Jennica Supplemental Post #4: Using Female Attributes to Signal Subordinate Masculinity

When we discuss Elvis Presley, Paul Robeson, and Michael Jackson they all share the similar characteristic in that there is a substantial amount of emphasis placed on their physicality and their bodies which are framed in such a way that our gaze is intentionally guided to their body parts. As Laura Mulvey describes, the woman is typically the subject of the gaze. However, in the case of these 3 males they too take on this characteristic that Mulvey describes. These three individuals all call upon a style of music that is linked to black culture a group that like woman are too oppressed. Thus like the way woman are portrayed and in particular the focus is carefully guided to their bodies perpetuating them as the subordinate, the portrayals of those individuals who utilize characteristics of anther oppressed group (African Americans) rely highly on the presentation and onscreen physicality that showcases more “feminine” attributes due to the lower status and oppressive nature implied through female characteristics.

            Elvis Presley’s dancing and clothing draw particular physical attention to his body and the beautiful nature of the performance in itself. Similarly, while Jackson attempts to rid himself of his “blackness” his transformation actually makes him more feminized as he tries to “construct an appearance” per sae that is something women regularly due in order to maintain an element of status that is believed to be achieved according to beauty. Also, if we look at the features it is believed he selected to modify including his eyelashes, eyebrows and cheekbones, his face is distinctly feminized maintaining portraying his ties to the subordinate group even while he may attempt to transform himself into the white patriarchal community.

Elvis drawing attention to his physicality in particular his hips diminishing the focus on his masculinity and instead putting the attention or the "gaze" on his body, typical of female representations.

Michael Jackson's attempt to become more "white" leaves him with highly stylized and feminized features even while he may try to align himself with white masculinity his feminized features illustrates his linkage to the "subordinate."

Like Elvis Presley, Jackson utilizes his body to guide the audiences gaze taking away from his masculinity.

            Justin Bieber too in some ways attempts to emulate this model as not only can we see his more feminized side by his fetishized body yet his performance and clothing too illustrate a style that borders the excessive and a focus on consumption and beautiful youthful features which lower his white male status to someone of a lower class status (linkage to white trash status that appropriates black culture) by utilizing these feminine characteristics.

Again here we see a focus on body and appearance our attention his drawn to the positioning of his body rather than his face. His positioning that is not upright also signals subordination and a lack of power.

Justin Timberlake too illustrates an example of this.

            Paul Robeson may have been one of the first film stars to have been subjected to feminization to emphasize a lower class status framing him as a member of a lower social group. However, as we can see through these few examples, those performers who have chosen to incorporate a style of music born from an oppressed group their status is inherently lowered as performers by calling upon feminine attributes that act as signs to signal the linkage and connection between the two oppressed groups (women and African Americans) differentiating them from traditional white masculinity.

As the reading points out Robeson was one of the first individuals to be studied by using female attributes to make sense of  him being considered part of a subordinate group thus he was placed in "female like" positions to illustrate a similarity between the two oppressed groups that lack similar power to white males.