Characteristics of Post-Feminism
In early 1980s, the media
has begun to classify women in their teens and women in their twenties as
“post-feminist generation”. After twenty years, the term post-feminist is still
used to refer to young women.
Post-feminism is a highly
debated topic since it implies that “post” refers “dead” or “after” feminism.
Post feminism celebrates sexuality and fueled by advances in abortion,
employment and fertility laws and concentrates on furthering the idea of
empowerment, celebration of feminists, freedom of choice and liberation.
Women in visual media
Advertisements in both
print and audio-visual media reach all types of people. For advertisements,
very attractive women and teenage girls are mostly used to promote the product
through their acting skills.
Advertisements in the
1980s have portrayed a woman as a homemaker serving her husband and children at
home.
Later in the 1990s, even
though they have portrayed perfect and complete man, women are showed as a sex
pictogram. The women have been shown as sexy, insensitive and hormone-driven
female chauvinists. There have been many new advertisements being launched
every month but the concept and idea have been often new when compared with the
old ones.
The present concepts in
advertisements avoid the stereotyping approach. While they portray an
independent woman who is successful in her career, which inspires and motivates
the young girls and registers a positive note in their minds to no longer spend
time on useless activities.
Advertisements are made in
a very attractive manner that they appeal to both men and women regardless of
their age. Advertisements are often made to celebrate what is happening in the
society. Events like International Women`s Day reach a wider audience by
commercials which promote consumer items through the concepts based on
liberated career-driven women. Most of the advertisements are based on the
present scenario. To create the catchy advertisements, there are many private
media companies running day and night all over the globe. They come up with apt
concepts which are suitable for the target audience based on the products that
they are going to sell. In this way, media helps a lot in keeping people aware
of the feministic views.
Post-feminist views in media (Internationally)
The term ‘Post-feminist’ with regards to poetry has been, for the first
time, used by Carol Rumens in her anthology titled Making for the Open: The
Chatto Books of Post-feminist Poetry. Rumens have clarified the use of the term
‘Post-feminist’ in her introduction to the anthology. As a post-feminist
supporter, she has applied the concept in the fields of media sector like print
and visual media. It has reached earliest in England, Germany, the United
States and other countries. The post-feminist ‘equality portrayals’ of women
are visible in cinema, electronic and mass media advertisements and also in
literature in the form of avoidance from depicting a young woman as passive,
inferior, weaker and subordinate to a man. The impact of ‘the girl poser’ has
been recognized, and women are represented as more assertive. Self-assured and
confident women are shown as having equal footing with men. Even if some
portrayals appear sexist, women are not shown as ‘victims’. The new women
proclaim their womanhood in a bold manner.
Post-feminism has started
in the media field in the year 1982. The feminist critics have explored the
concept through media. It has shown those traditional felinities which are not
allowable through feminism. These include an unabashed return to men, a
spotlight on consumerism, reconsideration of motherhood and attempts at home
life. The individualism, domesticity and consumerism are presented through
powerful TV shows and films like Bridget Jones Diary. One of the modern novels
(which also has its film version) concerned with feminist criticism is Bridget
Jones`s Diary by Helen Fielding which portrays society`s views of single women
in contemporary societies. The protagonist of the novel is a strong and
independent person and her worries are that she does not want to arrive finally
living alone without the support of man when she grows older.
Post Feminism and Advertising
the ideology of post-feminism as portrayed by
visual media in India: Upon watching the advertisements which are always shown
on TV and other forms of visual media seven advertisements which permeated the
ideology of post-feminism are selected as examples. They are: Forest Essentials
Ayurvedic Cream, Wedding Jewellery by TBZ Garlands, Dabur Vatika Hair Oil, Titan
Ranga: “Woman of Today”, Havells’ Coffee Maker, Havells’ Fans and Femina
Avoiding Stereotypes
Avoiding stereotypes is an
important feature of advertisements which carry the hallmark of post-feminism.
For instance, in the advertisement ‘Wedding Jewellery’ by TBZ Garlands, the
model Katrina Kaif talks about the concept of the right time for marriage
denying the old school thoughts which condition women to stay at home after
marriage. The commercial gives awareness to women and makes them catch hold of
the post-feminist concept through its strong female character.
Another advertisement by Home Appliances has ideas as endless as their
gadgets. The commercial depicts the Indian customary scene of seeing a bride
where the mother of the boy laments that her darling son seeking a wife suffers
so much in his bachelor life abroad and has to step out even for a cup of
coffee. The defiant girl firmly places her coffee-maker before the startled
boy, saying “Take this one and settle down, no travel authorization problem
either”, as she wants only to be a wife, not a kitchen appliance. This
advertisement stands against the stereotyping concept which has been there for
ages that emphasizes women’s space in the kitchen. For breaking the stereotype
mindset, this advertisement has earned the glorious Cannes award
.
Femina, the advertisement
of the brand, opens the scene when a traditionally dressed girl with all her
jewels and an expensive silk saree approaches directly facing the audience.
Then the camera starts to pan around the house which she has just entered and
it lets us know that there is a marriage function happening there. On her way
to a room she casually looks at a middle-aged man’s photograph and closes her
eyes suggesting that she is looking for his blessings. Finally she enters a
room and there is a middle-aged woman in her bride costume looking at the
window sadly. The table turns out when the girl calls the middle-aged woman
‘Ma’, it enable the audience understand that it’s the second marriage of the
middle-aged woman, and the person in the picture is her ex-husband. The concept
totally breaks all the stereotypes rooted in tradition which makes a woman’s
life empty after her husband’s death.
Dabur Vatika hair oil
advertisement tells us the tale of a woman who has survived cancer and lost her
hair due to medication. Even though she looks tonsured, her family and
colleagues are very happy with her real beauty. She gets comfortable with the
society, and the advertisement demolishes the stereotypical idea of beauty.
Support for Female
Characters
Most of the advertisements
are made with female actors. It gives the clue that the post- feministic
ideologies play a vital role in the marketing industry. An Ayurveda cream
advertisement titled “Warrior Princess” directed by Carole Dennis tells us the
story of the transformation of a warrior maiden sent to battle. Cream is rubbed
on her forehead before she mounts a horse, sheathes a small sword and rides off
with a small group. It shows female courage and enthusiasm to the audience.
Individualism
The main goal of
post-feminism is a woman’s individualism. Mc Robbie introduces a new `female
individualism’ which dismisses the ‘old’ feminism. Feminism itself is seen to
belong to the past which characterizes the post-feminist woman of popular
culture in individualism, sophistication and choice. The advertisement ‘Woman
of Today’ featuring the Bollywood actresses Nimarat Kaur, made by the company
Titan to sell their wrist watches, tells the audience that a woman has every
right to make the choices of her own. It also has the tagline `Her Life Her
Choices’.
Womens’ Identity
Mostly, the female actors
from the film industry are used in the advertisements to showcase the women’s
identity in the society, since the target audience of these commercials is
women. It portrays every individual woman from different fields of the
workplace, for example, IT professionals, students, home makers and so on. An
advertisement for ceiling fans from Havells had been launched in the year
2013.The concept of the ad was to avoid patriarchy, and it also shares a
socially relevant view on changing one’s name after marriage. In the
commercial, a couple goes to an office for registration. At that time the
husband decides to take his wife`s last name after their marriage, and it shows
the female registrar surprised and satisfied. The couple from the ad has given
a simple and yet never noticed lesson to the society. The Indian advertisements
of the recent times give a lot of importance to womens identity when compared
with the old ones.
Impact of Advertisement on Society
Advertisement is a medium
of communication to send product related messages to customers along with
various features of the products advertised. Each advertisement sells a product
with a concept and a trending topic. At present advertisement companies have
become a critical component for the overall advertising market.
Social networking sites
like Facebook and Twitter are also becoming a powerful platform for
advertisements to reach a wider audience. Through media, the message about the
product can be heard within minutes. While the viewer’s watch the advertisement,
the message gets into their minds and its impact reflects on the society.
In the 21st century, media
has reached a cutting edge development in terms of technology and reaches all
over the world . visual media is very effective and memorable owing to the use
of characters and concepts which can occupy the minds of the audience for a
very long time. While the viewers watch the advertisements, the particular
products will get fixed in their minds. This is the method how the products and
the concept are gain the viewers’ belief and trust.
Thus we see that post feminism
ideology is available in Indian advertisements, and they tend to change
people’s mindset with every new advertisement launch in the popular visual
media.
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