plastic looking body captures the male gaze and sets the standard for sexual power. 

There have been a few recent campaigns counteracting this claim, and aim to portray women as more realistic beings to sell products. Although women in the following ad are just as objectified and posed to capture the male gaze, these women have attainable bodies for most, and make sense proportionally.  These women are shown just as empowered as the previous model. Dove seeks to act as a catalyst for action regarding the false images that mass media has naturalized.  The following video shows just how deceiving most mass mediated images can be.

Companies employ beautiful, scantily clad women to sell products by portraying them as powerful beings. They portray the models as powerful and dominating within the context of the ad, but outside the marketing world, these same women would not be taken seriously. In actuality the most powerful women, as named by Forbes magazine,  do not resemble the stereotypical always thin, plastic female body. instead they represent age and wisdom, and most commonly the dreaded "flaws" in their features.  

This video displays an interesting perspective on how sex and femininity is played out in another culture.   After researching americas ad's and use of sexually explicit materials in all of our mainstream outlets, I began to feel frustrated at the mass mis-representation these images were providing for women. But the dialogue is started, and the freedom to discuss and openly criticize the effects of these images on society is available. This Saudi author is struggling to even be allowed to discuss these issues. I feel lucky that we have the ability to discuss and we have progressed in our discussion. Issues that used to be taboo are not so any more. 

Week 6: Masculinity as specifically sexualized

 We all know that white, upper class, heterosexual men have an advantage within our society, but there are no particular traits that create a physical/mental superiority.  Mens display of masculinity has been a characteristic that defines the power structure and keeps the patriarchal

system the way it is. By men acting like "men" or how our culture has framed a man to act the power structures naturally emerge.  By men typically being the aggressors, dominators, and the gender whose gaze is of utmost importance, the natural emergence of hierarchy becomes apparent and mainstream. But how do men learn to act like the stereotypical man?  The Media has played a large role in maintaining the the status quo.  

Dolce & Gabbana have created a branding around their products which seek to challenge the status quo. Many of the images below, are created to challenge the traditional acts of masculinity and create a world in which men are objectified by using them as the object of the female gaze. The males sole purpose in this ad campaign is to attract the female gaze and be avaible for her disposal. The females used in the ads have perceived power, but their power stems from their sexualized bodies and not other elements such as physical strength or class status.

 In the first ad the woman in the center of the picture is in complete control of her male counterparts, and they are available for her disposal. Although she has the most power in this image the fact that she is not wearing any clothing confirms that women can be in power, yet to fully utilize their potential power their "sexiness" must be apparent. 

The 2nd and 4th ad's contain only men, and plays off of similar power structures in that the mens bodies are objectified and are the basis for the power structures.  Their bodies are present to sell a product and do not hold any other value. 

The 3rd ad shows a dominating women, who has achieved high power, yet to do so has conformed to the male version of power. ie.) her clothing, pose, facial expression ect. all convey her confidence due to use of masculinity. 

The final ad speaks to male and female objectification, and reenforces gender stereotypes, and  specifically power dynamics between the sexes.  The female is being dominated by the male actors, but the males are just as objectified as she is, normalizing the otherwise crude nature of the image.  Dolce & Gabbana challenge gender stereotypes to ad shock value to their ads' but do so in a "safe haven"  by simultaneously re-enforcing the norms that we see in mainstream and therefore carried out in everyday lives. 

Nipples, Nudity and a Small Striptease: American Apparel's New Ad Campaign | An Itinerant Mind | Fast Company

Nipples, Nudity and a Small Striptease: American Apparel's New Ad Campaign | An Itinerant Mind | Fast Company

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American Apparel is taking advantage of the shock value of their ads'. The company prides themselves as being soaked in "youth and sex"

Week 5: socially constructed "appropriate" sex

American Apparel is the epitome of a sexualized clothing brand. Their use of half dressed women to sell clothing has been extremely effective within the united states fashion mainstream. The clothing has associated itself with an entire subculture and has made use of the attention that it gets. The new age "hipsters" have embraced this brand and simultaneously created a stigmitism around the brand.


This is a world where weight matters, young is beautiful, marriage is the ultimate end, and a woman's reproductive organs are of utmost importance, yet should be private and personal. The topic of childbirth does not in itself sell products, but sex does. Absolute has prided themselves in a campaign of truth, they strive to show the absolute truth and end. This suggestive ad is telling the audience that "true taste3 comes naturally" as in a females natural state is ideal in an absolute world. This is contradictory to popular media but stays in line with absolutes quest to shock and awe.




Scantily clad women seem to be appropriate within all mediums. The norm within fashion magazines it to show alot of skin. The gender-role stereotypes pervasive in women s magazines is so strong that one of the most powerful women in our culture right now is unable to break the trend. Michelle Obama, the first African American first lady is renowned for her strength in saying what is on her mind at all costs. During the campaign she spoke out against the petty politics and continues to be a strong role model for millions of young women. When we see her sexualized pose on the cover of vogue it reinforces the norm, that to obtain full respect you must maintain your sexualized femininity. Michelle's image on the campaign trail was much different.


The discussion between father and son regarding sex has previously been stigmatized. Societal norms about masculinity as a rough and tough exterior, void of emotions have pervaded popular media. Adolescent males have been left to fend for themselves and learn what they need to know on their own. This previously constructed view of male adolescence is outdated. In the information age kids have a working knowledge of sex through the media at a young age.

Week 4: Pornographic mainstream Media

http://www.droxy.com/images/2005/10/ipod-video-porn.jpg


You can't get more mainstream the the Ipod. The ipod's new application, hosting a variety of porn sites makes it easy to view porn on the go.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSpLAHGLnxU

This clip turned up in the middle of the Superbowl. If porn wasn't mainstream before, it was pushed into the spotlight by this little mishap.





The History of oral sex in the 20th century gave me a unique perspective into the patterns of taboo subjects and their tendency to change dramatically over time depending on pop culture and social situations. The recent phenomenon of porn stars entering into mainstream media is a sign that the line that society has drawn to classify taboo professions such as porn has been reevaluated.





This performance from the 44th Grammy's by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya, and Lil' Kim, provides a historical perspective on music's influence on the whore house culture of the late 1800's. As in Hunt & Curtis's genealogy women's sexual empowerment was on the rise around 1899, The subject became a little more mainstream and women used their sexuality to publicly display power. Somewhere mid 1900's the overt sexuality of women was suppressed and became once again taboo, and not until recently has the mainstream became influenced by strong sexual presentations of power.




This miller High life commercial depicts a commonly played out stereotype in mainstream commercials. The women is an objectified body, there the please the man. Even in this add, where the female is casted as the upper class, and the man is the highered help, (gardner) The man is still in control and is using the women at his discretion. Not only is the women submissive, but she is shown as getting pleasure from the act of handing the man a cold beer and taking the bottle cap as payment.