Feminist Reading of Women Magazine

 Feminist reading of Woman Magazine

What is a woman?

• someone who identifies as a woman
• a female
• a collection of stereotypes
• biological or cultural
• being feminine
• uterus?
• XX chromosome array
• stereotypes include: long hair, breasts, makeup, high pitched voice, etc
• sex is biological, gender is an argued social construct

However, in woman magazine, the representation of women is clear, stereotypical, hegemonic, straightforward and simple.

Symbolic Annihilation- where a representational group is completely missed out

• black/hispanic people
• disabled women
• queer people
• minority groups
• few older women
• hegemonically non-attractive women
• non-gender conforming women
• larger women
• visibly religious women

bell hooks - Feminist Theory

• feminism is a struggle to end patriarchal hegemony and the domination of women
• feminism is not a lifestyle choice; it is a political commitment
• race, class and gender all determine the extent to which individuals are exploited or oppressed
• feminism is for everybody
• intersectional feminism

Female Stereotypes	Male Stereotypes
emotional nurturing jobs, which may include primary school teachers or nanny	emotionless → "bitch" and "pussy" are both examples of gendered words

Extra Special on MEN! Exploring feminist ideologies

• lexis → "that's where we differ"
• the article explicitly points out in a humorous way the hierarchy that exists between men and women in society. It takes an informal and comedic mode of address, bringing light to the fact that there are differences that culturally exist between men and women, and it subtly challenges social stereotypes
• eye-catching graphic in centre of page - "man is creations masterpiece - but who says so? Man!"
• a deliberate and direct attack of patriarchal hegemony
• ironic mode of address
• MES of the males model's suit creates a binary opposition with the woman's fashionable dress drawing attention to and challenging the difference between men and women
• her power is anchored through the MES of the female model standing on the head of the male model, forming a proairetic code of power and domination
• her arm is on her hip, a powerful and even masculine pose that makes intertextual reference to hunting photographs, with the man taking the submissive role of a captured animal
• his submissive status is reinforced through his feminine pose, with the MES of his crossed legs and his annoyed facial expression constructing a humorous mode of address
• highly ironic mode of address is constructed, challenging the respective statuses of men and women
• the image has fetishist connotations which may be exciting for the adult female audience