Exploring the representation of women is as old as media studies itself! Making the argument that women are objectified, eroticised, sexualised and fetishised within the media is not only ubiquitous in media studies but arguably the catalyst for a whole host of gender studies and cultural studies modules the world over!

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The ideas of Van Zoonen and Laura Mulvey not only give us the insight to look at the depiction of women on screen and in print, but they also force us to consider how the audience is positioned - how compelled or, dare we say it, complicit we have become in this objectification. However, years on from Mulvey's seminal work: Visual Pleasure and the Narrative Cinema, these ideas have developed and evolved to include discussion and debate on a diverse range of interrelated subject matter, ranging from the problems of stereotyping and limiting roles for women through to whether these are caused by systemic & structural problems within the media industries or even society itself!? Throw a discussion about the representation of men & and an audience vociferously consuming social media into the mix and all of a sudden you've opened an entire cannery of worms!

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Take any aspect of Van Zoonen’s ideas and the elements that we have discussed  and explore it in more depth.

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Provide multiple examples from one type of media or examples across a range of different media. Explore areas where the theory is relevant and areas where it might need updating. Consider the audience and, of course, the context of the products that you use as examples. If you want to frame it as a debate or argument then make sure you provide evidence for both sides but then do have an opinion in your conclusion.