The other week we were invited to sit in and be part of an audience for a postfeminist talk held at university. The guest speakers were successful women on panels talking about there experiences and careers and what they thought about feminist issues and Dr.Carolina Matos who is a media and sociology lecturer at city university London. A guest speaker us Makeup and hair design students were excited for especially was Alex Box a highly successful makeup artist that has really worked her way up and been through a number of personal struggles; A really inspiration to all of us aspiring MUA's.
Dr.Carolina Matos - University Sociology & Media Lecturer
First too speak to the audience was Dr.Carolina Matos who went over the issues of equality and gender representation in the media and why they matter; she also spoke about globalisation and how contemporary ideas are different from that of 1950's. The term the “happy housewife” still representing in media. Such as in advertisements of cleaning.
Patronising or sexist still show in media.Post feminism in the media is all about consumerism and how social media can sue anxieties over the female body. Examples of film that Matos used were Bridget Jones and Joy featuring Jennifer Lawrence; film's of individual women in the work place. Dresses up in work outfit to support her business; clothing empowerment. The power suit idea? For Bridget Jones we were shown the clip where Bridget shows her bum in the fire station very cliché with what she should wear by her boss; she's seen extremely insecure cowering to camera then is made to look more sexy. Comedy The body under control and the sexualisation of popular culture Images of woman. Think of sex and the city that is seen as a empowering show but is it? At the end of the day it's about woman sleeping around and looking for men… Empowering ?For me this talk was very insightful but I felt like it was very opinionated and biased but the talking did have some great points.
Nancy honey - photographer
Was the next individual speaker to talk; the talk was based around a series of works she did entitled the 100 leading ladies. When Honey spoke behind were the series of images that she had taken for the book and exhibitions. I actually felt a strong sense of emotion when I was listening to Honey recited the journey that she had been on and experience meeting all these fabulous influential british women in high power successful jobs. The focus of work was to capture women over 55 ; really connected with her work and met with them and even stayed with them. Intimate setting relaxed in there homes. I felt really connected to these woman and felt extremely inspired by them. The women looking and finding the greater good instead of the limelight; they should all be what little girls are inspired by not sadly social media.
Alex Box - Makeup artist/ Artist
Alex Box was last to speak; I was actually really impressed with her talk because she was so frank and honest with her experiences. The fact she didn't fit in a school at all as people found her weird as she didn't conform to a girly look instead she had a shaved head she also spoke about her experience with having a eating problem and personally issues. In her talk she didn't like to use stereotypes because she said she would rather see the person as a spirit not a gender.
What made her also really great for my course was the fact she said you need to be yourself and sometimes people don't like that but keep working and trying your hardest; standing out in creativity and skill.
This lecture was very educational and information and made me think even more deeply into my thoughts on feminism and my own personal journey.
