Gender in popular culture

In chapter 7 of cultural theory and popular culture, we read a quote from Simone de Beauvoir that “ one is not born a woman, but, rather, becomes one”(164). She believes that there is a distinction between biological sex and gender, and culture is the factor that distinguishes genders as Masculine and feminine. One of the critics about her work based on Judith Butler is that De Beauvoir assumed there should be only two versions of sexuality in nature as male and female and she neglected the other possibilities. Also, Butler argues that even the natural biology of sex is constructed around culture as well as gender. As she explains, the term gender doesn’t have an identity by itself although it gains its identity through performativity of language in culture. One of the very first examples of this is when a baby is born and certain behavioral expectations raised based on their genders. If it’s a girl, it is assumed to be appropriate to wear pink clothing and plays with dolls and if it’s a boy he has to wear blue and plays with cars. This is what is been dictated to us by the culture and seems natural and whoever doesn’t fit into this binary of male/female would be considered as outsiders and abnormal. Not only the female/male binary opposition encourages the heterosexual relationship in society but also, it disregards other forms of relationships such as homosexuals. One of the simplest examples is how male/females and their gender roles are portrayed in popular culture for kids. Since early ages they learn from Disney movies, that there is a certain way to behave based on their genders and no matter what they always end up with a heterosexual marriages.

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