Entertainment Industry and other works

by Ellen Gillingham

Katie Milestone and Anneke Meyer, “Gender & Popular Culture”

Reading Title(s) (Author, “Title”):


Katie Milestone and Anneke Meyer, “Gender & Popular Culture”


1.) What is this week’s readings major arguments/points?

The reading’s major arguments are the ways that gender relates to the three cultural processes of production, consumption, and representation.  An important point is how gender is produced, represented, and consumed in popular culture.  The introduction explains that the book will examine both the visible and less visible producers of popular culture.  It looks at the relationship between popular culture and different forms of media.  Another important point is defining and understanding consumption, discourse, space, social construction, and ideology.  The reading also includes standards within feminism


2.) What are some things that you did not understand? Or, are there questions you have for Professor McCune, or the author?


When critics began to talk about a “sea change toward postmodernity,” (63) is this similar to the founding of the United States and its separation from Great Britain because both times were breaking away from hierarchic situations?


3.) What did you learn about Gender and Spectacular Consumption?


I learned that consumption is not central to traditional masculinity.  The reading shares the view that women are responsible for household consumption and the traditional male does not have interest in “shopping, fashion, or beautification” (114).  Additionally, the novel offers that women have performed the majority of the “keeping up with the Joneses” consumption.  This is the idea that women were comparing themselves to their neighbors concerning social caste and material goods.


4.) How might you apply the author’s ideas to other examples, beyond what is

presented in the essay?


Milestone and Meyers elaborate on the idea that characteristics associated with a specific gender are seen as hierarchical (22).  They give the examples that men are associated with being rational and cognitive.  Beyond this point is the more tangible result.  This leads to men and women being treated differently in work environments with regards to respect and salary.



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