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Sally Hughes

Judith Butler's Queer Theory

In the IT Crowd, we are introduced to hordes of (conventionally) ‘attractive’ women who predominantly reside on the seventh floor. These women are not only depicted as being ‘technically challenged’ but who are often redeemed as being sexualized objects of which Roy is always trying to win over through strange and drastic stunts. There is also the glaring issue of Douglas’ (the owner of Reynholm’s Industries after his father’s sudden suicide due to mounting debt) attempts of ‘wooing women’ which could certainly be illegal due to his attempts of things such as manipulation and even drugging. The show certainly reinforces traditional gender norms for women.




 



Always’ ‘Like a Girl’ video is a campaign celebrating the breaking of stereotypes and empowering women. It was created by Leo Burnett and has won a number of awards and currently has more than 60 million views on YouTube.


Launched in June 2014, a three-minute video that featured men and women who are asked to do things “like a girl.” The short film demonstrates to its audience that “like a girl” is often received as an insult, as those taking part in the video are seen to giggle, toss their hair and wave their arms around when asked to run, throw and fight like a girl.


In contrast, when young girls are asked to run, fight and throw like a girl, the results are drastically different. One young girl is asked what it means to run like a girl and she responds by saying “it means to run as fast as you can,” prompting the brand (and now the audience) to ask: When did doing something “like a girl” become an insult? The video challenges the phrase which is full of negative ideologies, the way women do things is seen as inferior as to how men do them.


As Judith Butler argues in her 'Queer Theory', "By spreading a variety of non-traditional images and ideas about how people can behave and act, the mass media can help shatter moulds of male and female roles". Whilst this advertisement does not 'shatter' the traditional social construct of femininity, it helps provoke a change of attitudes towards the matter by asking the right questions.


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Nick Saward
Nick Saward
Feb 06, 2021

I think the Like a Girl campaign is brilliant - I only recently came across it when researching the Sport England, This Girl Can adverts - which are also brilliant! There is a real movement in advertising at the moment to consciously move away from old stereotypes of women - and I think it's interesting how the word 'Girl' is being used - an understanding that these are really targeting a generation growing up right now. Whether this is earnest or capitalism at its most cynical doesn't really matter if it changes society for the better. As for the IT Crowd, I am a huge fan - it's a great sitcom in a very traditional sense but it's also ver…

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