Child abuse imagery found within bitcoin's blockchain German researchers have discovered unknown persons are using bitcoin’s blockchain to store and link to child abuse imagery, potentially putting the cryptocurrency in jeopardy.
The blockchain is the open-source, distributed ledger that records every bitcoin transaction, but can also store small bits of non-financial data. This data is typically notes about the trade of bitcoin, recording what it was for or other metadata. But it can also be used to store links and files.
Researchers from the RWTH Aachen University, Germany found that around 1,600 files were currently stored in bitcoin’s blockchain. Of the files least eight were of sexual content, including one thought to be an image of child abuse and two that contain 274 links to child abuse content, 142 of which link to dark web services
.“Our analysis shows that certain content, eg, illegal pornography, can render the mere possession of a blockchain illegal,” the researchers wrote. “Although court rulings do not yet exist, legislative texts from countries such as Germany, the UK, or the USA suggest that illegal content such as [child abuse imagery] can make the blockchain illegal to possess for all users.” “This especially endangers the multi-billion dollar markets powering cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.”
The company at the centre of theFacebookdata breach boasted of using honey traps, fake news campaigns and operations with ex-spies to swing election campaigns around the world, a new investigation reveals. Executives fromCambridge Analyticaspoke to undercover reporters from Channel 4 News about the dark arts used by the company to help clients, which included entrapping rival candidates in fake bribery stings and hiring prostitutes to seduce them.
The Channel 4 News investigation, broadcast on Monday, comes two days after the Observer reported Cambridge Analytica had unauthorised access to tens of millions of Facebook profiles in one of the social media company’s biggest data breaches.
In a series of meetings with a reporter posing as a representative of a wealthy Sri Lankan family seeking political influence, Cambridge Analytica executives initially denied the company was in the business of using entrapment techniques.
When the reporter asked if Cambridge Analytica could offer investigations into the damaging secrets of rivals, Nix said it worked with former spies from Britain and Israel to look for political dirt. He also volunteered that his team were ready to go further than an investigation.
This is something the media has a huge influence over - everything from advertising to social media profiles can affect our sense of identity and where we fit in. Indeed, the representations we see in the media can have a huge impact on how we fit into society and the world around us. We need to learn some key theories and also consider the impact of new and digital technology on issues of collective identity and representation. Collective identity: Collective identity is the shared sense of belonging to a group. In Media Studies, we need to consider the influence media has over a person’s sense of identity. This is closely linked to representation as the way groups are portrayed in the media can influence our sense of identity and belonging.
Collective identity: Theories
Marxism and the Frankfurt School
Marxists believe identity is constructed through hegemony imposed by the ruling elite. A sense of individual identity is a myth that prevents people challenging powerful groups.
Frankfurt School, a group of influential Marxists, viewed media audiences as passive vessels. They believe the media is used to control and manipulate people.
Example: Apple branding
Apple’s early branding suggested individuality and creative freedom... But in fact it was always a massive profit-seeking corporation looking to sell as widely as possible.
Later, iPhone adverts subtly suggested a certain lifestyle that has become synonymous with Apple products. Everything suggests creative possibility and individual opportunity but Marxists would argue this merely hides the fact we are being manipulated by a faceless corporation into handing Apple huge amounts of money (why is an iPhone so much more expensive than an Android phone for example?)
Daniel Chandler: CAGE
Daniel Chandler suggested the acronym CAGE, stating our identity is constructed through class, age, gender and ethnicity.
Stuart Hall: media construction
Stuart Hall suggests the media actively constructs our society rather than reflecting it back. Our identity is part of this and therefore any sense of individuality we may feel is actually constructed through the media we engage with.
Constructing our own identities
New technology has changed the way we see ourselves and others. Through social media we can construct representations of ourselves.
Example: Instagram/Snapchat
Does social media have a positive influence over our identity? Or is it corrosive? Simon Sinek's view on the millennial generation went viral a few months ago and is worth watching again for the section on social media, technology and how it influences our sense of identity:
Shared identity online
New technology has created the opportunity for people to form groups online that represent their shared identity.
Think about the work we have done recently on feminism and online activism - blogs, forums, social media accounts and whole campaigns and movements (#everydaysexism) have given audiences a new sense of collective identity. In America, #blacklivesmatter is doing this with racism and police brutality.
Social media can empower individuals and create a strong sense of belonging – media theorist Sherry Turkle famously described the internet as a place to be "alone together".
Collective identity in the 21st Century
So, collective identity doesn’t just refer to representations in mainstream media.
It also refers to self-constructed identity by users of social media and communities formed online of shared identity (e.g. Feminism).
Representing ourselves: blog task
Read the Media Magazine article on collective identity: Self-image and the Media (MM41 - page 6). Our Media Magazine archive is here.
1) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean? In the style approach, we are less concerned with what is done, being more concerned with appearance. This can include visual appearance but is more focused on the impressions other people gain, including what they think and feel. I feel that this is definitely prevalent in modern media. Whether we use fashion statements, hairstyles, make-up or indeed make an active decision not to do any of those things, we are all involved in constructing an image to communicate our identity. This 'identity' often is constructed to be as stylistic as possible, rather than practical or useful. It is common for people to use social media to present themselves as stylish e.g posting photos of materialistic goods, objects, or even using 'themes' all in an attempt to appear 'stylish'. Postmodern critics believes that the construction of identity through media representations as being shallow, leading to a culture that values ‘style over substance’.
2) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more. Media saturation is the constant bombardment of media whether it be TV, magazines, radio, ads etc. The definition saturated something that completely soaked, or filled to brim and cannot take any more. It results in high cultural value being placed on external factors such as physical beauty and fashion sense over internal traits such as intelligence or compassion. He believed that we live in a society, in which media images dominate and distort the way we see the world like how photos from social media or the news presents a sanitised version of war where all corpses, blood and violence is removed from screens. This is known as "hyperreality". Hyperreality is an inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality, especially in technologically advanced postmodern societies. In other words, we are struggling to differentiate the real world and the media. The representations in the media become part of our real world. 3) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Most people's presence on social media are far from an accurate reflection of the person you are - often social media is the main perpetrator of false identity. while we can share the highlights of an event, or the poolside on vacation, our "likes" and laments, all we're sharing is a simple chronicle. One that with the right filter and snappy status update can project an image of a life different from the one we authentically experience.
4) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy? I'm not concerned about about data mining in the slightest. Although targeted adverts are far too obvious, and therefore annoying, they don't concern me or make me feel like my privacy has been invaded. I feel I have nothing incriminating, or particularly adverse to hide, so there is no real issue with data mining, if anything it is useful as it can help detect dangerous individuals.
Three billboards bearing these words, in reference to the people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire, were attached to lorries and driven around London, including past the Houses of Parliament, before being parked outside the Grenfell complex. The protest was inspired by the award-winning film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which centres on Mildred Hayes, who rents three abandoned billboards to draw attention to the unsolved murder of her teenage daughter. The red and black signs – “Raped while dying”, “And still no arrests?”, “How come, Chief Willoughby?” – become symbols of a grieving mother’s fight for justice against all odds: the police chief, the fictional Midwestern town she lives in and the loss that continues to haunt her. Since the film’s release, visual homages have popped up around the world calling attention to a wide range of issues.
More examples followed. An activist parked three trucks carrying billboards outside a Florida senator’s office, days after 17 people were killed in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school. “Slaughtered in school”, “And still no gun control”, “How come, Marco Rubio?”, they said.
Activists believe the power of advertising can be harnessed to remind people how little has been done to deliver justice to oppressed and bereaved people.
Startup wants to upload your brain to the cloud, but has to kill you to do it A US startup is promising to upload customers’ brains to the cloud using a pioneering technique it has trialled on rabbits. The only catch,according to the company’s cofounder? The process is “100% fatal”.Blood flow to the brain will be replaced with embalming chemicals that preserve the neuronal structure, even as they kill the patient. But there is one downside. In order for the vitrification process to preserve a brain well enough to leave hope of accurate upload or revival, it has to be carried out at the moment of death. Or, more precisely, it has to be the cause of death: the subject/customer/victim has the blood flow to their brain replaced with the embalming chemicals that preserve the neuronal structure, even as they kill the patient.
Influential startup accelerator Y Combinator has taken Nectome in, with the organisation’s chief executive, Sam Altman, becoming one of the 25 people to pay a $10,000 deposit to join its waiting list. “I assume my brain will be uploaded to the cloud,” Altman told MIT Technology Review.
Complete the following tasks using Media Factsheet 121: Identities and the Media. You'll find it in our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets Read the Factsheet in full and then complete the following tasks: 1) The Factsheet discusses how identity is a complex subject. What does it suggest defines our identity? We define ourselves in many different ways and our identities come from the individualised experiences we have. Part of the process of constructing our identities comes from our relationship with the media. As an audience member we may select and use the media that we feel best reflects our identity at any given time. Identity is a very complex subject. How we define ourselves is based on a complex set of relationships but we can think about our idea of ‘self’ as being: • who we think we are • who we want to be • who we think others think we are 2) Complete the task on page 2: suggest media texts that could reinforce that someone is non-mainstream; edgy; a pleasure seeker; fashionable; witty and fun; cutting-edge.
non-mainstream- This would involve a person who strays from trending, popular content such as choices in music, film, fashion etc.
edgy- edgy is similar to non-mainstream in some ways, it can involve content seen as 'weird' and 'non-mainstream'. For example, independent indie bands.
a pleasure seeker- This refers to people who use media as a form of escapism and entertainment gratification e.g a family coming home and watching a television soap like EastEnders in order to distract them from their own mundane lives.
fashionable- People who use social media to view new fashion trends may be seen as fashionable as they are in the know of what is popular and considered fashionable at the current time.
witty and fun- People use media for comedy such as memes, comedy sketches etc.
cutting-edge- Many people purchase new media and are in the know of what is new and popular.
3) What examples are suggested for a case study on urban youth? The Jeremy Kyle Show, Harry Brown, Eden Lake, Ben Drew. 4) What does Hebdige argue with regards to youth culture? Media theorist Richard Hebdige says that youth cultures show their resistance to the dominant culture through their style choices. Urban youth can show itself to be outside the mainstream by adopting the uniform that is feared by mainstream culture and they learn about this fear in the media representations. The media continues to represent these youths as deviant in an attempt to reinforce mainstream values (Acland) but of course these representations are constructed by people outside this group (Perkins) and in this case can be seen to be a reflection of adult culture’s fear of urban youth (Giroux). Those within the group though have their status as outsiders reinforced. 5) What other theorists are referenced alongside Hebdige? How do they link to the issue of youth identity? Another theorist mentioned is cultural theorist Stuart Hall who says audiences can decode media messages in a number of ways. They can: • accept the preferred meaning that has been created; • reject the idea that has been created • negotiate and take some of the ideas on board and reject others or even create their own meanings. Moreover, Acland claims that the media is what makes the representation of youth as deviants and Perkins states that representations of the youth are created by though outside of the 'youth' group and is rather a reflection of the adult's fear of youths. 6) How can we link Ill Manors to youth and identity? What specific examples from the case study could be used to discuss Hebdige’s theory that youth culture challenges mainstream culture and dominant ideologies? Ill Manors links to youth as it is predominantly representing the youth and it links nicely to identity because all the characters are constructed an identity through their actions. This links to Hebdige's theory as the character's in this film can be read as simply enaging in violence and deviancy constantly e.g theft, abuse, drugs, rioting etc.
7) What does theorist David Gauntlett suggest regarding the media’s influence over the construction of identities? David Gauntlett claims that the media have influence on identity construction and so the way the media stereotypes groups may become part of how individuals see themselves and media institutions are able to use this to sell their products. 8) Do you agree that Hebdige’s view that youth culture will always seek to resist mainstream culture and challenge dominant ideologies? I disagree with Hebdige's view. I feel that the youth are only represented as seeking to resist mainstream media, whereas in reality a majority of the youth actually conform to mainstream forms of the media e.g most of the youth use Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram - all mainstream social media apps/sites.
Complete the following tasks using Media Factsheet 142: Identity and Film. You'll find it in our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets 1) Classify answers into the categories listed on the Factsheet: Social groups, ideological beliefs, interests etc. ▪ Social groups and classifications (“I am a student”, “I am female”) ▪ Ideological beliefs (“I am a Christian”, “I am a Labour voter”) ▪ Interests (“I am a Queens of the Stone-Age Fan fan”, “I am a cricketer”) ▪ Ambitions (“I am going to be a doctor”, “I am going to visit China”) ▪ Self-evaluations. (“I am pretty”, “I am bad at Maths”)
2) Go back to your favourite film. What does this choice of film say about your identity? Are there any identities within the film (e.g. certain characters) that particularly resonated with your values and beliefs?
A Clockwork Orange - Mr Halsey says this makes me a violent person¿
4) Watch the trailers for the five films highlighted as examples of gay/lesbian representation in mainstream film:
How are LGBT identities constructed in the trailers and how are audiences encouraged to respond to these representations?
Wilde (1997, dir. Brian Gilbert)
Wilde is a 1997 British biographical film about Oscar Wilde. We can argue that the LGBT identity constructed highlights Wilde's intelligence and success, as well as popularity - suggesting that homosexual people can be just as successful as anyone else. However, it does portray Wilde as deceptive, a negative attribute but then again this is a result of the restrictive attitudes towards homosexuality. Overall, I feel that this is a positive representation of homosexuality.
Philadelphia (1993, dir. Jonathan Demme)
Philadelphia is a 1993 American drama film and one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality, and homophobia. A negative representation of homosexual men is created in the film. This is because their main identifying factor is the fact that they are diseased. However, the film does bring light to social prejudice the homosexual men are experiencing such as in the work place - i.e being fired for having AIDS.
The Wedding Banquet (1993, dir. Ang Lee)
The Wedding Banquet is a 1993 romantic comedy film about a gay Taiwanese immigrant man who marries a mainland Chinese woman to placate his parents and get her a green card. His plan backfires when his parents arrive in the United States to plan his wedding banquet and he has to hide the truth of his partner. A negative representation is created as the man deceives his parents, a woman and is essentially living a double life. This creates the idea that homosexual men are deceptive and manipulative. Moreover, his act is illegal in that he is getting someone into the country as a result of false marriage - creating a sense of unlawfulness and deviancy in his character also. However, the fact that he feels he needs to undergo a false marriage and create a facade just to please his parents and avoid being an outcast, draws attention to the concerning attitudes towards homosexuals, representing the main character as a victim also.
The Kids are Alright (2010, dir. Lisa Cholodenko)
The Kids Are All Right is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Lisa Cholodenko. It is among the first mainstream movies to show a married lesbian and bisexual couple raising two teenagers. This film presents the family and the children as normal - suggesting how LGBT parents are now accepted in society, and that they can raise perfectly healthy children.
Pride (2014, dir. Matthew Warchus)
Pride is a 2014 British LGBT-related historical comedy-drama film directed by Matthew Warchus. The film shows LGBT identities as a targeted group, in their restrictive Catholic community, and therefore they make communal effort to try and fight the discrimination they face. This creates a representation of homosexuals as victims and strong-willed.
5) How have representations of LGBT issues changed in recent years? It is very clear to me that our attitudes towards LGBT issues have changed significantly over the years. This is apparent through how gay characters are the most frequently depicted consistently across a variety of mediums.
Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #86: Applying Feminism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions: 1) Briefly list or describe the different waves of feminism.
First wave: early 20th century, suffragette movement (right to vote).
Second wave: 1960s – 1990s, reproductive rights (pill), abortion, equal pay.
Third wave: 1990s – present, empowerment, reclaiming of femininity (high heels, sexuality etc. See Angela McRobbie's work on women's magazines).
Fourth wave? 2010 – ongoing, use of new technology and digital media (e.g. Twitter) for activism. Many commentators argue that the internet itself has enabled a shift from ‘third-wave’ to ‘fourth-wave’ feminism. What is certain is that the internet has created a ‘call-out’ culture, in which sexism or misogyny can be ‘called out’ and challenged. This culture is indicative of the continuing influence of the third wave, with its focus on challenging sexism and misogyny in advertising, film, television and the media.
3) List the five different types of feminism with a one-sentence definition for each.
Radical Feminism - cause of women's oppression as men; men deliberately exploit women in order to benefit them. Main aims of this theory is to address concerns over violence against women (sexual relationships).
Liberal Feminism - mainly concerned with gender socialisation in order to show that gender roles are not biologically determined. The main aim of this type of feminism is to change the ways children are socialised into stereotypical gender roles and to attempt to change social policy to improve the position of women within the family.
Marxist-Feminism - looks at women’s oppression in relation to capitalism and the class system. One of the aims of this type of feminism is to look at the role of domestic labour within capitalism, namely that women work in the home for ‘free’, and the role women play in producing the next generation of the labour force.
Black Feminism - primarily concerned with black and Asian women’s experiences of oppression and exploitation. It combines ideas about capitalism, patriarchy and anti-racism.
Postmodern Feminism - associated with third wave feminists. It acknowledges the diversity amongst women and encourages individual women to find feminist ideas that combine with their own experiences of life to create a brand of feminism suitable for them.
4) Summarise Laura Mulvey's analysis of Hollywood film: Laura Mulvey wrote Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema in 1975 and it is probably the most well-known and most often used piece of feminist writing for Media Studies students. Mulvey posited that the cinematography of classic Hollywood films objectifies women; the camera ‘looks’ at women as if were a male and the woman is a desirable sexual object. She called this the male gaze and suggested that women are either viewed in a ‘voyeuristic’ way, which makes them ‘whores’, or in a ‘fetishistic’ way, making them ‘madonnas’ or virgins. Mulvey thought the only way to alter the representations of women in film was to completely change the cinematography of films by creating a new avant-garde style of feminist film-making. 5) What does Jean Kilbourne argue regarding advertising and the impact on women? Jean Kilbourne started analysing the representations of women in advertising in 1979 with the documentary Killing Us Softly: Advertising’s Image of Women. Much of what Kilbourne discusses in the Killing Us Softly documentaries is the notion that advertising is selling more than products; it is also selling ideas of what it is to be ‘normal’ in our society. She claims that the advertising industry makes a women’s appearance the most important thing about her. 6) Summarise Naomi Wolf's theory of 'The Beauty Myth'. Wolf’s ideas in The Beauty Myth (1991) follow on from Kilbourne’s analysis of representations of women in advertising. Wolf claims that the notion of ‘beauty’ is entirely socially constructed and patriarchal. By this she means that men in a given society create rules of what is considered beautiful in women but this alters from culture to culture. For example, for Western women, blond hair, a slim figure and flawless skin are considered beautiful but in Mauritania, West Africa, women are seen as beautiful if they are obese and have stretch marks. Wolf believes that, even though women have achieved more equality in terms of voting rights and regulations in the work place, male dominated society continues to oppress women by making them focus to such a great extent on how they look and whether they are ‘beautiful'. 7) List the texts discussed in the section 'feminism and music videos'. Do you believe that the representation of women in music videos can have an impact on how people behave in real life? The representation of women in R&B and hip-hop videos has been an area of contentious debate for feminists in recent years. Many feminists have looked at the lyrics and images used in these musical genres and there has been disagreement about whether the women portrayed are victims of patriarchal oppression or empowered female role models. Some examples include Nelly’s video for Tip-Drill, Beyonce’s Who Runs the World (Girls), NineteenPercent’s feminist response Who Runs the World (Lies). I feel that derogatory music videos are not just content, they inadvertently reinforce stereotypes in viewers - causing changes in real life behaviour as a result. Feminist theory: Factsheet research Media Factsheet #125: Gender for A2 - Focus on Judith Butler This Factsheet offers much more depth on Judith Butler and her work in Gender Trouble (1990) - the argument that gender is a process or performance and not biologically set. It explores how Butler fits into wider media theoretical perspectives (e.g. Structuralism and Post-Structuralism) and also criticisms of her approach. One key criticism is the difficulty in applying Butler's ideas to feminist campaigns in the real world - relevant to our recent work on the possibility of a fourth wave of feminism. Media Factsheet #125: Gender: Beyond Butler This Factsheet explores a wider interpretation of the representation of women in media and society. It offers a historical perspective, looking particularly at the 1970s and British television. It also builds on Factsheet #89 and Jean Kilbourne's work on advertising and the representation of women. Finally, the Factsheet addresses masculinity and the changing representations of men in the media over the last 30 years.
Feminist theory: key notes Judith Butler: gender roles Butler believes traditional feminists are wrong to divide society into ‘men’ and ‘women’ and says gender is not biologically fixed. By dividing men and women, feminists accidentally reinforced the idea of differences between the two genders. Butler believes gender roles are ‘a performance’ and that male and female behaviour is socially constructed rather than the result of biology. Butler and the media If gender is a ‘performance’ rather than biological, we then need to think about what is influencing that ‘performance’. And that’s where the media comes in. How might the media influence our behaviour in terms of gender roles? Angela McRobbie: empowering women McRobbie is a British cultural theorist known for her work analysing magazines aimed at women and teenage girls in the 80s and 90s. McRobbie highlights the empowering nature of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour, taking a different perspective to traditional feminists. This idea of ‘popular feminism’ fits into the idea of post-feminism and challenges the radical feminism of the 1970s.
Gauntlett: feminism & masculinity
David Gauntlett wrote extensively on gender representation and the importance of role models in the media in the late 1990s – early 2000s. He looked particularly at theorists such as Butler and McRobbie: “Although the popular remix of feminism is accepted by young women, it remains the case that most women and men remain somewhat constricted within particular gender roles.” Gauntlett looked at men’s lifestyle magazines in the same way McRobbie looked at women’s magazines. He found a new, quite different representation of masculinity – reflecting changes in women’s magazines. Importantly, he disagrees that masculinity is in crisis – a popular view in the media in the last 15 years.
Feminist and gender theory: blog tasks
Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here). 1) What are the two texts the article focuses on? The new series, Pan Am which is an American period drama television series created by writer Jack Orman. Named for the iconicPan American World Airways, the series features the pilots and stewardesses of the airline as it operated in the early 1960s at the beginning of the commercial Jet Age. Also, the article looks at Beyonce's retro, satirical music video 'Why Don't you Love Me?' which parodies gender stereotypes. 2) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)? The male gaze is the act of depicting the world and women in the visual arts and literature from a masculine and heterosexual point of view, presenting women as objects of male pleasure. In Pan Am, the show In the pilot episode of Pan Am we first meet the stars of the show – the stewardesses – through an image of Laura, one of the main characters, on the front of a magazine cover. It is interesting to note that this first image of the Pan Am stewardesses is one which is highly constructed and mediated, an image whose purpose is to be admired and aspired to by women, and visually enjoyed by men. In Beyonce's music video, she is heavily objectified throughout the video such as the revealing clothes, makeup, posture etc. This all serves as presenting her as an object of male pleasure visually, therefore the entire video is an instance of where the male gaze can be applied.
3) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form? I feel that these videos undeniably show that there has been huge developments in society, most likely a result of feminism but then again, these videos clearly show light to an issue. Women are still heavily objectified and seen as existing only in the shadow of men, serving as only visual pleasure to them. 4) Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog.
Male Gaze – The gaze referring to Laura Mulvey’s seminal article ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ which argues that main stream Hollywood films subject female characters to the ‘male gaze’ of the camera, fragmenting and objectifying their bodies.
Third wave feminism – Was a movement that redefined and encouraged women to be dominant and sexually assertive.
Post-feminism – An ideology in culture and society that society is somehow past needing feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed.
1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’? By Butler claiming that gender roles are a 'performance', she is suggesting they are entirely socially constructed. Beyonce's video revolves around her intentionally showing how scripted, constructed and false her overly exaggerated femininity is. Moreover, the music video itself is a parody, with highly satirical undertones - again making the idea of gender roles seem like a 'joke' - as if they are all a 'performance.' 2) Does this video reinforce or challenge the view that women should perform certain roles in society? The answer to this questions depends on the viewers reading of the video. It is clear that this music video is a parody on gender roles and therefore, she is challenging the idea that each gender should conform to their gender role. However, personally I feel that perhaps this is overshadowed by how she is perpetuating gender stereotypes and arguably inadvertently reinforcing them. we see that the character is pining over a man and could highlight that at the base of everything a female does, it is done to impress a man and to appeal to the male gaze. Regardless of whether this is ironic or not, this still happens in the video.Moreover, there is a chance many viewers do not realise this is a parody at all, making this video's representations even worse.
3) Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women? Why? McRobbie is a British cultural theorist known for her work analysing magazines aimed at women and teenage girls in the 80s and 90s. McRobbie highlights the empowering nature of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour, taking a different perspective to traditional feminists. I feel that she would find this video empowering as Beyonce is represented in a very powerful way due to the strong emphasis placed on her sexuality and femininity.
4) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)? I feel that she does both. The parody style music video brings attention to how ridiculous the way gender roles are so restrictive are and how women are expected to satisfy the notion of the male gaze. However, this video does arguable and inadvertently reinforce gender roles because of the content presented.
1) How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have changed in recent years? This music video subverts a lot of typical, traditional male stereotypes and attributes associated with masculinity. It shows the main actor/dancer/singer engaging in a variety of movement and engaging with a variety of props, some of which subvert typically masculine behaviour. This video alone suggests how much our society has developed and progressed in its attitudes and expectations. We no longer place so much importance on restrictive gender roles and behaviour - as expressed by Will Jay who demonstrates no constraits in his behaviour because of his gender.
2) What does David Gauntlett suggest about representations of men in the media over the last 20 years? Gauntlett is a British sociologist and media theorist who looked at men’s lifestyle magazines, analysing the representation of the men within them. He found a new, quite different representation of masculinity – reflecting changes in women’s magazines. Importantly, he disagrees that masculinity is in crisis – a popular view in the media in the last 15 years. 3) What is YOUR view on representations of men and masculinity? Are young men still under pressure from the media to act or behave in a certain way? I feel that to me it is very clear that men are under pressure by the media and this issue is underrepresented and dismissed often. The media puts a strong emphasis on men needing to conform to a breadwinner role. They are commonly presented as strong, big, domineering - which presents as daunting to men struggling to live up to these idealised representations.
German researchers have discovered unknown persons are using bitcoin’s blockchain to store and link to child abuse imagery, potentially putting the cryptocurrency in jeopardy.
