Analyzing Feminism in Pop Culture - Essay Example

Analyzing Third-Wave Feminism in Pop Culture From the earliest of times, females have been ed to oppression, gender-based inequality, indifferent behaviors, and of course sexualization. For centuries, women are trying to free themselves from the stereotypical images and to achieve an equality-based footing in society. The first and second waves of feminism are two prominent theories that originated to claim their rightful standing, but somehow could not encircle the very essence of womanhood. In the latter part of twentieth century, women witnessed another blow of oppression through the sex-display genre. Women were projected as mere puppets, and men became all the more chauvinist and domineering. Thus, a need for Third-wave feminism arose, which could deal with the changing norms of objectification. The third-wave feminism provided a strong base that not only transferred the improper objectification in the favor of women, but also upheld womanhood irrespective of race, color, ethnicity and sexual-orientation. Literature and media gained influence from Third-wave and hence, a new-age approach towards feminism developed. This paper is an attempt to identify the core beliefs of new form of feminism, and will analyze its representation in media through a movie that follows similar lines. For this paper, acclaimed director Zack Snyder's year 2011 movie Sucker Punch has been selected to be reviewed, which comprehensively displays post-feminist discourse and entails a convincing portrayal of third-wave feminism in popular culture forms. Understanding Third-Wave Feminism: Feminism in contemporary era has evolved into a modernized (I-e well-acquainted with the current scenarios) avatar known as the post-feminist approach. According to Judith Butler, the very essence of third-wave feminism implies that “challenging gender roles alone will be inadequate to effect social change. The new goal for feminist and sexuality movements should be to defy the faith in the existence of an innate sexuality and natural sex categories” (Hull 54). The theory entails that women do not need to fight for gaining self-identity, or long to change the sex-based symbolism in a male-oriented society. Instead, it suggests that women should acknowledge their womanhood and use it to empower themselves; instead of despising being a female, they have to use their femininity for achieving the maximum benefits. Constructivism rules this new doctrine. According to Leslie Heywood and Jennifer Drake “contradiction marks the strategies and desires of third-wave feminists” (Zeisler 116). Empowerment is the best word that can describe the approach of this barely structured but extremely powerful theory of feminism in the present age. It cleverly switches gear and transforms significant norms that targeted women before into a tool for them. That is because stereotypical concepts and images that were termed as embodying womanhood, actually were a product of male preferences. The discrimination based on color, physique and race, and “mirroring the erasure of black womanhood from pop culture” emerged because they preferred white women (Hooks 264). Sex-display genre, which included pornographic images, restrictive attires like corsets, performances like erotic dances, and strip-tease, etc., developed to further objectify women and they became entities of gaining pleasure only (Nally 621). Third-wave feminism re-applied these self-induced norms from a female-benefiting perspective. The take of contemporary females of pop culture, and eminent third-wave activists on the genre of sex-display has been an ironic one, and as per Judith Butler’s queer theory, it is also comical. A culture of giving men what they want to see but at the same time being in control and making fun of male preferences started off convincingly with Madonna, and has come of age now with the likes of Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani and Kei$ha (Halberstam 8). Rachel Shteir describes that today “performing retro striptease is a way to wrest the art of stripping from the world of pornographers. It is a political reaction to twenty-first century reform forces seeking to foil female sexual expression" (Nully 635). Masculinity, which was a male-oriented trait, was suddenly transformed into Female Masculinity. Judith Halberstam explains that ‘it coincides with the excesses of male supremacy, codifies a unique form of social rebellion; it is the sign of sexual alterity, marks heterosexual variation and the place of pathology, and represents the healthful alternative to the histrionics of conventional femininities” (9). Now women are aware of the powers they possess, has acknowledged their sexuality and the edge they have on men even without possessing physically strong personalities. They know that they can lure and even exploit men through utilizing their desirability, looked-at-ness, and look-but-don’t-touch attitude and turn circumstances into their favor. Sucker Punch as a feminist movie: Hollows and Moseley believe that “most people’s knowledge and understanding of feminism have been formed within the popular culture and through representation” (2). Sucker Punch is one such American movie of the action-fantasy genre in which Snyder presented the evolution of femininity. It represented the true picture of how women had been objectified, stereotyped and suppressed in the last century, and displayed significant aspects of third-wave feminism. Andrew Walsh in his review proclaims that “What’s interesting about the film is its iconography, which it uses to comment on female empowerment” (Walsh). Sex-display used as a tool by women: Shugart and Waggoner described that in the new form of feminism “female sexuality, typically defined in terms of its desirability for and accessibility to men, operates according to a different logic here” (116). Raunch culture is an important element of third-wave feminism. It does not support the prevalence of this culture; however, it has developed an ideology and strategy of accept, acknowledge, and utilize that works in the favor of women. Ariel Levy asserts that “this new raunch culture didn’t mark the death of feminism; it was evidence that the feminist project has already been achieved" (3). The movie Sucker Punch draws inspiration from this aspect of third-wave, and as the story revolves, audiences are introduced to this re-invented take on raunch culture. The protagonist Baby Doll (Emily Browning) is a girl repressed by several males, and is forcefully sent to the house for mentally insane I-e The Lennox by her step father, so that he could claim all the wealth left by her dead mother. The greedy father manages to enlist her as the top-most candidate for Lobotomy, which paves the way for a fight for survival. To escape the mental house Baby Doll requires some hidden items that can only be stolen if the males of the house are kept busy. Thus, Baby Doll uses her sexual powers to overcome the villains and does an erotic dance which hypnotizes them. David McMillin in his review explained that “ every time she performs, Babydoll imagines herself battling demonic samurai warriors, massive fire-breathing dragons, zombie Nazis, and…of course…robots” (McMillin). That is because according to third wave feminism, a woman’s sexuality does not make her weak, but it is her utmost strength that can make men kneel before them. The dance of Baby Doll has been criticized as sexualization, but actually, it is a portrayal of the powers and prowess of her brain, depicting that women have an edge over males when it comes to intellect and mindfulness. Women have been subjected to such situations, in reality, and this movie illustrates just that. It proves that women can be sexually desirable and also resilient at the same time. Critics claim that this movie only displays scantily dressed women luring men with their body movements; however, the fact is that there is no such exposure or depiction of erotic dancing involved. Luna Lindsay writes that “When Baby Doll dances to distract her captors; we never get to see her moves. She dissociates from a distasteful, unpleasant use of her body, the way many victims of sexual assault do to survive the physical and emotional pain” (Lindsay). The form of sex-display has been employed from a completely different angle in the movie, which is along the lines of third-wave. It depicts that erotic dancing, striptease, and even raunch culture is not the acceptance of stereotypes, but actually, an acknowledgement of the power of female sexuality; the power that can dominate men without using any weapon or tool. Gaze empowerment in Sucker Punch: Gaze empowerment is a prominent point in the theory of third-wave feminism, which is propagated to fight the prevalence of color and appearance based discrimination encouraged by male-gaze for decades. This discrimination is based on male preferences, I-e whiteness and blondeness, and has been depicted in the movie through the protagonist Baby Doll. Third-wave feminism involves a universal approach towards empowerment of women where they are not degraded based on their ethnicity, race, color, and social background. Gaze, in the context of third-wave feminism, is a two-fold approach; and both aspects have been showcased brilliantly in the movie. Firstly, the notion that men prefer blondes, and objectify women on the basis of color, and sex-appeal or desirability is shown. The appearance and dressing of the protagonist Baby Doll, who is dressed like a school girl with shiny blonde hair and slim-trim figure, depicts that this is the way male want women to look. In other words, this is how looked-at-ness is achieved in the current social scenario. Shugart and Waggoner explained the crux of third-wave that this kind of subjugation is not in the best interest of feminism since it reduces women to “excessive visual display of consumption as a sexual commodity” (18). The way only Baby Doll, who is a blonde, has the power to influence men, and all the other girls from diverse ethnic origins die is in itself a depiction that discrimination against color and caste prevail. However, Snyder camouflaged the erotic dance scenes with fantasy situations, which shows that it is just the society's misconception, reality is completely different. Luna Lindsay explains, “Perhaps, like Baby Doll, society itself likes to dissociate, fantasizing of a world in which women are happy with their lot, where females are really powerful, and where rape doesn't exist or doesn't hurt anyone” (Lindsay). Similarly, gaze empowerment has been showcased through the erotic dance which Baby Doll utilizes effectively to mesmerize males to perform the task she wants to. The movie scores points in favor of feminism since it depicts the ongoing norms of society but never “shows” any female character getting sexually exploited. Victoria Hungerford explains: “they are not objectified, and they are not gazed at through a sexualized lens. This is where the film is brilliant because it is critiquing the very fantasy levels of nerd-boys. Snyder refuses to allow for that form of objectification” (Hungerford). No female wants to be sexually exploited, or discriminated and objectified, however, given the present circumstances, using it in their best interest is the only possible way to protect their sanctity and sanity forms the core idea behind this movie. Depiction of weaker males and overpowering women: Ava Adore defines the movie as a feminist one since “the heroines are driving the action, not a romantic support nor a sidekick in some male hero’s quest. It’s their quest. Their story, your story” (Adore). This is among the high points of Sucker Punch that every male character looks weird, and appears weak before women. “Except for "Wise Man," there are only skeevy male characters in Sucker Punch. Be it an obese cook, a twisted evil stepfather, the lobotomizing doctor/high roller, Blue Jones or the grotesque greasy-haired lecherous mayor; every male figure is an extreme obvious creep” (Campbell). Men are shown hypocrites who molest innocent women, and pretend as if they are allowing them to rule the world. Blue is shown as the leading controller of the girls in asylum, and often refers to them as his possession or toys, which naturally refer to the objectification of women. “It’s come to our attention that a few bad eggs… are plotting against me. Me! Your friend! Your protector! Your employer! Plotting to take from me my most precious possessions" (Adore). However, Blue is not all powerful too but is heavily influenced by Vera Gorski, or Dr. Gorski in the movie. On the other hand, girls are dressed as warriors in Baby Doll’s fantasy sequences, and this depicts the element of female masculinity that signifies the post-feminist theory. The fact that there is no single male character who helps Baby Doll escape or shows sympathy (not even John Hamm) depicts the dark side of male-oriented society. Similarly, there is no emotional or romantic plot involved in the movie and the focus is on showcasing the plight of women. It covers various periods and manners of subjugation and oppression convincingly. Scott Beggs writes, “every other male character, including Blue, is depicted in the worst way possible. Greedy, overbearing, rape-centric, domineering, sweaty, greasy, and vile. If the argument is that this movie is anti-feminist, it’s definitely not doing guys any favors either” (Beggs). United they stand: Third-wave and the new form of feminist approach impose great emphasis on endorsing a universal approach towards womanhood, where every female is deemed significant, adorable, and especial. Sucker Punch shows just that. In this movie, girl power rules the world both in fantasy and reality. There are no “prissy little women” craving for some knight in shining armor or hyper-sensitive “girly-girls” which Ariel Levy described as the commonly observed male perceptions about women (4). There is a very strong bond that is very much evident between the female characters, and although they are from diverse backgrounds, no rivalry or jealousy is shown at any point. The director has chosen Baby Doll’s fantasies as a manner of tackling and destroying male objectification and domination. According to reviewer Andrew Walsh “these dream sequences are filled with Freudian male imagery (swords, guns, trains, etc.) which the heroines interchangeably use and destroy" (Walsh). Apart from fantasies, Baby Doll gets to beat men in reality as well in the climax of this movie, which completely rejects the notion that girls can only fantasize about gaining absolute power, and cannot achieve it in real life. Furthermore, Dr. Gorski is also a power figure who cares about the girls too. She knows that girls cannot get out of the asylum, which is a symbolic depiction of social confinement women experience by chauvinist males, and tells Blue that she wants to “teach them to survive you” (Adore). In the end, Baby Doll sacrifices her freedom and lets Sweet Pea escape, which depicts that no negativity exists between females it is just a product of male mentality. Conclusion: A thorough analysis from various aspects reveals that Sucker Punch is definitely a movie that promotes liberation of women and supports the new form of feminism, I-e Third-wave. It is important to recognize the spirit behind this movement, which is that analyzing and judging females on face value and never truly understanding what they really want from within is a practice that must stop now. Current norm of pop culture is the feminine take on the forcefully inflicted objectivity and sexualization. They present themselves as weird to make fun of the looked-at-ness that men love so much in certain category of women. It is about time that females are acknowledged as a human not just an object for attaining personal pleasure, and this is also the central theme of the movie Sucker Punch. Works Cited Adore, Ava. "A (Feminist) Defense of Sucker Punch." Ava Adore. N.p., 30 Mar 2011. Web. 24 Apr 2013. . Beggs, Scott. "Empowerment and Exploitation of ‘Sucker Punch’ Are in the Gaze of the Beholder." Film School Rejects. N.p., 27 Mar 2011. Web. 24 Apr 2013. . Campbell, Christopher. ""Sucker Punch" Sexism: How Men are Co-Opting the Feminism Debate." Spout. N.p., 28 Mar 2011. Web. 24 Apr 2013. . Halberstam, Judith, J. Gaga Feminism: Sex, Gender, and the End of Norma. Beacon Press, 2012. 1-10. Print. Halberstam, Judith. Female masculinity. 5th. Duke University Press, 1998. 5-10. Print. Hollows, Joanne, and Rachel Moseley. Feminism in Popular Culture. Berg, 2006. 1-5. Print. Hooks, Bell. 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Zeisler, Andi. Feminism and Pop Culture: Seal Studies. Seal Press, 2008. 113-116. Print. Read More