Feminism, Femininity and Popular Culture - Essay Example

Popular Culture Popular culture, also termed as pop culture, is considered to be the far-flung ethnic component of the society that is carried out through the common language used by the people of the society. It is made up of the day-to-day actions, requirements and ethnic instants. All these things combine to make prevailing current of thought (Siapera & Hands, 2004). The thoughts consist of any kind of praxis ranging from cooking, dressing, expenditures, the surrounding environment and different aspects of amusement i.e., sports and creative writing. Pop culture is opposed by people who believe in rule by an elite group by saying that it is the ethnic of dominating societal entities. The word “popular” was used during the fifteenth century for jurisprudence and government making (Siapera & Hands, 2004). The word “popular” and “culture” refers to necessarily disputed ideas. There are several contending explanations of pop culture. Six explanations have been defined by John Storey, in "Cultural Theory and Popular Culture". Pop culture has been altering invariably and appears solely in a specific position and time. It figures out steady flow and swirls, and constitutes and assess the composite views that are reciprocal to each other and that determine the society (Siapera & Hands, 2004). Due to the enormous usage of TV and mass media, gender relations have become a wide area of importance to be studied. Studies on gender depiction have revealed that individuality of male and female authority has been changed due to advertisements, magazines, films, music, TV and news. Most of the studies show that the mass media has mainly affected women. In case of men media including ads, film and literature has affect on them (Hollows, 2000). MacDonald debated on Rosenberg and Whites book Mass Culture by saying that pop culture is mixed with impurities that nullify the strong realness such as gender realities, destruction, loss and disaster. He also debated on elementary self-generated joys. A large number of people have been demoralized by such kind of things. As a result they need small and pleasant ethnic wares. Van den Haag debated that all sort of communication media disaffect people through personal knowledge. While ideas being coming out of the beginning, increase the significance of keeping them apart them from one another. He further said that media decreases the public’s capability to explore the living (Pitts & Pitts-Taylors, 2003). A large number of companies emphasize women in their ads for popularity. These advertisements describe men and women in conventional fairness in a different manner. Women are shown engaged in a contest against men in games and winning and at last they affirm conventional family duties to be completed in effective way. Compensating the ability of instability in relations between man and woman is formulated in the intake of goods and individuals visual aspect. These conversions occur through characterized usage of goods, not through official or political policies (Hollows, 2000). The ads having women promoting the brands represents women as fabulous extra ordinary element of the society. They present women as completely persuaded and safe, balanced, lovely, stylish and elegant. Even though she is womanly but still she is free, victorious, free from social and traditional restrictions, advanced and expressing love. The influence of gender has lasted out to some extent. Women appear to take care of their survival and kinships through their commercial appearance. The desire of possession and grudge is engrafted in ads (Hollows, 2000). A self-made woman across the world is defined as the one that is separated from governmental and economical policies functioning at household position. While talking about women at international conventional society level, her position is controlled by two bonds. These bonds are the parental orientation and upcoming differences. For example in the present day Indian society, rising inequalities between man and woman are being mixed up the older ones. The media promotes nothing about this point (Johansson, 2007). Presence of woman in TV ads and other TV shows not only convey their point of view effectively but also provide a procedure for achieving their aims. When women act as an intermediate, they are supposed to be staring by men. The exact visual appearance of females may be interpreted as professional by the viewers, causing her a symbol of grudge for others (Johansson, 2007). For example when a female model advertising jeans by saying “the dress that fits everyone”. It will obsess any man watching this ad and he desire it was for him. Mass media usually reflect publicity of ones own self. The representation of woman has been changed internationally with the promotion of beauty contests. The reasoning of staring of male involves indulgence of mass media (Johansson, 2007). Every society contains its own traditional knowledge (folk culture), dialects, traditions, conventional recitations and traditional knowledge obtained from practical. This is what is called as ethnic practical judgment by Gramsci. It is apparent that picture of male and female modified character portrayed before public is the all because of media. Another concept derived from the fact of imagining the women in the society. Women are more criticized as compared to their male partners. Due to this, a great stress is laid on their assessment. It is considered that women face more problems regarding sexuality due to their representation of a figure in the mass media. Naturally, the concept of true love is stronger than the images shown on TV screen. However, it is quite difficult for most of the women to act on this doctrine, and it affects them how they continue their personal life relationships (Roman, 2007). The conventional image of women managing house hold responsibilities has been replaced by women having high authority and power appearing on TV screens and magazine covers. I the mean time male image have been portrayed as holding sheer stamina, obstinate personal independence, feelings and difficulties and problems of male. The alternate thoughts have made space for variety of individual characteristics (Roman, 2007). People don’t follow the entire message being conveyed through ads because the characters used are not genuine. Many people understand that everything is not real that is being showed. As women are becoming more and more self- assertive and productive, male consider them in danger. Women are getting success in all fields of life hence it is said that men are worried about their positions. According to a survey conducted by a men magazine, it was found that men are trying to find their status and position in the world (Roman, 2007). These magazines are always trying to make men worry about treating women, to maintain good relationship with them and enjoy prosperous life. These kinds of magazines possess a preoccupied relation with the society of male. Magazines depict the maleness in such a way that men want style of living, health and good relationships with their female partners (Tracey, 1999). Such kind of magazines and other writings have proved that men have been in problem with the increasing women participating in the equivalent fields. Despite female are now being involved in all kinds of works and jobs, men stay away from the work they is considered to be done by women. Modern ads represent a typical male image that helps them promoting their physical power, supremacy and emotional involvement and to put down their feelings of opposition against women (Tracey, 1999). Media has affected notions and conducts of spectators. Violence and gender discrimination on media has been point of interest of many researchers. One of the major evolutions of pop culture is the appearance of women as individuals with authority and power. Women magazines are revealing their women should what they want to do and should be bold and aphrodisiacal as much as possible. On the other hand films and movies are introducing some confident, physically strong, wise and leading female characters. Female singers sing for their finical support and being independent from me. In short they don’t need men anymore for anything. Women consider themselves as successful in the pop culture. Angela McRobbie says about women liberty in pop culture that the version of women liberty is a substantial entity in pop culture. It is just like modifying a song to make remix having stimulating sensations and removing the originals. The moral force driving the generation hostility has been neglected by supporters of feminism (Tracey, 1999). Women are easily convinced by what is old in the media; they feel desirous to adopt those things. When the media shows images of slim and smart women, majority of the women feel derogated and feel discomfort. Apparently media is featuring all aspects of life of women. If a woman starts feeling dejected because of the media then it immensely affects her social life, family terms, sexual relationships and other moral values (Illouz, 2003). The evolution of pop culture through the novel concept is the victory of pop music and the diverse nature of TV. They produced the impression of culture that are used for authorization and appraisal of oneself. Hence the output of this whole process is the isolation from the factors like morality and sociality. It can be narrated as victory of temperament over morality. Therefore, Americanization is basically a commitment of persons that they will not leave their conventional cultural regulations (Illouz, 2003). Many people accept that there are some ads showing positive attitude about women. They consider women as highly competent, skillful and experienced performing their jobs gracefully. Families in the present age have focused children in their daily life. For example if family wish to purchase a car, the decision is based on preferences of the children. This is the reason why mass culture is promoting children in their programs and shows. A law called the Childrens Television Act was passed in 1990 (Siapera & Hands, 2004). According to this act all TV channels have to restrict their ads during transmission of children programs. Moreover, they are expected to fulfill the educational requirements by broadcasting relevant programs. There are conflicts regarding this matter as many TV shows render educational material in an informal manner. TV channels showing children programs leave a moral message at the end of the show (Siapera & Hands, 2004). Some social scientists have pin-pointed the application of pop culture inside the pop culture as a remarkable development. they discovered this while talking about the growing interlinking feature of pop culture particularly mixing complete dispersion of origins. Formal and ethnic evaluators have defined this development as generally approved but motley idea of relating one text with another (Roman, 2007). Constant decrease in the requirements of understanding culture affirms that users of mass culture lack enough will. Pop music is quite useful in inserting itself into the listener. The prominent attributes generated by music to invoke thinking is done through summoning or by causing a sense of freeness, where both have to unite together under useful circumstances. People who listen to pop music do not have to make their aesthetic sense of hearing to get through the involvement process. As compared to other forms of pop culture including films, there is no need of persistent movement of pictures (Illouz, 2003). Another explanation equalizes pop culture with civilization of media as visible in commercialism, bulk output and bulk intake. According to UK standpoint it can also be equalized with American Culture. Another explanation suggests that it can also be delimited by reliable civilization of the people. But different interpretations can make it debatable. According to modern Gramscian possibility of political system it is considered that it is a place of energetic attempt between opposition dependent collections of the society and the personnel of internationalization who work for prevailing entities of the society (Roman, 2007). Researchers have stated that it as pointing towards oneself that manifest ongoing impact of pop culture into each domain of corporate knowledge. In place of citing to the real life, most of the end product of mass media is dedication of relating to other visualizations and recitals. Most of the ethnic evaluators have rejected this as it is just an indication of large scale movement advocating greater protection of the interests of consumers. Nevertheless other justifications and reviews have also been proposed. One review affirms that it manifests primal contradiction; growth in technical and uplifting ethnic enlightenment with the grouping of shallowness and act of degrading people. It is found that pop culture has its oppressive effects on both man and woman. It is absurd to endeavor what the pop culture is trying to figure out. They don’t have to feel superior by seeing what is being shown on TV and ads or written in magazines. Women need to understand the fact that no two women are alike, and those appearing on TV screens are apparently perfect. To achieve 100% flawlessness personality is quite difficult. This is not to be advised that pop culture has no consequences on how we think, perceive things and behave that we live in isolated from whatever we watch or listen on TV. The interaction between pop culture and viewers is quite complicated than the evaluators express is to be. References: Works Cited: Hollows, J. 2000. Feminism, Femininity and Popular Culture. Manchester University Press. Illouz, E. 2003. Oprah Winfrey and the Glamour of Misery: An Essay on Popular Culture. Columbia University Press. Johansson, T. 2007. The Transformation of Sexuality: Gender and Identity in Contemporary Youth Culture. Ashgate Publishing. Pitts, V. & Pitts-Taylor, V. 2003. In the Flesh: The Cultural Politics of Body Modification. Palgrave Macmillan. Roman, D. 2007. Fragmented Identities: Popular Culture, Sex, and Everyday Life. Lexington Books. Siapera, E & Hands, J. 2004. At the Interface: Continuity and Transformation in Culture and Politics. Rodopi. Tracey, K. 1999. Plots and Proposals: American Womens Fiction, 1850-90. University of Illinois Press. Read More