13.4 Feminist and queer media criticism

Feminist and queer media criticism examines how media portrays gender, sexuality, and power. It challenges sexist ideologies and advocates for diverse representations of women and marginalized genders. This approach scrutinizes assumptions about gender and sexuality in media.

Queer critical lenses question heteronormativity and explore LGBTQ+ representations. They challenge binary notions of gender and sexuality. These critiques assess media's impact on society and push for more inclusive storytelling and industry practices.

Feminist and Queer Media Criticism

Principles of feminist media criticism

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• Examines media representations of gender, sexuality, and power dynamics scrutinizes how media portrays and perpetuates gender roles, sexual norms, and hierarchies
• Challenges sexist, misogynistic, and patriarchal ideologies in media exposes and critiques media content that demeans, objectifies, or marginalizes women and feminine identities
• Advocates for diverse and empowering representations of women and marginalized genders pushes for media that showcases the complexity, agency, and diversity of women's experiences (Bechdel Test, inclusion riders)

Application of queer critical lenses

• Analyzes media through a lens that questions heteronormativity and cisnormativity interrogates how media assumes and privileges heterosexual and cisgender identities as the default or norm (compulsory heterosexuality, gender binary)
• Explores representations of LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and issues in media examines how media includes, excludes, or stereotypes queer and transgender characters and storylines (queer coding, trans visibility)
• Challenges binary and essentialist notions of gender and sexuality rejects the idea that gender and sexual identities are fixed, natural, or limited to two distinct categories (gender fluidity, non-binary identities)

Effectiveness of media criticism

• Assess the impact of feminist and queer media criticism on media industries and practices
  1. Consider how criticism has led to changes in representation, hiring practices, and storytelling media companies responding to critiques by diversifying casts, crews, and narratives (inclusion riders, sensitivity readers)
  2. Recognize the role of activism and public discourse in holding media accountable social media campaigns, boycotts, and open letters pressuring media to address problematic content (#OscarsSoWhite, #MeToo)
• Examine the limitations and challenges of media criticism in effecting change
  1. Acknowledge the persistence of problematic representations and the need for ongoing criticism entrenched biases and power structures that resist change (male gaze, whitewashing)
  2. Consider the influence of market forces, audience reception, and other factors on media production tension between commercial imperatives and social responsibility (box office success, ratings)
• Evaluate the potential of media criticism to foster critical thinking and social awareness
  1. Assess how criticism can encourage audiences to question and resist dominant ideologies media literacy skills to analyze and challenge media messages (decoding, oppositional reading)
  2. Consider the role of media literacy education in promoting critical consumption and civic engagement integrating media criticism into school curricula and public discourse (media studies, media activism)

Media's role in gender norms

• Participate in dialogues about the impact of media representations on individual and collective identities
  • Share personal experiences and perspectives on how media has influenced your understanding of gender reflecting on how media shapes self-perception, relationships, and aspirations (body image, romantic scripts)
  • Listen to and learn from diverse voices and experiences, particularly those of marginalized communities centering the insights and critiques of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color (intersectionality, standpoint theory)
• Analyze how media contributes to the construction and maintenance of gender norms and expectations
  • Examine the ways in which media naturalizes and reinforces binary gender roles and expressions depicting men as strong, aggressive, and dominant; women as passive, nurturing, and submissive (action heroes, Disney princesses)
  • Consider how media representations intersect with other systems of power and oppression gender stereotypes that are racialized, classed, and heteronormative (angry Black woman, effeminate gay man)
• Explore the potential of media to challenge and subvert dominant gender norms and ideologies
  • Identify and celebrate examples of media that offer diverse, inclusive, and transformative representations characters and stories that defy gender stereotypes and embrace fluidity (Pose, Steven Universe)
  • Discuss the role of alternative and independent media in providing counter-narratives and perspectives media created by and for marginalized communities that challenge mainstream representations (queer cinema, feminist podcasts)