Androgyny Continues to Put Men in Power
In the first chapter of Gender Trouble, Judith Butler discusses the distinction between sex and gender. Sex is biological while gender is formed by culture; therefore the two should mirror each other (pg 6). Butler questions what sex is and how it is defined then claims that sex is a category of culturally constructed gender (pg 7). She argues that because gender is constructed through culture, then there is room for fluidity .Androgyny can be seen in many celebrities, but most who make the list are usually female who bend gender norms. Ruby Rose, Amber Rose, Grace Jones all make the list as celebrities who will sexually awaken you.
In watching the video, androgynous fashion is obviously more masculine than feminine, and although the answer may not be definitive it could be because of the pedestal we put the male body on. Patriarchal societies think of men as the better, powerful gender. As mentioned in the beginning of the quarter, the class discussed that feminism shouldn’t be about achieving equality because we are then admitting that one gender is better than the other. I don’t really understand how to define androgynous fashion because to me clothes is just clothes. Although I am aware there is certain clothes that is supposed flatter certain body shapes. I guess guys wouldn’t wear feminine clothes because they have square-shaped bodies, and feminine clothes is for women with curves.
In Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhyme at around 37 minutes in, there is a segment in which the male body is discussed to bring light to the homo-eroticism in rap and hip hop music videos. Artists like LLCoolJ are typically shirtless and greased up as the grace magazine covers and star in their own music videos. As they do so, it is not just female fans who are watching , which Tim’m West claims is ironic because of the homophobia portrayed in hip hop culture. In a similar way that rap and hip hop artists use their strong and half-naked bodies in order to attract fans, rockstars like David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Aerosmith, and Guns N Roses dress in an androgynous fashion that allows them to be feminine but still have the authority to be misogynistic and homophobic. Even current heartthrobs like Harry Styles of One Direction dress in manner that combines a feminine with someone who many look up to.
Harry Styles’ fashion sense may be a result of his fluidity or it may a sign of the typical rock star persona. Boy band member, Harry Styles has been accused of dressing as “your aunt” because he likes to wear flowy, printed blouses. Even a couple weeks ago Styles wore floral pants as he and the rest of One Direction were set to perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and few days later he was dressed in a full floral suit at the AMAs red carpet. He has long curly hair that makes all the fangirls and fanboys swoon. Although he has never made mention of his fluid style, the way he dresses has been called androgynous. Styles is also known for being the member who’s had the most sexual partners. When asked about his previous relations, he responds “…we wouldn’t like to objectify women, so” and stop interviewers right in their tracks.
A woman dressing like a man is more acceptable than a man dressing like woman. For example, tomboys are girls who have masculine characteristics whether it is in the way they dress or the way they act. Being a tomboy or just one of the guys is usually okay, but there are no words to describe a guy who has female characteristics without it being offensive or derogatory. But even men with long hair who dress in really tight pants and printed shirts still have more power. While people who identify as androgynous set out to be fluid and comfortable, this feminine rock star persona affects what it is to have an androgynous sense of fashion.
