Written by Dr Rosalind Gill, Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of a Sensibility is all about the notion of postfeminism that has become the importance in the lexicon of feminist cultural analysis. To this current day, there are still debates about what postfeminism is, it is used widely to signal a theoretical position, a type of feminism after a second wave, or a political state.
During this text I want to concentrate on the femininity as a bodily property because within the media culture it is seen to obsess with the body. It is defined femininity to be a bodily property, rather than a social structure or psychological one. In todays media it is seen for femininity to be a possession of a sexy body, instead of caring, nurturing or a motherhood role. As much as it may be wrong to view a women in this way, their identity is seen to be of a sexy body. They present the body as the females source of power, as well as constantly monitoring, disciplining and remodelling them, in order to create narrower judgements of a females attractiveness. Men are also evaluated to have a certain body type, muscular six-packs etc. but they don’t get pressured and looked upon as much as women do. However, they are both at risk of ‘failing’, which is meant by women to be the ‘perfect’ physique, to have curves or to be ‘too skinny’ is seen to be a failure from a sexy body. Where as, men are seen to have a muscular physique and to go to the gym etc. majority of the time. To not have muscles, to be skinny or overweight is seen to have failed. Personally this isn’t the right way to look at people, there’s far to much pressure of men and women to have the perfect body, which isn’t always healthy.
This pressure seems to effect models and celebrities the most. This is due to celebrities having to uphold their beauty, how people/fans see them, their public appearance and being role models to the audience. Models are similar, however they have to keep up this ‘sexy body’ physique to sell what the companies have employed them to sell. Companies don’t help this body situation by using females to sell to men, which also happens with using men to sell to women’s products. The media use their power and knowledge to look upon women and to publish articles saying how they are not seen to be ‘perfect’, how they have wrinkles seen. These wrinkles, laughter lines, are only natural developments of a persons body, that shouldn’t be scrutinised.
Sticking to the theme of women being represented in certain ways. Women are once seen to be a sex object and now desiring as a sexual subject, which occurs in the media. Once seen to be a mute object, which male gaze upon, no longer a straightforward objectified but now presented as a active, desirable sexual subject. Most may choose to present themselves in a objectified manner, which is seen in advertising to constructing a figure to sell young women, their power of using their body. Not only women but girls are also been invited to this idea of a ‘perfect body’ and the ideal of being a sexual subject.
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