Representation of gender in formation

1. LAST LESSON RECAP

2. 1. Do you think the Formation music video seeks to offer representations of feminist ideology? use examples
from the video to support your points
2. To what extent does the music video challenge sexist/patriarchal oppression?
3. Has the feminist interpretation in Formation been overemphasised or misinterpreted in the video? Is the
video perhaps less concerned about portraying a specific feminist stance and more about Beyoncé's wider
concerns around racism and police brutality in modern day America?
4. How has Beyoncé been represented throughout the music video?
- describe her onscreen persona (which characteristics/personal attributes does she seem to posses e.g.
strong powerful woman? A leader? A 'star' etc, Beyoncé have a consistent representation or multiple
representations throughout the video? Why do you think this is? How has Beyoncé's representation been
constructed?( consider dress, hair/make up/camera shots and any significant lyrics that help to construct her
star image).
5. Does the physical representation of Beyonce reinforce and possibly condone the objectification of women?
6. Is Beyoncé exploiting the pain of New Orleans people for her own financial gain?
7. Is Beyoncé adopting feminism as a lifestyle choice to sell music or has she made a political commitment to
feminism?
8. As bell hooks suggests, is Beyoncé less of a feminist because she wears revealing clothes and uses her body
and sexual appeal to sell music?
9. Are the political messages less valid or questionable because they are packaged in a music video, which is
KEY QUESTIONS

3. D AV I D G A U N T L E T T
IDENTITY THEORY

4. IDENTITY THEORY – DAVID
GAUNTLETT
• Audiences shape their own identities
through the media products they
consume or in the case of social media,
create.
• Past media products offered straight
forward representations.
• Modern media texts tend to offer diverse
more complex representations e.g.
gender often represented as non binary
and more fluid.

5. APPLYING THE THEORY

6. HOW IS GENDER REPRESENTED IN
FORMATION?

7. REPRESENTATIONS OF GENDER
• Mind-map the different representations of gender we see in Formation.
Consider representations terminology:
– Stereotype
– Countertype
– Cultural stereotyping
– Marginalization
– Realism / Myth
• Does Formation support or challenge Gauntlett’s Identity Theory?
The idea that whilst in the past the
media tended to convey singular,
straightforward
messages about ideal types of male and
female identities, the media today offer
us amore diverse range of stars, icons
and characters from whom we may pick
and mix different ideas.

8. REPRESENTATION OF GENDER
• Take some screenshots that portray gender representation in the formation
video. Explain in detail how the representation is constructed. Refer to the
following:
• Camera shot/angle/movement
• Editing
• Costume/ props
• Body language
• Setting/location

9. REPRESENTATIONS OF GENDER
Develop your notes:
1. Analyse the gender ideologies evident in the lyrics of
Formation. What message is provided for the female
audience?
2. How does the representation of Beyoncé differ from other
female music artists?

10. HOMEWORK QUESTION
Compare the representations of gender in Beyonce’s
Formation and Lady Gaga ft Beyonce’s Telephone music
video.
• (Refer to bell hooks feminism theory and David Gauntlett’s Identity theory where
relevant in your response)