Gender Representation

Feminsm - Equal opportunities for women.

Post-Feminsm - Feminism has now been achieved. Women want to surpass men. Women are adopting "the female gaze" (Women purposely dress themselves erotically for men to stare at them.)

Textual Analysis of Britney Spears - "Toxic" music video relating it to feminist/post-feminist themes.



Feminist

- Confirms female styles.
- Capitalises on her sexuality to "cash in".
- Provacative - inappropriate for young audiences.
- "Chameleon effect": She has to use her image rather than her talent.
- Aggressively shoves the man into the bathroom and starts making out with him. He looks fairly ordinary, he's the not the most attractive man. This probably suggests that Britney will do anything to get her music out.
- There is strong media demand for Female pop stars to look as sexual as ever.
- This may reveal Britney's low self esteem (Bowing down to peer pressure) which in turn embaresses and demeans herself for money.
- Sex sells. The industry has won, Britney can't convey her own image and be individual.
- The Female Gaze: There are half naked men in the video. The video isn't just for men to stare at Britne.

Post-Feminism

- Dressed as conventional womenss work clothes (The Air Hostess). This subverts the stereotype of conventional air hostess; i.e. Air hostess are supposed to be polite and do welcoming and appropriate. Britney however is dress more provacatively (Mini Skirt, clevage showing, rubbing the man's crotch area)
- Aggressively shoves the man into the bathroom and starts making out with him. He looks fairly ordinary, he's the not the most attractive man. She then takes off his mask to reveal a more attractive man. This probably suggests that this music video isn't just for men to stare at Britney; it incorporates the female gaze and allows women to stare at the attractive men in the video (the guy on the bike).
- Has a sparkling naked costume in one of the scenes. Contrasts with other scenes. She looks more vunerable in this clip. Maybe she showing a side of her which is a conventional female image.
- She has several differenct costume changes in this music video. One recognisable one to note would be the one where hair is red and she is wearing a tight leather suit. One could compare to either Catwomen, independant, powerful superheroine or a Dominatrix, a dominant, strong, merciless women who gets what she wants. Again relating to her being in control of the men instead of the other way around.
- As she dances in this costume, the effect of fire is placed around her. This fire is metaphor for her personality, that she is sexy and hot. The fire connotes passion.
- She is then kissing another man on a bed, she is on top implying that she is control of the sex.