The Sexual Revolution

The discourse of sexuality has evolved with changing times, and therefore governed social relationships accordingly. This discourse of sexuality has changed dramatically from once being strictly confined to marriage and having various monitoring agents that acted to control the conduct of individuals. There have been numerous factors that lead to the change we now know as the normal discourse of sexuality. Socioeconomic changes, politics, explorations in knowledge/technology, and media/entertainment are some of the aspects that contributed to the sexual revolution. For example, women became more politically involved and increasingly active in the work force. Therefore, women were less reliant on men then in previous times. These were major stepping stones to women’s right to equality. In addition, other advancements of knowledge, such as the development of ‘the pill’ enabled women to have more control over their future by being able to prevent unplanned pregnancies. Other political aspects, such as the strong oppositions to governmental policies and foreign affairs contributed to the wide spread rebellion and aversion of authority, particularly by the generation’s youth. Traditional institutions of authority were challenged heavily during this time. Consequently, the revolution of sexuality was a product of many changes in American society in the nineteenth century. One proof of this change is shown in how media works endured a great relaxation of censorship. Even in the past 10 years, the discourse of sexuality shows evidence of continual evolution in this respect.

Media’s Influence on the Femininity Paradigm

It is evident that femininity paradigms are cultural products. Throughout history, western cultural has characterized feminine women as overly emotional, weak, submissive, inadequate, and inferior; essentially traits contrary to that of a man. Although contemporary cultural has made progress in shifting this paradigm, there are still flaws in the way our cultural views femininity. Butler, philosopher and feminist thinker, claims ‘sex’ is an ideal construct which is forcibly materialized by regulatory norms over time, such materialization is achieved through a powerful reiteration of those norms (Butler, 1993). While some characterizations of femininity have faded with progression, such as inadequacy, others seem to be protruding more and more in our modern age. Specifically, the sexual appeal of women has an overbearing influence on our conceptions of femininity in western culture. This idea is reflected in how media representations of women predominantly portray sexual appeal as a defining element of femininity. To say further, media influences the femininity paradigm through defining what is beautiful, instigating what is desirable, and constructs a discipline.

An illustrated example of this idea is shown is the film Miss Congeniality (2002). Gracie Hart, played by Sandra Bullock, is initially represented as rugged, tough, and severely uninterested in her appearance. The female FBI agent was considered to be one of the guys, which was reaffirmed through her participation in a wrestling match with her male FBI partner (and winning), the furthest thing from what we consider to be feminine. Gracie Hart then is forced to get all dolled up for her undercover assignment. After her make-over she is all of a sudden attractive and sexually appealing, and needless to say grabs the attention of her FBI partner Eric Matthews. Yet, this romance was merely due to her new sexual appeal that transformed her into a more feminine woman. The film took Gracie’s same body, the same face, the same hair, the same personality which were initially undesirable to Eric and altered her appearance to fit into what is deemed beautiful. Miss Congeniality strongly correlates physical beauty with the concept of femininity.

Desirability in women has been explicitly instigated by media representations. These attributes are governed by what heterosexual males find to be attractive, which provide visual differentiating from masculinity, in particular a sexual appeal. In order to be desired as a woman, there are certain standards set by ideological imagery. Beyond the possession of beauty, media femininity also puts reliance on attributes of desirability. An enhancement of feminine features often incorporates certain commodities that assist women in presenting themselves as more sexually desirable; such commodities include make-up to enhance facial features, push-up bras to enhance bust size, spanks to define a slimmer figure, high heels to enhance long legs. Again, drawing from Miss Congeniality, it was not until Eric Matthews saw Gracie in high heels, a tight red dress, push up bra, and make-up that he saw her for anything more than just one of the guys. Therefore, by partaking is such behavior a Gracie was looked at as feminine, yet the basis is mainly centered on this idea of sexual appeal.

Through media’s depiction of beauty and desirability, women are conditioned to view these ideal standards as normal. Going back to Butler's claims,‘sex’ is not a simple fact or static condition of a body, but a process whereby regulatory norms materialize it (Barker 298). Many women contribute extensive efforts into their appearance in order to achieved satisfaction towards this goal of normalization. Therefore, women are then disciplined by the standards of cultural media. Elaborated on this idea, Susan Bordo, author of Material Girl suggests that this disciplinary reality is effaced in the construction of all self-transformations as equally arbitrary, all variants of the same trivial game, without differing culture valence. The general tyranny of fashion – perpetual, elusive, and instructing the female body in a pedagogy of personal inadequacy and lack – is a powerful discipline for the normalization of all women in this culture. The femininity paradigm is largely influenced by this discipline.

There are apparent differences between how the media portrays femininity and realistic cultural views. Yet, it is quite apparent that media’s tendencies have created somewhat of a disciplinary function as to how women portray themselves has feminine. The element of sexual appeal has been predominantly been used in media works more so than traditional characteristics associated with femininity.


Work Cited

Barker, Chris. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. London: Sage, 2008. Print

Butler, Judith. Bodies that Matter. London and New York: Routledge, 1993. Print

Bordo,Susan. "Material Girl: The Effacements of Postmodern Culture." Michigan Quarterly Review (Fall/Winter 1990).

Miss Congeniality. Dir. Donald Petrie. 2000. Film

Raunch Culture… Empowering or Oppressive?

Like many topics of discussion, raunch culture provides another controversy over interpretation. There are two opposing view of this so called raunch culture. Is sexual provocativeness and promiscuousness by women an advancement in the fight for equality or merely another means by which woman are objectified by men?
Starting with the view postfeminism, raunch culture is looked at as a means empowerment for women. The postfeminist wants to escape the sense that women are passive victims of patriarchy, rather women are now entitled to enjoy cultural live as they choose (Baker, 284). Therefore, raunch culture can be viewed as a representation of female liberty to embrace sexuality “like a man” in a sense. In accordance to these views, women are destabilizing the norms of sexuality and presenting behavioral tendencies previously common to men.
On the contrary, traditional feminist find sexually explicit material dehumanizing and demeaning. Raunch culture is just another means of objectifying women. Just because women are choosing to openly display their sexuality is not resulting in equality with men. A very popular voice on this issue of raunch culture is Ariel Levy, author of Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture. Levy proposes that the goal of raunch culture is not enhancing or enabling female pleasure, but instead encourages an imitation or performance of that pleasure. Who is being served? Men. This behavior is seeking male approval and attention, Levi notes “attention’s not the same thing as power”.

Images of Women

The scene in Jerry Macquire is a depiction of two different types of women. Jerry’s fiancé, Avery, is presented as straight to the point, business like, and lacking sensitivity. Dorothy on the other hand, the woman who worked with Jerry, was presented as understanding, supportive, and sacrificing. This significant contrast leads me to the concept of “images of women” and how these concepts relate to culture and gender representation.

The “images of women” is predominately dictated by stereotypes. I think this is where the media maintains a strong influence on determining and emphasizing the “images of women”. In a study done by Diana Meehan (1983), it was suggested that representations on television cast ‘good’ women as submissive, sensitive, and domesticated. Women who posses dominate, decisive, rational, and independent characteristics are commonly portrayed as ‘bad’. Yet, when these characteristics in themselves are not necessary portrayed as ‘bad’, just when displayed in women. The two women in Jerry Macquire show this imagery perfectly. For example, Jerry’s fiancé was displayed as the ‘bad’ woman merely through her characteristics and not necessarily any wrongful acts.